How to build the package - for CI systems, etc

1 - install all the build-dependencies as listed in the debian/control file.
    From the repo top-level directory:

apt-get install `dpkg-checkbuilddeps |& sed "s/dpkg-checkbuilddeps: Unmet build dependencies://g"`

2 - run debuild (the flags will avoid signing the built packages):
    From the repo top-level directory:

debuild -uc -us

***************

quilt patches format

Note that we use the dquilt format for patches as outlined on Debian's wiki:
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/modify.en.html#quiltrc

Please consider using the same format to avoid excessive churn when adding or
refreshing patches.

Add the following to your ~/.bashrc (or equivalent):

alias dquilt="quilt --quiltrc=${HOME}/.quiltrc-dpkg"
complete -F _quilt_completion $_quilt_complete_opt dquilt

And then create a new ~/.quiltrc-dpkg file with content:

d=. ; while [ ! -d $d/debian -a `readlink -e $d` != / ]; do d=$d/..; done
if [ -d $d/debian ] && [ -z $QUILT_PATCHES ]; then
    # if in Debian packaging tree with unset $QUILT_PATCHES
    QUILT_PATCHES="debian/patches"
    QUILT_PATCH_OPTS="--reject-format=unified"
    QUILT_DIFF_ARGS="-p ab --no-timestamps --no-index --color=auto"
    QUILT_REFRESH_ARGS="-p ab --no-timestamps --no-index"
    QUILT_COLORS="diff_hdr=1;32:diff_add=1;34:diff_rem=1;31:diff_hunk=1;33:diff_ctx=35:diff_cctx=33"
    if ! [ -d $d/debian/patches ]; then mkdir $d/debian/patches; fi
fi

Open a new terminal or souce ~/.bashrc, and then you will be able to use
dquilt.