Packaging with javahelper

Programs and libraries written in Java have a lot of special packaging requirements in common. When I started packaging Java programs I was annoyed at the lack of tools to automate some of these tasks and hence Javahelper was born.

Javahelper provides tools to help with the workflow right from processing upstream releases (which can be tricky with some Java upstreams) through building packages where upstream doesn't have a sane build system to generating packaging metadata and installing files into packages.

This talk gives an overview of the dh7 and cdbs integration, how to use the various helper tools available in javahelper and finishes with example packages of a selection of simple Java programs and libraries.

The aim of Javahelper is to provide tooling to implement Debian Java policy, automate common tasks required by Java packages that aren't provided for by debhelper and to simplify the packaging of Java software.