This packaging harness is based on git-buildpackage and simplifies the development of the packaging for software in the ggml ecosystem.

The software layers are configured as git submodules under the sources/ subdirectory. These git repositories follow Debian's DEP-14 layout and can be used independently of this harness.

Quick start

Make sure that you have the necessary packages installed and that you have a base for the distribution and arch you are targeting:

sudo apt install git-buildpackage cowbuilder
# sources/create-pbuilder <dist> <arch>
sources/create-pbuilder sid amd64

Clone recursively the packaging harness. For example:

git clone --recurse-submodules --branch unstable https://git.djapps.eu/pkg/ggml

To build a layer, cd to its directory and run:

../build-pbuilder <dist> <arch> [<branch>]

For example:

cd sources/ggml
../build-pbuilder sid amd64

or:

cd sources/llama.cpp
git checkout debian/bullseye
../build-pbuilder bullseye amd64 debian/bullseye

(See below how to configure a local repository)

Maintenance

Update upstream

(Using ggml as an example, the same approach applies to the other layers)

In a given layer git repository, make sure the upstream git repository is registered as remote:

cd sources/ggml
git remote add github https://github.com/ggml-org/ggml.git

Fetch new commits from upstreams's master branch, and merge them to the upstream/latest branch.

git fetch --tags github master
git checkout upstream/latest
git merge --ff-only github/master

Check out the commit you are interested in and count revisions in order to create a versioned tag:

git checkout 9a4acb374565f4146b8d6eb1cffdcd7d437d1ba2
# git checkout b4719 # llama.cpp
git tag -m "Pinned upstream commit" upstream/0.0.$(git rev-list --count HEAD) # ggml or llama.cpp
# git tag  -m "Pinned upstream commit" upstream/1.7.4+$(git rev-list --count v1.7.4..HEAD) # whisper.cpp

New package release

After updating upstream, checkout debian/latest and merge from upstream tag:

git checkout debian/latest
git merge --no-commit upstream/0.0.1722

Edit debian/changelog and perform packaging-specific changes.

Commit changes and test the build locally:

../build-pbuilder bookworm amd64

Push to remote repositories:

git push origin \
 "refs/heads/debian/*" \
 "refs/heads/upstream/*" \
 "refs/tags/upstream/*"

Using locally built packages

Except for the ggml layer itself, pbuilder/cowbuilder needs to be configured appropriately in order to use either a local repository with the ggml packages you just built, or a remote repository with the required ggml-related packages.

Below is a basic approach to configure a local repository, as an illustration to be adapted to your own build infrastructure and procedures.

Update /etc/pbuilderrc. For example:

...
BINDMOUNTS="/srv/repo/deb/bullseye/ml/1.1 /srv/repo/deb/bookworm/ml/1.1 /srv/repo/deb/sid/ml/1.1"
...

and create a create-pbuilder.settings file which will be sourced by the create-pbuilder script:

export GIT_PBUILDER_OPTIONS="--aptcache /var/cache/pbuilder/aptcache --othermirror 'deb [trusted=yes] file:/srv/repo/deb/$DIST/ml/1.1/ ./'"

or (for a CUDA build).

export GIT_PBUILDER_OPTIONS="--aptcache /var/cache/pbuilder/aptcache --components 'main contrib non-free' --othermirror 'deb [trusted=yes] file:/srv/repo/deb/$DIST/ml/1.1/ ./'"

Apply the same procedure by editing build-pbuilder.settings which will be sourced by the build-pbuilder script:

export GIT_PBUILDER_OPTIONS="--aptcache /var/cache/pbuilder/aptcache --buildresult /srv/repo/deb/$DIST/ml/1.1/"

Please note that the Packages file needs to be generated after each build. For example:

cd /srv/repo/deb/sid/ml/1.1
apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages

Or pbuilder hooks can be used.

Development

When developing the packaging, cd to a layer directory and use git-buildpackage as usual.

A shortcut is provided in order to build the packages in-tree. (It requires the dependent packages to be installed locally). For example:

cd sources/whisper.cpp
../build.dev