---
name: "dh-make-elpa"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dh-make-elpa"
version: "0.19.5"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dh-make-elpa"
---

# dh-make-elpa(1)

helper for creating Debian packages from ELPA packages

## NAME

dh-make-elpa - helper for creating Debian packages from ELPA packages

## SYNOPSIS

- dh-make-elpa \[--pkg-emacsen\] \[make\]

  - dh-make-elpa help

  ## DESCRIPTION

**dh-make-elpa** will try to create the files required to build a Debian source package from an unpacked GNU Emacs ELPA package.

**dh-make-elpa** is an experimental script that performs a lot of guesswork.  You should throughly verify the contents of the debian/ directory before uploading

### TYPICAL USAGE

\# Set your name and email address (these will be used in *debian/control*) % export DEBFULLNAME="Jane Bloggs" % export DEBEMAIL=j.s.bloggs@example.com

% git clone -o upstream https://foo.org/foo.git

% cd foo

% git reset --hard 1.0.0      # package latest stable release

% git branch --unset-upstream # detaches master branch from upstream remote

% dh-make-elpa --pkg-emacsen

% git add debian && git commit -m "initial Debianisation"

% git deborig

% dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc

### COMMANDS

- make

  Default command if no command is given. Creates debianisation from scratch.  Fails with an error if *debian/* directory already exists.

- help

  Displays short usage information.

### OPTIONS

- **--pkg-emacsen**

  Sets `"Maintainer"`, `"Uploaders"`, `"Vcs-Git"` and `"Vcs-Browser"` fields in *debian/control* according to the Team's conventions.

  This option is useful when preparing a package for the Debian Emacs Addon Packaging Team \<https://pkg-emacsen.alioth.debian.org\>.

- **--version**

  Specify the ELPA package version.  Useful when upstream failed to include either a Package-Version: header or a -pkg.el file.

### TIPS

- Upstream remote

  The remote for upstream's git repository should be called 'upstream'. You can use:

  % git clone -o upstream https://foo/bar

## AUTHOR

Originally written by Sean Whitton \<spwhitton@spwhitton.name\>, currently maintained by Lev Lamberov \<dogsleg@debian.org\> and Debian Emacsen team \<debian-emacsen@lists.debian.org\>.

A great deal of the library code used by **dh-make-elpa**, and its object-oriented structure, comes from [**dh-make-perl**(1)](/dh-make-perl/1.md), written and maintained by the Debian Perl Group.