1 .TH DH_LINK 1 "" "Debhelper Commands" "Debhelper Commands"
3 dh_link \- create symlinks in package build directories
6 .I "[debhelper options] [-A] [source destination ...]"
8 dh_link is a debhelper program that creates symlinks in package build
11 dh_link accepts a list of pairs of source and destination files. The source
12 files are the already existing files that will be symlinked from. The
13 destination files are the symlinks that will be created. There
15 be an equal number of source and destination files specified.
17 The list can be specified in two ways. A file named debian/package.links
18 (debian/links may be used for the first binary package in debian/control)
19 can list pairs of files. If you use this file, you should put each pair
20 of files on its own line, and separate the files within the pair with
21 whitespace. Also, pairs of files can be specified as parameters - these
22 pairs will only be created in the package build directory of the first
23 ackage dh_link is told to act on. By default, this is the first binary
24 package in debian/control, but if you use -p, -i, or -a flags, it will be
25 the first package specified by those flags.
27 Be sure to only use file names relative to the package build
28 directory. Ie, "/usr/bin/foo" should not be used, use "usr/bin/foo" instead.
31 specify the full filename to both the source and destination files (unlike
32 you would do if you were using something like
36 dh_link will generate symlinks that comply with debian policy - absolute
37 when policy says they should be absolute, and relative links with as short a
38 path as possible. It will also create any subdirectories it needs to to put
45 for a list of options common to all debhelper commands.
48 Create any links specified by command line parameters in ALL packages
49 acted on, not just the first.
51 .B source destination ...
52 Create a file named "destination" as a link to a file named "source". Do
53 this in the package build directory of the first package acted on.
54 (Or in all packages if -A is specified.)
57 .B dh_link usr/man/man1/foo.1 usr/man/man1/bar.1
58 Make bar.1 be a symlink to foo.1
60 .B dh_link var/lib/foo usr/lib/foo usr/X11R6/man/man1/foo.1x usr/man/man1/bar.1
61 Make /usr/lib/foo/ be a link to /var/lib/foo/, and bar.1 be a symlink to the
66 for a list of environment variables that affect all debhelper commands.
70 It's impossible to specify filenames with spaces or other whitespace in them
71 in debian/links file. This is more a historical design flaw than a bug.
73 Debian policy, version 2.5.0.0
75 Joey Hess <joeyh@master.debian.org>