Getting Your Project into a Linux Distro

Open source software maintainers often hope that their projects will be picked up by a Linux distribution. When a Linux distro picks up your package for distribution on its CDs and DVDs, your project magically moves from the realm of tens of users to that of tens of thousands of users—almost overnight. Some people will be using your software without even knowing it.

By following the GCS within your build system, you remove many of the barriers to including your project in a Linux distro. If your tarball follows all the usual conventions, distro packagers will immediately know what to do with it. These packagers generally get to decide, based on needed functionality and their feelings about your package, ...

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