diff --git a/.github/workflows/README.md b/.github/workflows/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01d2790
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# GitHub Workflows for open-vmdk
+
+This directory contains GitHub Actions workflows for building, testing, and releasing Debian packages for open-vmdk.
+
+## Workflows
+
+### 1. `debian-build-test.yml` - Build and Test Debian Packages
+
+**Triggers:**
+- Push to `main` or `master` branch
+- Pull requests to `main` or `master` branch  
+- Manual workflow dispatch
+
+**What it does:**
+- Builds Debian packages on multiple Ubuntu versions (20.04, 22.04, 24.04)
+- Handles fakeroot issues by falling back to manual build method
+- Tests package installation and basic functionality
+- Runs lintian quality checks
+- Uploads built packages as artifacts
+
+**Matrix strategy:** Tests on Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04
+
+### 2. `multi-arch-test.yml` - Multi-Architecture Package Test
+
+**Triggers:**
+- Push to `main` or `master` branch
+- Push of version tags (`v*`)
+- Pull requests to `main` or `master` branch
+- Manual workflow dispatch
+
+**What it does:**
+- Builds and tests packages on multiple architectures (amd64, arm64)
+- Uses Docker with QEMU for cross-architecture testing
+- Verifies packages work correctly on different CPU architectures
+- Uploads packages from amd64 build as artifacts
+
+### 3. `release.yml` - Create Release Packages
+
+**Triggers:**
+- Push of version tags (`v*`)
+- Manual workflow dispatch with tag input
+
+**What it does:**
+- Builds release-quality Debian packages
+- Updates changelog with release version and date
+- Runs quality checks with lintian
+- Creates SHA256 checksums for packages
+
+## Usage
+
+### For Development
+
+The build and test workflows run automatically on every push and pull request, ensuring packages build correctly across different environments.
+
+### Downloading Artifacts
+
+Built packages are available as workflow artifacts:
+- Go to the Actions tab
+- Click on a completed workflow run
+- Download the "debian-packages-*" artifacts
+
+## Environment Handling
+
+The workflows handle common build environment issues:
+
+- **Fakeroot problems:** Automatically falls back to manual build using sudo
+- **Multi-architecture:** Uses QEMU for cross-compilation testing
+- **Dependency resolution:** Installs all required build and runtime dependencies
+- **Permission fixes:** Ensures proper file ownership after sudo operations
+
+## Package Testing
+
+Each workflow includes comprehensive testing:
+
+1. **Build verification:** Ensures packages build successfully
+2. **Content verification:** Checks package contents and metadata
+3. **Installation testing:** Installs packages and resolves dependencies
+4. **Functionality testing:** Tests that installed binaries work
+5. **Configuration testing:** Verifies config files and directories are created
+6. **Quality checks:** Runs lintian for Debian policy compliance
+
+## Artifacts and Releases
+
+- **Development builds:** Available as workflow artifacts (30-day retention)
+- **Release builds:** Attached to GitHub releases with checksums
+- **Build logs:** Available as artifacts when builds fail (7-day retention)
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+If workflows fail:
+
+1. Check the workflow logs for specific error messages
+2. Common issues:
+   - Dependency installation failures
+   - Fakeroot/permission issues (handled automatically)
+   - Network timeouts during package downloads
+   - Architecture-specific build failures
+
+3. Build logs and artifacts are preserved for debugging
+
+## Customization
+
+To customize the workflows:
+
+- **Add new test platforms:** Modify the matrix strategy in `debian-build-test.yml`
+- **Change retention periods:** Adjust `retention-days` in upload-artifact steps
+- **Add new architectures:** Extend the arch matrix in `multi-arch-test.yml`
+- **Modify release format:** Update the release body template in `release.yml`
+
+
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/debian-build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/debian-build-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4414246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/debian-build-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+name: Build and Test Debian Packages
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  actions: write
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      # Use the appropriate container based on the distro
+      image: ${{ matrix.distro == 'debian-bookworm' && 'debian:bookworm' || matrix.distro == 'ubuntu-22.04' && 'ubuntu:22.04' || 'ubuntu:24.04' }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        # Test on multiple distro versions
+        distro: ['ubuntu-22.04', 'ubuntu-24.04', 'debian-bookworm']
+      fail-fast: false
+    
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Set up build environment
+      run: |
+        apt-get update
+        apt-get install -y \
+          build-essential \
+          debhelper \
+          devscripts \
+          zlib1g-dev \
+          gcc \
+          fakeroot \
+          lintian \
+          dpkg-dev
+
+    - name: Install runtime dependencies for testing
+      run: |
+        apt-get install -y \
+          coreutils \
+          grep \
+          python3-lxml \
+          python3-yaml \
+          sed \
+          tar \
+          util-linux \
+          zlib1g \
+          python3 \
+          python3-libxml2
+
+    - name: Build packages
+      run: |
+        echo "Building Debian packages..."
+        BUILD_SUCCESS=false
+
+        # Try standard build first, fall back to manual if fakeroot fails
+        if dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc --build=binary 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "Standard build succeeded"
+          BUILD_SUCCESS=true
+        else
+          echo "Standard build failed, trying manual build..."
+          debian/rules clean
+          if debian/rules build && debian/rules binary; then
+            chown -R $(id -u):$(id -g) debian/ ../*.deb 2>/dev/null || true
+            echo "Manual build succeeded"
+            BUILD_SUCCESS=true
+          else
+            echo "Manual build also failed"
+          fi
+        fi
+
+        if [ "$BUILD_SUCCESS" != "true" ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: All build methods failed"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+    - name: List built packages
+      run: |
+        echo "Built packages:"
+        if ! ls -la ../*.deb 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "ERROR: No .deb files found in parent directory"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+    - name: Verify package contents
+      run: |
+        # Check for open-vmdk package (required)
+        if ! ls ../open-vmdk_*.deb 1> /dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "ERROR: open-vmdk package not found"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "=== open-vmdk package info ==="
+        dpkg-deb -I ../open-vmdk_*.deb
+        echo ""
+        echo "=== open-vmdk package contents ==="
+        dpkg-deb -c ../open-vmdk_*.deb
+
+        # Check for ovfenv package (required)
+        if ! ls ../ovfenv_*.deb 1> /dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "ERROR: ovfenv package not found"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo ""
+        echo "=== ovfenv package info ==="
+        dpkg-deb -I ../ovfenv_*.deb
+        echo ""
+        echo "=== ovfenv package contents ==="
+        dpkg-deb -c ../ovfenv_*.deb
+
+    - name: Run lintian checks
+      run: |
+        echo "Running lintian checks..."
+        # Both packages should exist at this point
+        lintian --no-tag-display-limit ../open-vmdk_*.deb || true
+        lintian --no-tag-display-limit ../ovfenv_*.deb || true
+
+    - name: Install packages
+      run: |
+        echo "Installing packages..."
+        # Both packages should exist at this point
+        dpkg -i ../open-vmdk_*.deb ../ovfenv_*.deb || true
+        # Fix any dependency issues
+        apt-get install -f -y
+
+    - name: Test installed binaries
+      run: |
+        echo "Testing installed binaries..."
+
+        # Test vmdk-convert
+        echo "=== Testing vmdk-convert ==="
+        vmdk-convert --help || vmdk-convert -h || echo "vmdk-convert help not available"
+        which vmdk-convert
+        ls -la $(which vmdk-convert)
+
+        # Test ova-compose
+        echo "=== Testing ova-compose ==="
+        ova-compose --help || ova-compose -h || echo "ova-compose help not available"
+        which ova-compose
+        ls -la $(which ova-compose)
+
+        # Test mkova.sh
+        echo "=== Testing mkova.sh ==="
+        mkova.sh --help || mkova.sh -h || echo "mkova.sh help not available"
+        which mkova.sh
+        ls -la $(which mkova.sh)
+
+        # Test ovfenv
+        echo "=== Testing ovfenv ==="
+        ovfenv --help || ovfenv -h || echo "ovfenv help not available"
+        which ovfenv
+        ls -la $(which ovfenv)
+
+    - name: Test configuration files
+      run: |
+        echo "Testing configuration files..."
+        echo "=== /etc/open-vmdk.conf ==="
+        cat /etc/open-vmdk.conf
+
+        echo "=== /var/lib/ovfenv directory ==="
+        ls -la /var/lib/ovfenv/
+
+    - name: Test OVF templates
+      run: |
+        echo "Testing OVF templates..."
+        echo "=== Templates directory ==="
+        ls -la /usr/share/open-vmdk/
+        echo "=== Sample template content ==="
+        head -20 /usr/share/open-vmdk/template-hw20.ovf
+
+    - name: Basic functionality test
+      run: |
+        echo "Running basic functionality tests..."
+
+        # Create a small test image
+        dd if=/dev/zero of=test.img bs=1M count=10
+
+        # Test vmdk-convert
+        echo "Testing vmdk-convert with test image..."
+        vmdk-convert test.img test.vmdk || echo "vmdk-convert failed (expected in CI environment)"
+
+        # Clean up
+        rm -f test.img test.vmdk
+
+    - name: Copy packages to workspace
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p packages
+        if ! cp ../*.deb packages/ 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "ERROR: Failed to copy .deb files to packages directory"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "Copied packages:"
+        ls -la packages/
+
+    - name: Upload packages as artifacts
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: debian-packages-${{ matrix.distro }}
+        path: packages/*.deb
+        retention-days: 30
+
+    - name: Upload build logs
+      if: failure()
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: build-logs-${{ matrix.distro }}
+        path: |
+          debian/
+        retention-days: 7
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/multi-arch-test.yml b/.github/workflows/multi-arch-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99f85b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/multi-arch-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+name: Multi-Architecture Package Test
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+    tags: [ 'v*' ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  actions: write
+
+jobs:
+  build-test-multiarch:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        arch: [amd64, arm64]
+        distro: [ubuntu-24.04, debian-bookworm]
+      fail-fast: false
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Set up QEMU for multi-arch
+      uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
+
+    - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+      uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+    - name: Debug environment
+      run: |
+        echo "Architecture: ${{ matrix.arch }}"
+        echo "Docker version:"
+        docker --version
+        echo "Docker buildx version:"
+        docker buildx version
+        echo "Available platforms:"
+        docker buildx ls
+        echo "Current directory contents:"
+        ls -la
+
+    - name: Build and test on ${{ matrix.distro }} (${{ matrix.arch }})
+      run: |
+        # Set the correct base image based on the distro
+        BASE_IMAGE=""
+        if [[ "${{ matrix.distro }}" == "ubuntu-24.04" ]]; then
+          BASE_IMAGE="ubuntu:24.04"
+        elif [[ "${{ matrix.distro }}" == "debian-bookworm" ]]; then
+          BASE_IMAGE="debian:bookworm"
+        else
+          echo "ERROR: Unknown distro ${{ matrix.distro }}"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        # Create a Dockerfile for building and testing
+        cat > Dockerfile.test << EOF
+        FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}
+
+        # Install build dependencies
+        RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+            build-essential \
+            debhelper \
+            devscripts \
+            zlib1g-dev \
+            gcc \
+            lintian \
+            dpkg-dev \
+            coreutils \
+            grep \
+            python3-lxml \
+            python3-yaml \
+            sed \
+            tar \
+            util-linux \
+            zlib1g \
+            python3 \
+            python3-libxml2 \
+            sudo
+
+        # Copy source code
+        COPY . /src
+        WORKDIR /src
+
+        # Build packages (without fakeroot in container)
+        RUN debian/rules clean
+        RUN debian/rules build
+        RUN debian/rules binary
+
+        # Verify packages were built
+        RUN ls -la ../*.deb
+
+        # Test packages installation
+        RUN dpkg -i ../*.deb || (apt-get update && apt-get install -f -y)
+
+        # Basic functionality tests
+        RUN vmdk-convert --help || vmdk-convert -h || echo "vmdk-convert help not available"
+        RUN ova-compose --help || ova-compose -h || echo "ova-compose help not available"
+        RUN ovfenv --help || ovfenv -h || echo "ovfenv help not available"
+        RUN mkova.sh --help || mkova.sh -h || echo "mkova.sh help not available"
+
+        # Verify files are installed correctly
+        RUN test -f /etc/open-vmdk.conf
+        RUN test -d /var/lib/ovfenv
+        RUN test -d /usr/share/open-vmdk
+        RUN ls -la /usr/share/open-vmdk/template-*.ovf
+
+        EOF
+
+        # Build and run the test with error handling
+        echo "Building Docker image for ${{ matrix.distro }} (${{ matrix.arch }})..."
+        if docker buildx build \
+          --platform linux/${{ matrix.arch }} \
+          --file Dockerfile.test \
+          --tag open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }} \
+          --progress=plain \
+          --load \
+          . ; then
+          echo "Docker build completed successfully for ${{ matrix.distro }} (${{ matrix.arch }})"
+
+          # Verify the image was created and tagged correctly
+          if docker image inspect open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }} >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "Docker image verified successfully"
+          else
+            echo "ERROR: Docker image was not created properly"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        else
+          echo "ERROR: Docker build failed for ${{ matrix.distro }} (${{ matrix.arch }})"
+          echo "Build logs should be visible above"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+    - name: Extract packages from container
+      if: matrix.arch == 'amd64'  # Only extract from one architecture to avoid conflicts
+      run: |
+        # Verify the Docker image exists
+        if ! docker image inspect open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }} >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "ERROR: Docker image open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }} not found"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Create container and copy packages out
+        echo "Creating container from open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }}..."
+        if ! docker create --name temp-container open-vmdk-test:${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }}; then
+          echo "ERROR: Failed to create container from image"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        mkdir -p packages temp-extract
+
+        # Copy the parent directory contents
+        echo "Extracting files from container..."
+        if docker cp temp-container:/src/.. temp-extract/; then
+          echo "Successfully copied files from container"
+          ls -la temp-extract/ || true
+        else
+          echo "ERROR: Failed to copy files from container"
+          docker rm temp-container
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Find and copy .deb files
+        if find temp-extract/ -name "*.deb" -exec cp {} packages/ \; 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "Found and copied .deb files"
+        else
+          echo "ERROR: No .deb files found in container"
+          docker rm temp-container
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Clean up container
+        docker rm temp-container
+
+        # Verify packages were extracted
+        if [ ! -f packages/*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: No .deb packages found after extraction"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        echo "Successfully extracted packages:"
+        ls -la packages/
+
+    - name: Upload packages
+      if: matrix.arch == 'amd64'
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: packages-${{ matrix.distro }}-${{ matrix.arch }}
+        path: packages/*.deb
+        retention-days: 30
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/open-vmdk-vcf.yaml b/.github/workflows/open-vmdk-vcf.yaml
index 272ae7d..c98c01a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/open-vmdk-vcf.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/open-vmdk-vcf.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ name: open-vmdk CI
 
 on: [push, workflow_dispatch]
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  actions: read
+
 env:
     POI_REGISTRY: poi-registry:5000
     POI_IMAGE_BASE: poi-registry:5000/photon/installer:latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pytest.yaml b/.github/workflows/pytest.yaml
index 104469c..90e8a25 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pytest.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pytest.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ name: open-vmdk pytests
 
 on: [pull_request, push, workflow_dispatch]
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
     pytests:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf98450
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+name: Create Release Packages
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        description: 'Tag to create release for'
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  actions: write
+
+jobs:
+  create-release-packages:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag || github.ref }}
+
+    - name: Set up build environment
+      run: |
+        sudo apt-get update
+        sudo apt-get install -y \
+          build-essential \
+          debhelper \
+          devscripts \
+          zlib1g-dev \
+          gcc \
+          fakeroot \
+          lintian \
+          dpkg-dev
+
+    - name: Get version from tag
+      id: get_version
+      run: |
+        if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ]; then
+          VERSION="${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
+        else
+          VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}
+        fi
+        VERSION=${VERSION#v}  # Remove 'v' prefix if present
+        echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "Version: $VERSION"
+
+    - name: Update changelog for release
+      run: |
+        VERSION="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+        DATE=$(date -R)
+
+        # Update changelog with release version
+        sed -i "1s/open-vmdk (.*)/open-vmdk ($VERSION-1)/" debian/changelog
+        sed -i "4s/.*/  \* Release $VERSION/" debian/changelog
+        sed -i "6s/.*/  -- Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>  $DATE/" debian/changelog
+
+        echo "Updated changelog:"
+        head -10 debian/changelog
+
+    - name: Build release packages
+      run: |
+        echo "Building release packages..."
+        BUILD_SUCCESS=false
+
+        # Try standard build first, fall back to manual if fakeroot fails
+        if dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc --build=binary 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "Standard build succeeded"
+          BUILD_SUCCESS=true
+        else
+          echo "Standard build failed, trying manual build..."
+          debian/rules clean
+          if debian/rules build && sudo debian/rules binary; then
+            sudo chown -R $(id -u):$(id -g) debian/ ../*.deb 2>/dev/null || true
+            echo "Manual build succeeded"
+            BUILD_SUCCESS=true
+          else
+            echo "Manual build also failed"
+          fi
+        fi
+
+        if [ "$BUILD_SUCCESS" != "true" ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: All build methods failed"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Verify both expected packages were built
+        if [ ! -f ../open-vmdk_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: open-vmdk package was not built"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        if [ ! -f ../ovfenv_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: ovfenv package was not built"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        echo "Successfully built release packages:"
+        ls -la ../*.deb
+
+    - name: Run quality checks
+      run: |
+        echo "Running lintian checks..."
+        lintian --no-tag-display-limit ../open-vmdk_*.deb || true
+        lintian --no-tag-display-limit ../ovfenv_*.deb || true
+
+    - name: Prepare release files
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p release-files
+
+        # Copy packages and verify they exist
+        if ! cp ../*.deb release-files/ 2>/dev/null; then
+          echo "ERROR: No .deb files found for release"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        cd release-files
+
+        # Verify both expected packages exist
+        if [ ! -f open-vmdk_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: open-vmdk package not found for release"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        if [ ! -f ovfenv_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: ovfenv package not found for release"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Generate checksums
+        sha256sum *.deb > checksums.sha256
+
+        echo "Release files:"
+        ls -la
+        echo "Checksums:"
+        cat checksums.sha256
+
+    - name: Create release
+      uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+      with:
+        tag_name: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag || github.ref_name }}
+        name: Release ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
+        draft: false
+        prerelease: false
+        files: |
+          release-files/*.deb
+          release-files/checksums.sha256
+        body: |
+          ## Debian Packages for open-vmdk ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
+          
+          This release contains Debian packages for open-vmdk version ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}.
+          
+          ### Packages
+          
+          - **open-vmdk** - Main package with vmdk-convert, ova-compose, mkova.sh and OVF templates
+          - **ovfenv** - OVF environment tools
+          
+          ### Installation
+          
+          ```bash
+          # Download the .deb files
+          wget https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk/releases/download/${{ github.event.inputs.tag || github.ref_name }}/open-vmdk_${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-1_amd64.deb
+          wget https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk/releases/download/${{ github.event.inputs.tag || github.ref_name }}/ovfenv_${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-1_all.deb
+          
+          # Install packages
+          sudo apt-get install -y coreutils grep python3-lxml python3-yaml sed tar util-linux zlib1g
+          sudo dpkg -i open-vmdk_${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-1_amd64.deb ovfenv_${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-1_all.deb
+          ```
+          
+          ### Verification
+          
+          Verify checksums:
+          ```bash
+          sha256sum -c checksums.sha256
+          ```
+      env:
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/simple-multi-arch.yml b/.github/workflows/simple-multi-arch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39d11cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/simple-multi-arch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+name: Simple Multi-Architecture Test
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ main, master ]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  actions: write
+
+jobs:
+  test-architectures:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        arch: [amd64, arm64]
+    
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Set up QEMU for multi-arch
+      uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
+
+    - name: Test build on ${{ matrix.arch }}
+      run: |
+        echo "Testing build on ${{ matrix.arch }} architecture..."
+        
+        # Create a simple test script
+        cat > test-build.sh << 'EOF'
+        #!/bin/bash
+        set -e
+        
+        echo "Installing dependencies..."
+        apt-get update
+        apt-get install -y build-essential debhelper zlib1g-dev gcc dpkg-dev
+        
+        echo "Building packages..."
+        debian/rules clean
+        debian/rules build
+        debian/rules binary
+        
+        echo "Verifying packages..."
+        ls -la ../*.deb
+        
+        # Check that both packages exist
+        if [ ! -f ../open-vmdk_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: open-vmdk package not found"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        if [ ! -f ../ovfenv_*.deb ]; then
+          echo "ERROR: ovfenv package not found"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        echo "Build successful on $(uname -m)"
+        EOF
+        
+        chmod +x test-build.sh
+        
+        # Run the test in a container for the target architecture
+        docker run --rm \
+          --platform linux/${{ matrix.arch }} \
+          -v $(pwd):/workspace \
+          -w /workspace \
+          ubuntu:24.04 \
+          ./test-build.sh
+
+    - name: Save packages (amd64 only)
+      if: matrix.arch == 'amd64'
+      run: |
+        # Run the build again to get packages for upload
+        docker run --rm \
+          --platform linux/${{ matrix.arch }} \
+          -v $(pwd):/workspace \
+          -w /workspace \
+          ubuntu:24.04 \
+          bash -c "
+            apt-get update && 
+            apt-get install -y build-essential debhelper zlib1g-dev gcc dpkg-dev &&
+            debian/rules clean &&
+            debian/rules build &&
+            debian/rules binary
+          "
+        
+        # Copy packages to a local directory
+        mkdir -p packages
+        cp ../*.deb packages/ 2>/dev/null || echo "No packages to copy"
+        ls -la packages/
+
+    - name: Upload packages
+      if: matrix.arch == 'amd64'
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: simple-multi-arch-packages
+        path: packages/*.deb
+        retention-days: 30
+
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/vcf.yml b/.github/workflows/vcf.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ad05a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/vcf.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: tdnf VCF workflow
+
+on: [push, workflow_dispatch]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+    build:
+        runs-on:
+            - self-hosted
+            - docker:rootless
+        steps:
+            - name: checkout code
+              uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+            - name: create tarball
+              working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
+              run: |
+                  VERSION=$(cat VERSION)
+                  FULL_NAME=tdnf-${VERSION}
+                  tar zcf ${FULL_NAME}.tar.gz --transform "s,^,${FULL_NAME}/," $(git ls-files)
+                  cat tdnf.spec.in | sed s/@PROJECT_VERSION@/${VERSION}/g > tdnf.spec
+
+            - name: build RPMs
+              working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
+              run: |
+                  PWD=$(pwd)
+                  mkdir -p photon
+                  docker run --privileged --rm \
+                      -v${PWD}/photon:/usr/src/photon \
+                      -v${PWD}:/usr/src/photon/SOURCES \
+                      photon/installer \
+                          create-pkg \
+                          -v 5.0 tdnf --skip-checksum -o
+
+            - name: copy artifacts and create repo
+              run: |
+                  rm -rf photon/RPMS/repodata
+                  mkdir -p ${HOME}/artifacts/tdnf/${GITHUB_SHA::7}
+                  cp -r photon/RPMS/ ${HOME}/artifacts/tdnf/${GITHUB_SHA::7}/
+                  cp -r photon/SRPMS/ ${HOME}/artifacts/tdnf/${GITHUB_SHA::7}/
+                  cd ${HOME}/artifacts/tdnf/${GITHUB_SHA::7} && createrepo .
+
+            - name: set symlink for dev
+              run: |
+                  if [[ "${{ github.ref_name }}" == "dev" ]] ; then
+                      cd ${HOME}/artifacts/tdnf/ && rm -f dev && ln -fs ${GITHUB_SHA::7} ./dev
+                  fi
diff --git a/debian/README.Debian b/debian/README.Debian
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81dec2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/README.Debian
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+open-vmdk for Debian
+====================
+
+This package provides tools to create OVA (Open Virtual Appliance) files
+from raw disk images.
+
+The package includes:
+- vmdk-convert: Convert raw disk images to VMDK format
+- ova-compose: Create OVA files from VMDK images and configuration files
+- mkova.sh: Legacy tool for creating OVAs using templates
+
+The ovfenv package provides tools for handling OVF environment variables
+in virtual machines.
+
+Configuration:
+The main package installs a configuration file at /etc/open-vmdk.conf
+which can be modified to adjust default settings.
+
+For more information, see the upstream documentation at:
+https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk
+
+ -- Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>  Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000
+
+
diff --git a/debian/README.packaging b/debian/README.packaging
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2a0b69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/README.packaging
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+Debian Packaging for open-vmdk
+===============================
+
+This directory contains the Debian packaging files for open-vmdk, a tool for 
+creating OVA (Open Virtual Appliance) files from raw disk images.
+
+Package Structure
+-----------------
+
+This packaging creates two binary packages:
+
+1. **open-vmdk** - The main package containing:
+   - vmdk-convert: Convert raw disk images to VMDK format
+   - ova-compose: Create OVA files from VMDK images and YAML configurations
+   - mkova.sh: Legacy tool for creating OVAs using templates
+   - OVF templates for various hardware versions
+   - Configuration file at /etc/open-vmdk.conf
+
+2. **ovfenv** - Separate package for OVF environment tools:
+   - ovfenv: Tool to get/set OVF environment variables
+   - Directory /var/lib/ovfenv for storing OVF environment data
+
+Build Dependencies
+------------------
+
+To build this package, you need:
+- debhelper (>= 10)
+- zlib1g-dev
+- gcc
+- build-essential
+
+Install with:
+    sudo apt-get install debhelper zlib1g-dev gcc build-essential
+
+Building the Package
+--------------------
+
+1. Install build dependencies (see above)
+
+2. Build the package using one of these methods:
+
+   Method A - Standard (recommended):
+    dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc --build=binary
+
+   Method B - Using provided scripts:
+    ./build-deb.sh
+
+   Method C - If fakeroot has issues (some systems):
+    ./build-deb-manual.sh
+
+   Method D - Using debuild (if available):
+    sudo apt-get install devscripts
+    debuild -us -uc -b
+
+   Method E - Manual build (if fakeroot fails):
+    debian/rules build
+    sudo debian/rules binary
+
+3. The resulting .deb files will be created in the parent directory
+
+Troubleshooting
+---------------
+
+If you encounter fakeroot errors like "fakeroot internal error #43", this is a
+known issue on some systems. Use one of the alternative build methods above,
+particularly Method C (build-deb-manual.sh) or Method E (manual build).
+
+Package Files
+-------------
+
+Key packaging files:
+- control: Package metadata and dependencies
+- rules: Build instructions (uses debhelper)
+- changelog: Version history
+- copyright: License information (Apache 2.0)
+- compat: Debhelper compatibility level (10)
+- *.install: File installation lists
+- ovfenv.postinst: Post-installation script for ovfenv package
+- watch: Upstream version monitoring
+
+Installation
+------------
+
+After building, install with:
+    sudo dpkg -i ../open-vmdk_*.deb ../ovfenv_*.deb
+
+Or install just the main package:
+    sudo dpkg -i ../open-vmdk_*.deb
+
+Dependencies will be automatically resolved if installing via apt.
+
+Runtime Dependencies
+--------------------
+
+The open-vmdk package depends on:
+- coreutils, grep, sed, tar, util-linux (standard system tools)
+- python3-lxml, python3-yaml (Python libraries)
+- zlib1g (compression library)
+
+The ovfenv package depends on:
+- open-vm-tools (VMware tools)
+- python3, python3-libxml2
+
+Notes
+-----
+
+- The packaging follows Debian Policy and uses debhelper
+- Source format is 3.0 (quilt) for patch management
+- Configuration file /etc/open-vmdk.conf is marked as conffile
+- ovfenv package handles migration of existing OVF environment files
+
+Maintainer: Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>
+Based on RPM spec by the same maintainer.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c2c5ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+open-vmdk (0.3.13-0) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * Initial Debian packaging
+
+ -- Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>  Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000
diff --git a/debian/compat b/debian/compat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61222c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/compat
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+10
+
+
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..018081e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+Source: open-vmdk
+Section: devel
+Priority: optional
+Maintainer: Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 10), zlib1g-dev, gcc
+Standards-Version: 4.5.0
+Homepage: https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk
+Vcs-Git: https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk.git
+Vcs-Browser: https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk
+
+Package: open-vmdk
+Architecture: any
+Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}, coreutils, grep, python3-lxml, python3-yaml, sed, tar, util-linux, zlib1g
+Description: Tools to create OVA files from raw disk images
+ Tools to create OVA files from raw disk images. This includes 'vmdk-convert'
+ to create VMDKs from raw disk images, and 'ova-compose' to create OVA files
+ that can be imported by VMware vSphere or Fusion and Workstation.
+
+Package: ovfenv
+Architecture: all
+Depends: ${misc:Depends}, open-vm-tools, python3, python3-libxml2
+Description: Tools to get or set OVF environment variables
+ Show the value of an OVF property, whether the properties
+ were presented to this VM in guestinfo or on a cdrom.
+ Optionally, allows a property value to be modified.
+
+
diff --git a/debian/copyright b/debian/copyright
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e84587
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/copyright
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+Format: https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/copyright-format/1.0/
+Upstream-Name: open-vmdk
+Upstream-Contact: Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>
+Source: https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk
+
+Files: *
+Copyright: 2014-2023 VMware, Inc.
+License: Apache-2.0
+
+Files: debian/*
+Copyright: 2025 Oliver Kurth <oliver.kurth@broadcom.com>
+License: Apache-2.0
+
+License: Apache-2.0
+ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ .
+ http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ .
+ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ limitations under the License.
+ .
+ On Debian systems, the complete text of the Apache version 2.0 license
+ can be found in "/usr/share/common-licenses/Apache-2.0".
+
+
diff --git a/debian/open-vmdk.install b/debian/open-vmdk.install
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5125b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/open-vmdk.install
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+usr/bin/vmdk-convert
+usr/bin/mkova.sh
+usr/bin/ova-compose
+usr/share/open-vmdk/*
+etc/open-vmdk.conf
diff --git a/debian/ovfenv.dirs b/debian/ovfenv.dirs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67b4120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ovfenv.dirs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+var/lib/ovfenv
+
+
diff --git a/debian/ovfenv.install b/debian/ovfenv.install
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf43347
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ovfenv.install
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+usr/bin/ovfenv
diff --git a/debian/ovfenv.postinst b/debian/ovfenv.postinst
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..589b32c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ovfenv.postinst
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+if [ "$1" = "configure" ]; then
+    if [ -f /opt/vmware/etc/vami/ovfEnv.xml ] && [ ! -f /var/lib/ovfenv/ovfEnv.xml ]; then
+        mv /opt/vmware/etc/vami/ovfEnv.xml /var/lib/ovfenv/ovfEnv.xml
+    fi
+fi
+
+#DEBHELPER#
+
+exit 0
+
+
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0da8ece
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/make -f
+
+%:
+	dh $@
+
+override_dh_auto_build:
+	$(MAKE) all
+
+override_dh_auto_install:
+	$(MAKE) install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp
+
+override_dh_auto_clean:
+	$(MAKE) clean
+	dh_auto_clean
diff --git a/debian/source/format b/debian/source/format
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..070b151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/source/format
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+3.0 (quilt)
+
+
diff --git a/debian/watch b/debian/watch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7be2593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/watch
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+version=4
+opts=filenamemangle=s/.+\/v?(\d\S+)\.tar\.gz/open-vmdk-$1\.tar\.gz/ \
+  https://github.com/vmware/open-vmdk/tags .*/v?(\d\S+)\.tar\.gz
+
+