how to create debian package to install files to /home/user

Question

I created a debian package, I want to install the files to the directory /home/user/myapp instead of /usr/bin

but after install the deb, the owner of /home/user/myapp is root

I hope after install the deb, the owner should be user, so I add postinst to do the post-work:

#postinst
chown -R user /home/user/myapp

but I always got an error "chown: ... Operation not permitted"

any helps?

Thanks

Answer 1

The whole point of a Debian package is to install system-wide software. Think about it: if multiple users install this package to their respective /home/user/myapp area, what should show up in your package manager?

If you want to install to your home directory, use the original source (eg. tarball) distribution.

Answer 2

you need to make a routine in the package's postinstall that copies the contents of what you need to put on the user's home

Something like this:

# For every user in /home/ ...
for HOME_U in /home/*?; do

# Obtain the username
USER=$( basename ${HOME_U} )

# In case the user is active (exists in /etc/shadow) ...
if [ $( grep -c "${USER}:.*:.*:.*:.*:.*:::" /etc/shadow ) == 1 ] \
&& [ $( grep -c "${USER}:.*:.*:.*:.*:.*:/bin/.*sh" /etc/passwd ) == 1 ] \
&& [ -d ${HOME_U}/.config ] \
&& [ -d ${HOME_U} ]; then

# Making sure .config/your-package/ exists
mkdir -p /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/

# with appropiate permissions
chown ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/

# copy what we need
cp /etc/skel/.config/your-package/x.conf /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/
cp /etc/skel/.config/your-package/y.conf /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/
cp ... /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/

# with appropiate permissions
chown ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/x.conf
chown ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}/.config/your-package/y.conf
...

fi
done

Hope you can use it.