Creating a go binary as debian binary package for a custom repository

Question

I am trying to package a binary written in Go as a debian/ubuntu binary package. This would be available for download from a custom web server and apt key.

I am - very - confused.

I looked at https://wiki.debian.org/Packaging/Intro?action=show&redirect=IntroDebianPackaging first. This looks like exhaustive, without wanting to say too complex.

What confuses me is that the file debian/rules contains a make command. But we don't have a Makefile, do I need to create one?

In fact I am at the debuild -us -uc step, and it obviously failed.

Then I saw this: https://askubuntu.com/a/251892 , where it says:

Avoid the Debian bureaucracy by just building the binary: dpkg-buildpackage -b

I did that, and the command completed, but looking at the generated package there it doesn't contain any binaries, only a changelog.gz and a copyright file in the app folder below /usr/share/doc.

So I am lost, I have no idea which tutorial to follow here to build a binary custom package, which, btw, later will be available for download signed. Obviously it is my first debian/ubuntu package I am creating.

This debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/first.en.html#simplemake seems to suggest that indeed there should be a Makefile — unsafe_where_true
– unsafe_where_true, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 17:17
That's for source distributions. Binary distributions do not need a makefile. — Adrian
– Adrian, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 17:47
Thanks, I had found that one, but that is only saying what a binary package is - not how to create one. There is this: tldp.org/HOWTO/html_single/Debian-Binary-Package-Building-HOWTO, but it says: "The intended use of such a newly created archive is to install it only on your own box, not to get them into the official Debian distribution. " I don't want to get them into the official Debian distro, nor I want it to install just on my own box. I want people to reliably download and install it from our own repo.... — unsafe_where_true
– unsafe_where_true, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 20:16
Then you're fine. Being an open-source repository, Debian will not add packages to their repo without the source. In your own repo, you set your own rules. — Adrian
– Adrian, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 20:25

Pablo Bianchi · Accepted Answer · 2025-08-12 23:34:33Z

2

I'm currently working on a project written in go that is distributed as a .deb package in a repository.

I have to tell you that it is not easy to find documentation about it. I use fpm for that activity.

First create in a folder that represents your project on the destination computer. For example "/tmp/proj"

Inside that folder you must put everything you want to distribute in the package. For example, if your compiled binary is called "myapp" and you want to put it in "/usr/bin/", then you have to create the folder "/tmp/proj/usr/bin" and put in it the executable file with the permissions you will use.

This way with all the files you want to distribute.

Then create a script that you will use to generate the package:

PKG_NAME=""           # application name, one word, lowercase
PKG_DESCRIPTION=""    # Brief description of the package
PKG_VERSION=""        # Version, in x.y.z format
PKG_RELEASE=""        # Correlative number from 1 onwards
PKG_MAINTAINER=""     # Your name and email. Format: "name" < email >
PKG_VENDOR=""         # Your company name
PKG_URL=""            # URL of your product

FPM_OPTS="-n $PKG_NAME -v $PKG_VERSION --iteration $PKG_RELEASE"

fpm -s dir -t deb ${FPM_OPTS} -f \
    -maintainer "$PKG_MAINTAINER" \
    --vendor "$PKG_VENDOR" \
    --url "$PKG_URL" \
    --description "$PKG_DESCRIPTION" \
    --architecture "amd64" \
    -C /tmp/proj \
    .

And that's it! Well, there's a lot to learn.

edited Aug 12 at 23:34

Pablo Bianchi

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answered Apr 29, 2020 at 22:05

Pablo

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1 Comment

unsafe_where_true Over a year ago

Thank you! I am going through the same, the docs are there but confusing so it's a bag of learning indeed! I came to similar conclusions, however I did not know fpm, so I'll check that out.

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