SetupDeveloperEnvironment

Revision 17 as of 2012-11-14 10:05:52

Clear message
  • ADD: What system to use? (pbuilder makes sure we don't need a specific dev system?)
  • ADD: Include a script to set things up. UbuntuDeveloperSetupScript.

Create GPG Key

GPG Stands for Gnu Privacy Guard.

Initially, you are required to have a GPG key in order to sign the launchpad Code of Conduct. As a developer you will be using the GPG key to sign things like changes to Ubuntu source packages. People will know you make the change from your gpg key signature.

This key is your virtual identity, so be careful with it!

First, make sure you have installed gnupg

$ sudo apt-get install gnupg

Creating the GPG key in a terminal

To create a GPG key, use this command in a terminal:

$ gpg --gen-key

Follow the instructions carefully. Choosing the default options is fine. Make sure to type in your real name and the email you want to have associated with your key. Choose a secure passphrase. If you loose the passphrase, there is no way to retrieve it.

Publish your key

Once you are done, you will need to publish your key to a server in order for it to be usable. First, you need to find out what your public ID is. To see all the GPG keys in your system, do:

$ gpg --list-keys

In this example, the public ID is F06EFAE2

pub   2048R/F06EFAE2 2012-11-12
uid                  Kaj Ailomaa (Debian/Ubuntu signing key) <zequence@mousike.me>
sub   2048R/140030E5 2012-11-12

Now, publish your GPG key using your public ID:

$ gpg --send-keys <KEY ID>

It may take up to an hour before your key is published and ready to be used. There are alternative key servers to publish to, which may be quicker.

Read more about GPG at the Ubuntu Community Wiki.

Create SSH Key

SSH stands for Secure Shell. It's a method for connecting to remote places.

As a developer, you will need a SSH client in combination with a SSH key in order upload changes to Ubuntu source.

First, make sure you have install the SSH client:

$ sudo apt-get install openssh-client

Creating the SSH Key in a Terminal

To create a SSH key in a terminal:

$ ssh-keygen -t rsa

Read more about SSH at the Ubuntu Community Wiki

Setup Launchpad Account

Setup Developer System

Setup Testing Environment