Man Linux: Main Page and Category List

NAME

       makedist - a distribution kit maker

SYNOPSIS

       makedist [ -dhqvV ] [ -c dir ] [ -s size ] [-f manifest ]

DESCRIPTION

       Makedist  is  a rather simpleminded shar program that knows how to pack
       files into multiple kits of approximately 50000 bytes each.   The  shar
       scripts  produced assume very little about the target machine; there is
       correspondingly little error  checking  done  compared  to  other  shar
       programs. Alternatively, with the -c option, you can create a directory
       containing the whole source tree, and then pack it up  using  your  own
       shell archiver.

       If  you  are  using  the  copyright expansion feature (as determined by
       packinit), then you have to pack your distribution using  this  program
       to ensure the copyright is correctly set.

       In order to run makedist you have to do two things:

       1)  Create  a  .package  file  in  the package’s top-level directory by
           running packinit.  This program will ask you about your package and
           remember  what  you  tell  it  so that all the dist programs can be
           smart.

       2)  Create a MANIFEST.new file in your top-level directory  that  lists
           all  the  files  in your package.  The filename should be the first
           field on each line.  After some whitespace you can  add  a  comment
           describing your file (briefly).

       After  running  makedist, you will have a set of kits in your top-level
       directory.  If your package name is "foo", they will be named foo.kit1,
       foo.kit2,  etc.   The file created PACKLIST file is automatically added
       to the distribution and tells which files come with which kits.  If you
       used  the  -c  option, you will end-up with a single directory instead,
       containing the whole distribution, ready to be sent to the end-user.

       If a file is too large to be packed as-is in one archive,  it  will  be
       automatically  split  in smaller parts. Only the first 11 characters of
       the file will be kept though, and makedist will abort if  two  distinct
       files  are  to  be split and have the same 11 first characters in their
       names. The split files will automatically be reconstructed at  the  end
       of  the archive extraction by runnning a script generated in PACKNOTES.

       You may then mail your kits via kitsend or post them with kitpost.

OPTIONS

       The following options are handled by makedist:

       -c dir    Tell  makedist  that  the  distribution  should   be   copied
                 (mirrored)  in  the specified directory, instead of producing
                 shell archives. Compatible with the -q option.

       -d        Turn on debug mode. Probably not useful.

       -f file   Use file as manifest. By default, MANIFEST.new is used.

       -h        Print help message and exit.

       -q        Quick production of the kits: the checked-out version of  the
                 files  is used, instead of using the RCS file to actually get
                 the  latest  checked-in  version.   This   will   save   some
                 considerable  time,  but  you have to be sure the checked-out
                 version  is  up-to-date  or  you  might  end   up   with   an
                 inconsistent package.

       -s size   Set maximum kit size to size bytes.

       -v        Verbose mode: trace kit building process or tree mirroring.

       -V        Print version number and exit.

AUTHORS

       Larry Wall <lwall@netlabs.com> (version 2.0)
       Raphael Manfredi <ram@hptnos02.grenoble.hp.com>

FILES

       Creates ./$package.kit* unless -c option is used.
       PACKLIST and PACKNOTES are also temporarily created.

SEE ALSO

       kitsend(1), kitpost(1), metaconfig(1), patcol(1)

                                     LOCAL