Spec File Reference

Tags

• Name: is used to define the name of the software being packaged.
• Version: defines the version of the software being packaged.
• Release: can be thought of as the package’s version.
• %description describe the packages intended use.
• Summary: is used to define a one-line description of the packaged software.
• Copyright: is used to define the copyright terms applicable to the software being packaged.
• Distribution: is used to define a group of packages, of which this package is a part.
• Icon: is used to name a file containing an icon representing the packaged software.
• Vendor: is used to define the name of the entity that is responsible for packaging the software.
• URL: is used to define a URL that can be used to obtain additional information about the packaged software.
• Group: is used to group packages together by the types of functionality they provide.
• Packager: is used to hold the name and contact information for the person or persons who built the package.
• Requires: is used to alert RPM to the fact that the package needs to have certain capabilities available in order to operate properly.
• Serial: is used to define a serial number for a package. This is only necessary if RPM is unable to determine the ordering of a package’s version numbers.
• Conflicts: is used to alert RPM to the fact that the package is not compatible with other packages.
• AutoReqProv: is used to control the automatic dependency processing performed when the package is being built.
  
  • To disable automatic dependency processing, add the following line: AutoReqProv: no
• ExcludeArch: is used to direct RPM to ensure that the package does not attempt to build on the excluded architecture(s).
• ExclusiveArch: is used to direct RPM to ensure the package is only built on the specified architecture(s).
• ExcludeOs: is used to direct RPM to ensure that the package does not attempt to build on the excluded operating system(s).
• ExclusiveOs: is used to denote which operating system(s) should only be be permitted to build the package.
• Prefix: is used to define part of the path RPM will use when installing the package’s files.
• BuildArch: is used to define the architecture of the intended install target.
• BuildRoot: is used to define an alternate build root, where the software will be installed during the build process.
• Source: is used to define the filename of the sources to be packaged.
• NoSource: is used to alert RPM to the fact that one or more source files should be excluded from the source package file.
• Patch: is used to define the name of a patch file to be applied to the package’s sources.
• NoPatch: is used to alert RPM to the fact that one or more patch files should be excluded from the source package file.
• %files list indicates to RPM which files on the build system are to be packaged.

Scripts

• %prep is executed first during an rpm build (creating an rpm).
• %build is the second scriptlet executed during an rpm build.
• %install does whatever is necessary to actually install the newly built software.
• %clean as the name implies, is used to clean up the software’s build directory tree.
• %pre executes just before the package is to be installed.
• %post executes after the package has been installed.
• %preun executes just before the package is to be erased.
• %postun executes after the package has been erased.
• %verifyscript executes whenever the installed package is verified by RPM’s verification command.

Macros

• %setup is used to unpack the original sources, in preparation for the build.
• %patch as its name implies, is used to apply patches to the unpacked sources.

File-related Directives

• %doc flags the filename(s) that follow, as being documentation.
• %config is used to flag the specified file as being a configuration file.
• %attr permits finer control over three key file attributes: mode, uid, gid
• %verify can control which of 9 file attributes are to be checked when an RPM verification is done.
• %docdir is used to add a directory to the list of directories that will contain documentation.
• %dir RPM will package only the directory itself.
• %package is used to permit the creation of more than one package per spec file and can appear at any point in the spec file.

Conditionals

• %ifarch is used to begin a section of the spec file that is architecture-specific.
• %ifnarch is used in a similar fashion to %ifarch, except that the logic is reversed.
• %ifos is used to control RPM’s spec file processing based on the build system’s operating system.
• %ifnos is the logical complement to %ifos
• %else is placed between a %if conditional of some persuasion, and a %endif.
• %endif is used to end a conditional block of spec file statements.