Arch Linux

abrahammurciano

Member

Registered: 2020-05-22

Posts: 4

How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

I was trying to install a package from the AUR, (the package is nand2tetris) and the PKGBUILD currently tells the user to download a file manually from google drive and place it in the src directory. I was hoping to be able to improve this and submit my improvements for anyone else, but I am not really sure how to do this. I created and uploaded my first PKGBUILD to the AUR two days ago, so I am a beginner in this respect. Do I have to contact the owner of the package and ask them to add me as a maintainer? Or is there some other way I can submit a pull request to the repo? Any pointers would be appreciated.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,769

Re: How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

I generally post patches in the comments section on the AUR page for the package.  If the author incorporates it, great.  If not, but someone else sees it and uses it to fix their problem, also great.

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

MountainX

Member

Registered: 2016-02-08

Posts: 371

Re: How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

I generally post patches in the comments section on the AUR page for the package.  If the author incorporates it, great.  If not, but someone else sees it and uses it to fix their problem, also great.

Once I apply your patch, how do I force my build to always use the modified PKGBUILD, even when updating the project to the latest source from AUR?

(If you are interested in more details of why I'm asking this, see my question here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=260160)

zpg443

Member

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 271

Re: How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

I generally post patches in the comments section on the AUR page for the package.  If the author incorporates it, great.  If not, but someone else sees it and uses it to fix their problem, also great.

Once I apply your patch, how do I force my build to always use the modified PKGBUILD, even when updating the project to the latest source from AUR?

(If you are interested in more details of why I'm asking this, see my question here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=260160)

In the unlikely event that the owner does not apply the fix to the PKGBUILD, you will have to apply the patch manually for each update. Copy and paste.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,769

Re: How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

The package itself is kept in a git archive.  On my system, I clone from the AUR to a build directory and use makepkg from there.   When I update, I do a pull rather than a fresh clone; and do just another makepkg.  If I choose to change a package for whatever reason, I create a new branch in the git archive.  With the two branches, it is simple to generate the patch file as a delta between two branches or commits.  When the master branch gets updated in the AUR, pulls update the master.  Use the tools in git to harmonize the branches (cherry pick. merge, etc...)

Edit:  Oh, and use effective commit comments to remind yourself what you did

Last edited by ewaller (2020-10-25 14:42:42)

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

Stefan Husmann

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-08-07

Posts: 1,391

Re: How to submit changes to AUR package I do not maintain

I drop "customizepkg" into the discussion. See also https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=260160

Edit: typo

Last edited by Stefan Husmann (2020-10-26 09:42:43)