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 describes 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}'
along with 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
of them 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 prefix their name with an '_' (underscore).
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)*::
	Either the name of the package or an array of names for split packages.
	Valid characters for members of this array are alphanumerics, and any of
	the following characters: ```@ . _ + -`''. Additionally, names 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 colons or hyphens.
+
The `pkgver` variable can be automatically updated by providing a `pkgver()`
function in the PKGBUILD that outputs the new package version.
This is run after downloading and extracting the sources so it can use those
files in determining the new `pkgver`.
This is most useful when used with sources from version control systems (see
below).

*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. This is typically set to '1' for each new upstream
	software release and 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 and to not use the package's
	name.

*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 web site.

*license (array)*::
	This field specifies the license(s) that apply to the package.
	Commonly used licenses can be 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
	available in '/usr/share/licenses/common', then you should include it
	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, 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, or be a
	fully-qualified URL that makepkg can use to download the file.
	To simplify the maintenance of PKGBUILDs, use the `$pkgname` and `$pkgver`
	variables when specifying the download location, if possible.
	Compressed files will be extracted automatically unless found in the
	noextract array described below.
+
It is also possible to change the name of the downloaded file, which is helpful
with weird URLs and for handling multiple source files with the same
name. The syntax is: `source=('filename::url')`.
+
makepkg also supports building developmental versions of packages using sources
downloaded from version control systems (VCS). For more information, see
<<VCS,Using VCS Sources>> below.
+
Files in the source array with extensions `.sig`, `.sign` or, `.asc` are
recognized by makepkg as PGP signatures and will be automatically used to verify
the integrity of the corresponding source file.

*noextract (array)*::
	An array of file names 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 that use compressed data directly.

*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. If 'SKIP' is put in the array
	in place of a normal hash, the integrity check for that source file will
	be skipped. 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 should use `arch=('any')`.

*backup (array)*::
	An array of file names, 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 this package depends on to run. Entries 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).
+
If the dependency name appears to be a library (ends with .so), makepkg will
try to find a binary that depends on the library in the built package and
append the version needed by the binary. Appending the version yourself
disables automatic detection.

*makedepends (array)*::
	An array of packages 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 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 supported using the
	operators as described in `depends`.

*provides (array)*::
	An array of ``virtual provisions'' 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.
+
If the provision name appears to be a library (ends with .so), makepkg will
try to find the library in the built package and append the correct
version. Appending the version yourself disables automatic detection.

*replaces (array)*::
	An array of packages this package should replace. This 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. Versioned replaces are
	supported using the operators as described in `depends`.
+
Sysupgrade is currently the only pacman operation that utilizes this field.
A normal sync or upgrade 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.

	*staticlibs*;;
		Leave static library (.a) files in packages. Specify `!staticlibs` to
		remove them.

	*emptydirs*;;
		Leave empty directories in packages.

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

	*upx*;;
		Compress binary executable files using UPX.

	*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 (CPPFLAGS, 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).

	*debug*;;
		Add the user-specified debug flags (DEBUG_CFLAGS, DEBUG_CXXFLAGS) to
		their counterpart buildflags as specified in linkman:makepkg.conf[5].
		When used in combination with the `strip' option, a separate package
		containing the debug symbols is created.


Packaging Functions
-------------------

In addition to the above directives, PKGBUILDs require a set of functions that
provide instructions to build and install the package. As a minimum, the
PKGBUILD must contain a `package()` function which installs all the package's
files into the packaging directory, with optional `prepare()`, `build()`, and
`check()` functions being used to create those files from source.

*package() Function*::
	The `package()` function is used to install files into the directory that
	will become the root directory of the built package and is run after all
	the optional functions listed below. When specified in combination with
	the fakeroot BUILDENV option in linkman:makepkg.conf[5], fakeroot usage
	will be limited to running the packaging stage. All other functions will
	be run as the user calling makepkg.

*prepare() Function*::
	An optional `prepare()` function can be specified in which operations to
	prepare the sources for building, such as patching, are performed. This
	function is run after the source extraction and before the `build()`
	function. The `prepare()` function is skipped when source extraction
	is skipped.

*build() Function*::
	The optional `build()` function is use to compile and/or adjust the source
	files in preparation to be installed by the `package()` function. This is
	directly sourced and executed by makepkg, so anything that Bash or the
	system has available is available for use here. Be sure any exotic
	commands used are covered by the `makedepends` array.
+
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 package's
	test-suite may be run. This function is run between the `build()` and
	`package()` functions. Be sure any exotic commands used are covered by the
	`checkdepends` array.

All of the above variables such as `$pkgname` and `$pkgver` are available for
use in the `build()` function. In addition, makepkg defines the following
variables for use during the build and install process:

*srcdir*::
	This contains the directory where makepkg extracts, or copies, all source
	files.

*pkgdir*::
	This contains the directory where makepkg bundles the installed package.
	This directory will become the root directory of your built package. This
	variable should only be used in the `package()` function.

*startdir*::
	This contains the absolute path to the directory where the PKGBUILD is
	located, which is usually the output of `$(pwd)` when makepkg is started.
	Use of this variable is deprecated and strongly discouraged.

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 in the PKGBUILD. Nevertheless, the following ones can be overridden within
each split package's packaging function:
`pkgver`, `pkgrel`, `epoch`, `pkgdesc`, `arch`, `url`, `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, and should be
self-explanatory. Note that during an upgrade operation, none of the install
or remove scripts will be called.

Scripts are passed either one or two ``full version strings'', where a full
version string is either 'pkgver-pkgrel' or 'epoch:pkgver-pkgrel', if epoch is
non-zero.

*pre_install*::
	Run right before files are extracted. One argument is passed:
	new package full version string.

*post_install*::
	Run right after files are extracted. One argument is passed:
	new package full version string.

*pre_upgrade*::
	Run right before files are extracted. Two arguments are passed in this
	order: new package full version string, old package full version string.

*post_upgrade*::
	Run after files are extracted. Two arguments are passed in this order:
	new package full version string, old package full version string.

*pre_remove*::
	Run right before files are removed. One argument is passed:
	old package full version string.

*post_remove*::
	Run right after files are removed. One argument is passed:
	old package full version string.

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.

Using VCS Sources[[VCS]]
------------------------
Building a developmental version of a package using sources from a version
control system (VCS) is enabled by specifying the source in the form
`source=('folder::url#fragment')`. Currently makepkg supports the Bazaar, Git,
Subversion, and Mercurial version control systems. For other version control
systems, manual cloning of upstream repositories must be done in the `prepare()`
function.

The source URL is divided into three components:

*folder*::
	(optional) Specifies an alternate folder name for makepkg to download the VCS
	source into.

*url*::
	The URL to the VCS repository. This must include the VCS in the URL protocol
	for makepkg to recognize this as a VCS source. If the protocol does not
	include the VCS name, it can be added by prefixing the URL with `vcs+`. For
	example, using a Git repository over HTTPS would have a source URL in the
	form:
	`git+https://...`.

*fragment*::
	(optional) Allows specifying a revision number or branch for makepkg to checkout
	from the VCS. For example, to checkout a given revision, the source line would
	have the format `source=(url#revision=123)`. The available fragments depends on
	the VCS being used:

	*bzr*;;
		revision (see `'bzr help revisionspec'` for details)

	*git*;;
		branch, commit, tag

	*hg*;;
		branch, revision, tag

	*svn*;;
		revision

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 Arch Build System (ABS) tree.

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

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

include::footer.txt[]