--- name: "cowbuilder-dist" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "ubuntu-dev-tools" version: "0.206" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/pbuilder-dist" --- # cowbuilder-dist(1) multi-distribution pbuilder/cowbuilder wrapper Part of [pbuilder-dist(1)](/pbuilder-dist/1.md). ## NAME pbuilder-dist, cowbuilder-dist - multi-distribution pbuilder/cowbuilder wrapper ## SYNOPSIS **pbuilder-dist** *distribution* \[*architecture*\] *operation* \[**options**\] \[*...*\] **cowbuilder-dist** *distribution* \[*architecture*\] *operation* \[**options**\] \[*...*\] ## DESCRIPTION **pbuilder-dist** is a wrapper that makes it easy to use pbuilder with many different versions of Ubuntu and/or Debian. It is common to symlink this script in order to give it many names in the form of **pbuilder-***distribution* or **pbuilder-***distribution*-*architecture*, like for example **pbuilder-feisty**, **pbuilder-sid**, **pbuilder-gutsy-i386**, etc. The same applies to **cowbuilder-dist**, which uses cowbuilder. The main difference between both is that pbuilder compresses the created chroot as a tarball, thus using less disc space but needing to uncompress (and possibly compress) its contents again on each run, and cowbuilder doesn't do this. ## USAGE There are many arguments listed on the synopsis; each of them, if used, has to be used exactly in the same order as it appears there. In case you renamed the script to **pbuilder-***distribution*, do not use the **distribution** parameter; same with **i386** / **amd64** if the name also contains -*architecture*. - **distribution** Replace this with the codename of the version of Ubuntu or Debian you want to use. - **architecture** This optional parameter will attempt to construct a chroot in a foreign architecture. For some architecture pairs (e.g. i386 on an amd64 install), the chroot will be created natively. For others (e.g. arm64 on an amd64 install), qemu-user-static will be used. Note that some combinations (e.g. amd64 on an i386 install) require special separate kernel handling, and may break in unexpected ways. - **operation** Replace this with the action you want **pbuilder** to do (create, update, build, clean, login or execute). If you don't specify any action, but the next argument is a .dsc file, it will assume that it should build. Check its manpage for more details. - **\[...\]** Replace this with other parameters, if needed. For example, if **build** is the option, you will need to also specify a .dsc file. As a special feature, if you specify a .dsc file you can skip the **build** option and this script will automatically assume that building is the action you want to do. ## OPTIONS - **--main-only** (deprecated: **mainonly**) If you specify this option, only packages from the *main* (in Debian) or *main* and *restricted* (in Ubuntu) components will be used. By default, all official components are enabled. This only has effect when creating a new environment. - **--debug-echo** The generated **pbuilder**/**cowbuilder** command will be printed to the standard output instead of being executed. This is useful for debugging. - **--buildresult** **DIRECTORY** (pbuilder-dist only) If this option is specified, the resultant files of the **pbuilder** build are placed in **DIRECTORY**. - **--release-only** Only use the release pocket. Default for development releases. - **--security-only** Only use the release and security pockets. Suitable environment for preparing security updates. - **--updates-only** Only use the release, security, and updates pocket. Not the proposed-updates pocket. - **--backports** Also use the backports archive.. ## EXAMPLES - pbuilder-dist gutsy create Creates a **pbuilder** environment for Ubuntu Gutsy, with all components enabled. - pbuilder-sid --main-only create Creates a **pbuilder** environment for Debian Sid, with only the main component. - pbuilder-feisty build ./sample\_1.0-0ubuntu1.dsc Builds the specified package on an already existing Ubuntu Feisty environment. - pbuilder-dist feisty withlog build ./sample\_1.0-0ubuntu1.dsc Same as above, but stores **pbuilder**'s output on a file. - pbuilder-etch i386 update Updates an existing i386-architecture Debian Etch environment on an amd64 system. - cowbuilder-experimental create Creates a **cowbuilder** environment for Debian Experimental. ## FILES AND ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES By default, **pbuilder-dist** will store all the files it generates in **~/pbuilder/**. This can be changed by setting the **PBUILDFOLDER** environment variable. If the directory doesn't exist, it will be created on the run. A file with the log of the last operation, called last\_operation.log, will be saved in the results subdirectory of each build environment. The default authentication method is **sudo**. You can change this by setting the **PBUILDAUTH** variable. By default, **pbuilder-dist** use the master Debian and Ubuntu mirrors. The pbuilder **MIRRORSITE** and **OTHERMIRROR** variables are supported, as are the standard ubuntu-dev-tools variables: **UBUNTUTOOLS\_DEBIAN\_MIRROR**, **PBUILDER\_DIST\_DEBIAN\_MIRROR**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_DEBSEC\_MIRROR**, **PBUILDER\_DIST\_DEBSEC\_MIRROR**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_UBUNTU\_MIRROR**, **PBUILDER\_DIST\_UBUNTU**, **UBUNTUTOOLS\_UBUNTU\_PORTS\_MIRROR**, and **PBUILDER\_DIST\_UBUNTU\_PORTS\_MIRROR**. See **ubuntu-dev-tools** (5) for details. You may also want to know that **pbuilder-dist** exports **DIST** and **ARCH** environment variables to the invoked process, containing the name of the distribution and the architecture targeted by the current build. You can make use of them, for example, in **pbuilderrc**. ## BUGS If you experience any problem with this script contact me on rainct@ubuntu.com or file a bug at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-dev-tools. Please ensure first that the problem is really this script and not an issue with **pbuilder** or **cowbuilder** themselves. ## SEE ALSO [**pbuilder**(1)](/pbuilder/1.md), [**pbuilderrc**(5)](/pbuilderrc/5.md), **cowbuilder**(1), [**ubuntu-dev-tools**(5)](/ubuntu-dev-tools/5.md). ## AUTHORS **pbuilder-dist** and this manual page were written by Siegfried-A. Gevatter \, with contributions from Iain Lane \, Emmet Hikory \ and others. **pbuilder-dist** is released under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.