diff --git a/jenkins_builder_ubuntu26.sh b/jenkins_builder_ubuntu26.sh
index 4d7a6a7..7db40aa 100644
--- a/jenkins_builder_ubuntu26.sh
+++ b/jenkins_builder_ubuntu26.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #   BUILD_NUMBER     Jenkins build number (used as release in DEB version)
 #   BUILD_TAG        Jenkins build tag
 #
+# IMPORTANT: Source files under git management must NEVER be deleted.
+# Only the temporary staging directory (deb_stage) is removed.
 
 set -eo pipefail
 
@@ -26,27 +28,47 @@ set -eo pipefail
 echo "Building LTS ${LTS_VERSION}-${BUILD_NUMBER:-?} DEB for project '${PROJECT}' (Ubuntu ${OS_VERSION})."
 echo "PROJECT_BASE_DIR=${PROJECT_BASE_DIR}"
 
-# Set up builder user environment (running as root in container)
-export HOME=/home/builder
-mkdir -p "${HOME}"
-
-# Stage workspace as a clean copy under PROJECT_BASE_DIR 
-rm -rf "${PROJECT_BASE_DIR}"
-mkdir -p "${PROJECT_BASE_DIR}"
-tar --exclude='./rpms' --exclude='./.git' --exclude='./build' --exclude='./deb_build_tmp' \
-    -cf - -C "${WORKSPACE}" . | tar -xf - -C "${PROJECT_BASE_DIR}"
+# Stage workspace as a clean copy under PROJECT_BASE_DIR/deb_stage.
+# Only the staging subdirectory is removed — never the workspace itself,
+# which contains git-managed source files that must not be deleted.
+STAGE_DIR="${PROJECT_BASE_DIR}/deb_stage"
+rm -rf "${STAGE_DIR}"
+mkdir -p "${STAGE_DIR}"
+tar --exclude='./rpms' --exclude='./.git' --exclude='./build' \
+    --exclude='./deb_build_tmp' --exclude='./deb_stage' --exclude='./packages-out' \
+    -cf - -C "${WORKSPACE}" . | tar -xf - -C "${STAGE_DIR}"
 
 export VERSION_DATE
 VERSION_DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
 
+# Real CMake project root inside the staged tree
+SOURCE_DIR="${STAGE_DIR}/qt-migration-legatus/qt6-after/qt6-migrated-legatus"
+if [ ! -f "${SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: CMakeLists.txt not found in staged source dir: ${SOURCE_DIR}" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # Output is isolated per OS version so parallel OS builds of the same project
 cd "${WORKSPACE}/rpmbuild"
 python3 make_rpm_ubuntu26.py -c LTS \
     --project_name "${PROJECT}" \
     --version "${LTS_VERSION}" \
     --output_dir "${WORKSPACE}/rpms/${PROJECT}/${OS_VERSION}/" \
-    --cmake_build_flags "-DUSE_IPO=ON -DUSE_UNITY_BUILD=ON -DGUEZ_MODE=${GUEZ_MODE} -DBUILD_WLS=ON -DPostgreSQL_TYPE_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/postgresql/" \
+    --source_dir "${SOURCE_DIR}" \
+    --cmake_build_flags "-DUSE_IPO=ON -DUSE_UNITY_BUILD=ON -DGUEZ_MODE=${GUEZ_MODE} -DBUILD_WLS=ON -DPostgreSQL_TYPE_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/postgresql/ -DRELEASE_BUILD=ON" \
     --build_number "${BUILD_NUMBER:-1}"
 
+# Copy produced DEB packages to the dedicated packages-out mount so they
+# are available on the host after the container exits.
+PACKAGE_OUT_DIR="${PACKAGE_OUTPUT_DIR:-/workspace/packages-out}"
+mkdir -p "${PACKAGE_OUT_DIR}"
+shopt -s nullglob
+for deb in "${WORKSPACE}/rpms/${PROJECT}/${OS_VERSION}/"*.deb; do
+    cp -f "${deb}" "${PACKAGE_OUT_DIR}/"
+done
+shopt -u nullglob
+
 echo "DEB packages produced for '${PROJECT}' (Ubuntu ${OS_VERSION}):"
-ls -lhR "${WORKSPACE}/rpms/${PROJECT}/${OS_VERSION}/"
\ No newline at end of file
+ls -lhR "${WORKSPACE}/rpms/${PROJECT}/${OS_VERSION}/"
+echo "DEB packages copied to ${PACKAGE_OUT_DIR}:"
+ls -lh "${PACKAGE_OUT_DIR}/"
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..316bcea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Build an LTS DEB package for Ubuntu 26.04
+# Migrated from jenkins_builder.sh (openSUSE) to Ubuntu/DEB ecosystem
+#
+# Required environment (set by the Jenkinsfile or `docker run -e ...`):
+export PROJECT=guez
+export OS_VERSION=u26.04
+export LTS_VERSION=1.0
+export GUEZ_MODE=ON
+export WORKSPACE=/home/torsten/sandbox/qt6-migration-pipeline/
+export PROJECT_BASE_DIR=/home/torsten/sandbox/release