Re: Building an RPM from a compiled application

[Ian Mortimer <ian physics uq edu au>]

Hi Bill

> 1) Create a spec file that builds the source, installs into
> RPM_BUILD_ROOT, and packages up the files.  This seems to be more how
> rpm is expected to work, but it requires us to rework an automated build
> environment, only for Linux (yes, we're not going to ship rpms on other
> platforms)

Two advantages of using a build root are:

   o You can build as an unprivileged user so you don't risk screwing
     up the build system.

   o You can test the rpm after it's built by installing it and testing
     it on the build machine.  If you don't use a build root you'd have
     to install it and test it on a second machine for a valid test.

Ian