1dgit-maint-bpo(7) dgit dgit-maint-bpo(7)
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6 dgit - tips for maintaining official Debian backports
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9 This document describes elements of a workflow for using dgit to
10 maintain an official Debian backport. We do not assume that whoever
11 uploads the package to Debian unstable is using dgit.
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14 The first time a package is backported for any particular Debian
15 release, you will have to pass the --new option to dgit.
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18 Let the master branch contain the packaging history uploaded to Debian
19 unstable, and the buster-bpo branch be where you prepare your uploads
20 to the buster-backports suite.
21 A merging backports workflow means that each time an upload migrates to
23 Debian testing and you want to prepare an upload to buster-backports,
24 you do something like this:
25 % git checkout buster-bpo
27 % git merge master
28 % dch --bpo
29 % # any other changes needed for backporting
30 % git commit -a
31 % # try a build
32 A rebasing backports workflow means that you throw away the history of
34 the buster-bpo branch each time a new version migrates to Debian
35 testing, something equivalent to this:
36 % git checkout -B buster-bpo master
38 % dch --bpo
39 % # any other changes needed for backporting
40 % git commit -a
41 % # try a build
42 If you use a merging backports workflow, your changelog contains
44 entries for each previous upload to buster-backports; in a rebasing
45 workflow, it contains only the latest.
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48 If backporting involves making no (additional) changes to the upstream
49 source, whether you use a merging or rebasing backports workflow is a
50 matter of personal preference. There are good arguments in favour of
51 both workflows fitting the semantics of the *-backports suites.
52 If you have to make changes to the upstream source to make the package
54 work on machines running Debian stable, it is advisable to choose a
55 rebasing workflow. This ensures that dgit can automatically update the
56 debian/patches directory without any manual intervention.
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59 Use dgit's branches
60 If you do not yourself upload the package to Debian unstable, it is
61 usually easiest to use dgit's branches, and ignore the configured Vcs-
62 Git repository.
63 You would use
65 % dgit clone foo bullseye
67 for a new backport of package 'foo' to buster-backports, and then
69 % dgit fetch bullseye
71 % git merge dgit/dgit/bullseye
72 when new versions migrate to Debian testing.
74
76 Use dgit's branches
77 If you do not yourself upload the package to Debian unstable, it is
78 usually easiest to use dgit's branches, and ignore the configured Vcs-
79 Git repository. For each new version from Debian testing, you would
80 % dgit fetch bullseye
82 % git checkout -B buster-bpo dgit/dgit/bullseye
83 % # use git-cherry-pick(1) to (re)apply any needed backporting fixes
84 Overwriting
86 dgit push tries hard to prevent you from accidentally overwriting
87 uploads that it thinks aren't represented in the git history you are
88 trying to upload. This is mainly to prevent accidentally overwriting
89 NMUs.
90 With a rebasing backports workflow, dgit will think that every upload
92 of a new version from Debian testing might be accidentally overwriting
93 uploads. You will need to explicitly indicate the upload to buster-
94 backports you wish to overwrite.
95 Suppose that the last upload to buster-backports was versioned
97 1.2.2-1~bpo10+1 and you have now prepared 1.2.3-1~bpo10+1 for upload.
98 When you dgit push, you will need to pass --overwrite=1.2.2-1~bpo10+1.
99 Alternatively, you can perform the pseudomerge that --overwrite would
101 have done yourself:
102 % dgit fetch buster-backports
104 % git merge -s ours dgit/dgit/buster-backports
105 % dgit push-source
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108 dgit(1), dgit(7), https://backports.debian.org/
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111 This manpage was written and is maintained by Sean Whitton
112 <spwhitton@spwhitton.name>.
113perl v5.30.1 Debian Project dgit-maint-bpo(7)