dh_installchangelogs - Linux

Overview

dh_installchangelogs is a Debianhelper command used to install upstream change logs into Debian’s source package directory tree. It is primarily employed during the packaging process for Debian-based Linux distributions to ensure the Debian package contains upstream change logs.

Syntax

dh_installchangelogs [options]

Options/Flags

  • -Dpackage: Install change logs under a specific subdirectory of debian/ rather than the default debian/changelogs/.
  • -U: Update the debian/changelog while installing upstream change logs.
  • -rrange: Specify a range of changes to install using a double dash and a version number or Debian package version, e.g., -r..2.0.0.
  • –remove: Remove existing change logs before installing new ones.
  • –upstream-tag-file: Specify a file containing a list of upstream tags that indicate which change logs will be installed.
  • -v: Be verbose and provide additional output during execution.

Examples

Default installation:

dh_installchangelogs

Installing specific upstream versions:

dh_installchangelogs -r1.0.1

Installing from a tag file:

dh_installchangelogs --upstream-tag-file=upstream-tags.txt

Removing existing change logs:

dh_installchangelogs --remove

Common Issues

  • Permission errors: Ensure you have write permissions to the Debian source directory tree.
  • Missing change logs: Verify that the upstream change logs exist and are accessible.
  • Inconsistent change log formats: dh_installchangelogs expects certain change log formatting conventions. Check the Debian Policy Manual for guidelines.

Integration

dh_installchangelogs can be integrated into packaging scripts or CI/CD pipelines to automate the installation of upstream change logs as part of the Debian packaging process.

Related Commands

  • dh_make: Creates a Debian source package from a set of source files.
  • dpkg-buildpackage: Builds Debian packages from source.
  • debhelper: Provides helper utilities for Debian packaging.