Replace stdeb packaging with policy-conformant debian/ directory - #104
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Build all Debian packages from a hand-written debian/ directory using the
standard debhelper / dh-python (pybuild) tooling instead of stdeb.
A single source package now produces three binary packages:
- homcc the client (/usr/bin/homcc)
- homccd the server (/usr/bin/homccd) plus its systemd unit
- python3-homcc-common the shared homcc.common code
The homcc and homccd packages depend on python3-homcc-common instead of each
shipping their own copy of homcc.common. This removes the file conflict that
previously required "dpkg -i --force-overwrite" when installing both.
Also:
- add a unified setup.py declaring all sub-packages and both console scripts
- rewrite the Makefile to build via dpkg-buildpackage and collect the .deb
files in ./target
- update the README installation and build instructions
- ignore debhelper/pybuild in-tree build artifacts
The legacy stdeb files (stdeb.cfg, setup_client.py, setup_server.py) are kept
for now and are unaffected.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Match the debian/changelog 1.0.3 entry so the built package metadata and the egg-info agree. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The Debian packages are now built from the hand-written debian/ directory via dpkg-buildpackage, so stdeb is no longer used. Remove python3-stdeb (and the now-unused stdeb-flow apt packages) from the build workflow and drop stdeb from requirements.txt. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
GitHub retired the cache service backend used by the older action versions, so setup-python's cache: 'pip' fails with "Cache service responded with 400". Bump checkout to v4, setup-python to v5, and upload-artifact to v4, which use the current cache backend. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
psf/black@stable installs the latest black and its wrapper script crashes
under Python 3.9 ("str | None" requires 3.10+), failing format-check. Run the
black==22.6.0 and isort versions already installed from requirements.txt
directly instead, which is both version-consistent with local development and
free of the broken action wrapper.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The debian/ directory was authored in 2026. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Willi Mann (wmann-celonis)
marked this pull request as ready for review
July 13, 2026 06:30
Willi Mann (wmann-celonis)
requested review from
Oliver Layer (OliLay) and
Simon Pirsch (spirsch)
July 13, 2026 06:31
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| homcc client: deb | ||
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| homccd: server | ||
| homccd server: deb |
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Suggested change
| homcc client: deb | |
| homccd: server | |
| homccd server: deb | |
| homcc client homccd server: deb |
but honestly, I am also fine with dropping these convenience targets completely
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We could remove the Makefile completely - the debian packages can be built e.g. by just calling debuild in the base directory of the repository. For cleanup, there is debclean.
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I see, thanks! I think it'd be nice to still keep the Makefile for convenience but no strong opinion.
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Pull request overview
This PR replaces the prior stdeb-based Debian packaging flow with a Debian Policy–conformant debian/ directory (debhelper + dh-python/pybuild), producing three binary packages (homcc, homccd, python3-homcc-common) to avoid file conflicts between client/server installs.
Changes:
- Added a complete
debian/packaging directory (control,rules,changelog,copyright,source/format). - Updated the
Makefileto build viadpkg-buildpackageand collect.debartifacts into./target. - Dropped legacy
debian/compatin favor ofdebhelper-compat (= 13)indebian/control.
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 15 out of 19 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Makefile | Switches build/clean targets to dpkg-buildpackage and collects .deb outputs into ./target. |
| debian/source/format | Declares native source format (3.0 (native)). |
| debian/rules | Uses dh-python/pybuild and overrides install staging dir for package splitting. |
| debian/control | Defines source package metadata and three binary packages with dependencies. |
| debian/changelog | Introduces Debian changelog entry for the packaging rewrite and package split. |
| debian/copyright | Adds DEP-5 formatted copyright/licensing metadata. |
| debian/compat | Removes deprecated compat level file (now handled via debhelper-compat). |
Files excluded by content exclusion policy (12)
- .github/workflows/build-branch.yml
- .github/workflows/build-main.yml
- .gitignore
- README.md
- debian/homcc.install
- debian/homccd.install
- debian/python3-homcc-common.docs
- debian/python3-homcc-common.install
- homcc/client/init.py
- homcc/server/init.py
- requirements.txt
- setup.py
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The Debian packages are built with dpkg-buildpackage against system python3-setuptools, so the build job does not need the dev/test tooling from requirements.txt. Remove the pip install step and the now-unused python3-pip dependency. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
dpkg-buildpackage runs with -rfakeroot and debian/control sets Rules-Requires-Root: no, so the build needs no real root privileges. Running it under sudo only left root-owned artifacts in the workspace. Drop sudo from the build step. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Simon Pirsch (spirsch)
approved these changes
Jul 14, 2026
Comment on lines
+17
to
+19
| homcc client: deb | ||
|
|
||
| homccd: server | ||
| homccd server: deb |
Collaborator
There was a problem hiding this comment.
I see, thanks! I think it'd be nice to still keep the Makefile for convenience but no strong opinion.
Oliver Layer (OliLay)
approved these changes
Jul 14, 2026
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Summary
Replaces the stdeb-generated
.debbuild with a hand-written, Debian Policy conformantdebian/directory built via the standarddebhelper/dh-python(pybuild) tooling.A single source package now produces three binary packages:
python3-homcc-commonhomcc/__init__.py,homcc/common/python3-lzo (>= 1.12)homcc/usr/bin/homcc,homcc/client/python3-homcc-common (= 1.0.3),python3-sysv-ipchomccd/usr/bin/homccd,homcc/server/, systemd unitpython3-homcc-common (= 1.0.3)Moving the shared code into
python3-homcc-commonremoves the file conflict that previously forceddpkg -i --force-overwritewhen installing both the client and the server.Changes
Packaging
debian/:control,changelog,rules,copyright,source/format(3.0 (native)), per-package*.install,python3-homcc-common.docs. Kepthomccd.service; removedcompat(nowdebhelper-compat (= 13)).setup.pydeclaring all sub-packages + both console-script entry points (drives pybuild).Makefileto build viadpkg-buildpackageand collect.debs in./target.__version__to1.0.3to match the changelog.--force-overwritenote..gitignore: ignore debhelper/pybuild in-tree build artifacts.stdeb.cfg,setup_client.py,setup_server.py) kept for now, unaffected.CI
stdebentirely: removedpython3-stdeb(and the other stdeb-flow-only apt packages) from the build job, and removedstdebfromrequirements.txt. The build job now installs only whatdpkg-buildpackage/make allneeds (dh-python debhelper devscripts fakeroot python3-all python3-setuptools liblzo2-dev) andsudo make alldrives the new flow. Also removed the now-vestigialpip install -r requirements.txtstep (and the unusedpython3-pipdep) from the build job.checkout@v4,setup-python@v5,upload-artifact@v4) to fixCache service responded with 400from the retired cache backend.psf/black@stable/isort/isort-actionmarketplace steps with direct calls to the pinnedblack==22.6.0/isortfromrequirements.txt. (psf/black@stableinstalls the latest black, whose wrapper script crashes under the pinned Python 3.9.)Verification
makebuilds all threeArchitecture: allpackages;make cleanfully resets the tree.dpkg-deb -cconfirms zero file overlap between packages; systemd unit lands only inhomccd.homcc --version,homccd --version, and cross-packagehomcc.commonimports all resolve.lintianclean except:no-manual-page(manpages out of scope) andbad-distribution-in-changes-file unstable(an Ubuntu-vendor artifact;unstableis Debian-correct).build-main.yml, somain's CI stays healthy after merge.Notes / open questions
unstable(Debian-correct). If CI should target an Ubuntu series (noble/jammy), that can be changed.build-main.yml(push tomainonly); the PR workflowbuild-branch.ymlhas no build job, somake allis first exercised post-merge. Verified locally in the meantime.🤖 Generated with Claude Code