.TH dpkg\-genchanges 1 "2007-03-07" "Debian Project" "dpkg utilities"
.SH NAME
dpkg\-genchanges \- generate Debian .changes files
.
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B dpkg\-genchanges
.RI [ options ]
.br
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B dpkg\-genchanges
reads information from an unpacked and built Debian source tree and
from the files it has generated and generates a Debian upload control
file
.RB ( .changes " file)."
.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.BI \-v version
Causes changelog information from all versions strictly later than
.I version
to be used.
.TP
.BI \-C changesdescription
Read the description of the changes from the file
.I changesdescription
rather than using the information from the source tree's changelog
file.
.TP
.BI \-m maintaineraddress
Use
.I maintaineraddress
as the name and email address of the maintainer for this package,
rather than using the information from the source tree's control file.
.TP
.BI \-e maintaineraddress
Use
.I maintaineraddress
as the name and email address of the maintainer for this upload,
rather than using the information from the source tree's changelog.
.TP
.BR \-si ", " \-sa ", " \-sd
These options control whether the original source archive is included
in the upload generated by
.BR dpkg\-genchanges
if any source is being generated (i.e.,
.BR \-b " or " \-B
haven't been used).

By default, or if
.B \-si
is specified, the original source will be included if the version
number ends in
.BR \-0 " or " \-1 ,
i.e. if the Debian revision part of the version number is
.BR 0 " or " 1 .

.B \-sa
forces the inclusion of the original source;
.B \-sd
forces its exclusion and includes only the diff.
.TP
.BI \-V name = value
Set an output substitution variable.
See \fBdpkg\-substvars\fP(5) for a discussion of output substitution.
.TP
.BI \-T substvarsfile
Read substitution variables in
.IR substvarsfile ;
the default is
.BR debian/substvars .
.TP
.BI \-D field = value
Override or add an output control file field.
.TP
.BI \-U field
Remove an output control file field.
.TP
.BR \-b ", " \-B ", " \-S
For
.BR dpkg\-genchanges " and " dpkg\-buildpackage
.BR \-b " and " \-B
specify that a binary-only build is taking place.
.B \-b
indicates that no source files are to be built and/or distributed, and
.B \-B
that no architecture-independent binary package files are to be
distributed either.
.B \-S
specifies that only the source should be uploaded and no binary packages
need to be made. The distinction between
.BR \-b " and " \-B
is only used by
.BR dpkg\-buildpackage ;
.B dpkg\-genchanges
just produces a
.B .changes
file for whatever files were produced by the
.B binary\-*
target(s) of the package being built.
.TP
.BI \-c controlfile
Specifies the main source control file to read information from. The
default is
.BR debian/control .
.TP
.BI \-l changelogfile
Specifies the change log file to read information from. The
default is
.BR debian/changelog .
.TP
.BI \-f fileslistfile
Read the list of files to be uploaded here, rather than using
.BR debian/files .
.TP
.BI \-F changelogformat
Specifies the format of the changelog. By default the format is read
from a special line near the bottom of the changelog or failing that
defaults to the debian standard format.
.TP
.BI \-u uploadfilesdir
Look for the files to be uploaded in
.I uploadfilesdir
rather than
.B ..
.RB ( dpkg\-genchanges
needs to find these files so that it can include their sizes and
checksums in the
.B .changes
file).
.TP
.B \-q
Usually
.B dpkg\-genchanges
will produce informative messages on standard error, for example about
how many of the package's source files are being uploaded.
.B \-q
suppresses these messages.
.TP
.BR \-h ", " \-\-help
Show the usage message and exit.
.TP
.BR \-\-version
Show the version and exit.
.
.SH FILES
.TP
.B debian/files
The list of generated files which are part of the upload being
prepared.
.B dpkg\-genchanges
reads the data here when producing a
.B .changes
file.
.
.SH AUTHORS
Copyright (C) 1995-1996 Ian Jackson
.br
Copyright (C) 2000 Wichert Akkerman
.sp
This is free software; see the GNU General Public Licence version 2 or later
for copying conditions. There is NO WARRANTY.