Changes

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=Packaging your application=

==Packaging your application==

Once you have created a customization for your SME Server by adding new files, directories, and symbolic links (for your actions, events, etc.) - and perhaps also triggering an action to initialize your customization - you are ready to package your customization into an RPM.

Once you have created a customization for your SME Server by adding new files, directories, and symbolic links (for your actions, events, etc.) - and perhaps also triggering an action to initialize your customization - you are ready to package your customization into an RPM.

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==A quick introduction to RPMs==

===A quick introduction to RPMs===

All SME Server software packages are distributed as RPM packages. This is the format used by CentOS and other major Linux distributions for distributing applications and other collections of files. The RPM system provides the ability to install, upgrade, remove and (importantly) verify the contents of installed packages.

All SME Server software packages are distributed as RPM packages. This is the format used by CentOS and other major Linux distributions for distributing applications and other collections of files. The RPM system provides the ability to install, upgrade, remove and (importantly) verify the contents of installed packages.

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==Selecting and creating RPMs for your application==

===Selecting and creating RPMs for your application===

Your application will typically depend on several components:

Your application will typically depend on several components:

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==Setting up your RPM development environment==

===Setting up your RPM development environment===

If you haven't done so already, set up an RPM development environment. If you are using an SME Server as your development environment, you will need to alter your user account to enable regular login. If you want to enable account "joe", then you would type the following commands from the root account:

If you haven't done so already, set up an RPM development environment. If you are using an SME Server as your development environment, you will need to alter your user account to enable regular login. If you want to enable account "joe", then you would type the following commands from the root account:

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==Building an RPM==

===Building an RPM===

This section describes the process for building an RPM - step by step.

This section describes the process for building an RPM - step by step.

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===The createlinks script===

====The createlinks script====

The source tarballs of an RPM should not include symbolic links as they are difficult to store under many version control systems and cause issues when generating patches. Since the SME Server uses many symbolic links, there are simple methods for creating the ones required. This is done through the '''createlinks''' script which is called from the <var class="LITERAL">%build</var> section of the SPEC file. Let's examine one. It starts with the standard Perl script header and an import of the required module:

The source tarballs of an RPM should not include symbolic links as they are difficult to store under many version control systems and cause issues when generating patches. Since the SME Server uses many symbolic links, there are simple methods for creating the ones required. This is done through the '''createlinks''' script which is called from the <var class="LITERAL">%build</var> section of the SPEC file. Let's examine one. It starts with the standard Perl script header and an import of the required module: