Configure, Pack and Distribute: An RPM Creation Workshop

Configure, Pack, Distribute
An RPM Creation Workshop

Bart Whiteley Matthias G. Eckermann
Senior Software Engineer Senior Product Manager
Novell, Inc. SUSE Linux Enterprise
®

bwhiteley@novell.com mge@novell.com

Agenda

Part I: Challenges of software management
Part II: Introduction into RPM
– Overview of RPM build process
– The RPM “Spec” file
– Dependencies
– Building RPMs

Part III: Hands-on
– Building from source locally
– Building in a change-root environment using the “build” tool
– Building from a binary package
– Building in the BuildService
2 © Novell, Inc. All rights reserved.

Part I:
Challenges of Software Management

Challenges of Software Management

?

Requirements to a Sophisticated
Software Management System
• Systems management and consistency
– Easy to install and uninstall
– Easy to determine what is installed, and where
– Leverage package management tools
> ZENworks Linux Management
®

• Dependency management
• Life-cycle management
– Easy to create packages
> Leverage openSUSE Build Service
®

– Easy to update and upgrade
• Security and reliability
– Easy to verify the installation


Applications

• Executable (binary),
libraries, data files, icons,
Executable
mime types
• Documentation – normally
included, might be removed Libraries Data
during installation due to
space constraints
Configuration
• Configuration – normally
created after installation,
Documentation
can be pre-configured or
defaults are pre-installed


Applications and Metadata

• Application
• Meta-data
– Support for installation and management
– Description, version, requirements and dependencies –
what needs to be installed on the system to be able to run
the application or its parts
• Install, upgrade and remove process
– Using system provided software management stack
– No interaction needed (useful for auto-installation, appliances)
– Clean remove – no leftovers, configuration files optionally


High Level Package Overview

Package

Meta-data Application

Version
Executable
Description
Libraries Data
Requirements
Configuration

Documentation


Build Overview - Theory

Installable
Metadata Source File
Software Packs
Source File

Application
Source File
Source File Tool

Local changes Archive
Patch
Patch


Part II:
Introduction into RPM

Build Overview – RPM

SPEC File Binary RPM
Source File
Source File

SourceFile
Source
SourceFile
File rpmbuild-ba

Patch Source RPM
Patch
Patch


What Is it RPM?

• RPM Package Manager
– Program to manipulate with packages (rpm files)
• Package file format specification
– Files are named like: make-3.81-2.i586.rpm
– [name]-[version]-[subversion].[architecture].rpm or just file.rpm

• Library to manipulate (install, remove) rpm packages
• Baseline of Linux Standard Base (LSB) packaging
• The most common format in Enterprise Linux

RPM Philosophy

• Standard, uniform and clean way to build, install, remove,
update and manage software
• Multi-architecture support
• Non-interactive install process, easy to automate
• Security – packages can be cryptographically signed
• Reliability – package does not affect contents of other packages
• Dependencies – package can be installed only if requirements
are already installed
• Verification – all files included in a package can be verified for
permissions or contents modification
• Building software
– reproducible
– unattended


Inputs and Outputs

• Inputs
– Spec file
> Directs RPM in the build process
– Source files
> May be source archives (e.g. tarball or .zip) or single files
– Patches
> Patches to the pristine source archive, usually created with 'diff -u'

• Outputs
– One or more binary RPMS
– Source RPM
> An archive of the inputs


The Spec File

• The preamble section

• The prep section

• The build section

• The install section

• Install and uninstall scripts

• The clean section

• File list


Preamble

• Required tags • Optional tags
– Name – Source
– Patch
– Version
– Url
– Release – Requires
– Summary – Provides
– License – Conflicts
– Obsoletes
– Group
– PreReq
– %description
– BuildArch
– BuildRoot – Serial
– BuildRequires

Preamble Example

#
# Example spec file for cdplayer app...
#
Summary: A CD player app that rocks!
Name: cdplayer
Version: 1.0
Release: 1
License: GPL
Group: Applications/Sound
Source: ftp://ftp.gnomovision.com/pub/cdplayer/cdplayer-1.0.tgz
URL: http://www.gnomovision.com/cdplayer/cdplayer.html
Distribution: WSS Linux
Vendor: White Socks Software, Inc.
Packager: Santa Claus <sclaus@northpole.com>

%description
It slices! It dices! It's a CD player app that
can't be beat. By using the resonant frequency
of the CD itself, it is able to simulate 20X
oversampling. This leads to sound quality that
cannot be equaled with more mundane software...


The % Prep Section

• Prepares the build environment
• Executed as a bash script
– Automatically removes remnants of a previous build
– Expand source archive
– Apply patches
• Macros
– %setup
> Often all that is needed in %prep

– %patch %prep
> Apply a patch to the sources %setup

The % Build Section

• Compile the software


%build

./configure

make


The % Install Section

• Runs during the package build
• Does not run during package installation
• Install the software into a staging area
– $RPM_BUILD_ROOT

%install
%{__rm} -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
%{__mkdir} $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT install


The % Clean Section

• This section is optional

• Can be used to clean up files that are not part of
the application's normal build area



The % Files Section

• Lists the files that are part of the package
• Declare file ownership and permissions
• Special handling for configuration files
– %config
– %config(noreplace)

%files
%defattr(-,root,root)
%config(noreplace) /etc/foo.conf
/usr/bin/*
/usr/lib/*

Install/Uninstall Scripts

• %pre
– Executed prior to package installation
• %post
– Executed after package installation
• %preun
– Executed prior to package deletion
• %postun
– Executed after package deletion
• Best to do as much as possible in build scripts,
and as little as possible in install/uninstall scripts

Scripts During Upgrade

• Scripts can complicate upgrades
– %preun and %postun scripts also run during upgrade
– The order of execution is not intuitive
> Run %pre of new package
> Install new files
> Run %post of new package
> Run %preun of old package
> Delete any old files not overwritten by newer ones
> Run %postun of old package
– Important to get scripts right the first time
> If you release a package with a bad %preun or %postun script,
you can't fix it with an update


Distinguishing Upgrade from Delete

• The first parameter passed to RPM scripts is the
number of copies of the package that will be installed
after the current package is installed or deleted
– In %preun and %postun, if $1 is 0, the package is
being deleted
– In %preun and %postun, if $1 is > 0, the package is
being upgraded

%postun
if [ $1 -gt 0 ]; then
# package being upgraded
else
# package being deleted; cleanup
fi

Dependencies

• If anything listed in • Manual dependencies
% files is a shared can be declared with
library, its soname Preamble tags
is added to the
capabilities of – Requires
the package
– Provides
• For all executables
and shared libraries – Obsoletes
in %files, ldd is
– Conflicts
used to determine
the package – PreReq
requirements


RPMbuild

RPMbuild

-bp execute %prep

-bc execute %prep, %build

-bi execute %prep, %build, %install

-bb execute %prep, %build, %install (bin)

-ba execute %prep, %build, %install (bin, src)


Build Environment

• The RPM build directory structure
– /usr/src/packages/SOURCES %{_sourcedir}
> Contains source files and patches
– /usr/src/packages/SPECS %{_specdir}
> Contains Spec files
– /usr/src/packages/BUILD %{_builddir}
> Sources are unpacked and patched here
> Compile takes place here
– /usr/src/packages/RPMS/<arch> %{_rpmdir}
> Binary RPMs end up here
– /usr/src/packages/SRPMS %{_srcrpmdir}
> Source RPMs end up here


Customized Build Environment

• To build as a non-root user (good idea), define
different paths for the build environment.
– In ~/.rpmmacros

$ cat ~/.rpmmacros
%_topdir /home/jdoe/packages

– On the command line

$ cat ~/bin/myrpmbuild
#!/bin/sh
TOPDIR=${PWD}/rpmbuild
mkdir -p ${TOPDIR}/{RPMS,SRPMS,SPECS,SOURCES,BUILD,tmp}
rpmbuild --define "_topdir ${TOPDIR}"
--define "_sourcedir ${PWD}"
--define "_tmppath ${TOPDIR}/tmp" "$@"


Benefits of Using a Standard
Package Format – Such as RPM
• Software development more manageable

• Multi architecture support easier

• Software installation more secure

• Software deployment manageable

• Handling multiple version easy

• Consistent systems and compliance

Building from Source Locally (1)
Source Code
//
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el e_ et
/ / Aut hor : M t hi as G. Ecker m
at ann < ge@
m novel l . com> QObj ect : : connect (
/ / Li cense: GPL v2 &w com but t on,
el e_
// SI GNAL( cl i cked( ) ) ,
&hel l o_ br ai nshar e,
#i ncl ude <QAppl i cat i on> SLOT( qui t ( ) )
#i ncl ude <QFont > );
#i ncl ude <QPushBut t on> m n_w ndow show ) ;
ai i . (
#i ncl ude < i dget >
QW r et ur n hel l o_ br ai nshar e. exec( ) ;

i nt m n( i nt ar gc, char *ar gv[ ] ) {
ai }
QAppl i cat i on hel l o_ br ai nshar e( ar gc, ar gv ) ;
QW dget m n_w ndow
i ai i ;
m n_ w ndow r esi ze( 512, 256 ) ;
ai i .
QPushBut t on w comel e_but t on(
" W com t o Br ai nshar e 2010!
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or
&m n_ w ndow
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w com but t on. set Font (
el e_
QFont (
" Ar i al " ,
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QFont : : Bol d
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);


1. Building from Source Locally (2)
.spec file
#
Nam e: hel l o_br ai nshar e % nst al l
i
Li cense: GPL v2 i f [ - n " $RPM _BUI LD_ROOT" ] ; t hen
Ver si on: 1 [ " $RPM _BUI LD_ROOT" ! = " / " ] &&
Rel ease: 1. m ge r m - r f $RPM BUI LD_ROOT &&
_
Sum ar y:
m Hel l o Br ai nshar e 2010 m r $RPM
kdi _BUI LD_ROOT
Sour ce0: hel l o_br ai nshar e. cpp fi
Gr oup: Pr oduct i vi t y m r -p
kdi
Bui l dRoot : % m
{_t ppat h}/ % {nam bui l d
e}- $RPM _BUI LD_ROOT/ usr / bi n
Bui l dRequi r es: l i bqt 4- devel i nst al l hel l o_br ai nshar e
$RPM _BUI LD_ROOT/ usr / bi n/
%descr i pt i on
Hel l o Br ai nshar e 2010 pr ogr am f or demonst r at i on % i l es
f
pur poses. % at t r ( - , r oot , r oot )
def
/ usr / bi n/ hel l o_br ai nshar e
% ep
pr
% up - c - T
set % ean
cl
cp - a % 0} .
{S: i f [ - n " $RPM _BUI LD_ROOT" ] ; t hen
[ " $RPM _BUI LD_ROOT" ! = " / " ] &&
% ld
bui r m - r f $RPM BUI LD_ROOT
_
g++ - I / usr / i ncl ude/ Qt Gui - l Qt Cor e - l Qt Gui fi
$RPM OPT_ FLAGS
_
- s - o hel l o_br ai nshar e hel l o_br ai nshar e. cpp %changel og
* M on M ar 08 2010 - m novel l . com
ge@
- i ni t i al ver si on


Challenges and Risks
When Building from Source Locally

• Software-build might interfere with the buildhost
– Security and Consistency:
Risk of polluting the host with freshly built software
– Resource Constraints:
a build process might need lots of disk space, memory,
compute power
• Software-build might depend on special settings
of the local build-host
– violates goal of reproducible software builds
• Multi-User and Multi-Architecture goal not easy
to implement – even building 32bit on 64bit
hosts is not always easy

Alternatives
to Building from Source Locally

• Change root environment
– Create a build system within the host system; same kernel,
but userland is separated
– Mitigates: security, consistency, reproducible
– Controls: Multi-architecture requirements.
– Does not mitigate: Resource constraints
– Technology used by the “build” tool, see #2 below
• Virtualization
– Create a build system within the host system;
completely separated
– Mitigates: security, consistency, reproducible
– Controls: Resource constraints, Multi-architecture requirements
– See #4 below: openSUSE Buildservice
®


2. Building in a Change-root
Environment Using the “Build” Tool (1)
• “build” is available on the SUSE Linux Enterprise 11
®

Software Development Kit and on openSUSE ®

• Build installs a minimal SUSE Linux as build system
into some directory and will chroot to this system to
compile the package.

• Special .spec file options to support build

# norootforbuild

# needsrootforbuild


Building in a Change-root
Environment Using the “Build” Tool (2)

Functionality overview
build [--clean|--no-init]
[--no-checks]
[--repository PATH]
[--rpms path1:path2:...]
[--arch arch1:arch2:...]
[--root buildroot]
[specfile|srcrpm]
build --verify
• Environment variables
BUILD_RPMS
BUILD_ROOT
BUILD_RPM_BUILD_STAGE


3. Building from a Binary Package (1)

• Differences
– No compile stage necessary
– Can be used for nearly any type of existing software
• Challenges
– Binary packages might need an “installer” to run
– system specific configuration
– Installation paths not following the Linux Filesystem
Hierarchy Standard (FHS)
• Caveats
– Legal aspects
– Licensing


Building from a Binary Package (2)
Binary Package

Example: Mendeley Desktop (freeware, non-opensoure)
• prepackaged tar, no rpm

• Directories:

mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/bin
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/lib
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/lib/mendeleydesktop
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/lib/mendeleydesktop/libexec
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/lib/mendeleydesktop/plugins
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/lib/mendeleydesktop/plugins/sqldrivers
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/applications
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/doc
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/doc/mendeleydesktop
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/icons
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/icons/hicolor
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/icons/hicolor/128x128
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/apps
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop/citationStyles
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop/citationStyles/default
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop/generated-svm-models
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop/openOfficePlugin
mendeleydesktop-0.9.6.1-linux-x86_64/share/mendeleydesktop/word-lists

Goal: install to /opt/mendeleydesktop

Building from a Binary Package (3)
.spec file
Nam e: mendel eydeskt op % nst al l
i
Li cense: Com er ci al ( M
m endel ey Lt d. ) i f [ - n " $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT" ] ; t hen
_
Ver si on: 0. 9. 6. 1 [ " $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT" ! = " / " ] &&
_
Rel ease: 1. mge r m - r f $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT &&
_
Sum ar y:
m Mendel ey i s a f r ee r esear ch m r $RPM
kdi _BUI LD_ ROOT
managem ent t ool fi
Bui l dAr ch: x86_ 64 m r -p
kdi $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT/ opt
_

% i ne _f nam %
def e {nam %
e}- {ver si on}- l i nux- %{bui l dar ch} t ar - C $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT/ opt - xsj pf % 0}
_ {S:

Sour ce0: % f nam t ar . bz2
{_ e}. mv $RPM_BUI LD_ROOT/ opt / % nam
{_f e}
Gr oup: Pr oduct i vi t y $RPM_BUI LD_ROOT/ opt / %{name}
URL: ht t p: / / w w m
w . endel ey. com dow oad-
/ nl
mendel eydeskt op/ % i l es
f
Bui l dRoot : % tm
{_ ppat h}/ % {nam bui l d
e}- % at t r ( - , r oot , r oot )
def
/ opt / %{name}
%descr i pt i on
Mendel ey i s a f r ee r esear ch management t ool f or % ean
cl
deskt op & w eb i f [ - n " $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT" ] ; t hen
_
[ " $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT" ! = " / " ] &&
_
% ep
pr r m - r f $RPM BUI LD_ ROOT
_
% up - c - T
set fi

% ld
bui %changel og
* M on M ar 08 2010 - m novel l . com
ge@
- i ni t i al ver si on


4. Building in the Buildservice

• Open and complete distribution development platform
• Create RPMs for multiple distributions and architectures
• Create online package repositories
• openSUSE Build Service is open source
®

– Deploy your own internal build service
• User Interfaces
– Webinterface http://build.opensuse.org/
– Commandline interface: “osc”
– Fat-clients
– Integration into other tool-chains (qt-creator, kde4)


Building in the Buildservice (2)

• “osc” command line interface
• Very similar to “cvs” and “svn” command line tools:
familiar for developers
• Overview
– Checking
– Commit
– Add
– importsrcpkg
– Build
– Rebuild

Next Steps

Learn more at:
Brainshare Session
®

BOF 102

en.opensuse.org/Build_Service
build.opensuse.org

Go, and build Join the openSUSE ®

your packages! Buildservice online!


References

http://rpm.org/max-rpm/

http://docs.fedoraproject.org/drafts/rpm-guide-en/

http://en.opensuse.org/SUSE_Build_Tutorial

http://en.opensuse.org/Packaging/SUSE_Package_Conventions

SUSE software management stack:
®

http://en.opensuse.org/Libzypp
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-rpm3.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-rpm1/


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product. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in
making purchasing decisions. Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents
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