Packaging

m (category, capitalization)
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''This page describes the process of taking software and packaging it for the Maemo platform''
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= Creating Packages for Maemo =
= Creating Packages for Maemo =
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=== This page describes the process of taking software and packaging it for the Maemo platform. ===
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Since Maemo is based on the Debian operating system, creating packages for Maemo borrows a lot of tools and techniques from Debian.
-
Since Maemo is based on the Debian operating system, creating packages for Maemo borrows a lot of tools and techniques from Debian. The following list is a resource for getting started with packaging for Maemo, these links will largely discuss packaging python apps but can be used for any programming language. The first resource is a link to the Debian wiki entry for the Python Modules Team;  
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== Background information ==
 +
 
 +
The following list is a resource for getting started with packaging for Maemo, these links will largely discuss packaging Python apps but can be used for any programming language. The first resource is a link to the Debian wiki entry for the Python Modules Team;  
[http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/PythonModulesTeam Debian's Python Modules Team]
[http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/PythonModulesTeam Debian's Python Modules Team]
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[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PackagingGuide Ubuntu Packaging Guide]
[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PackagingGuide Ubuntu Packaging Guide]
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== Maemo-specific information ==
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=== Packaging policy ===
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Most of the specifics for Maemo packaging are outlined in the [http://maemo.org/forrest-images/pdf/maemo-policy.pdf Maemo packaging policy]. The policy is still in the draft stage, though, so certain parts are still incomplete or not entirely up to date.
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=== Sections ===
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This is the list used in Fremantle/Maemo5 and is the same as the [http://lists.maemo.org/pipermail//maemo-developers/2008-October/035437.html final] list for Diablo as [[Task:Package_categories|discussed in the task]].
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{| class="wikitable"
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! Key
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! Example English i18n
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! Example apps
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|-
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| user/desktop
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| Desktop
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| Home, statusbar and taskbar applets
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|-
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| user/development
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| Programming
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| py2deb
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|-
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| user/education
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| Education
 +
| Flashcard apps
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|-
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| user/games
 +
| Games
 +
| Doom, Duke Nukem 3D
 +
|-
 +
| user/graphics
 +
| Graphics
 +
| Photo apps, GIMP, Inkscape, fonts
 +
|-
 +
| user/multimedia
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| Multimedia ''or'' Sound & Video
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| Canola, mplayer, Kagu, UKMP, MediaBox
 +
|-
 +
| user/navigation
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| (Location &) Navigation
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| maemo-mapper, Navit
 +
|-
 +
| user/network
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| Internet & Networking
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| Web browsers, Samba clients, OpenAFS, Transmission
 +
|-
 +
| user/office
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| Office
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| GPE, Claws, AbiWord
 +
|-
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| user/science
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| Science
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| gnuplot, Octave
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|-
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| user/system
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| System
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| rotation-support, enhanced kernels, themes
 +
|-
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| user/utilities
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| Utilities ''or'' Accessories
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| Calculators, terminals, text editors
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
If the package's section starts "user/", but is not any of the above, the ''Application Manager'' forces them into an "Other" section.
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=== Maemo-specific fields ===
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There are a number of Maemo-specific package fields that are handled by Application manager. The Application manager documentation [http://hildon-app-mgr.garage.maemo.org/packaging-stable.html outlines] them.
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==== Displaying an icon in the Application Manager next to your package ====
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Displaying an icon in the Application Manager next to your package makes it look pretty and makes your package stand out, and it is not that hard to do.
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# Make an image that is '''48x48''' pixels. The image can be saved in any format that is supported by GdkPixbufLoader on Maemo, but PNG is commonly used.
 +
# base64 encode the image. This can be done in many ways, depending on the platform, but assuming you are in scratchbox:
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<pre>
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apt-get update
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apt-get install sharutils
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uuencode -m <name of 48x48 image> <name of 48x48 image> > <name of 48x48 image>.base64
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</pre>
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# Add the field ''XB-Maemo-Icon-26'' to your debian/control (in Maemo4 the size of the icons was 26x26, hence the name of the field, '''which has not changed''')
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# Open the base64 version of your image and copy from the line under ''begin-base64 644 <name of 48x48 image>'' to the line above the ''===''
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# Add this to the ''XB-Maemo-Icon-26'' field
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# Add a space in front of every line of the encoded icon
-
Hopefully that is enough to get started. I hope for follow up with more info on packaging Python apps for Maemo and for Debian.
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Here is an example of a properly formatted Maemo-Icon-26: (of wrong image size)
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<pre>
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Description: Chess...
 +
XB-Maemo-Icon-26:
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iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABoAAAAaCAYAAACpSkzOAAAABGdBTUEAAK/INwWK6QAAABl0
 +
RVh0U29mdHdhcmUAQWRvYmUgSW1hZ2VSZWFkeXHJZTwAAALxSURBVHja3FZNTBNREP669J/S
 +
XYxtKRWl1JOSFBIPhkitCQeNiaKBmzdj9Ggk0ZOBxHDWixcTjV6MF+WiIB40YEyMBMGYEqQK
 +
tLS2lG7pdre0pF3WtxslgJRuD2J0kpfdTN7O976Z782sRpIk7IZR2C2TGW1cv8xaY5WuXLy8
 +
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 +
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 +
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 +
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 +
7vhhVVWV3BGUOomiaCSufEWMxNwimlweMFYbpoMfyp70J6t8xanLZgWs8Ak07N0Hau0P3qOs
 +
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 +
eH5JARkYHsLQMIe1NZEpB7Sn1uKFhkL3maO4cL5NHVAo+hkPnrzEq2HqQIf/3ICzvr7FXmeH
 +
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SQVoi6XJaiQxubKpI02yj2xk6BoaBr0BqXRKCZpYSiCZlIXCguM4pWtvY0ypyUtt87PSIj/t
 +
pJ/JICzLKiBLySTYVArpdFrp3DuMhRZVqfvnJ+wPAQYA1hdr5EDqltYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=
 +
</pre>
[[Category:Development]]
[[Category:Development]]

Revision as of 13:51, 26 January 2010

This page describes the process of taking software and packaging it for the Maemo platform

Contents

Creating Packages for Maemo

Since Maemo is based on the Debian operating system, creating packages for Maemo borrows a lot of tools and techniques from Debian.

Background information

The following list is a resource for getting started with packaging for Maemo, these links will largely discuss packaging Python apps but can be used for any programming language. The first resource is a link to the Debian wiki entry for the Python Modules Team;

Debian's Python Modules Team

These folks package a lot of Python modules for debian, so their documentation will be pretty authoritative and looking at their packages will probably teach you a lot.

The next link is to the Python policy. Boring I know, but you will be directed there for answers to various questions, so you might as well have a handy link to it.

Python Policy

Here is an interesting and pretty darn good screencast and tutorial showing how to package a simple python application as a deb on Ubuntu!

Creating debs on Ubuntu

Ubuntu also has a Packaging guide which might be useful, I haven't read all of it and it is more general than just Python programming.

Ubuntu Packaging Guide

Maemo-specific information

Packaging policy

Most of the specifics for Maemo packaging are outlined in the Maemo packaging policy. The policy is still in the draft stage, though, so certain parts are still incomplete or not entirely up to date.

Sections

This is the list used in Fremantle/Maemo5 and is the same as the final list for Diablo as discussed in the task.

Key Example English i18n Example apps
user/desktop Desktop Home, statusbar and taskbar applets
user/development Programming py2deb
user/education Education Flashcard apps
user/games Games Doom, Duke Nukem 3D
user/graphics Graphics Photo apps, GIMP, Inkscape, fonts
user/multimedia Multimedia or Sound & Video Canola, mplayer, Kagu, UKMP, MediaBox
user/navigation (Location &) Navigation maemo-mapper, Navit
user/network Internet & Networking Web browsers, Samba clients, OpenAFS, Transmission
user/office Office GPE, Claws, AbiWord
user/science Science gnuplot, Octave
user/system System rotation-support, enhanced kernels, themes
user/utilities Utilities or Accessories Calculators, terminals, text editors

If the package's section starts "user/", but is not any of the above, the Application Manager forces them into an "Other" section.

Maemo-specific fields

There are a number of Maemo-specific package fields that are handled by Application manager. The Application manager documentation outlines them.

Displaying an icon in the Application Manager next to your package

Displaying an icon in the Application Manager next to your package makes it look pretty and makes your package stand out, and it is not that hard to do.

  1. Make an image that is 48x48 pixels. The image can be saved in any format that is supported by GdkPixbufLoader on Maemo, but PNG is commonly used.
  2. base64 encode the image. This can be done in many ways, depending on the platform, but assuming you are in scratchbox: 
apt-get update
apt-get install sharutils
uuencode -m <name of 48x48 image> <name of 48x48 image> > <name of 48x48 image>.base64
  1. Add the field XB-Maemo-Icon-26 to your debian/control (in Maemo4 the size of the icons was 26x26, hence the name of the field, which has not changed)
  2. Open the base64 version of your image and copy from the line under begin-base64 644 <name of 48x48 image> to the line above the ===
  3. Add this to the XB-Maemo-Icon-26 field
  4. Add a space in front of every line of the encoded icon

Here is an example of a properly formatted Maemo-Icon-26: (of wrong image size) 

Description: Chess...
XB-Maemo-Icon-26: 
 iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABoAAAAaCAYAAACpSkzOAAAABGdBTUEAAK/INwWK6QAAABl0
 RVh0U29mdHdhcmUAQWRvYmUgSW1hZ2VSZWFkeXHJZTwAAALxSURBVHja3FZNTBNREP669J/S
 XYxtKRWl1JOSFBIPhkitCQeNiaKBmzdj9Ggk0ZOBxHDWixcTjV6MF+WiIB40YEyMBMGYEqQK
 tLS2lG7pdre0pF3WtxslgJRuD2J0kpfdTN7O976Z782sRpIk7IZR2C2TGW1cv8xaY5WuXLy8
 iW5XV5fk8/kkr9e7ya/T6SSNRiOViikvbbmDDD590SusZBGYDiDwJbDud7vdvYIgIJfLYXV1
 tSwhrQrSfRX6/26N/j+gkjW6ce06HE4HGEctGuj9oEwUzFYz5ubmEA6HQVEUisUi8vn8b4rd
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 pJ/JICzLKiBLySTYVArpdFrp3DuMhRZVqfvnJ+wPAQYA1hdr5EDqltYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=
Retrieved from "http://bugs.maemo.org/Packaging"