RPM Packaging Process
RPM packages are built from the source files plus a spec file, using the rpmbuild program.
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Do Not Build as Root
Always build RPM packages as a regular, non-root user. Building as a root user is unnecessary and may cause unintended side effects, including damaging your system.
Always build RPM packages as a regular, non-root user. Building as a root user is unnecessary and may cause unintended side effects, including damaging your system.
Setting up the Packaging Environment
Needed Packages
Install with yum:
- rpm-build
- rpmdevtools
- rpmlint
- yum-utils
"Fedora Packager" group
Many of these tools can be installed at once by installing the "Fedora Packager" group:
Many of these tools can be installed at once by installing the "Fedora Packager" group:
yum groupinstall "Fedora Packager"Setting up the RPM tree
The directories used by the rpm build tools can be defined as RPM macros. A script is provided in the rpmdevtools package to create a set of personal build directories and create the appropriate entries in the ~/.rpmmacros file:
rpmdev-setuptree
The directories created are:
- ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES - for source code (tarballs/zip archives and patches)
- ~/rpmbuild/SPECS - for the spec file
- ~/rpmbuild/SRPMS - for the resulting source RPMs
- ~/rpmbuild/RPMS - for the resulting binary RPMs
- ~/rpmbuild/BUILD - directory used to perform the build
- ~/rpmbuild/BUILDROOT - contains a fake root directory into which the built files are "installed" prior to being packaged
Examining Existing SRPMs
A great place to start when learning to build RPMs is to examine some existing SRPMs.
- Download the source code for an existing RPM:
yumdownloader --source nameofpackage - Install that downloaded SRPM:
rpm -i nameofpackage*.src.rpm- Source will be in
~/rpmbuild/SOURCES - Spec file will be in
~/rpmbuild/SPECS
- Source will be in
- Examine the specfile:
cd ~/rpmbuild/SPECS; less nameofpackage.spec - To build from source using the specfile:
- Build all (binary RPMS plus SRPMS):
rpmbuild -ba nameofpackage.spec - Build just the spec file:
rpmbuild -bs nameofpackage.spec
- Build all (binary RPMS plus SRPMS):
Rebuild from SRPMS
Instead of installing an SRPM and building from the spec file, it is possible to build the binary RPMs and SRPM directly from an SRPM:
rpmbuild --rebuild nameofpackage*.src.rpm