--- name: "backportpackage" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "ubuntu-dev-tools" version: "0.206" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/backportpackage" --- # backportpackage(1) helper to test package backports ## NAME backportpackage - helper to test package backports ## SYNOPSIS - **backportpackage \[*additional options*\]** \--upload \<*upload target*\>\ \<*source package name or .dsc URL/file*\> **backportpackage -h** ## DESCRIPTION **backportpackage** fetches a package from one distribution release or from a specified .dsc path or URL and creates a no-change backport of that package to one or more Ubuntu releases release, optionally doing a test build of the package and/or uploading the resulting backport for testing. Unless a working directory is specified, the backported package is fetched and built in a temporary directory in **/tmp**, which is removed once the script finishes running. **backportpackage** is only recommended for testing backports in a PPA, not uploading backports to the Ubuntu archive. ## OPTIONS - **-d *DEST*, --destination=*DEST*** Backport the package to the specified Ubuntu release. If this option is unspecified, then **backportpackage** defaults to the release on which it is currently running. - **-s *SOURCE*, --source=*SOURCE*** Backport the package from the specified release, which can be any release of your distribution or any of your distribution's parent distributions. If neither this option nor **--version** are specified, then **backportpackage** defaults to the current development release for your distribution. - **-S *SUFFIX*, --suffix=*SUFFIX*** Add the specified suffix to the version number when backporting. **backportpackage** will always append ~ubuntu*DESTINATION*.1 to the original version number, and if *SUFFIX* is specified, it is appended to that, to get version numbers of the form *ORIGINAL\_VERSION*~ubuntu*DESTINATION*.1*SUFFIX*. If the backported package is being uploaded to a PPA, then *SUFFIX* defaults to **~ppa1**, otherwise the default is blank. - **-b, --build** Build the package with the specified builder before uploading. Note for [**cowbuilder**(8)](/cowbuilder/8.md) and [**pbuilder**(8)](/pbuilder/8.md) users: This assumes the common configuration, where the **ARCH** and **DIST** environment is read by [**pbuilderrc**(5)](/pbuilderrc/5.md) to select the correct base image. - **-B *BUILDER*, --builder=*BUILDER*** Use the specified builder to build the package. Supported are [**cowbuilder**(8)](/cowbuilder/8.md), [**cowbuilder-dist**(1)](/cowbuilder-dist/1.md), [**pbuilder**(8)](/pbuilder/8.md), [**pbuilder-dist**(1)](/pbuilder-dist/1.md), and [**sbuild**(1)](/sbuild/1.md). The default is [**pbuilder**(8)](/pbuilder/8.md). - **-U, --update** Update the build environment before attempting to build. - **-u *UPLOAD*, --upload=*UPLOAD*** Upload to *UPLOAD* with [**dput**(1)](/dput/1.md) (after confirmation). - **-k *KEYID*, --key=*KEYID*** Specify the key ID to be used for signing. - **--dont-sign** Do not sign the upload. - **-y, --yes** Do not prompt before uploading to a PPA. For everyone's safety, this option is ignored if *UPLOAD* is **ubuntu**. - **-v *VERSION*, --version=*VERSION*** If the **--source** option is specified, then **backportpackage** verifies that the current version of *source* *package* in *SOURCE* is the same as *VERSION*. Otherwise, **backportpackage** finds version *VERSION* of *source* *package* in your distribution's publishing history, regardless of the release in which it was published (or if that version is still current). This option is ignored if a .dsc URL or path is passed in instead of a source package name. - **-w *WORKDIR*, --workdir=*WORKDIR*** If *WORKDIR* is specified, then all files are downloaded, unpacked, built into, and otherwise manipulated in *WORKDIR*. Otherwise, a temporary directory is created, which is deleted before *backportpackage* exits. - **-r, --release-pocket** Target the upload at the release pocket, rather than the **-backports** pocket. This is required for Launchpad PPAs, which are pocket-less (and the default, when the upload target is a PPA). - **-m *MIRROR*, --mirror=*MIRROR*** Use the specified mirror. Should be in the form **http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu**. If the package isn't found on this mirror, **backportpackage** will use Launchpad. - **-c *BUG*, --close=*BUG*** Include a Launchpad closer for the specified bug in the auto-generated changelog. In the future, this may actually close the bug, but currently does not. - **-l *INSTANCE*, --lpinstance=*INSTANCE*** Use the specified instance of Launchpad (e.g. "staging"), instead of the default of "production". - **--no-conf** Do not read any configuration files, or configuration from environment variables. ## ENVIRONMENT - **DEBFULLNAME**, **DEBEMAIL**, **UBUMAIL** Used to determine the uploader (if not supplied as options). See [**ubuntu-dev-tools**(5)](/ubuntu-dev-tools/5.md) for details. All of the **CONFIGURATION VARIABLES** below are also supported as environment variables. Variables in the environment take precedence to those in configuration files. ## CONFIGURATION VARIABLES The following variables can be set in the environment or in [**ubuntu-dev-tools**(5)](/ubuntu-dev-tools/5.md) configuration files. In each case, the script-specific variable takes precedence over the package-wide variable. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_BUILDER**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_BUILDER** The default value for **--builder**. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_UPDATE\_BUILDER**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_UPDATE\_BUILDER** The default value for **--update**. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_UPLOAD** The default value for **--upload**. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_WORKDIR**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_WORKDIR** The default value for **--workdir**. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_UBUNTU\_MIRROR**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_UBUNTU\_MIRROR** The default value for **--mirror** if the specified *SOURCE* release is an Ubuntu release. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_DEBIAN\_MIRROR**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_DEBIAN\_MIRROR** The default value for **--mirror** if the specified *SOURCE* release is a Debian release. - **BACKPORTPACKAGE\_LPINSTANCE**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_LPINSTANCE** The default value for **--lpinstance**. ## EXAMPLES Test-build in your PPA a backport of znc from the current development release to your workstation's release, deleting the build products afterwards: - ``` backportpackage -u ppa:user/ppa znc ``` Backport squashfs-tools from Maverick to both Karmic and Lucid and test-build both locally, leaving all build products in the current working directory: - ``` backportpackage -b -s maverick -d karmic -d lucid -w . \\ squashfs-tools ``` Fetch a package from a PPA, backport it to Hardy, then upload it back to the same PPA: - ``` backportpackage -d hardy -u ppa:user/ppa \\ https://launchpad.net/some/file.dsc ``` ## SEE ALSO [**ubuntu-dev-tools**(5)](/ubuntu-dev-tools/5.md) ## AUTHOR **backportpackage** and this manpage were written by Evan Broder \ Both are released under GNU General Public License, version 2.