How do I obtain build dependencies that are not in repositories?

[s3a]

Lets say that I want to compile a program that is in the unstable repository and I have testing (or also if I am using stable and want to compile something from testing), I know that I have to put the deb-src repository line of the repository from which I want to obtain the build dependencies by ussing apt-get build-dep packagename but my question is: what if it's not in the repositories at all? How does one go about obtaining these dependencies?

I don't know much about this topic but I know how to use dh-make with dh_make --createorig and I also know how to do dpkg-buildpackage but not more than that.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

[GNU-Fan]

What you can do is to get the upstream (the "original") version and compile+install that in a different directory. I usually put such custom dependencies somewhere under $HOME with the --prefix command in ./configure.

Then you compile the program itself and tell if (via configure) to use the dependencies from your home directory.

Often this is a recursive process, as the dependencies itself depend on newer version of libraries you have to install first. At some point it was just to much work to do for me, and I decided to upgrade to unstable.

[s3a]

Thanks for your answer but, I don't want to compile the ./configure make, make install way. I want to specifically made .deb files. I guess a better question would be: is there a terminal command (or something similar) that does not do or install anything but instead just tells me what the dependencies of a particular package that I am trying to compile are?

[oz]

I guess a better question would be: is there a terminal command (or something similar) that does not do or install anything but instead just tells me what the dependencies of a particular package that I am trying to compile are?

Try this for finding the dependencies of a particular package:

apt-cache depends package_name

[devils casper]

apt-cache extract information from package metadata and if package is not available in repositories/cache then it will not work.

Installation of software by the package system uses "dependencies" which are carefully designed by the package maintainers. These dependencies are documented in the control file associated with each package. For example, the package containing the GNU C compiler (gcc) "depends" on the package binutils which includes the linker and assembler. If a user attempts to install gcc without having first installed binutils, the package management system (dpkg) will send an error message that it also needs binutils, and stop installing gcc. (However, this facility can be overridden by the insistent user, see dpkg(8 ).)

Read more......
I would suggest you check her

[s3a]

Correct me if I misunderstood but you are both suggesting that I use apt-cache depends packagename, right? Well, that only works for applications in my repositories but my question was precisely how do I find the required dependencies of a program that I don't have in my repositories at all.

[oz]

how do I find the required dependencies of a program that I don't have in my repositories at all.

If there isn't a listing of the dependencies within the tarball documentation, you will see a listing of any missing dependencies scroll across the screen when you go to compile the software. I'm not sure if there is any other way to find them.

Is that what you mean?

[devils casper]

I would sugget you to check my last post and link in it again.

[s3a]

If there isn't a listing of the dependencies within the tarball documentation, you will see a listing of any missing dependencies scroll across the screen when you go to compile the software. I'm not sure if there is any other way to find them.

Is that what you mean?

That is what I mean but when you see that it will show dependencies on a compilation attempt. That means I have to do what... ./configure ? Because I DO NOT want to make install it, I want to make a .deb and then install whichever program.

[s3a]

I'm bumping this because I would still like to know if there is a way to figure out what the dependencies of a particular package are:

-without requiring that the source is in a repository of any kind.

-without requiring me to compile/install the program without a package manager (I want to compile to a binary .deb file and then install via that)

There must be a way of doing this since the Debian developers have to get their source from some upstream source before "debianizing" it.

If someone knows the answer to my problem, please respond, I would be VERY grateful!
Thanks in advance!