bout linux - .deb install

.deb files are a NOT VERY GOOD alternative to flatpak.
I used to use them, so below are my docs.

.deb files are binary files to install on the distros that
come from debian like ubuntu, chromeos linux container, mint, etc.

you can install a .deb in chromeos by just doubleclicking it in the Files app.



 below is top dir in name format of
   app_version-revis_arch
   
 version is yyyymmdd.
 revis always 1.
 arch is amd64 or arm64.
 (my preferences, of course)



 below is the dirname for your app
 (shazware for my example)



install:   sudo dpkg -i .deb
           sudo dpkg -i shazware_20220514-1_amd64.deb

remove:    sudo dpkg -P 
           sudo dpkg -P shazware





CREATING A .deb ...



sudo apt install dpkg  (probably already there)



mkdir -p /opt/app/

mkdir    /DEBIAN

cp  to
   /opt/app//

cp  to
   /usr/share/applications

vi /DEBIAN/control with...

Package: shazware

Version: 20220514

Architecture: amd64  (or armhf for raspi)

Maintainer: Stephen Hazel https://pianocheetah.app

Description: shazware - Stephen HAZel’s softWARE
 and an extra long description starting with space
 ned - Nifty text EDitor
 ftx - Find TeXt in files under a directory
 flatten - flatten all dirs/files under a directory to dirs_files
 undup - kill off dup files based on contents matching exactly

Section: custom

Priority: optional

Essential: no

Installed-Size: (size of exe in bytes)

Sources:

Depends:





Taking care of external dependencies:

copy  to a linux drive that can handle diff case diff file (NTFS won’t)

cd 

cp -pr DEBIAN debian
   (you may have to do this on a drive that CAN DO dirs of same name diff case)

ln -s opt/app/ x

dpkg-shlibdeps -v -O x/ x/ ...etc

copy the last line into your DEBIAN/control file

rm -fr debian

rm x



dpkg-deb --build --root-owner-group 

NOW stick that .deb on your website

(WITH the top couple lines about how TF to install/remove/etc)

...aaand see who whines









Notes:



test remove:
 dpkg -l | grep 
 output should be blank if uninstalled correctly.





Run scripts before or after package installation and removal

/DEBIAN/preinst
   postinst
   prerm
   postrm

are called maintainer scripts.

must be chmod between 0555 and 0775.





When installing, if you see
 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before attempting a removal.

Then
 keep anything you want preserved then
 sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/info/.* /tmp/
 sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq 





dpkg-gencontrol writes names of package files into "debian/files".

Parsing it much easier than any dances with resulting files in parent directory

(i.e. parsing ../*.changes").





.desktop files:
 usually in /usr/share/applications
 or ~/.local/share/applications
 else:
 create an ‘applications’ directory somewhere
 put your .desktop files
 add path of it’s parent directory to the XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable

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