new page

1 files changed, 36 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/development/debian_packages_in_git.mdwn b/development/debian_packages_in_git.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8789e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/development/debian_packages_in_git.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+## debian/patches on a patch-queue branch
+I'm keeping all patches for a Debian package that is maintained on branch *foo* on a patch-queue branch *patch-queue/foo* since:
+
+* one can easily work with the unpatched (*foo*) and patched (*patch-queue/foo*) branches
+* patches can easily be dropped, added by modifying the patch-queue branch (no messing with *quilt add*, *dpatch-edit-patch*, *cdbs-edit-patch* or the like)
+* easy cherry-picking of patches for stable releases, etc.
+* easy forward porting of patches to new upstream versions by using *git rebase* on the *patch-queue/foo* branch (patches already applied upatream are detected automatically).
+* the generated patch in *debian/patches/* has all the necessary information to forward it upstream since it's auto generated via *git-format-patch*.
+
+Disadvantage:
+
+
+* no history on the *patch-queue/foo/* branch
+
+#### workflow:
+* create *patch-queue* branch if it doesn't exist:
+
+        git checkout -b patch-queue/master
+
+* import patches from debian/patches to get a patches source tree one can easily work on:
+
+        QUILT_PATCHES=debian/patches git-quiltimport debian/patches/series
+
+* work an patch-queue branch (add, remove, rebase, test)
+* switch back to master:
+
+        git checkout master
+
+* regenerate the patches in *debian/patches/* using [redo-patches](http://honk.sigxcpu.org/projects/git-buildpackage/redo-patches):
+
+        redo-patches
+
+* commit the result
+
+#### Team maintenance
+You can push out patch-queue branches. Other team members must just be aware that that branches in the *patch-queue/* namespace are being rebased frequently.