Debian build tools maintainer and release engineer at Cumulus Networks
Accepted Talks:
Building a Debian Derivative: Lessons Learned and Solutions Found
This introductory level talk will provide an overview of the build workflow for a Debian derivative by discussing the challenges inherent in being the sole manager of everything from source code commits to published packages. Real world examples will be provided from Cumulus Linux: a Debian derivative for white box network switches. Topics covered will include:
- Incorporating Debian as the upstream.
- Choosing software to meet build requirements.
- Lessons learned after the aforementioned software was chosen.
- Where some distribution specific customization will be required.
- Difficulties in supporting multiple architectures.
- The role of human factors in making the build system invisible.
- And why a good dynamic package versioning scheme is very, very important.
The intended audience would be anyone setting up a Debian Derivative, or anyone seeking a greater awareness of what commonly used Debian build tools are available, and what roles they perform.