man > deb-src-rules(5)

deb-src-rules(5)                             dpkg suite                             deb-src-rules(5)

NAME
       deb-src-rules - Debian source package rules file

SYNOPSIS
       debian/rules

DESCRIPTION
       This file contains the instructions necessary to build the binary packages from the source
       package.

       The debian/rules file is an executable Makefile, with a shebang that is usually set to
       "#!/usr/bin/make -f".

       It must support the following make targets:

       clean
           Clean  up  the  source  tree,  by  undoing any change done by any of the build and binary
           targets.  This target will be called with root privileges.

       build-indep
           Build architecture independent files  required  to  build  any  architecture  independent
           binary  package.   If  there are no architecture independent binary packages to generate,
           the target must  still  exist  but  do  nothing.   This  target  must  not  require  root
           privileges.

       build-arch
           Build  architecture  dependent  files required to build any architecture dependent binary
           package.  If there are no architecture dependent binary packages to generate, the  target
           must still exist but do nothing.  This target must not require root privileges.

       build
           Build  architecture  independent  and  dependent  files,  either  by  depending (at least
           transitively) on build-indep and/or build-arch or by inlining what  those  targets  would
           do.  This target must not require root privileges.

       binary-indep
           Build  architecture  independent  binary  packages.   This  target  must depend (at least
           transitively) on either build-indep or build.  This  target  will  be  called  with  root
           privileges.

       binary-arch
           Build  architecture  dependent  binary  packages.   This  target  must  depend  (at least
           transitively) on either build-arch or build.   This  target  will  be  called  with  root
           privileges.

       binary
           Build  architecture  independent  and  dependent binary packages, either by depending (at
           least transitively) on binary-indep and/or binary-arch or by inlining what those  targets
           would do.  This target will be called with root privileges.

SEE ALSO
       dpkg-architecture(1),     dpkg-vendor(1),     dpkg-buildflags(1),     dpkg-parsechangelog(1),
       dpkg-shlibdeps(1), dpkg-gencontrol(1), dpkg-deb(1), dpkg-distaddfile(1).

1.22.6                                       2026-05-06                             deb-src-rules(5)