.TH GENPKG 1 2012-5-31
.SH NAME
genpkg \- ArchLinux package meta generator
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B genpkg
[
.B names of packages to generate
]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
If PKGBUILDs are binary package generators, then \fBgenpkg\fR is a package
generator generator. \fBgenpkg\fR creates PKGBUILDs and supporting files that
can be used to create source packages or build binary packages. The purpose
of \fBgenpkg\fR is to more easily automate the creation of packages. The
primary goal is to map packages from other sources of software releases.
.PP
Software releases include perl's CPAN distributions, python's
PyPI eggs, or ruby's gems. In order to meet my current needs,
\fBgenpkg\fR currently supports perl CPAN distributions. The design
should make it easy to add support for any other such sources. \fBgenpkg\fR
is merely the front to several other scripts which are responsible for the
different stages of package generation.
.SH FILES
.PP
The following directories are used by genpkg, by default. Right now it
is only possible to change them by editing genpkg. They are at the top of
the script.
.IP \fB$HOME/pkg/dest/\fR
Generated packages are stored here
.IP \fB$HOME/pkg/mods/\fR
Modifications are searched for in this directory.
.IP \fB$HOME/.genpkg/preps/\fR
Preparation scripts are searched for here. Each script may have a
supporting directory as well.
.IP \fB$HOME/.genpkg/var/\fR
Data that needs to be saved between invocations by preparation
scripts is stored here. These are usually indices of releases.
.SH IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
.SS Preparation
.PP
The first stage is preparation performed by the \fIprepkg(1)\fR script.
Software releases (i.e. tarballs) must be fetched and general information
about the package is determined from these downloaded files. Scripts
called \fI"preps"\fR are each queried in turn to see if the specified package
is one they recognize. Each package source has its own prep script, though
currently only one exists for the CPAN. The prep creates a PKGDATA file,
a simple key/value text file, and initializes the PKGBUILD functions by using
\fIputpkgtree(1)\fR. \fBprepkg\fR's duty is then finished.
.SS Modification
.PP
While creating perl packages I found that automated techniques
could not always generate exactly what I wanted. Human intervention would
sometimes be inevitable. In case modification is necessary, a \fImod\fR script
can be created. Mods are written in tcl and usually stored in
\fI$HOME/pkg/mods/\fR. If a mod script with the same name as the package
is present, the modifications are performed on the PKGDATA and PKGBUILD.
These duties are handled by \fImodpkg(1)\fR.
.SS Finalization
.PP
Now the package data and functions are merged together into a PKGBUILD.
\fIinjectdigs(1)\fR is used to generate the MD5 and SHA digests for the
package files in the source array, as well as any patches or files added.
\fIvervar(1)\fR is used to replace version strings in PKGBUILD fields with
\fB$pkgver\fR. After the \fIPKGDATA(5)\fR stream is fed through these
filters, the \fIpbfields(1)\fR script converts the fields into a PKGBUILD header.
All of the sections of the PKGBUILD are then merged together and written
to a file with the help of the \fIgetpkgtree(1)\fR script.
.SH SEE ALSO
.PP
.BR prepkg(1) ,
.BR modpkg(1) ,
.BR pbfields(1) ,
.BR injectdigs(1) ,
.BR vervar(1) ,
.BR putpkgtree(1) ,
.BR getpkgtree(1) ,
.BR PKGDATA(5)
.SH AUTHOR
.PP
Justin "juster" Davis <jrcd83@gmail.com>