debhelper

TLDR

Clean build artifacts

$ dh_clean

Install files to package directory

$ dh_install

Generate package dependencies

$ dh_shlibdeps

Compress documentation

$ dh_compress

Generate md5sums

$ dh_md5sums

Build package using dh sequencer

$ dh binary

Execute full build sequence

$ debian/rules binary

SYNOPSIS

dh_command [options] [-- args]
dh target [options]

debhelper is a collection of programs (dh_*) that automate common tasks when building Debian packages. Instead of writing shell commands in debian/rules, maintainers call debhelper commands that handle standard operations correctly.
The dh command is a sequencer that runs appropriate debhelper commands in the correct order. A minimal debian/rules can be just three lines using dh, with overrides for customization.
Debhelper reads configuration from debian/ directory files: install, docs, manpages, etc. This declarative approach simplifies packaging while maintaining flexibility for complex packages.

COMMON COMMANDS

dh_auto_configure

Run upstream configure script.

dh_auto_build

Build upstream source.

dh_auto_install

Install into debian/tmp.

dh_auto_test

Run upstream test suite.

dh_auto_clean

Clean upstream build.

dh_install

Install files into package directories.

dh_installdocs

Install documentation.

dh_installman

Install man pages.

dh_compress

Compress files in packages.

dh_fixperms

Fix file permissions.

dh_shlibdeps

Calculate shared library dependencies.

dh_gencontrol

Generate control file.

dh_builddeb

Build the .deb file.

MINIMAL RULES FILE

$ #!/usr/bin/make -f
%:
dh $@

CAVEATS

Debhelper is Debian-specific; other distributions have different packaging systems. Compatibility levels (debhelper-compat) affect behavior; always specify the level. Some dh commands have many options; consult man pages for details. Override targets in debian/rules customize dh behavior.

HISTORY

Debhelper was created by Joey Hess in 1997 to simplify Debian packaging. Before debhelper, each package reimplemented common tasks in shell scripts, leading to inconsistency and bugs. The dh sequencer was added in debhelper 7 (2008), dramatically simplifying debian/rules files. Debhelper has become the standard way to build Debian packages.