Building RPMs

[Matthew Newton]

On Fri, Jul 22, 2016 at 08:47:37AM +0000, A.L.M.Buxey at lboro.ac.uk wrote:
> 
> > I think there should be an easy way for people to build RPMs, like
> > you can .debs.
> 
> rpmbuild -bb   - you just need the required dev packages installed first ;-)

That's exactly my point.

rpmbuild -bb doesn't "Just Work", and getting the required dev
packages on is not really trivial from what I can tell. At least,
not as trivial as a single "sudo mk-build-deps -ir debian/control".

Added to the fact that rpmbuild seems to need its own special
build directories to work in, and can't cope with making them
itself.


> > Thoughts -
> > 
> >  - building RPMs should be as simple as possible for anyone;
> 
> no. should be easy for competent people,  'anyone' should be
> able to just add FreeRADIUS via an RPM or repo.  get latest
> 3.0.11 version via RPMs like many do with Debian/Ubunty PPA
> files.

Which leads you to the ancient issue of RedHat systems full of
RPMs dragged in from all over the web. It turns into a complete
dependency mess.

If FreeRADIUS packages can't be built easily by an average
sysadmin then I think that someone has failed. Either us getting
the spec file and instructions wrong, or RedHat for making their
build process too complicated so our instructions have to be too
long.

> >  - you shouldn't have to add extra unofficial repositories to do so;
> 
> ha! tell RadHat to up their game, provide modern versions of
> packages and to provide MORE of them :)  I cant believe people
> PAY for RedHat  :/

Well, quite. But that's a rant to be had over a pint instead. :)


> > (getting totally fed up of "I'm using 2.1.12 or 3.0.4" on -users,
> > and wanting something useful and easy to point people at...)
> 
> the answer is the FreeRADIUS build system - new RPMs need to be
> provided there.

Official FR packages would obviously be good. But it's a big piece
of work and Alan & co are fairly obviously too busy doing other
great stuff. So the more we can all help to make life easier for
them the better, IMO. And in part that means trying to cut down
questions on the mailing lists.

Matthew


-- 
Matthew Newton, Ph.D. <mcn4 at leicester.ac.uk>

Systems Specialist, Infrastructure Services,
I.T. Services, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom

For IT help contact helpdesk extn. 2253, <ithelp at le.ac.uk>