.TH DH_INSTALLDOCS 1 "" "Debhelper Commands" "Debhelper Commands"
.SH NAME
dh_installdocs \- install documentation into package build directories
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B dh_installdocs
.I "[debhelper options] [-A] [-n] [file ...]"
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
dh_installdocs is a debhelper program that is responsible for installing
documentation into usr/share/doc/package in package build directories.
.P
dh_installdocs automatically installs debian/copyright if it exists. If
dh_installdocs is acting on multiple packages, debian/copyright files will be
installed into all packages. However, if you need to have seperate copyright
files for different binary packages, you can use files named 
debian/package.copyright.
.P
Any filenames specified as parameters will be installed into the first
package dh_installdocs is told to act on. By default, this is the first 
binary package in debian/control, but if you use -p, -i, or -a flags, it 
will be the first package specified by those flags.
.P
Also, debian/README.Debian (or debian/README.debian) and debian/TODO, if 
they exist, will be installed into the first binary package listed in 
debian/control, if dh_installdocs is acting on that package. Note that 
debian/TODO will be installed named TODO.Debian, if the package is not a 
debian native package. Also note that README.debian is installed as
README.Debian, for consitency. Note that debian/package.README.Debian and
debian/package.TODO can be used to specify files for subpackages.
.P
A file named debian/package.docs (debian/docs may be used for the first
binary package in debian/control) can list other files to be installed.
.P
This program will automatically generate postinst and prerm commands to
maintain a compatability symlink, /usr/doc/package, to the documentation in
/usr/share/doc/package. See
.BR dh_installdeb (1)
for an explanation of how this works.
.P
A file named debian/package.doc-base (debian/doc-base may be used for the
first binary package in debian/control), if it exists, will be installed as 
a doc-base control file, and will make this program automatically generate the
postinst and prerm commands needed to interface with the doc-base package. See
.BR dh_installdeb (1)
for an explanation of how this works.
Note that the doc-id will be determined from the doc-base control file 
in question.
.PP
If your package needs to register more
than one document, you need multiple files. To accomplish this, you can use
files named debian/package.doc-base.*
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B debhelper options
See
.BR debhelper (1)
for a list of options common to all debhelper commands.
.TP
.B \-A, \--all
Install all files specified by command line parameters in ALL packages
acted on.
.TP
.B \-n, \--noscripts
Do not modify postinst/prerm scripts.
.TP
.B file ...
Install these files as documentation into the first package acted on. (Or in
all packages if -A is specified).
.SH NOTES
Note that dh_installdocs will happily copy entire directory hierarchies if
you ask it to (it uses cp -a internally). If it is asked to install a
directory, it will install the complete contents of the directory.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
See
.BR debhelper (1)
for a list of environment variables that affect all debhelper commands.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR debhelper (1)
.TP
.BR install-docs (8)
.SH BUGS
It's impossible to specify filenames with spaces or other whitespace in them
in debian/docs file. This is more a historical design flaw than a bug.
.SH "CONFORMS TO"
Debian policy, version 3.0.1
.SH AUTHOR
Joey Hess <joeyh@master.debian.org>