How to set a custom install directory for a deb package with fpm

Question

while using fpm to create a deb package, if I try to install that deb package, it is being installed inside the wrong directory:

Command:

fpm -f -s "dir" -t "deb" -a "all" -n "my_project" -v 1 -C "/tmp/tmpoklyPn" /tmp/tmpoklyPn/myproject

The folder I want to package exists at /tmp/tmpoklyPn/myproject, but when I run:

dpkg -i my_package.deb

it installs it into /tmp/tmpoklyPn/myproject, ideally i'd like it to install into /var/lib/myproject. I  have tried --installdir and --root with my dpkg command, but it complains with cannot access archive: No such file or directory

Other information:

• I'm using a ubuntu vm
• I'm not bound to fpm and happy to hear other viable suggestions
• inside myproject is a python virtualenv and my django project

Answer 1

Here's something that you can try...

the last argument in an fpm command can contain an equals operator which defines the direcotry to come from and to install to.

Try using this command instead

fpm -f -s "dir" -t "deb" -a "all" -n "myproject" -v 1 -C "/tmp/tmpoklyPn" myproject=/var/lib/myproject

Notice the myproject=/var/lib/myproject, the left side is the directory name of my project (relative, because I used -C to change directory to /tmp/tmpoklyPn before looking for packages) and on the right side is where I want to install to on the remote machine...

the myproject=/var/lib/myproject, the left side is the directory name of the project and on the right side is where I want to install to on the remote machine. This is because  you used -C to change directory to /tmp/tmpoklyPn before looking for packages