DocumentId	$Id: README 2201 2006-03-25 17:02:25Z ola $
Author		$Author: ola $
Date		$Date: 2006-03-25 18:02:25 +0100 (lör, 25 mar 2006) $
Version		$Revision: 1.7 $
Summary
	Read this file to get some basic information about the debian archiver.


Introduction:
-------------

The debian archiver is a tool that installs debian packages into a file
structure suitable for apt-get, dselect and similar tools to use for updating
the installed debian system. It is ment to be used bu local administrators that
needs special packages, or tweaked versions to ease administration.

The file structure is based on the potato file structure and does not support
package pools. This may be implemented later, but is not high priority.


Function:
---------

The basic functionality of this package is simple. It takes packages
from the incoming directory (default /var/lib/debarchiver/incoming), looks
at the *.changes files, sorts the packages into the right place in
the destination-dir (default /var/lib/debarchiver/dists). The destination
distribution is determined by the 'Distribution:' field in .changes.

It also sorts packages in directories with the same name as the distribution
version (see %distinputdirs). So it will sort packages in
/var/lib/debarchiver/incoming/stable to the stable branch. Packages
in these directories do not need a .changes file, but can have one. Packages
with a .changes file will be sorted before any other .deb package.
So you will be able to add binary-only packages, but also "move" (or actually
copy) packages from sid to sarge/etch or (normally much less frequent) woody.


Cronjob:
--------

Debarchiver is very easy to run from a cronjob. In fact you only have to copy
the example cronfile to /etc/cron.d. You may edit it if you have some special
setup like multiple archives, see below.


Signature verification:
-----------------------

Dependent on your decision (see $verifysignatures, $verifysignaturesdistinput,
$vrfycmd) debarchiver checks the signature of uploaded packages. Unsigned
packages (except binary-only packages without a .changes file) will be rejected
if verification is enabled. See README.gnupg for how to enable signature verification.


Archive signing:
----------------

See README.gnupg for infos on how to enable the creation of a signed Release
files.


Multiple archives:
------------------

It is possible to hand multiple archives at the same time. Set the common
settings in /etc/debarchiver.conf and then create a input.conf file in
the incoming directory of each incoming directory. If you use different
users for sorting the archives you can use the ~/.debarchiver.conf file
of that user instead.

Now edit /etc/cron.d/debarchiver and change it to something like this:
0 * * * *       debarchiver    test -x /usr/bin/debarchiver && /usr/bin/debarchiver --autoscan --addoverride --input /var/lib/debarchiver/incoming
0 * * * *       debarchiver    test -x /usr/bin/debarchiver && /usr/bin/debarchiver --autoscan --addoverride --input /home/debarchive-internal/incoming

or like this if you have separate users.
0 * * * *       debarchiver    test -x /usr/bin/debarchiver && /usr/bin/debarchiver --autoscan --addoverride
0 * * * *       debarchiver2    test -x /usr/bin/debarchiver && /usr/bin/debarchiver --autoscan --addoverride


Email:
------

It is possible to configure debarchiver to send email on successfully or
rejected packages. Make sure not to activate that if you add packages from
different sources because you will easily harass the maintainers of these
packages.

Simply add Maintainer, Uploaders, @domain and/or user@domain as recipient
of the information in the configuration file. More exact information is
available there.


non-US:
-------

Packages uploaded to non-US will have only a non-US section. This is not
a problem because it will create a non-US section in main. If the section
is non-free/non-US the same will be done, except that the non-US section
is in non-free instead. So there is no special non-US major section, just
a minor one.


Copyright:
----------

    Copyright (C) 2000-2005 Ola Lundqvist <opal@debian.org>
    Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu>
    Copyright (C) 2005      Joel Baker <lucifer@lightbearer.com>
    Copyright (C) 2005      Daniel Leidert <daniel.leidert@wgdd.de>
    Copyright (C) 2005      Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com>
    Copyright (C) 2006      Yaroslav Halchenko <debian@onerussian.com>
    Copyright (C) 2006      Jrmy Bobbio <jeremy.bobbio@etu.upmc.fr>

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later
version.

This is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License with
the debarchiver source package as the file COPYING.  If not, write to the
Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
02110-1301, USA.
