module-assistant [-hv] [-k source/headers directory] {update | prepare | list-available | la | list-installed | li | get | build | install | auto-install | clean | purge} [pkg...]
module-assistant is the command-line tool for handling module-source packages that have been prepared for the Debian distribution. It helps users to build and install module package(s) easily for one or more custom kernels.
pkg can be a single word (package name) or multiple names. The word all will be expanded to the list of all available packages, the word alli to the list of currently installed (source) packages.
Unless the -h, or --help option is given, one of the commands below must be present.
update is used to resynchronize the version index files from their sources. This happens with helper scripts provided by the packages. kernel-assistant has a default built-in list of the packages that it should look for but other packages can be registred by kernel-assistant if the maintainer adds the helper script.
list-available (abbreviated with la) presents a list of details about specified packages, including installed version, installable versions and recently built binary packages. If the package names are omited, shows all known packages. With -v, prints long package paths.
Synonym to list alli. Acts like list-available but limits the list to the installed source packages.
get followed by the package list installs the package source, downloading source packages when needed.
build is followed by one or more source packages that should be built. It chooses the kernel source appropriate for the currently running kernel unless different directories have been specified.
install is followed by one or more packages desired for installation. The last built package for the current running kernel is choosen.
auto-install is followed by one or more packages desired for installation. The build process will be executed first.
clean clears the build directories of the kernel packages.
purge clears the information cache of a source package and removes all binary packages localy built from it (that module-assistant knows about). USE WITH CARE!
A different kernel source directory to be used. You can specify multiple directories with multiple options or separated by commas.
Shows a bit more information, like full paths of the binary packages.
If a package that is to be generated does already exist in the target directory (maybe in on older version), -n prevents from building the package again.
The default behaviour is to skip when exactly the same file (with the same filename) is to be generated as the one that already exists, and the new filename could be detected before starting the build process (depends on the module package).
Never look for target file (in another version) and force a build. For the get command, download a newer version of a package even if it is already installed.
Prints a short help message.
You can export the following environment variables to modify the behaviour of the build scripts. Some packages may ignore them or interpret them differently.
KPKG_DEST_DIR specify the target directory where the resulting Debian package should be installed into. However, many packages ignore this variable and install the file into the directory above the kernel source directory or above the current directory.
If SIGNCHANGES is set, .changes files will be generated (calling kdist_image rule instead of kdist) and debsign (or gpg or pgp) will be executed to sign the changes.
Specifies the realname of the person building the package, interesting for .changes file only. In addition, if KMAINT is set and KPKG_DEST_DIR is not, DEB_DESTDIR will become $(KSRC)/...
Specifies the realname of the person building the package (interesting for .changes file only).
A different location for the (already extracted) module source directories. Default is /usr/src/modules.
A different location for cached data, used by helper scripts from module-assistant. Default is /var/cache/modass.
List of helper scripts shipped with the module-assistant package.
Helper scripts installed by other packages.
See the module-assistant bug page. If you wish to report a bug in module-assistant, please use the reportbug (1) command.