To start working on nqp:
* install development packages
  # aptitude install git-buildpackage devscripts cme pkg-perl-tools
* set up your environement to have something like:
  $ cat ~/.devscripts
  DEBCHANGE_RELEASE_HEURISTIC=changelog
  DEBUILD_LINTIAN=yes
  DEBUILD_LINTIAN_OPTS="-i -I --show-overrides"
  USCAN_DESTDIR=../tarballs
  DEBRELEASE_DEBS_DIR=../build-area
  $ cat ~/.gbp.conf
  [DEFAULT]
  pristine-tar = True
  sign-tags = True
  [buildpackage]
  # use a build area relative to the git repository
  export-dir=../build-area/
  tarball-dir = ../tarballs/
  urgency=low
  # to use the same build area for all packages use an absolute path:
  #export-dir=/home/debian-packages/build-area
  [import-orig]
  # run hook after the import:
  postimport = gbp dch -N%(version)s -S -a --debian-branch=$GBP_BRANCH
* clone nqp:
  $ gbp clone git+ssh://git.debian.org/git/pkg-rakudo/nqp.git

To update nqp with upstream tarball:
* import new version:
  $ gbp import-orig --uscan
  - follow the prompts
* push the merge to Alioth
  $ gbp push

Other updates:
 * Update debian/control for moarvm version:
   $ perl debian/update-control.pl
 * Check for misc updates:
   $ cme check dpkg
 * optionally:
   $ cme fix dpkg
 * update copyright (be sure to commit copyright file before):
   $ cme update dpkg-copyright

To build the package:
  $ gbp build-package -us -uc

To cleanup cruft (dangerous, commit your work before):
  $ git reset --hard
  $ git clean -dxf

Note about the source:
* upstream nqp is deliver with a set of jar files without source.
  These jar files are removed when upstream tarball is imported
  (see Debian/copyright file)
  There's no need to worry about the jar files as long as we don't
  provide nqp/jvm.
  The jar files in stage0 directory can be rebuilt with:
  configure && make && make m-bootstrap-files

* upstream nqp also delivers UCD data file in
  src/vm/js/nqp-runtime/unicode-data/ (seen from version 2018.01). The
  source of these files are from Unicode Character Database. These
  files are also provided by Debian unicode-data package, but no
  provision is given (yet) to rebuild these files from UCD data (See
  https://github.com/perl6/nqp/issues/407). Since js backend is not
  built for Debian, src/vm/js directory is removed from upstream (see
  debian/copyright file)

* src/vm/moar/stage0/ directory contains binary files. These files are
  a pre-compiled nqp compiler and are necessary to compile nqp. nqp is
  a bootstrapping compiler that uses itself to compile nqp. See file
  docs/bootstrapping.pod for more details

* profiler/template.html is not shipped. This file loads script from
  internet which leads to privacy breach warnings from
  lintian. template.html is part of profiling tool. I expect people
  involved in profiling to work with upstream nqp and not with Debian
  package. I'll revert this if I'm proven wrong.

 -- domi <domi.dumont@free.fr>, Mon,  5 Feb 2018 19:38:47 +0100
