simple way to build rpm?

[Mikkel]

Fernando Cassia wrote:
> 
> It is just RIDICULOUS not to have an automated way to create RPMs. If
> I can download some source file, and then ./configure make and make
> install, this automated tool is perfectly capable of finding the base
> system, the files installed during the process, and the requirements.
> 
> I just don't understand this *nix attitude that "complex is good". End
> users might want to create their own RPMs, too.
> 
There is not a *nix attitude that "complex is good". Until the event
of fancy GUIs, the trend was for simple packages that did one thing
well, and could be linked to other programs to do complex tasks.
(There are a couple of exceptions to this.) A lot of GUIs are front
ends for one or more cli programs, so they are also following the
building block tradition.

Now, creating an RPM may be simple, or it may be complex. A lot
depends on the package you are working with. One thing that does add
a complication is that you are NOT compiling the package on the
target system. Another is that you are providing a way to easily
update, or remove the files. Add to that the fact that you have to
keep tract of the package requirements, as well as the fact that the
same source RPM may generate more then one binary RPM, and things
start to get complicated. This is almost unavoidable is you want
good a package management system.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the same source RPM is often
used on more then one architecture. When I was still running my
Sparc Station, I used to build binary RPMs from source RPMs that
were written for i386 system. For a well written RPM, all I had to
do was run equivalent of "rpmbuild --rebuild <source RPM>".

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!

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