diff --git a/build/build.xml b/build/build.xml
index 045ab9027..5a76864e7 100755
--- a/build/build.xml
+++ b/build/build.xml
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@
     <exec executable="./processing" dir="linux/work" spawn="true"/>
   </target>
   
-  <target name="linux-dist" depends="linux-build" 
+  <target name="linux-dist-tar" depends="linux-build" 
 	  description="Build .tar.gz of linux version">
 
 <!--
@@ -730,7 +730,67 @@
     </echo>
   </target>
   
-  
+  <target name="linux-dist" depends="linux-dist-tar" 
+	  description="Build .deb of linux version">
+
+   <!-- setup the file structure -->
+   <mkdir dir="linux/debian/opt" />
+   <mkdir dir="linux/debian/usr/share/applications/" />
+   <mkdir dir="linux/debian/usr/share/mime/packages/" />
+   <mkdir dir="linux/debian/DEBIAN" />
+   <!-- rename the work folder temporarily -->
+   <move file="linux/work" tofile="linux/debian/opt/processing" />
+
+   <!-- place .desktop and .sharedmimeinfo file -->
+   <copy file="linux/processing.desktop" tofile="linux/debian/usr/share/applications/processing.desktop" />
+   <copy file="linux/processing.sharedmimeinfo" tofile="linux/debian/usr/share/mime/packages/processing.xml" />
+
+   <!-- Set properties for DEBIAN/control file -->
+   <property name="linux.dist" value="linux/processing-${version}-linux${sun.arch.data.model}.deb" />
+
+  <condition property="deb.arch" value="i386"> 
+    <equals arg1="${sun.arch.data.model}" arg2="32" />
+  </condition>
+  <condition property="deb.arch" value="amd64"> 
+    <equals arg1="${sun.arch.data.model}" arg2="64" />
+  </condition>
+
+  <!-- Create DEBIAN/control file. The spacing matters.-->
+  <echo file="linux/debian/DEBIAN/control" >Package: processing
+Version: ${version}
+Section: base
+Priority: optional
+Architecture: ${deb.arch}
+Maintainer: Kyle Feuz &lt;kylefeuz@weber.edu&gt;
+Description: Processing programming language and IDE
+ Processing is a programming language, development environment, and online community. Since 2001, Processing has promoted software literacy within the visual arts and visual literacy within technology. Initially created to serve as a software sketchbook and to teach computer programming fundamentals within a visual context, Processing evolved into a development tool for professionals. Today, there are tens of thousands of students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists who use Processing for learning, prototyping, and production.
+</echo>
+
+   <!-- Create .deb file -->
+   <exec executable="fakeroot" dir="linux" failonerror="true">
+     <arg value="dpkg-deb" />
+     <arg value="--build" />
+     <arg value="debian" />
+     <arg value="../${linux.dist}" />
+   </exec>
+
+   <!-- put... the candle... back -->
+   <!-- (rename the debian processing version to work) -->
+   <move file="linux/debian/opt/processing" tofile="linux/work" />
+
+   <!-- cleanup -->
+   <delete dir="linux/debian" />
+
+    <echo>
+      =======================================================
+      Processing for Linux was built. Grab the deb from   
+      
+      ${linux.dist}
+      =======================================================
+    </echo>
+  </target>
+ 
+
   <!-- - - - - - - - -->
   <!-- Windows       -->
   <!-- - - - - - - - -->
diff --git a/build/linux/processing.desktop b/build/linux/processing.desktop
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..40c4b749f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/linux/processing.desktop
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Desktop Entry]
+Version=2.1 
+Name=Processing 
+Comment=graphics and animation language 
+Exec=processing %F
+Icon=/opt/processing/lib/icons/pde-256.png
+Terminal=false
+Type=Application
+Categories=AudioVideo;Video;Graphics;Developer;
+StartupWMClass=Processing
diff --git a/build/linux/processing.sharedmimeinfo b/build/linux/processing.sharedmimeinfo
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7747eea09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/linux/processing.sharedmimeinfo
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<mime-info xmlns="http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info">
+    <mime-type type="text/x-processing">
+        <comment>Processing source code</comment>
+        <sub-class-of type="text/x-csrc"/>
+        <glob pattern="*.pde"/>
+    </mime-type>
+</mime-info>