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rpmbuild – Create RPM binary and source packages

The rpmbuild command is a tool used to build RPM packages for distribution. It is a part of the RPM package management system and is used to create RPM binary and source packages.

Overview

The rpmbuild command is used to build RPM packages from source code. It takes the source code and turns it into an installable RPM file. The rpmbuild command can be used to create binary and source RPM packages.

The rpmbuild command requires a .spec file that contains information about the package, such as its name, version, and dependencies. The .spec file also contains instructions for the rpmbuild command on how to build the package.

To use the rpmbuild command, you will need to have the source code for the package you want to build and a .spec file that describes the package. The rpmbuild command can be run from the command line and takes the following syntax:

rpmbuild [options] <specfile>

Where specfile is the name of the .spec file that contains the package information.

Examples

To create a binary RPM package, run the following command:

rpmbuild -bb <specfile>

To create a source RPM package, run the following command:

rpmbuild -bs <specfile>

Options

The following table lists the available options for the rpmbuild command:

Option Description
-ba Build both binary and source RPM packages
-bb Build a binary RPM package
-bc Build the package without doing the compile step
-bp Build the package without doing the install step
-bs Build a source RPM package
-D Define a macro
-E Expand macros in a file
-F Require a specific file to be present
-h Display help
-i Install the package after building
-k Keep the build directory
-K Use a specific GPG key for signing
-m Set the maintainer email address
-o Override a macro definition
-P Prefix the build directory
-r Set the build root directory
-R Require a specific package to be present
-s Sign the package with GPG
-t Test the package after building
-v Set the package version
-vv Increase verbosity
-D Define a macro

Troubleshooting tips

  • If you receive an error message that the package could not be built, check the .spec file for errors or missing dependencies.
  • If you receive an error message that a file is missing, ensure that the file is included in the source code or referenced correctly in the .spec file.
  • If you receive an error message that a package is missing, ensure that the package is installed on your system or referenced correctly in the .spec file.

Notes

  • The rpmbuild command requires the rpm-build package to be installed on your system.
  • The rpmbuild command can be used to build packages for different architectures by specifying the architecture with the -target option.
  • The rpmbuild command can be used to sign packages with GPG by specifying the GPG key with the -K option.

Related commands