5.9.1. Moving packages

Sometimes a package will change its section. For instance, a package from the non-free section might be GPL’d in a later version, in which case the package should be moved to main or contrib. 1

If you need to change the section for one of your packages, change the package control information to place the package in the desired section, and re-upload the package (see the Debian Policy Manual for details). You must ensure that you include the .orig.tar.{gz,bz2,xz} in your upload (even if you are not uploading a new upstream version), or it will not appear in the new section together with the rest of the package. If your new section is valid, it will be moved automatically. If it does not, then contact the ftpmasters in order to understand what happened.

If, on the other hand, you need to change the subsection of one of your packages (e.g., devel, admin), the procedure is slightly different. Correct the subsection as found in the control file of the package, and re-upload that. Also, you’ll need to get the override file updated, as described in Specifying the package section, subsection and priority.