Note: This article was originally published in 2014. Some steps, commands, or software versions may have changed. Check the current Man Pages documentation for the latest information.
General Commands Manual: dpkg-buildpackage
NAME
dpkg-buildpackage - build binary or source packages from sourcesSYNOPSIS
**dpkg-buildpackage** DESCRIPTION
**dpkg-buildpackage** is a program that automates the process of building a
Debian package. It consists of the following steps:
**1.** It prepares the build environment by setting various environment
variables (see **ENVIRONMENT**) and calls **dpkg-source** **--before-build**
(unless **-T** or **--target** has been used).
**2.** It checks that the build-dependencies and build-conflicts are
satisfied (unless **-d** is specified).
**3.** If a specific target has been selected with the **-T** or **--target**
option, it calls that target and stops here. Otherwise it calls
**fakeroot** **debian/rules** **clean** to clean the build-tree (unless **-nc** is
specified).
**4.** It calls **dpkg-source** **-b** to generate the source package (unless a
binary-only build has been requested with **-b** , **-B** or **-A**).
**5.** It calls **debian/rules** build-target followed by **fakeroot** **debian/rules**
binary-target (unless a source-only build has been requested with
**-S**). Note that build-target and binary-target are either **build** and
**binary** (default case, or if **-b** is specified), or **build-arch** and
**binary-arch** (if **-B** is specified), or **build-indep** and **binary-indep**
(if **-A** is specified).
**6.** It calls **gpg** to sign the **.dsc** file (if any, unless **-us** is
specified).
**7.** It calls **dpkg-genchanges** to generate a **.changes** file. Many
**dpkg-buildpackage** options are forwarded to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**8.** It calls **gpg** to sign the **.changes** file (unless **-uc** is specified).
**9.** If **-tc** is specified, it will call **fakeroot** **debian/rules** **clean** again.
Finally it calls **dpkg-source** **--after-build**.OPTIONS
**-b** Specifies a binary-only build, no source files are to be built
and/or distributed. Passed to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**-B** Specifies a binary-only build, limited to architecture dependent
packages. Passed to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**-A** Specifies a binary-only build, limited to architecture
independent packages. Passed to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**-S** Specifies a source-only build, no binary packages need to be
made. Passed to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**-F** Specifies a normal full build, binary and source packages will
be built. This is the same as the default case when no build
option is specified.
**--target=** target
**--target** target
**-T** target
Calls **debian/rules** target after having setup the build
environment and stops the package build process here. If
**--as-root** is also given, then the command is executed as root
(see **-r**). Note that official targets that are required to be run
as root by the Debian policy do not need this option.
**--as-root**
Only meaningful together with **--target**. Requires that the target
be run with root rights.
**-si**
**-sa**
**-sd**
**-v** version
**-C** changes-description
**-m** maintainer-address
**-e** maintainer-address
Passed unchanged to **dpkg-genchanges**. See its manual page.
**-a** architecture
Specify the Debian architecture we build for. The architecture
of the machine we build on is determined automatically, and is
also the default for the host machine.
**-t** gnu-system-type
Specify the GNU system type we build for. It can be used in
place of -a or as a complement to override the default GNU
system type of the target Debian architecture.
**-j** jobs Number of jobs allowed to be run simultaneously, equivalent to
the **(<http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/saucy/en/man1/make.1.html>)**(1) option of the same name. Will add itself to the
MAKEFLAGS environment variable, which should cause all
subsequent make invocations to inherit the option. Also adds
**parallel=** jobs to the DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS environment variable
which allows debian/rules files to use this information for
their own purposes. The **parallel=** jobs in DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS
environment variable will override the **-j** value if this option
is given.
**-D** Check build dependencies and conflicts; abort if unsatisfied.
This is the default behavior.
**-d** Do not check build dependencies and conflicts.
**-nc** Do not clean the source tree (implies **-b** if nothing else has
been selected among **-B** , **-A** or **-S**).
**-tc** Clean the source tree (using gain-root-command **debian/rules**
**clean**) after the package has been built.
**-r** gain-root-command
When **dpkg-buildpackage** needs to execute part of the build
process as root, it prefixes the command it executes with gain-
root-command if one has been specified. Otherwise, if none has
been specified, **fakeroot** will be used by default, if the command
is present. gain-root-command should start with the name of a
program on the **PATH** and will get as arguments the name of the
real command to run and the arguments it should take. gain-
root-command can include parameters (they must be space-
separated) but no shell metacharacters. gain-root-command might
typically be **fakeroot** , **sudo** , **super** or **really**. **su** is not
suitable, since it can only invoke the user's shell with **-c**
instead of passing arguments individually to the command to be
run.
**-R** rules-file
Building a Debian package usually involves invoking **debian/rules**
as a command with several standard parameters. With this option
it's possible to use another program invocation to build the
package (it can include space separated parameters).
Alternatively it can be used to execute the standard rules file
with another make program (for example by using
**/usr/local/bin/make** **-f** **debian/rules** as rules-file).
**-p** sign-command
When **dpkg-buildpackage** needs to execute GPG to sign a source
control (**.dsc**) file or a **.changes** file it will run sign-command
(searching the **PATH** if necessary) instead of **gpg**. sign-command
will get all the arguments that **gpg** would have gotten. sign-
command should not contain spaces or any other shell
metacharacters.
**-k** key-id
Specify a key-ID to use when signing packages.
**-us** Do not sign the source package.
**-uc** Do not sign the **.changes** file.
**-i**
**-I**
**-s**
**-z** , **-Z**
Passed unchanged to **dpkg-source**. See its manual page.
**--source-option=** opt
Pass option opt to **dpkg-source**.
**--changes-option=** opt
Pass option opt to **dpkg-genchanges**.
**--admindir=** dir
**--admindir** dir
Change the location of the **dpkg** database. The default location
is (<file://var/lib/dpkg>).
**-?** , **--help**
Show the usage message and exit.
**--version**
Show the version and exit.ENVIRONMENT
Even if **dpkg-buildpackage** exports some variables, **debian/rules** should
not rely on their presence and should instead use the respective
interface to retrieve the needed values.
**Variables** **set** **by** **dpkg-architecture**
**dpkg-architecture** is called with the **-a** and **-t** parameters forwarded.
Any variable that is output by its **-s** option is integrated in the build
environment.
**Compiler** **flags** **are** **no** **longer** **exported**
Between versions 1.14.17 and 1.16.1, **dpkg-buildpackage** exported
compiler flags (**CFLAGS** , **CXXFLAGS** , **FFLAGS** , **CPPFLAGS** and **LDFLAGS**) with
values as returned by **dpkg-buildflags**. This is no longer the case.BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
**dpkg-buildpackage** is using the **build-arch** and **build-indep** targets since
version 1.16.2. Those targets are thus mandatory. But to avoid
breakages of existing packages, and ease the transition, it will
fallback to using the **build** target if **make** **-f** **debian/rules** **-qn** build-
target returns 2 as exit code.BUGS
It should be possible to specify spaces and shell metacharacters in and
initial arguments for gain-root-command and sign-command.SEE ALSO
**dpkg-source**(1), **dpkg-architecture**(1), **dpkg-buildflags**(1),
**dpkg-genchanges**(1), **fakeroot**(1), **gpg**(1).