Build (backport) an newer Ubuntu package to run on an older Ubuntu version

[matthew]

I have successfully packaged Liferea 1.0.23 as well as liferea-mozilla and liferea-gtkhtml. If you want I would be happy to send them to you to be uploaded...I don't have any place to post them myself.

BTW, liferea names the other two as dependencies and the other two each name liferea as a dependency. I couldn't install them using gdebi, but "sudo dpkg -i liferea*.deb" in the /var/cache/prevue/debs folder installed them all quickly and perfectly. Should I file this as a bug and if so against gdebi or prevue?

[foxy123]

To build that particular package, you need to have "cdbs" installed on your machine.

Thanks a lot for your response. I got cautious about this tool. SOme Edgy packages have dependencies which are not met in Dapper. Other may require packages, which are in Dapper but not installed. Many people like myself may rush to compile all these from Edgy source as well rather than install them in a usual way. I am not sure if it is safe frankly speaking. Maybe you should put some warning in the howto, explain how to meet the dependencies and list packages which should not be updated?

[jdong]

This tool is fairly safe. As long as the package builds in the prevu environment, it should run in Dapper, unless there were Edgy-specific changes to the package. Don't pull any system administration tools or core system libraries, as those are often customized per-distribution.

If you find there are additional dependencies that you need after building the packages, use prevu to compile them. Don't just head over to packages.ubuntu.com and download an Edgy deb. NEVER EVER install an Edgy deb -- it's ok to compile from Edgy sources. It's NOT ok to install Edgy binaries.



Matthew, the problem you noted is indeed a gdebi bug. It's been filed, but no resolution yet. I personally recommend you add /var/cache/prevu/debs as an APT repository, such as:

deb file:/var/cache/prevu/debs ./

Then, you can use apt-get to install your newly prevu'ed packages. I uploaded a new 0.2.2-2 release today, which updates the Packages index on successful builds. Otherwise, you needed to run the time-consuming prevu-update for APT to see new packages.

[foxy123]

I am trying to build a new Thunar and it complains about libexo being too old. Trying to build libexo complains about debhelper:

 -> Considering  debhelper (>= 5.0.37.2)
      Tried versions: 5.0.7ubuntu13
   -> Does not satisfy version, not trying
E: Could not satisfy build-dependency.
E: pbuilder-satisfydepends failed.

Trying to build a new debhelper gives me that:

Fetched 274kB in 2s (112kB/s)
dpkg-source: extracting debhelper in debhelper-5.0.37.3ubuntu1
dpkg-source: unpacking debhelper_5.0.37.3ubuntu1.tar.gz
cat: write error: Broken pipe
dch warning: new version (5.0.37.3ubuntu1~6.06prevu1) is less than
the current version number (5.0.37.3ubuntu1).
dch warning: your current directory has been renamed to:
../debhelper-5.0.37.3ubuntu1~6.06prevu1
W: /home/alex/.pbuilderrc does not exist
dpkg-buildpackage: source package is debhelper
dpkg-buildpackage: source version is 5.0.37.3ubuntu1~6.06prevu1
dpkg-buildpackage: source changed by alex <alex@localhost>
 fakeroot debian/rules clean
./run dh_testdir
./run dh_testroot
./run dh_clean *.1 *.7 *-stamp Debian/Debhelper/Dh_Version.pm
po4a --rm-translations --rm-backups man/po4a/po4a.cfg
make: po4a: Command not found
make: *** [clean] Error 127
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/prevu", line 75, in ?
    do_build()
  File "/usr/bin/prevu", line 50, in do_build
    raise ValueError("Build failed.")
ValueError: Build failed.

[jdong]

I don't recommend backporting debhelper -- that could lead to issues.

You've run into a package that won't easily backport to Dapper. You can try stripping the version requirement off debhelper (apt-get source libexo, cd into source, edit debian/control, run prevu with no arguments), no guarantees if that'll work or not

[matthew]

If you find there are additional dependencies that you need after building the packages, use prevu to compile them.

I may try that this evening. I attempted to backport the newest Rhythmbox but it had a dependency issue. I don't recall what it is, but if it's something minor I'll play with it tonight.

Matthew, the problem you noted is indeed a gdebi bug. It's been filed, but no resolution yet. I personally recommend you add /var/cache/prevu/debs as an APT repository, such as:

deb file:/var/cache/prevu/debs ./

Then, you can use apt-get to install your newly prevu'ed packages. I uploaded a new 0.2.2-2 release today, which updates the Packages index on successful builds. Otherwise, you needed to run the time-consuming prevu-update for APT to see new packages.

That's a great idea. Why didn't I think of it?

[foxy123]

OK I am trying to build a new f-spot and ran into cli-comon-dev dependancy. I built cli-common-dev from Edgy souce and installed it:

:~$ apt-cache showpkg cli-common-dev
Package: cli-common-dev
Versions:
0.4.3ubuntu1~6.06prevu1(/var/lib/dpkg/status)

But f-spot still complains about dependency:

 -> Considering  cli-common-dev (>= 0.2.0)
W: Unable to locate package cli-common-dev
E: No packages found
      Tried versions:
   -> Does not satisfy version, not trying
E: Could not satisfy build-dependency.
E: pbuilder-satisfydepends failed.

[jdong]

1) I would advise against mono backports, unless you intend on backporting all of mono (which would work). The mono packaging style completely changed from dapper to edgy to more match Debian's packaging, rendering the two incompatible.

2) You need to run sudo prevu-update after your cli-common-dev compile for prevu to realize the new package exists. Installing it on your system does no good, because prevu builds its packages in an isolated, clean environment.

[foxy123]

1) I would advise against mono backports, unless you intend on backporting all of mono (which would work). The mono packaging style completely changed from dapper to edgy to more match Debian's packaging, rendering the two incompatible.

2) You need to run sudo prevu-update after your cli-common-dev compile for prevu to realize the new package exists. Installing it on your system does no good, because prevu builds its packages in an isolated, clean environment.

thanks, noted. a new f-spot will wait until I upgrade to Edgy then.

Do you think I will be able to upgrade XFCE from beta to RC using prevu or it is too complicated?

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

This is really cool. I have compilied and installed the following programs:

Prelink
Preload
Readahead
Sysv-rc-conf
Pbuilder
Gdebi

This is a very useful utility. I was windering if it would be possible to build gnome 2.6.16 with prevu or is it too risky/impossible ?