> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/allegro/ralph/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Packaging

> Learn how Ralph is packaged for distribution, including Debian packages, Docker images, and Python packaging with setup.py.

Ralph provides multiple packaging formats to support different deployment scenarios: Debian packages for Ubuntu, Docker images, and Python packages via setup.py.

## Python Package (setup.py)

### Package Configuration

Ralph uses setuptools for Python packaging. The main configuration is in `setup.py:1`:

```python theme={null}
from setuptools import find_packages, setup

setup(
    name="ralph",
    version=get_version(),
    author="Allegro.pl Sp. z o.o. and Contributors",
    author_email="opensource@allegro.pl",
    description="Advanced Asset Management and DCIM system for data center and back office.",
    url="http://ralph.allegrogroup.com/",
    packages=find_packages("src"),
    package_dir={"": "src"},
    zip_safe=False,  # Templates are loaded from file path
    entry_points={
        "console_scripts": [
            "ralph = ralph.__main__:prod",
            "dev_ralph = ralph.__main__:dev",
            "test_ralph = ralph.__main__:test",
            "validate_ralph = ralph.cross_validator.__main__:main",
        ],
    },
)
```

### Requirements

Ralph requires Python 3.10 or higher (`setup.py:9`):

```python theme={null}
assert sys.version_info >= (3, 10), "Python 3.10+ required."
```

### Entry Points

Ralph provides multiple console scripts and extension points:

**Console Scripts:**

* `ralph` - Production server
* `dev_ralph` - Development server with additional features
* `test_ralph` - Test runner
* `validate_ralph` - Cross-validation tool

**Extension Points:**

* `back_office.transition_action.email_context` - Email context for transitions
* `account.views.get_asset_list_class` - Custom asset list views
* `ralph.cloud_sync_processors` - Cloud synchronization processors

See `setup.py:37` for all entry points.

### Version Generation

Ralph uses a shell script to generate versions based on git tags:

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
LATEST_TAG=$(git describe --abbrev=0)
CURRENT_TAG=$(git describe)

generate_next_version() {
    current_dateversion=$(echo "${LATEST_TAG}" | cut -d '.' -f1)
    new_dateversion=$(date +"%Y%m%d")
    # ...
}
```

The version format is `YYYYMMDD.PATCH` (e.g., `20240315.1`).

## Debian Packages

Ralph provides official Debian packages for Ubuntu using `dh_virtualenv`, which packages the application and all dependencies into a self-contained virtualenv.

### Why dh\_virtualenv?

Ralph's dependency requirements make traditional Debian packaging challenging. Using `dh_virtualenv` provides a compromise between package availability and maintenance effort by:

* Installing all dependencies into a virtualenv
* Packaging the entire virtualenv as a `.deb` file
* Avoiding conflicts with system Python packages
* Simplifying dependency management

### Package Details

**Package Name**: `ralph-core`

**Build Dependencies** (`debian/control:5`):

* `debhelper (>= 9)`
* `dh-virtualenv`
* `git`
* `libmysqlclient-dev`
* `python3 (>=3.10)`
* `libffi-dev`
* `nodejs (>= 22.0.0)`
* `npm`

**Runtime Dependencies** (`debian/control:10`):

* `python3 (>=3.10)`
* `libmysqlclient21`
* `python3-distutils`
* `debconf`

**Suggested Packages**:

* `mysql-server`
* `redis`

### Building Packages

Ralph supports two build modes: snapshot (testing) and release (production).

#### Building Snapshot Packages

Snapshot packages can be built from any commit for testing purposes:

```bash theme={null}
make build-snapshot-package
```

The built package will be placed in the `build/` directory with a name like:

```
ralph-core_<DATE>.<PATCH>-<BRANCH>-SNAPSHOT_amd64.deb
```

This target:

1. Builds a Docker container with build dependencies
2. Generates a snapshot changelog
3. Builds the package
4. Copies it to `build/`
5. Cleans up the container

See `Makefile:33` for implementation.

#### Building Release Packages

Release packages should be built from tagged commits on the `ng` branch:

```bash theme={null}
make build-package
```

See `Makefile:28` for implementation.

<Warning>
  Release packages are meant for production use. Always build from tagged commits on the `ng` branch.
</Warning>

### Publishing Packages

Packages are published to [packagecloud.io/allegro/ralph](https://packagecloud.io/allegro/ralph) by Ralph maintainers. Publishing is triggered automatically when a new GitHub release is created.

## Docker Images

Ralph provides multiple Docker images for different purposes.

### Available Images

**ralph**: Main application image

```bash theme={null}
make build-docker-image
```

Builds:

* `allegro/ralph:latest`
* `allegro/ralph:<VERSION>`

**ralph-static-nginx**: Static files with nginx

* `allegro/ralph-static-nginx:latest`
* `allegro/ralph-static-nginx:<VERSION>`

**inkpy**: Additional utility image

* `allegro/inkpy:<VERSION>`

See `Makefile:40` for build configuration.

### Building Snapshot Docker Images

Build snapshot images for testing:

```bash theme={null}
make build-snapshot-docker-image
```

This will:

1. Build a snapshot Debian package
2. Build Docker images using the snapshot package
3. Tag images with snapshot version

See `Makefile:57` for implementation.

### Publishing Docker Images

```bash theme={null}
# Publish release images
make publish-docker-image

# Publish snapshot images
make publish-docker-snapshot-image
```

See `Makefile:73` and `Makefile:80` for publishing targets.

### Customizing Docker Repository

Set the `DOCKER_REPO_NAME` variable to push to a different repository:

```bash theme={null}
make build-docker-image DOCKER_REPO_NAME=mycompany
```

## Package Ecosystem Design

Ralph's packaging system is designed to be environment-agnostic:

### Key Principles

1. **No specific environment required**: All operations can be performed using tools a regular Ralph developer already has

2. **Docker-based builds**: Everything runs in Docker containers to avoid platform dependencies

3. **Container rebuilds**: Containers are rebuilt for each operation to avoid IO performance issues with mounted volumes on certain platforms

4. **Official repository**: Packages are published to packagecloud.io, owned by Allegro

5. **GitHub integration**: Package publishing is triggered by creating GitHub releases

### Why Docker for Building?

Using Docker for package building provides several benefits:

* **Platform independence**: Developers on macOS, Windows, or Linux can build packages
* **Consistent environment**: Same build environment for all maintainers
* **No system pollution**: Build dependencies don't affect the host system
* **Reproducible builds**: Same Dockerfile produces same packages

## Makefile Targets

### Package Management

```bash theme={null}
# Build snapshot package for testing
make build-snapshot-package

# Build release package for production
make build-package

# Release a new version (maintainers only)
make release-new-version
```

### Docker Images

```bash theme={null}
# Build Docker images
make build-docker-image
make build-snapshot-docker-image

# Publish Docker images
make publish-docker-image
make publish-docker-snapshot-image
```

### Development

```bash theme={null}
# Install dependencies
make install          # Production dependencies
make install-dev      # Development dependencies
make install-test     # Test dependencies
make install-docs     # Documentation dependencies

# Install JavaScript dependencies
make install-js

# Run the development server
make run

# Run tests
make test TEST=ralph.assets
make coverage

# Code quality
make flake           # Flake8 linting
make checks          # Ruff checks
make isort           # Import sorting

# Build documentation
make docs
```

See `Makefile:1` for all available targets.

## Installation from Packages

### Installing Debian Package

```bash theme={null}
# Add packagecloud repository
curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/allegro/ralph/script.deb.sh | sudo bash

# Install ralph-core
sudo apt-get install ralph-core
```

### Installing from PyPI

```bash theme={null}
pip install ralph-ng
```

### Installing from Source

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/allegro/ralph.git
cd ralph
make install
```

## Best Practices

1. **Use snapshot packages for testing**: Never deploy snapshot packages to production

2. **Verify package contents**: After building, inspect the package to ensure all files are included

3. **Test in containers**: Use Docker to test packages in clean environments

4. **Follow semantic versioning**: Version numbers should reflect the release date and patch level

5. **Document build dependencies**: Keep `debian/control` and setup.py requirements in sync

6. **Clean builds**: Always use `--force-rm` with Docker builds to avoid stale layers

## Troubleshooting

### Build Fails with Missing Dependencies

Ensure all build dependencies are listed in `debian/control`. Check the build log for specific missing packages.

### Version Mismatch

The version is generated from git tags. Ensure you have the latest tags:

```bash theme={null}
git fetch --tags
```

### Docker Build Timeout

Increase Docker's memory and CPU allocation in Docker Desktop settings.

### Package Installation Fails

Check that all runtime dependencies are installed:

```bash theme={null}
sudo apt-get install -f
```

## Related Documentation

* [Maintainer Tools](/development/maintainer-tools) - Tools for Ralph maintainers
* [Development Environment](/development/setup) - Setting up your development environment