These are generic instructions to unpack and compile a Debian package.

A Debian source package normally comes in three files:  foo_v.orig.tar.gz,
foo_v-d.diff.gz and foo_v-d.dsc (where "v" is the upstream version and "d" 
is the Debian revision level).

   Note: In what follows, we are assuming that you are doing this as a
   normal user in a directory not owned by root. Since in this case this
   is not true, you will have to be root all the time.

To unpack the source you need to have dpkg-dev installed and issue the
command:

dpkg-source -x foo_v-d.dsc

This will unpack the .orig.tar.gz source and will apply the patches
automatically. Once the source is unpacked, you may enter into the "foo"
directory and write:

debian/rules binary

as root.

After a while (which depends on how fast your computer is), all the .deb
binary packages will be created.

If you dislike being root while it compiles, you can do this in
two steps by doing:


debian/rules build      as a normal user

[ coffee here ]

debian/rules binary     as root.


If you don't even want to be root to create the packages, you may install
the `fakeroot' package and replace the latter by:

fakeroot debian/rules binary


Once the .deb packages are created, you will be able to install them by
using dpkg -i package.deb, as always.