---
name: "packinit"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dist"
version: "1:3.5-236-1.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/packinit"
---

# packinit(1)

initialize or update your .package file

## NAME

packinit - initialize or update your .package file

## SYNOPSIS

**packinit**

## DESCRIPTION

**Packinit** will create (or update) a *.package* file, so that all the **dist** tools can be smart and know some basic things about your package, such as its revision number, or the e-mail address of its maintainer.

*Packinit* should be run from the top level directory of your package, before using any other *dist* tool. Later on, you may rerun it to update some of its values. *Packinit* will create a single file and leave the remaining of your directory undisturbed.

## VARIABLES

*Packinit* defines the following variables in your *.package* file:

- baserev

  The baseline revision number.

- cext

  The list (space separated) of file extensions identifying potential holders of C symbols. This is added to the default .\[chyl\] extension lookup. Shell-style patterns may be used.

- changelog

  The name of the *ChangeLog* file managed by *patlog*.

- changercs

  Boolean stating whether RCS logs are to be made part of *ChangeLog*.

- copyright

  Name of the file used for Copyright expansion.

- ftpdir

  Directory where patches are located on the FTP site.

- ftpsite

  Name of the FTP site where patches may be retrieved from.

- list\_addr

  Address of the package mailing list where users may post messages to.

- list\_manager

  Type of list manager attached to the list administrative request address.

- list\_name

  Name of the package users mailing list.

- list\_request

  Address where subscribe and unsubscribe requests for the package mailing list should be sent to.

- list\_sub

  Format of the subscribe requests.

- list\_unsub

  Format of the unsubscribe requests.

- list\_users

  A boolean string set to 'true' when there is a mailing list set up for discussion about the package.

- mailagent

  A boolean string set to 'true' when people are allowed to retrieve patches via mailagent *@SH mailpatch* commands.

- maintloc

  E-mail address of the package maintainer, preferably in Internet format.

- maintname

  Full name of the package maintainer.

- mydiff

  Name of the *diff* program to be used when computing a patch.

- newsgroups

  Newsgroup list where new patches should be posted to, empty for no postings.

- orgname

  Full name of the organization where the package maitainer resides, or path to a file containing that name.

- package

  Name of the package.

- packver

  Version of the *packinit* program that built the *.package* file.

- patchbranch

  Name of the RCS branch used to store subsequent updates of a file after a baseline has been released.

- recipients

  People who should be sent newly issued patches.

- shext

  The list (space separated) of file extensions identifying potential holders of shell symbols. This is added to the default .SH extension lookup. Shell-style patterns may be used. Note that only .SH extensions are looked up by Configure for automatic shell extraction with variable substitutions, no matter what this variable is set to.

## FILE

- .package

  File holding all the package-related values

## AUTHORS

Larry Wall \<lwall@netlabs.com\> (version 2.0)\
 Raphael Manfredi \<Raphael.Manfredi@pobox.com\>

## SEE ALSO

[dist(7)](/dist/7.md).