README for debootstrap
======================

See the manpage for (some) documentation.

Running debootstrap from source
-------------------------------

You can run debootstrap from its source tree without installing it. This
can be useful if you want a quick way to make a Debian chroot on another
system, or if you are testing modifications to debootstrap.

First, get the source.

* Either by using git
  git clone https://anonscm.debian.org/git/d-i/debootstrap.git

* Or by visiting <https://packages.debian.org/source/sid/debootstrap>
  and downloading the tar.gz file

Then in the debootstrap source directory:

    export DEBOOTSTRAP_DIR=`pwd`
    sudo ./debootstrap stable my-stable-dir

If you are running a multi-stage boot strap (for example for a QEMU
rootfs) you don't even need root:

    export DEBOOTSTRAP_DIR=`pwd`
    fakeroot ./debootstrap --foreign --arch=armhf testing my-testing-dir http://deb.debian.org/debian

Of course you will need to execute the second stage as root to finish the bootstrap:

   (on foreign hardware)
   /debootstrap/debootstrap --second-stage


Future
------

  * Cross-strap support - so you can bootstrap a filesystem to the
    point where it will successfully boot, and finish installing itself
    without having to be running the target architecture or OS yourself.

	debootstrap --arch powerpc sarge ./sarge-ppc-chroot ...

    on an i386 system, boot a powerpc box with sarge-ppc-chroot as its
    root files system, and have it "work". The cross-hurd package does
    something similar, and should be replaced by this feature.

  * There should be some (better) way of telling debootstrap what "base"
    packages you want to install -- this varies between making a chroot,
    doing an install, and doing a buildd. Also, some installs want
    different base packages (to setup networking, or kernels, eg)


NMUing
------

If there's a problem with debootstrap that you need fixed, feel free to do
an NMU to fix it. Usual rules: try not to break anything, and mail the
patch to the BTS. Don't worry about asking first though.

However, note that debootstrap is now team maintained. Anyone in d-i can do
a release without the bother of a NMU.
