There are two types of repositories: the complex, where the user only has to specify the path of the repository, distribution and components he wants (APT will automatically search for the package to correct for the architecture, if available) and simpler, where the user must specify the exact route (APT will not do magic here to find out which of the packages are listed).

The first is more difficult to establish, but it is easier to use and should always be used for complex repositories and / or cross-platform, the latter is easier to establish, but it should only be used for small or repositories of a single architecture.

Although it is not really correct to call it here first and last automatic Repositories Repositories trivial.

Automatic repositories

The directory structure with an automated repository of Debian standard architectures and components is very similar to this: 

  (your repository root) 
 | 
 +-dists 
   | 
   |-stable 
    | |-Main 
    | | |-Binary-alpha 
    | | |-Binary-arm 
    | | |-Binary-... 
    | | +-Source 
    | |-Contrib 
    | | |-Binary-alpha 
    | | |-Binary-arm 
    | | |-Binary-... 
    | | +-Source 
    | +-Non-free 
    | |-Binary-alpha 
    | |-Binary-arm 
    | |-Binary-... 
    | +-Source 
   | 
   |-testing 
    | |-Main 
    | | |-Binary-alpha 
    | | |-Binary-arm 
    | | |-Binary-... 
    | | +-Source 
    | |-Contrib 
    | | |-Binary-alpha 
    | | |-Binary-arm 
    | | |-Binary-... 
    | | +-Source 
    | +-Non-free 
    | |-Binary-alpha 
    | |-Binary-arm 
    | |-Binary-... 
    | +-Source 
   | 
   +-unstable 
     |-main 
      | |-Binary-alpha 
      | |-Binary-arm 
      | |-Binary-... 
      | +-Source 
     |-contrib 
      | |-Binary-alpha 
      | |-Binary-arm 
      | |-Binary-... 
      | +-Source 
      + non-free - 
       |-binary-alpha 
       |-binary-arm 
       |-binary-... 
       +-source

The packages are free in the main, those are not free in the directory are free and non-free packages that depend on are not free to go in the contrib directory.

There are other directories that are rare non-US/main containing packages are free but can not be exported from a server in the U.S. and the directory that contains non-US/non-free packages that have some condition expensive license that restricts its use or redistribution. Can not be exported outside the United States because they are encryption software packages that are not managed by the export control procedure that is used with the main package or can not be stored on servers in the United States be subject to patent issues.

Debian currently supports 11 types of architecture in this example have been omitted most of them for the sake of brevity. * Every directory contains a binary-file Packages.gz and an optional Release each source directory contains a file Sources.gz and also contains an optional Release file.

Note: packages must be in the same directory as the index files, because the index files contain the paths to individual packages, in fact, could be located anywhere in the repository. This makes it possible to create ponds.


We are free to create as many distributions as components and as we like to call them, which are used in the example are just the ones used in Debian. We could, for example, create the current and beta distributions (instead of stable, unstable and testing, and that the components are foo, bar, baz and qux (instead of main, contrib non-free).

Because we are free to call the ingredients as you want, it is always advisable to use standard Debian distributions, because they are the names that Debian users expect.

Repositories Triviales

Repositories trivial, consisting of a root directory and many sub-directories as desired. Because users must specify the path to the root of the repository and the relative path from the root directory and the files it indexes, we are free to do whatever we want (including, put everything on the root of the repository, then on the route would be simply. It is very much like this: 

  (your repository root) 
 | 
 |-binary 
 +-source

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