Here are the few commands you need to know in order to work with module-assistant. Updating the cached data ======================== Do this every time after running "apt-get update", "dselect update", etc. Run: module-assistant update Listing available packages ========================== For example, we look for available packages of ALSA. Run: module-assistant list alsa To extend the list to module packages precompiled by Debian maintainers, replace "list" with "search". To list all packages, just say "module-assistant list" (or "module-assistant search"). If you wish to limit the list to the packages of which you have the source installed, use "li" instead of "list". Preparing to compile the own packages ===================================== Run: module-assistant prepare Building and installing packages for the own kernel =================================================== Assuming that there is no precompiled ALSA package available for your kernel. Run: module-assistant auto-install alsa And be patient... For more commands and options, see the manpage of module-assistant. How to build and sign whole series of modules: ============================================== export SIGNCHANGES=1 export KPKG_DEST_DIR=/my/package/repository export GNUPGHOME=~username/.gnupg module-assistant get cdfs module-assistant build cdfs -k "`ls -d /usr/src/kernel-headers*`" -vt alternatively, you can specify DEBSIGNCOMMAND and write your own script to sign the changes files.