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+README for debootstrap
+======================
+
+See the manpage for (some) documentation.
+
+Running debootstrap from source
+-------------------------------
+
+You can run debootstrap from its source tree without installing it. This
+can be useful if you want a quick way to make a Debian chroot on another
+system, or if you are testing modifications to debootstrap.
+
+First, get the source.
+
+* Either by using git
+ git clone https://salsa.debian.org/installer-team/debootstrap.git
+
+* Or by visiting <https://packages.debian.org/source/sid/debootstrap>
+ and downloading the tar.gz file
+
+Then in the debootstrap source directory:
+
+ export DEBOOTSTRAP_DIR=`pwd`
+ sudo ./debootstrap stable my-stable-dir
+
+If you are running a multi-stage boot strap (for example for a QEMU
+rootfs) you don't even need root:
+
+ export DEBOOTSTRAP_DIR=`pwd`
+ fakeroot ./debootstrap --foreign --arch=armhf testing my-testing-dir http://deb.debian.org/debian
+
+Of course you will need to execute the second stage as root to finish the bootstrap:
+
+ (on foreign hardware)
+ /debootstrap/debootstrap --second-stage
+
+
+Future
+------
+
+ * Cross-strap support - so you can bootstrap a filesystem to the
+ point where it will successfully boot, and finish installing itself
+ without having to be running the target architecture or OS yourself.
+ This means you should be able to run
+
+ debootstrap --arch powerpc sarge ./sarge-ppc-chroot ...
+
+ on an i386 system, boot a powerpc box with sarge-ppc-chroot as its
+ root files system, and have it "work". The cross-hurd package does
+ something similar, and should be replaced by this feature.
+
+ * There should be some (better) way of telling debootstrap what "base"
+ packages you want to install -- this varies between making a chroot,
+ doing an install, and doing a buildd. Also, some installs want
+ different base packages (to setup networking, or kernels, eg)
+
+
+NMUing
+------
+
+If there's a problem with debootstrap that you need fixed, feel free to do
+an NMU to fix it. Usual rules: try not to break anything, and mail the
+patch to the BTS. Don't worry about asking first though.
+
+However, note that debootstrap is now team maintained. Anyone in d-i can do
+a release without the bother of a NMU.