deb-constrictor 0.2.2

Build DPKGs natively with Python.

Build Debian Packages (.deb/DPKGs) natively in Python.

Install

Using pip:

pip install deb-constrictor

Usage

Define directories, links, scripts and dependencies:

from constrictor import DPKGBuilder, BinaryControl

dirs = [
    {
        'source': '~/python/beneboyit/frontend/src',
        'destination': '/srv/python/bbit-web-frontend',
        'uname': 'www-data'
    }
]

maintainer_scripts = {
    'postinst': '~/python/beneboyit/frontend/scripts/after-install',
    'preinst': '~/python/beneboyit/frontend/scripts/before-install'
}

links =  [
    {
        'source': '/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/bbit-web-frontend',
        'destination': '../sites-available/bbit-web-frontend'
    },
    {
        'source': '/etc/uwsgi/apps-enabled/bbit-web-frontend.ini',
        'destination': '../apps-available/bbit-web-frontend.ini'
    },
]

depends = ('nginx', 'uwsgi')

output_directory = '~/build'

c = BinaryControl('bbit-web-frontend',  '1.5', 'all', 'Ben Shaw', 'BBIT Web Frontend')

c.set_control_field('Depends', depends)

c.set_control_fields({'Section': 'misc', 'Priority': 'optional'})

d = DPKGBuilder(output_directory, c, dirs, links, maintainer_scripts)
d.build_package()

Output file is named in the format <packagename>_<version>_<architecture>.deb and placed in the destination_dir. Alternatively, provide a name for your package as the output_name argument, and the package will be created with this name in the output_directory.

constrictor-build tool

constrictor-build is a command line tool that will build a package based on information in a JSON file. By default, this file is in the current directory and called “build-config.json”.

It loads the following fields and expects them to be in the same format as above:

• package (string, required)
• version (string, required)
• architecture (string, required)
• maintainer (string, required)
• description (string, required)
• extra_control_fields (dictionary of standard DPKG control field pairs, optional)
• directories (array of dictionaries as per example above, optional)
• links (array of dictionaries as per example above, optional)
• maintainer_scripts (dictionary as per example above, optional)

You can also provide a “parent” field, which is a path to another build JSON file (path is relative to the config file) from which to read config values. For example, you might want to define the maintainer only in a parent config rather than in each child config.

Child values will replace parent values. “extra_control_fields” is not replaced as a whole, but the items in the child “extra_control_fields” will override those of the parents (i.e. they are merged with child items have precedence).

The parent lookup is recursive so a parent can have a parent, and so on.

Environment variables in the form ${var_name} or $var_name will be substituted.

Known Issues

• Can only make Binary packages
• Lintian will complain about missing control file fields due to those not having the ability to be created (yet). For example copyright, changelog, extended-description. Packages still install OK without these.
• Can’t mark files as “config”
• As with any tar based archive, ownership of files based on uname/gname can be wrong if the user does not exist. Use with caution or create postinst scripts to fix.