Re: [tlug] Installing from source

[Jens John <lists@example.com>]

> From what you've written I gather

 * You are running Debian 9
 * You want Claws 3.17.1 from stretch-backports but need to tweak a 
   compile-time option because the package does not suit your needs
 * You don't know the canonical way how to go about this.

Chapter 15 of the Debian administrator's handbook deals with that task 
[1]. The package maintainer's guide provides details on the respective steps [2].

Here, the start of the project could look like this (not tested, typing 
from memory and using packages.debian.org info). When done this way, 
this avoids having to deal with gathering complex dependencies by hand:

 * Ensure the stretch-backports deb-src sources config is active:

   deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian stretch-backports main                                                                                           
   deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian stretch-backports main

 * Get some essential tools and Debian scaffolding

   apt-get install dpkg-dev build-essential debhelper

 * Get and extract the Debian sources, as well as build dependencies:
 
   apt-get build-dep -t stretch-backports claws-mail=3.17.1-1~bpo9+1
   apt-get source claws-mail=3.17.1-1~bpo9+1
   cd claws-mail-3.17.1

 * Now you can change the source as required. You may need to install 
   extra packages when you enable extra compile-time options etc.

 * Build the changed source into a package as described in [1].

---
[1] https://l.github.io/debian-handbook/html/en-US/debian-packaging.html#sect.rebuilding-package
[2] https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/