How to make Ubuntu/Debian .deb packages from source tar.gz

This is my abbrevitated version of : Hands On


Step 1: Make the source files

Un-tar your source files. This should result in a directory ./the_app

cd into the_app directory: cd the_app

Make the application according to the instructions in the README file, usually just means running the make command in the the_app directory: ./make


Step 2: Prepare the "control" file

Then create a directory DEBIAN: mkdir DEBIAN

cd into DEBIAN: cd DEBIAN

Create a file called "control" based on the following example:


Package: your_package_name_without_ext

Version: 1.0

Section: base

Priority: optional

Architecture: all

Depends: prog1 (>= 2.05a-11), prog2 (>= 2.0-12), prog3, prog4 (>= 1:2.0.7-8), prog5 (>= 3.02-8), prog6 (>= 2.4.2-3), prog7 (>= 5.0-5)

Maintainer: Yusuf

Description: A little sumthing sumthing on your program


Step 3: Put all the files in their places

Now you've got to create a directory structure with the files needed as they will be installed on your system.

So if you need the bin files in your /usr/local/bin directory then copy the bin files into the_app/usr/local/bin : cp the_app.sh usr/local/bin


Step 4: Create the Package

Decend into the directory containing the_app and run: dpkg-deb --build the_app

Thats it! You should now have a the_app.deb package