README.md

This is a modified version of checkinstall which uses Slackware's
native "makepkg" tool so that it produces (mostly) correct packages.

One thing to be careful about is the filename of the finished
package. If it does not follow Slackware's naming scheme, the
package utilities won't be able to tell which part of the filename
is the package's base name, and the package will not be able to be
managed 100% effectively. For instance, removing the package could
cause other similarly-named packages to be removed as well.

So, once you have your build package, change the filename so that
it follows these rules BEFORE you install it:

<packagename>-<version>-<arch>-<build>.tgz

An example correct package name would be:

checkinstall-1.5.3-i386-1.tgz

You may include dashes in the package name. You may NOT include them
in the version number, arch, or build number. Why? Because
Slackware's package tools take the rightmost dash delimited field to
be the build number, the next dash delimited field to the left of that
as the architecture, the next field as the version number, and
everything to the left of that as the package's base name. Including
extra dashes in any field except the package name will mess up the
count.

To make this more clear, here's an example of a WRONG package name:

xmms-skins-i386-1.tgz

Note that "skins" will be taken as the package's version number.
Attempting to remove this package may remove the "xmms" package
instead.

Hope this helps! And thanks to Ezio and izto for informing me that
checkinstall doesn't have to use the broken version of makepkg that it
ships with. After a few other patches to bring things in line, it
looks like this is going to be a nice addition to Slackware. :-)

Have fun,

Pat <volkerdi@slackware.com>