regarding packaging a software release

[aryan_]

Hi All,

I have a C++ application consisting of several source/header files.

As part of the release management procedure, I use a shell script to package all necessary sources/headers in a tar file for a successful compilation on end-user site.

However, for example, each time a new directory is created within application's source tree, I need to edit the shell script to implement necessary changes, which is error-prone.

What is the best practice to package the source/header files of an application into a tar file ? Is there any tool that I can use for packaging purposes rather than writing my own shell scripts ? For example, how is Linux kernel itself packaged into a tar file ?

I use Ubuntu 9.10.

Thanks.

[Cabhan]

So the cool thing about tar is that it can take a directory as an argument. Therefore, why not just have all of your source code / tarball materials in one big tree, and package the whole thing?

[aryan_]

So the cool thing about tar is that it can take a directory as an argument. Therefore, why not just have all of your source code / tarball materials in one big tree, and package the whole thing?

I am just trying to learn how to do things in the right way...

My source tree actually does not contain only source/header files.

Additionally, it contains some test data and documentation which I do not want to put into tarball.

[darkrose0510]

so create file which lists all the files you *don't* wont included and then use the --exclude-from argument when making the tarball.

"The right way" though would probably be not to put random files in your source tree, that way you can just tar -cjf and not worry about it.

[Cabhan]

Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to sound sarcastic; I was trying to point out a feature .

If you're going to be sending out a distribution, documentation and test cases aren't actually bad things to include. That way, end users can run the tests to make sure that the distribution runs, and documentation is always a good thing.

But if you really don't want to include them, then darkrose is correct, and you can use tar's --exclude or --exclude-from flags.