[Rpm-maint] [draft] spec file unification: autotools based projects

[Stanislav Brabec]

Mark Hatle wrote:
> Stanislav Brabec wrote:
> > The standard %setup macro should unpack these packages in convenient
> > way:
> > 
> > %prep
> > %setup -q
> > 
> > 
> > Configuration and compilation
> > 
> > %build
> > 
> > Packagers are encouraged to call autoreconf whenever possible. It
> > guarantees correct build of packages on platforms, that was not
> > supported by autotools in the time of the source release.
> > 
> > autoreconf -f -i
> 
> I think there is some argument that running the autotools at the end of 
> the %prep may be appropriate.  It all depends on what you expect out of 
> the %prep.

Well, no.

A lot of packaging tools, that helps to maintain patches in spec files
(Re/Rd, quilt, rpmprep) calls the whole %prep phase. Putting autoreconf
in %prep phase would make use this tools less comfortable (one has to
wait for autoreconf every time) and may even break patches created by
this tools.

> If the purpose of %prep is simply to unpack and patch the source, then 
> autoreconf is not appropriate there.
> 
> If the purpose of %prep is to prepare the software to be 
> configured/built

No, it's the purpose of %build (as its name says). Purpose of %prep
should be unpacking and patching of sources.

-- 
Best Regards / S pozdravem,

Stanislav Brabec
software developer
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