[SOLVED] Extracting/RePackaging Deb Package

metallica1973 · 12-03-2014, 10:31 AM

Here is the original absolute file paths for a working deb package called
blah-amd64.deb:

Code:

dpkg-deb -c blah-amd64.deb |less
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./usr/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./usr/share/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./usr/share/applications/
-rw-r--r-- root/root       301 2014-12-02 09:48 ./usr/share/applications/blah.desktop
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./usr/share/blah/
-rw-r--r-- root/root     17408 2014-01-21 16:53 ./usr/share/blah/blah.1

I extract it via:

Code:

dpkg-deb -x blah-amd64.deb .
dpkg-deb -e blah-amd64.deb ./DEBIAN

which extracts it to the current directory called

Code:

usr/

I make my modification to my file:

Code:

usr/share/blah/blah.1

and when I repackage blah-amd64.deb via:

Code:

sudo dpkg-deb -b . blah-amd64.deb

and look at the absolute paths:

Code:

dpkg-deb -c blah-amd64.deb |less
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./applications/
-rw-r--r-- root/root       301 2014-12-02 09:48 ./applications/blah.desktop
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2014-12-02 09:48 ./blah/
-rw-r--r-- root/root     17408 2014-01-21 16:53 ./blah/blah.1

it changes the path to "/". I want to repackage it back to its original location so when the package is installed, it will install it in the correct path which is /usr/share/blah. Can someone shed some light on what is going on?

goumba · 12-04-2014, 05:11 AM

What directory are you running

Code:

dpkg-deb -b . blah-amd64.deb

from? The parent of usr, or somewhere inside the tree, like (my guess) <parent>/usr/share/? If the latter, try running it from the parent of usr.

metallica1973 · 12-10-2014, 12:33 PM

Thank you for your reply. I was able to resolve it using another method:

2 - Extract the deb package:

Code:

ac -x blah-amd64.deb

ls -ltr

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root        4 Dec  3 15:53 debian-binary
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 92233080 Dec  3 15:58 data.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      684 Dec  3 16:36 control.tar.gz

3 - Create a DEBIAN directory and extract the control file there because it is need for the rebuild:

Code:

mkdir DEBIAN
cp control.tar.gz DEBIAN
tar zcvf control.tar.gz
ls -ltr

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 210 Dec  2 09:49 prerm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 255 Dec  2 09:49 postrm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 193 Dec  2 09:49 postinst
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 296 Dec  3 16:34 control
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root root 684 Dec  3 16:36 control.tar.gz

4 - Retar up the control file without the control.tar.gz in it:

Code:

tar cvzf data.tar.gz --exclude=control.tar.gz ./

5 - Extract your the data.tar.gz, make your changes and retar it up:

Code:

tar zxvf data.tar.gz 

ls -ltr 

usr/

vi ./usr/share/blah/blah.1
wq

tar zcvf data.tar.gz --exclude=control.tar.gz ./usr

6 - create the simple debian-binary

Code:

cat > debian-binary <<EOF
2.0\n
EOF

to repackage deb file:

Code:

ar rc blah-amd64.deb debian-binary control.tar.gz data.tar.gz

optional use

Code:

dpkg-deb -b directory blah-amd64.deb

To view contents of the deb file:

Code:

ar tv blah-amd64.deb
or dpkg-deb -c blah-amd64.deb