path: root/doc/PKGBUILD.5.txt

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PKGBUILD(5)
===========

Name
----
PKGBUILD - Arch Linux package build description file


Synopsis
--------
PKGBUILD


Description
-----------
This manual page is meant to describe general rules about PKGBUILDs. Once a
PKGBUILD is written, the actual package is built using makepkg and installed
with pacman.

NOTE: An example PKGBUILD, useful for reference, is located in '{pkgdatadir}'.
Also located there are other example files such as a ChangeLog and an install
script. You can copy the provided PKGBUILD.proto file to a new package build
directory and make customizations to suit your needs.


Options and Directives
----------------------
The following is a list of standard options and directives available for use
in a PKGBUILD. These are all understood and interpreted by makepkg, and most
will be directly transferred to the built package.

If you need to create any custom variables for use in your build process, it is
recommended to name your custom variables with an '_' (underscore) prefix.
This will prevent any possible name clashes with internal makepkg variables.
For example, to store the base kernel version in a variable, use something
similar to `$_basekernver`.

*pkgname (array)*::
	The name of the package. This has be a unix-friendly name as it will be
	used in the package filename. Members of the array are not allowed to start
	with hyphens.

*pkgver*::
	The version of the software as released from the author (e.g. '2.7.1').
	The variable is not allowed to contain hyphens.

*pkgrel*::
	This is the release number specific to the Arch Linux release. This
	allows package maintainers to make updates to the package's configure
	flags, for example. A pkgrel of '1' is typically used for each upstream
	software release and is incremented for intermediate PKGBUILD updates. The
	variable is not allowed to contain hyphens.

*pkgdesc*::
	This should be a brief description of the package and its functionality.
	Try to keep the description to one line of text.

*epoch*::
	Used to force the package to be seen as newer than any previous versions
	with a lower epoch, even if the version number would normally not trigger
	such an upgrade. This value is required to be a positive integer; the
	default value if left unspecified is '0'. This is useful when the version
	numbering scheme of a package changes (or is alphanumeric), breaking normal
	version comparison logic. See linkman:pacman[8] for more information on
	version comparisons.

*url*::
	This field contains a URL that is associated with the software being
	packaged. This is typically the project's website.

*license (array)*::
	This field specifies the license(s) that apply to the package.
	Commonly-used licenses are found in '/usr/share/licenses/common'. If you
	see the package's license there, simply reference it in the license
	field (e.g. `license=('GPL')`). If the package provides a license not
	found in '/usr/share/licenses/common', then you should include the license
	in the package itself and set `license=('custom')` or
	`license=('custom:LicenseName')`. The license should be placed in
	'$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/$pkgname' when building the package. If
	multiple licenses are applicable for a package, list all of them:
	`license=('GPL' 'FDL')`.

*install*::
	Specifies a special install script that is to be included in the package.
	This file should reside in the same directory as the PKGBUILD, and will
	be copied into the package by makepkg. It does not need to be included
	in the source array (e.g. `install=pkgname.install`).

*changelog*::
	Specifies a changelog file that is to be included in the package.
	This file should reside in the same directory as the PKGBUILD, and will
	be copied into the package by makepkg. It does not need to be included
	in the source array (e.g. `changelog=$pkgname.changelog`).

*source (array)*::
	An array of source files required to build the package. Source files
	must either reside in the same directory as the PKGBUILD file, or be a
	fully-qualified URL that makepkg will use to download the file. In order
	to make the PKGBUILD as useful as possible, use the $pkgname and $pkgver
	variables if possible when specifying the download location. Any files
	that are compressed will automatically be extracted, unless found in
	the noextract array listed below.
+
It is also possible to specify an optional filename, which is helpful
with weird URLs and for handling multiple source files with the same
name. The syntax is: `source=('filename::url')`.

*noextract (array)*::
	An array of filenames corresponding to those from the source array. Files
	listed here will not be extracted with the rest of the source files. This
	is useful for packages which use compressed data which is downloaded but
	not necessary to uncompress.

*md5sums (array)*::
	This array contains an MD5 hash for every source file specified in the
	source array (in the same order). makepkg will use this to verify source
	file integrity during subsequent builds. To easily generate md5sums, run
	``makepkg -g >> PKGBUILD''. If desired, move the md5sums line to an
	appropriate location.

*sha1sums, sha256sums, sha384sums, sha512sums (arrays)*::
	Alternative integrity checks that makepkg supports; these all behave
	similar to the md5sums option described above. To enable use and generation
	of these checksums, be sure to set up the `INTEGRITY_CHECK` option in
	linkman:makepkg.conf[5].

*groups (array)*::
	An array of symbolic names that represent groups of packages, allowing
	you to install multiple packages by requesting a single target. For
	example, one could install all KDE packages by installing the 'kde' group.

*arch (array)*::
	Defines on which architectures the given package is available (e.g.
	`arch=('i686' 'x86_64')`). Packages that contain no architecture specific
	files may use arch=('any').

*backup (array)*::
	A space-delimited array of filenames, without preceding slashes, that
	should be backed up if the package is removed or upgraded. This is
	commonly used for packages placing configuration files in /etc. See
	Handling Config Files in linkman:pacman[8] for more information.

*depends (array)*::
	An array of packages that this package depends on to run. Packages in
	this list should be surrounded with single quotes and contain at least
	the package name. Entries can also include a version requirement of the
	form 'name<>version', where <> is one of five comparisons: >= (greater
	than or equal to), <= (less than or equal to), = (equal to), > (greater
	than), or < (less than).

*makedepends (array)*::
	An array of packages that this package depends on to build, but are not
	needed at runtime. Packages in this list follow the same format as
	depends.

*checkdepends (array)*::
	An array of packages that this package depends on to run its test suite,
	but are not needed at runtime. Packages in this list follow the same
	format as depends. These dependencies are only considered when the
	check() function is present and is to be run by makepkg.

*optdepends (array)*::
	An array of packages (and accompanying reasons) that are not essential for
	base functionality, but may be necessary to make full use of the contents
	of this package. optdepends are currently for informational purposes only
	and are not utilized by pacman during dependency resolution. The format
	for specifying optdepends is:

	optdepends=('fakeroot: for makepkg usage as normal user')

*conflicts (array)*::
	An array of packages that will conflict with this package (i.e. they
	cannot both be installed at the same time). This directive follows the
	same format as depends. Versioned conflicts are also supported.

*provides (array)*::
	An array of ``virtual provisions'' that this package provides. This allows
	a package to provide dependencies other than its own package name. For
	example, the dcron package can provide 'cron', which allows packages to
	depend on 'cron' rather than 'dcron OR fcron'.
	Versioned provisions are also possible, in the 'name=version' format.
	For example, dcron can provide 'cron=2.0' to satisfy the 'cron>=2.0'
	dependency of other packages. Provisions involving the '>' and '<'
	operators are invalid as only specific versions of a package may be
	provided.

*replaces (array)*::
	An array of packages that this package should replace, and can be used
	to handle renamed/combined packages. For example, if the 'j2re' package
	is renamed to 'jre', this directive allows future upgrades to continue
	as expected even though the package has moved. Sysupgrade is currently
	the only pacman operation that utilizes this field, a normal sync will
	not use its value.

*options (array)*::
	This array allows you to override some of makepkg's default behavior
	when building packages. To set an option, just include the option name
	in the options array. To reverse the default behavior, place an ``!'' at
	the front of the option. Only specify the options you specifically want
	to override, the rest will be taken from linkman:makepkg.conf[5].
	*NOTE:* 'force' is a now-removed option in favor of the top level 'epoch'
	variable.

	*strip*;;
		Strip symbols from binaries and libraries. If you frequently
		use a debugger on programs or libraries, it may be helpful to
		disable this option.

	*docs*;;
		Save doc directories. If you wish to delete doc directories,
		specify `!docs` in the array.

	*libtool*;;
		Leave libtool (.la) files in packages. Specify `!libtool` to
		remove them.

	*emptydirs*;;
		Leave empty directories in packages.

	*zipman*;;
		Compress man and info pages with gzip.

	*ccache*;;
		Allow the use of ccache during build. More useful in its negative
		form `!ccache` with select packages that have problems building
		with ccache.

	*distcc*;;
		Allow the use of distcc during build. More useful in its negative
		form `!distcc` with select packages that have problems building
		with distcc.

	*buildflags*;;
		Allow the use of user-specific buildflags (CFLAGS, CXXFLAGS, LDFLAGS)
		during build as specified in linkman:makepkg.conf[5]. More useful in
		its negative form `!buildflags` with select packages that have problems
		building with custom buildflags.

	*makeflags*;;
		Allow the use of user-specific makeflags during build as specified
		in linkman:makepkg.conf[5]. More useful in its negative form
		`!makeflags` with select packages that have problems building with
		custom makeflags such as `-j2` (or higher).


build() Function
----------------
In addition to the above directives, the optional build() bash function usually
comprises the remainder of the PKGBUILD. This is directly sourced and executed
by makepkg, so anything that bash or the system has available is available for
use here. The function is run in `bash -e` mode, meaning any command that exits
with a non-zero status will cause the function to exit. Be sure any exotic
commands used are covered by `makedepends`.

All of the above variables such as `pkgname` and `pkgver` are available for use
in the build function. In addition, makepkg defines three variables for your
use during the build and install process. These three variables are as follows:

*startdir*::
	This contains the absolute path to the directory where the PKGBUILD was
	located, which is usually the output of `$(pwd)` when makepkg is started.

*srcdir*::
	This points to the directory where makepkg extracts or copies all source
	files.

*pkgdir*::
	This points to the directory where makepkg bundles the installed package
	(this directory will become the root directory of your built package).

If you create any variables of your own in the build function, it is
recommended to use the bash `local` keyword to scope the variable to inside
the build function.

check() Function
----------------
An optional check() function can be specified in which a packages test-suite
may be run. This function is run between the build() and package() functions.
The function is run in `bash -e` mode, meaning any command that exits with a
non-zero status will cause the function to exit. Be sure any exotic commands
used are covered by `checkdepends`.

package() Function
------------------
An optional package() function can be specified in addition to the build()
function. This function is run after the build() and check() functions. The
function is run in `bash -e` mode, meaning any command that exits with a
non-zero status will cause the function to exit. When specified in combination
with the fakeroot BUILDENV option in linkman:makepkg.conf[5], fakeroot usage
will be limited to running the packaging stage. An existing build() function
will be run as the user calling makepkg.

Package Splitting
-----------------
makepkg supports building multiple packages from a single PKGBUILD. This is
achieved by assigning an array of package names to the `pkgname` directive.
Each split package uses a corresponding packaging function with name
`package_foo()`, where `foo` is the name of the split package.

All options and directives for the split packages default to the global values
given within the PKGBUILD. However, some of these can be overridden within each
split package's packaging function. The following variables can be overridden:
`pkgver`, `pkgrel`, `pkgdesc`, `arch`, `license`, `groups`, `depends`,
`optdepends`, `provides`, `conflicts`, `replaces`, `backup`, `options`,
`install` and `changelog`.

An optional global directive is available when building a split package:

*pkgbase*::
	The name used to refer to the group of packages in the output of makepkg
	and in the naming of source-only tarballs.  If not specified, the first
	element in the `pkgname` array is used.  The variable is not allowed to
	begin with a hyphen.

Install/Upgrade/Remove Scripting
--------------------------------
Pacman has the ability to store and execute a package-specific script when it
installs, removes, or upgrades a package. This allows a package to configure
itself after installation and perform an opposite action upon removal.

The exact time the script is run varies with each operation:

*pre_install*::
	script is run right before files are extracted. One argument is passed:
	new package version.

*post_install*::
	script is run right after files are extracted. One argument is passed:
	new package version.

*pre_upgrade*::
	script is run right before files are extracted. Two arguments are passed
	in the following order: new package version, old package version.

*post_upgrade*::
	script is run after files are extracted. Two arguments are passed
	in the following order: new package version, old package version.

*pre_remove*::
	script is run right before files are removed. One argument is passed:
	old package version.

*post_remove*::
	script is run right after files are removed. One argument is passed:
	old package version.

To use this feature, create a file such as 'pkgname.install' and put it in the
same directory as the PKGBUILD script. Then use the install directive:

	install=pkgname.install

The install script does not need to be specified in the source array. A
template install file is available in '{pkgdatadir}' as 'proto.install' for
reference with all of the available functions defined.


Development Directives
----------------------
makepkg supports building development versions of packages without having to
manually update the pkgver in the PKGBUILD. This was formerly done using the
separate utility 'versionpkg'. In order to utilize this functionality, your
PKGBUILD must use correct variable names depending on the SCM being fetched
from.

*CVS*::
	The generated pkgver will be the date the package is built.

	*_cvsroot*;;
		The root of the CVS repository.

	*_cvsmod*;;
		The CVS module to fetch.

*SVN*::
	The generated pkgver will be the latest SVN revision number.

	*_svntrunk*;;
		The trunk of the SVN repository.

	*_svnmod*;;
		The SVN module to fetch.

*Git*::
	The generated pkgver will be one formatted by the 'git-describe'
	command, with '-' characters converted to '_' characters.

	*_gitroot*;;
		The URL (all protocols supported) to the GIT repository.

	*_gitname*;;
		GIT tag or branch to use.

*Mercurial*::
	The generated pkgver will be the hg tip revision number.

	*_hgroot*;;
		The URL of the mercurial repository.

	*_hgrepo*;;
		The repository to follow.

*Darcs*::
	The generated pkgver will be the date the package is built.

	*_darcstrunk*;;
		URL to the repository trunk.

	*_darcsmod*;;
		Darcs module to use.

*Bazaar*::
	The generated pkgver will be the latest Bazaar revision number (revno).

	*_bzrtrunk*;;
		URL to the bazaar repository.

	*_bzrmod*;;
		Bazaar module to use.


Example
-------
The following is an example PKGBUILD for the 'patch' package. For more
examples, look through the build files of your distribution's packages. For
those using Arch Linux, consult the ABS tree.

[source,sh]
-------------------------------
include::PKGBUILD-example.txt[]
-------------------------------

See Also
--------
linkman:makepkg[8], linkman:pacman[8], linkman:makepkg.conf[5]

include::footer.txt[]