RPMBUILD(8)                          System Manager's Manual                          RPMBUILD(8)



NAME
       rpmbuild - Build RPM Package(s)

SYNOPSIS
   BUILDING PACKAGES:
       rpmbuild {-ba|-bb|-bp|-bc|-bi|-bl|-bs} [rpmbuild-options] SPECFILE ...



       rpmbuild {-ta|-tb|-tp|-tc|-ti|-tl|-ts} [rpmbuild-options] TARBALL ...



       rpmbuild {--rebuild|--recompile} SOURCEPKG ...


   MISCELLANEOUS:
       rpmbuild --showrc


   rpmbuild-options
        [--buildroot DIRECTORY] [--clean] [--nobuild]
        [--rmsource] [--rmspec] [--short-circuit]
        [--noclean] [--nocheck]
        [--target PLATFORM]


DESCRIPTION
       rpmbuild is used to build both binary and source software packages.  A package consists of
       an archive of files and meta-data used to install and erase the archive files.  The  meta-
       data includes helper scripts, file attributes, and descriptive information about the pack‐
       age.  Packages come in two varieties: binary packages, used to encapsulate software to  be
       installed, and source packages, containing the source code and recipe necessary to produce
       binary packages.

       One of the following basic modes must be selected: Build Package, Build Package from  Tar‐
       ball, Recompile Package, Show Configuration.

   GENERAL OPTIONS
       These options can be used in all the different modes.

       -?, --help
              Print a longer usage message then normal.

       --version
              Print a single line containing the version number of rpm being used.

       --quiet
              Print as little as possible - normally only error messages will be displayed.

       -v     Print verbose information - normally routine progress messages will be displayed.

       -vv    Print lots of ugly debugging information.

       --rcfile FILELIST
              Each  of  the files in the colon separated FILELIST is read sequentially by rpm for
              configuration information.  Only the first file in the list must exist, and  tildes
              will   be   expanded   to   the   value   of   $HOME.    The  default  FILELIST  is
              /usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc:/usr/lib/rpm/redhat/rpmrc:/etc/rpmrc:~/.rpmrc.

       --pipe CMD
              Pipes the output of rpm to the command CMD.

       --dbpath DIRECTORY
              Use the database in DIRECTORY rather than the default path /var/lib/rpm

       --root DIRECTORY
              Use the file system tree rooted at DIRECTORY for all operations.   Note  that  this
              means  the  database  within  DIRECTORY  will be used for dependency checks and any
              scriptlet(s) (e.g.  %post if installing, or %prep if building, a package)  will  be
              run after a chroot(2) to DIRECTORY.

       -D, --define='MACRO EXPR'
              Defines MACRO with value EXPR.

   BUILD OPTIONS
       The general form of an rpm build command is

       rpmbuild -bSTAGE|-tSTAGE [      rpmbuild-options
        ] FILE ...


       The  argument  used is -b if a spec file is being used to build the package and -t if rpm‐
       build should look inside of a (possibly compressed) tar file for the  spec  file  to  use.
       After  the first argument, the next character (STAGE) specifies the stages of building and
       packaging to be done and is one of:

       -ba    Build binary and source packages (after  doing  the  %prep,  %build,  and  %install
              stages).

       -bb    Build a binary package (after doing the %prep, %build, and %install stages).

       -bp    Executes the "%prep" stage from the spec file. Normally this involves unpacking the
              sources and applying any patches.

       -bc    Do the "%build" stage from the spec file (after doing the %prep stage).  This  gen‐
              erally involves the equivalent of a "make".

       -bi    Do  the  "%install"  stage  from  the  spec  file (after doing the %prep and %build
              stages).  This generally involves the equivalent of a "make install".

       -bl    Do a "list check".  The "%files" section from the spec file is macro expanded,  and
              checks are made to verify that each file exists.

       -bs    Build just the source package.

       The following options may also be used:

       --buildroot DIRECTORY
              When building a package, override the BuildRoot tag with directory DIRECTORY.

       --clean
              Remove the build tree after the packages are made.

       --nobuild
              Do not execute any build stages. Useful for testing out spec files.

       --noclean
              Do not execute %clean build stage even if present in spec.

       --nocheck
              Do not execute %check build stage even if present in spec.

       --nodeps
              Do not verify build dependencies.

       --rmsource
              Remove  the  sources  after  the build (may also be used standalone, e.g. "rpmbuild
              --rmsource foo.spec").

       --rmspec
              Remove the spec file after the build (may also be used  standalone,  eg.  "rpmbuild
              --rmspec foo.spec").

       --short-circuit
              Skip straight to specified stage (i.e., skip all stages leading up to the specified
              stage).  Only valid with -bc, -bi, and -bb.  Useful for local testing only.   Pack‐
              ages  built  this  way  will  be marked with an unsatisfiable dependency to prevent
              their accidental use.

       --target PLATFORM
              When building the package, interpret PLATFORM as arch-vendor-os and set the  macros
              %_target, %_target_cpu, and %_target_os accordingly.

   REBUILD AND RECOMPILE OPTIONS
       There are two other ways to invoke building with rpm:

       rpmbuild --rebuild|--recompile SOURCEPKG ...


       When  invoked  this way, rpmbuild installs the named source package, and does a prep, com‐
       pile and install.  In addition, --rebuild builds a new binary package. When the build  has
       completed,  the  build  directory  is removed (as in --clean) and the the sources and spec
       file for the package are removed.

   SHOWRC
       The command

       rpmbuild --showrc


       shows the values rpmbuild will use for all of the options are currently set in  rpmrc  and
       macros configuration file(s).

FILES
   rpmrc Configuration
       /usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc
       /usr/lib/rpm/redhat/rpmrc
       /etc/rpmrc
       ~/.rpmrc

   Macro Configuration
       /usr/lib/rpm/macros
       /usr/lib/rpm/redhat/macros
       /etc/rpm/macros
       ~/.rpmmacros

   Temporary
       /var/tmp/rpm*

SEE ALSO
       gendiff(1),
       popt(3),
       rpm(8),
       rpm2cpio(8),
       rpmkeys(8)
       rpmspec(8),
       rpmsign(8),

       rpmbuild --help - as rpm supports customizing the options via popt aliases it's impossible
       to guarantee that what's described in the manual matches what's available.

       http://www.rpm.org/ <URL:http://www.rpm.org/>

AUTHORS
       Marc Ewing <marc AT redhat.com>
       Jeff Johnson <jbj AT redhat.com>
       Erik Troan <ewt AT redhat.com>



Red Hat, Inc.                              09 June 2002                               RPMBUILD(8)