Automation for Debian Packaging

Explore a 45-minute conference talk from linux.conf.au 2022 that delves into the Debian Janitor project, an initiative aimed at automating changes to Debian packages. Learn about the project's architecture, philosophy, and impact, including how it has successfully merged or pushed nearly 20,000 automated changes to packaging repositories since late 2019. Discover the range of automated operations, from fixing common typos to importing new upstream releases, and understand the challenges of ensuring these changes are correct and beneficial to Debian. Gain insights into the project's core principles, ongoing maintenance, and future plans, as well as its potential applications beyond Debian. This presentation offers valuable knowledge for those interested in Linux distributions, open-source software development, and automation in package management.

Intro
Automation For Debian Packaging
Linux Distributions
The Debian Distribution
Ecosystem Improvements
debian/upstream/metadata
autopkgtest
debhelper adoption
Making large-scale Changes
Lintian-Brush: Example Fixer
Adoption Challenges
Scaling Up
Debian Janitor
Philosophy
Core Principles
Ongoing Maintenance
Impact So Far
Supported Hosting Sites
Importing New Upstreams Across The Archive
Users: Installing Packages
What's Next?
Future Plans
Debian - Harder Problems
Beyond Debian
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants