Installing build dependencies of a Debian package that can be easily removed later

build-deps.md

This approach allows you to install a *-build-deps package that can be easily apt autoremoved later when you don't need the dependencies anymore.

1. Install packaging tools: sudo apt install devscripts equivs
2. Generate a build-deps package (in this case we use nextcloud-desktop as an example):

   mk-build-deps nextcloud-desktop
   

3. Install it:

   sudo apt install ./nextcloud-desktop-build-deps_x.y.z_amd64.deb
   

4. Try to compile the package. If some build dependencies are missing at this point, you can install them with an additional package. To do that:

• Create a control file like this:

  Package: nextcloud-desktop-build-deps-more
  Version: 0.1.0
  Architecture: amd64
  Maintainer: Your Name <[email protected]>
  Installed-Size: 10
  Depends: libkf5archive-dev:amd64, qtbase5-private-dev:amd64
  Section: devel
  Priority: optional
  Multi-Arch: foreign
  Description: Additional build dependencies for nextcloud-desktop
  

• Generate a DEB package:

  #!/bin/sh
  equivs-build nextcloud-desktop-build-deps-more.control
  

• Install it: sudo apt install ./nextcloud-desktop-build-deps-more_0.1.0_amd64.deb

5. When you are done with compiling:

   sudo apt autoremove nextcloud-desktop-build-deps nextcloud-desktop-build-deps-more