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Upload & Deploy Packages

🚀 Uploading and Deploying an Arch Linux Package on GitHub​

Hosting an Arch Linux package on GitHub is a great way to distribute it. Users can download and install your package directly or use your repository for easier management with pacman. Here's how to do it step-by-step.

1️⃣ Prepare the Package​

Ensure you’ve created your Arch package using a PKGBUILD file.

  1. Build the package:

    Navigate to your package directory containing the PKGBUILD and run:

    makepkg -si

    This will create a .pkg.tar.zst file (e.g., mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst).

  2. Sign the package (optional but recommended):

    If you’re distributing the package securely, sign it with your GPG key:

    gpg --detach-sign --armor mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

    This creates a signature file mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig.

2️⃣ Create a GitHub Repository​

  1. Go to GitHub and create a new repository.
  2. Name the repository (e.g., arch-packages) and add a description.
  3. Initialize it with a README file (optional).

3️⃣ Upload the Package​

  1. Clone the repository to your local system:

    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/arch-packages.git
    cd arch-packages

  2. Copy your package files (.pkg.tar.zst and .sig) to the repository directory:

    cp ../mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst .
    cp ../mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig .

  3. Commit and push the files:

    git add mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig
    git commit -m "Add mypackage version 1.0"
    git push origin main

4️⃣ Set Up a Repository for pacman​

To create a repository compatible with pacman, you need a database file (.db) and signature file (.db.sig).

  1. Generate the database:

    Run repo-add to create a repository database for your packages:

    repo-add myrepo.db.tar.gz mypackage-1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

    This will generate files like:

    • myrepo.db.tar.gz
    • myrepo.db.tar.gz.sig (if signed)

    Rename myrepo.db.tar.gz to myrepo.db for convenience:

    mv myrepo.db.tar.gz myrepo.db
    mv myrepo.db.tar.gz.sig myrepo.db.sig

  2. Add repository files to GitHub:

    Copy the .db and .sig files to the repository and push them:

    git add myrepo.db myrepo.db.sig
    git commit -m "Add repository database"
    git push origin main

5️⃣ Serve the Repository on GitHub Pages​

  1. Enable GitHub Pages for the repository:

    • Go to your repository’s Settings > Pages.
    • Under Source, select main (or the branch you’re using) and set the folder to /root or /docs.

  2. Note the URL for your repository, which will be in the format:

    https://yourusername.github.io/arch-packages/

6️⃣ Configure pacman to Use Your Repository​

  1. Add your repository to /etc/pacman.conf:

    [myrepo]
    SigLevel = Required
    Server = https://yourusername.github.io/arch-packages

  2. Update pacman:

    sudo pacman -Syu

  3. Install your package:

    sudo pacman -S mypackage

🛠️ Automating Updates with GitHub Actions​

To automate the deployment of new packages to GitHub, use GitHub Actions:

  1. Create a .github/workflows/deploy.yml file in your repository:

    name: Deploy Arch Linux Package

    on:
      push:
        branches:
          - main

    jobs:
      deploy:
        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
        steps:
          - name: Checkout code
            uses: actions/checkout@v3

          - name: Install Arch tools
            run: |
              sudo apt update
              sudo apt install archlinux-keyring devscripts pacman

          - name: Generate repository database
            run: |
              repo-add myrepo.db.tar.gz *.pkg.tar.zst
              mv myrepo.db.tar.gz myrepo.db
              mv myrepo.db.tar.gz.sig myrepo.db.sig

          - name: Commit and push repository updates
            run: |
              git add myrepo.db myrepo.db.sig
              git commit -m "Update repository database"
              git push origin main

  2. Push this file to your repository. The workflow will automatically run on every push to update the repository database.

✅ Final Testing​

  1. Clone your repository to verify it’s accessible:

    git clone https://yourusername.github.io/arch-packages

  2. Test package installation from your custom repository as described in step 6.

By following these steps, you'll have a fully functional Arch Linux package repository hosted on GitHub, ready for others to use. 🎉