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(python2.1-dist.info)Creating RPM packages

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Creating RPM packages
=====================

The RPM format is used by many of popular Linux distributions, including
Red Hat, SuSE, and Mandrake.  If one of these (or any of the other
RPM-based Linux distributions) is your usual environment, creating RPM
packages for other users of that same distribution is trivial.
Depending on the complexity of your module distribution and differences
between Linux distributions, you may also be able to create RPMs that
work on different RPM-based distributions.

The usual way to create an RPM of your module distribution is to run the
`bdist_rpm' command:

     python setup.py bdist_rpm

or the `bdist' command with the `--format' option:

     python setup.py bdist --formats=rpm

The former allows you to specify RPM-specific options; the latter allows
you to easily specify multiple formats in one run.  If you need to do
both, you can explicitly specify multiple `bdist_*' commands and their
options:

     python setup.py bdist_rpm --packager="John Doe <jdoe@python.net>" \
                     bdist_wininst --target_version="2.0"

Creating RPM packages is driven by a `.spec' file, much as using the
Distutils is driven by the setup script.  To make your life easier, the
`bdist_rpm' command normally creates a `.spec' file based on the
information you supply in the setup script, on the command line, and in
any Distutils configuration files.  Various options and sections in the
`.spec' file are derived from options in the setup script as follows:
RPM `.spec' file option or section   Distutils setup script option
------                               -----
Name                                 `name'
Summary (in preamble)                `description'
Version                              `version'
Vendor                               `author' and `author_email', or \&
                                     `maintainer' and `maintainer_email'
Copyright                            `licence'
Url                                  `url'
%description (section)               `long_description'

Additionally, there many options in `.spec' files that don't have
corresponding options in the setup script.  Most of these are handled
through options to the `bdist_rpm' command as follows:
RPM `.spec' file option  `bdist_rpm' option       default value
or section                                        
------                   -----                    -----
Release                  `release'                "1"
Group                    `group'                  "Development/Libraries"
Vendor                   `vendor'                 (see above)
Packager                 `packager'               (none)
Provides                 `provides'               (none)
Requires                 `requires'               (none)
Conflicts                `conflicts'              (none)
Obsoletes                `obsoletes'              (none)
Distribution             `distribution_name'      (none)
BuildRequires            `build_requires'         (none)
Icon                     `icon'                   (none)

Obviously, supplying even a few of these options on the command-line
would be tedious and error-prone, so it's usually best to put them in
the setup configuration file, `setup.cfg'--see section~Note: Writing
the Setup Configuration File.  If you distribute or package many
Python module distributions, you might want to put options that apply
to all of them in your personal Distutils configuration file
(`~/.pydistutils.cfg').

There are three steps to building a binary RPM package, all of which are
handled automatically by the Distutils:
  1. create a `.spec' file, which describes the package (analogous to
     the Distutils setup script; in fact, much of the information in the
     setup script winds up in the `.spec' file)

  2. create the source RPM

  3. create the "binary" RPM (which may or may not contain binary code,
     depending on whether your module distribution contains Python
     extensions)
     Normally, RPM bundles the last two steps together; when you use the
Distutils, all three steps are typically bundled together.

If you wish, you can separate these three steps.  You can use the
`--spec-only' option to make `bdist_rpm' just create the `.spec' file
and exit; in this case, the `.spec' file will be written to the
"distribution directory"--normally `dist/', but customizable with the
`--dist-dir' option.  (Normally, the `.spec' file winds up deep in the
"build tree," in a temporary directory created by `bdist_rpm'.)

*this isn't implemented yet--is it needed?!* You can also specify a
custom `.spec' file with the `--spec-file' option; used in conjunction
with `--spec-only', this gives you an opportunity to customize the
`.spec' file manually:

     > python setup.py bdist_rpm --spec-only
     # ...edit dist/FooBar-1.0.spec
     > python setup.py bdist_rpm --spec-file=dist/FooBar-1.0.spec

(Although a better way to do this is probably to override the standard
`bdist_rpm' command with one that writes whatever else you want to the
`.spec' file; see section~ for information on extending the Distutils.)