RPMBUILD(1) General Commands Manual RPMBUILD(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

rpmbuild - Build RPM Package(s)

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**rpmbuild** **-b**​*STAGE* \[options] *SPEC\_FILE* ...

**rpmbuild** **-r**​*STAGE* \[options] *SOURCE\_PACKAGE* ...

**rpmbuild** **-t**​*STAGE* \[options] *TAR\_ARCHIVE* ...

**rpmbuild** {**--rebuild**|**--recompile**} \[options] *SOURCE\_PACKAGE* ...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**rpmbuild** is used to build software packages in the RPM format, in an automated and repeatable manner.

An RPM package file (or *package*) consists of an archive of files and metadata used to install or erase the archived files. The metadata includes helper scripts, file attributes, and descriptive information about the package.

Packages come in two varieties: binary packages, used to encapsulate software to be installed, and source packages, containing the source code and recipe necessary to produce binary packages.

# [OPERATIONS](#OPERATIONS)

**-b**​*STAGE*

Build *STAGE* from a spec file.

**-r**​*STAGE*

Build *STAGE* from a source RPM package.

**-t**​*STAGE*

Build *STAGE* from a [**tar**(5)](/man/os/rpm/tar.5) archive.

**--rebuild**, **--recompile**

Compatibility aliases for **-ra**.

*STAGE* is a single-letter argument that specifies the target stage to build. This also executes all preceding stages unless stated (or configured) otherwise. Additional steps beyond the one specified, such as clean up, may also execute. See **BUILD PROCESS** and **OPTIONS** for details.

## [Building packages](#Building_packages)

Use these *STAGE* arguments to produce RPM package files ready for installation and/or distribution.

**a**

Build both source and binary packages. This is not an actual stage but a combination of **b** and **s**, with the difference that packages built this way carry a "cookie" to indicate they came from the same build. On success, the build directory is removed.

**b**

Build just the binary packages. On success, the build directory is removed.

**r**

Build just the source package, checking for dynamic build dependencies. Executes the **%prep** and **%generate\_buildrequires** stages before creating a package. See the **DYNAMIC BUILD DEPENDENCIES** section for details.

**s**

Build just the source package. No build stages are executed.

## [Partial builds](#Partial_builds)

Use these *STAGE* arguments to build or test the encapsulated software without producing RPM package files. Useful when packaging new software in RPM format and/or troubleshooting.

The corresponding spec sections are shown in parentheses where applicable.

**p** (%prep)

Unpack the sources and apply any patches.

**d** (%generate\_buildrequires)

Check dynamic build dependencies and build the *buildreqs.nosrc.rpm* package if any are missing. Don't build anything else.

**f** (%conf)

Configure the sources. This generally involves the equivalent of **./configure**.

**c** (%build)

Compile the sources. This generally involves the equivalent of **make**.

**i** (%install)

Install the binaries into the build root. This generally involves the equivalent of a **make install**.

For historical reasons, this also includes the %check stage by default.

**k** (%check)

Run any checks specified in the spec. This generally involves the equivalent of **make check**.

**l**

Do a "list check" - the **%files** section from the spec file is macro expanded, and checks are made to verify that each file exists. This requires a previous build up to the **%install** stage to have taken place.

# [ARGUMENTS](#ARGUMENTS)

*SPEC\_FILE*

An RPM spec file.

*SOURCE\_PACKAGE*

An RPM source package (with a *.src.rpm* extension)

*TAR\_ARCHIVE*

A [**tar**(5)](/man/os/rpm/tar.5) archive, optionally compressed. To be directly buildable with **rpmbuild**, an archive must contain a spec file either by the name *Specfile* or one with a *.spec* extension.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

**--build-in-place**

Build from locally checked out sources in the current working directory. The build tree is set up as if **%setup** was used, but **%builddir**/**%buildsubdir** points back to the current working directory. **%prep** is skipped entirely.

**--clean**

Remove the build tree after the packages are made (default).

**--nobuild**

Do not execute any build stages. Useful for testing out spec files.

**--nocheck**

Do not execute **%check** build stage even if present in spec.

**--noclean**

Do not execute **%clean** build stage even if present in spec.

**--nodebuginfo**

Do not generate debuginfo packages.

**--nodeps**

Do not verify build dependencies.

**--noprep**

Do not execute **%prep** build stage even if present in spec. This assumes there has been another **rpmbuild** run in which **%prep** has been already executed.

**--rmsource**

Remove the sources after the build (may also be used standalone, e.g. **rpmbuild** **--rmsource foo.spec**). Note that by definition, **NoSource** and **NoPatch** files are not sources and so, are not affected by this option.

**--rmspec**

Remove the spec file after the build (may also be used standalone, e.g. **rpmbuild** **--rmspec foo.spec**).

**--rpmfcdebug**

Print debug information on file classification and dependency generation.

**--scm**=*SCM*

Select the *SCM* to use with **%autosetup**, if one is not set in the spec file. Note that not all values for *SCM*, e.g., **patch** (the default) and **gendiff**, **git**, or **quilt** work interchangeably with all other patches and options stated in the %autosetup line, especially option **-pN**.

**--short-circuit**

Skip straight to specified stage (i.e., skip all stages leading up to the specified stage). Only valid with **-bc**, **-bi**, and **-bb**. Useful for local testing only. Packages built this way will be marked with an unsatisfiable dependency to prevent their accidental use.

**--with** *OPTION*

Enable configure *OPTION* for build.

**--without** *OPTION*

Disable configure *OPTION* for build.

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-common.8) for the options common to all operations.

# [BUILD PROCESS](#BUILD_PROCESS)

Packages are built in a number of logical steps, outlined below. The steps are executed from top to bottom, skipping any that aren't applicable to the spec.

Those steps that produce (intermediate) build artifacts or diagnostic output are called *stages*. They are denoted by a single-letter identifier in parentheses. You can tell **rpmbuild** to stop the build process at any stage (see **OPERATIONS** for details).

Some steps are implemented as build scriptlets whose contents is dumped in the **rpmbuild** output for diagnostic purposes. Their names are shown in parentheses following any stage identifier, prefixed with **%** if they correspond to a spec section or directive.

Binary packages are produced separately for one or more platforms, called *build* *targets*. By default, the current platform is the only build target. This can be overridden with **--target** or by declaring a **BuildArch** in the spec. See also **BUGS** for some related known issues.

- Unpack source package or tar archive if either is given
- Determine build targets and repeat following steps for each in turn
- Load [**rpm-config**(5)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-config.5), [**rpm-rpmrc**(5)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-rpmrc.5) and [**rpmbuild-config**(5)](/man/os/rpm/rpmbuild-config.5) files for next build target
- Parse spec file
- Check static build dependencies
- Setup build workspace

<!--THE END-->

- Create build directory and set **%builddir** to its path (**mkbuilddir**)
- Export build environment to **%builddir**/*rpmbuild.env* file

•

Execute build scriptlets to populate **%buildroot**

- Unpack sources and apply any patches (**p**, **%prep**)
- Generate dynamic build dependencies (**d**, **%generate\_buildrequires**)
- Check dynamic build dependencies
- Configure sources (**f**, **%conf**)
- Compile sources (**c**, **%build**)
- Install binaries into **%buildroot** (**i**, **%install**)
- Read dynamic spec parts
- Execute tests (**k**, **%check**)

•

Process files to be packaged

- Populate file list for source packages
- Populate file list for binary packages based on **%files** manifest(s)

<!--THE END-->

- Add regular entries from **%buildroot**
- Copy special entries to **%buildroot** (**%doc**, **%license**)
- Add special entries from **%buildroot**

<!--THE END-->

- Perform file classification
- Generate runtime dependencies using [**rpm-dependency-generators**(7)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-dependency-generators.7)
- Check file list against **%buildroot** (**l**)

•

Create packages

- Write binary packages to disk (**b**)
- Write source packages to disk (**s**)

•

Clean up

- OBSOLETE: Perform explicit clean up (**%clean**)
- Perform implicit clean up (**rmbuild**)

For more information on the syntax, see [**rpm-spec**(5)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-spec.5).

# [DYNAMIC BUILD DEPENDENCIES](#DYNAMIC_BUILD_DEPENDENCIES)

When the **%generate\_buildrequires** stage runs and some of the newly generated BuildRequires are not satisfied, **rpmbuild** creates an intermediate source package ending in *buildreqs.nosrc.rpm*, which has the new BuildRequires, and exits with code 11. This package can then be used in place of the original source package to resolve and install the missing build dependencies in the usual way, such as with [**dnf-builddep**(8)](/man/os/rpm/dnf-builddep.8).

Multiple layers of dynamic build dependencies may exist in a spec file; the presence of specific BuildRequires on the system may yield new BuildRequires next time a build is performed with the same source package. The easiest way to ensure that all dynamic build dependencies are satisfied is to run the **-br** option, install the new dependencies of the *buildreqs.nosrc.rpm* package and repeat the whole procedure until **rpmbuild** no longer exits with code 11.

If the **-br** option is coupled with **--nodeps**, exit code 11 is always returned and a *buildreqs.nosrc.rpm* package is always created.

# [ENVIRONMENT](#ENVIRONMENT)

**RPM\_BUILD\_NCPUS**

Overrides autodetection for the number of CPUs to use for parallelized sections of the build.

# [EXIT STATUS](#EXIT_STATUS)

On success, 0 is returned, a nonzero failure code otherwise.

Packages with a **%generate\_buildrequires** section will return with code 11 when there are unmet **DYNAMIC BUILD DEPENDENCIES**.

# [EXAMPLES](#EXAMPLES)

**rpmbuild --rebuild hello-1.0-1.src.rpm**

Build binary and source packages from the *hello-1.0-1.src.rpm* source package.

**rpmbuild -bb --nocheck --with openssl hello.spec**

Build binary packages from the *hello.spec* spec file, skipping the **%check** stage if present and enabling support for **openssl** build conditional (assuming one is specified in the spec).

**rpmbuild -ta hello-2.0.tar.gz**

Build binary and source packages from the compressed *hello-2.0.tar.gz* tarball, assuming the archive contains a legitimate spec file (see *TAR\_ARCHIVE* for details).

**rpmbuild -bc hello.spec**

Build *hello.spec* up to and including the **%build** stage, ie. without producing actual packages.

**rpmbuild -bi --short-circuit hello.spec**

Only execute the **%install** stage of *hello.spec*, skipping all previous stages. This assumes a preceding run of at least up to the **%build** stage, see previous example. Useful to avoid full rebuilds when working on the **%files** section of a package.

# [FILES](#FILES)

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-common.8)

# [BUGS](#BUGS)

Building a spec that declares a **BuildArch** may cause unexpected behavior, in particular:

•

Macros defined before the **BuildArch** line will be expanded twice, which can yield unexpected results with **%global** in particular

•

Using a **--target** that disagrees with the **BuildArch** results in undefined behavior

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**gendiff**(1)](/man/os/rpm/gendiff.1), [**popt**(3)](/man/os/rpm/popt.3), [**rpm**(8)](/man/os/rpm/rpm.8), [**rpm-common**(8)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-common.8), [**rpmbuild-config**(5)](/man/os/rpm/rpmbuild-config.5), [**rpm2cpio**(1)](/man/os/rpm/rpm2cpio.1), [**rpmkeys**(8)](/man/os/rpm/rpmkeys.8), [**rpmspec**(1)](/man/os/rpm/rpmspec.1), [**rpmsign**(1)](/man/os/rpm/rpmsign.1), [**rpm-setup-autosign**(1)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-setup-autosign.1) [**rpm-macros**(7)](/man/os/rpm/rpm-macros.7)

**http://www.rpm.org/**

2026-10-04 RPM 6.1.0

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Document: rpmbuild(1) from rpm 6.1.0-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm