--- /dev/null
+:date: 2011-12-12 12:05:00
+:tags: debian, neuroscience, development, packages, virtualization
+
+.. _chap_ndtools_build:
+
+NeuroDebian nd* tools
+=====================
+
+TODO
+
+Procedure
+---------
+
+- [1-20 min] :ref:`Install NeuroDebian VM <chap_vm>`
+
+- [<1 min] Install the neurodebian-dev package providing nd* tools::
+
+ sudo apt-get install neurodebian-dev
+
+- [1-5 min] Adjust default configuration (``sudo vim
+ /etc/neurodebian/cmdsettings.sh``) used by nd commands to
+
+ - point ``cowbuilderroot`` variable to some directory under
+ ``brain`` account, e.g. ``~brain/debs`` (should be created by you)
+
+ - remove undesired releases (e.g. deprecated ``karmic``) from
+ allnddist and alldist
+
+ - adjust ``mirror`` entries to use the `Debian mirror`_ and `Ubuntu
+ mirror`_ of your choice or may be even point to your `approx
+ <http://packages.debian.org/sid/approx>`_ apt-caching server
+
+.. _`Debian mirror`: http://www.debian.org/mirror/list
+.. _`Ubuntu mirror`: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archivemirrors
+
+- [10-60 min] Create the COWs for all releases you left in the
+ configuration file::
+
+ sudo nd_adddistall
+
+
+Building
+--------
+
+At this point you would be all set to build packages for all
+distributions in a single command. E.g.::
+
+ sudo nd_build4all blah_1-1.dsc
+
+should take the .dsc file you provide, and build it for main Debian
+sid and all ND-supported releases of Debian and Ubuntu.
+nd_build4allnd would build only for the later omitting the vanilla
+Debian sid. The highlevel summary either builds succeed or failed get
+reported in ``summary.log`` in the same directory, pointing to
+``.build`` log files for the corresponding architecture/release.
+
+
+Troubleshooting Failing Build
+-----------------------------
+
+Provide --hookdir cmdline pbuilder argument to point to a hook which
+would get kicked in by pbuilder upon failure, e.g.:
+
+ sudo apt-get install git
+ git clone https://github.com/neurodebian/neurodebian
+ sudo nd_build4debianmain *.dsc -- --hookdir $PWD/neurodebian/tools/hooks
+
+
+If you have any comments (typos, improvements, etc) -- feel welcome to
+leave a comment below, or just email `us@NeuroDebian`_ .
+
+.. _us@NeuroDebian: http://neuro.debian.net/#contacts