Question and answer
===================

Q: Where do I set the name of the software (package)?
Q: Where do I set the version of the software (package)?
A: In the specfile.in, there are two entries at the very top of the file.
   These are used for the name of the package and the version.  The Makefile
   uses rpm --specfile to fetch the name and version of the package for the
   build process.  The name and version are stored only in these files.  (Note
   though, that the $(NAME)-$(VERSION) are used as the tag for the version
   control system. See below for more details.)


Q: Under what license is atelerix released?
A: The BSDL.  


Q: Why does the specfile.in say "License: empty", then?
A: The example 'specfile.in' contains the rather unusual value 'empty' for
   the License field.  This is merely to emphasize that any software using the
   atelerix Makefile (and tools) should specify its own license in this field.


Q: How do I get some more help on building a package with this?
A: Type 'make help' at the command line containing the main Makefile.
A: There's a PACKAGING-HOWTO.rst (restructured text).  Run that through
   'rst2html.py' to look at some HTML, or just look at the RST itself.
   Alternatively, look through the distributed Makefile.build for the line
   'RST2HTML := PACKAGING-HOWTO.html' and uncomment.


Q: How do I add a simple file?  For example, suppose I want to add a script
   that should end up in /usr/bin/frobnitz (without any changes).
A: This involves several steps (continuing from above frobnitz example
   workflow).

     1. add the file to the directory (and your VCS)
     2. add the file to the %files specfile listing
          %attr(755, root, root) @BINDIR@/frobnitz
     3. add a section to the 'install' target of Makefile.build
          mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
          install -m 0755 frobnitz $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
     4. run "make test-rpm"

   You should get a package in the ./dist/ directory.  Check the built package
   to see if the file is in the correct place:

     5. rpm -qlp dist/frobnitz-$VERSION-1.noarch.rpm

   Look for the output showing the package with /usr/bin/frobnitz.


Q: What are the macros available for substitution?
A: Look at the supplied Makefile.build to see the most common ones.  These are
   listed at the bottom of the file along with some sample contents.
A: Look at the supplied Makefile's $(SUBDATA) target.  This target create a
   file which contains all of the substitutions that will be used in any of
   your .in files.  The macros should look familiar to you if you have used
   autotools.  Each macro starts with an @ and ends with an @.
   If you have not used autotools, just remember one distinction.  The
   variable name is completely the same.  The syntax, though, differs
   slightly:

     in Makefile.build and Makefile:    $(PACKAGE_ROOT)
     in any other file:                  @PACKAGE_ROOT@


Q: Does this work for python?  How about C?  Perl?  Shell?
A: This packaging and VCS integration can work with just about any code you
   want to package.  So, yes.


Q: Shouldn't I be using autotools?  Or python Distutils?  Or perl's CPAN?
A: Depends on your needs.  This is intended to be a very lightweight
   framework for solving the common need to deploy a bunch of scripts as a
   package.  Systems administrators like packages.  Developers like
   subversion.  Many find autotools excruciating.  Some don't like Distutils
   or CPAN.


Q: What if I don't like having my configuration files in a subdirectory called
   /etc/atelerix/<package>?
A: OK, so you run the company "sylvester" and you want all of your
   configuration files to end up in /etc/sylvester/<package>.  Go into the
   Makefile, and find the variable called ENCLAVE.  Change it and remake your
   package.


Q: Why is it called atelerix?
A: Because it's hedgehog-like, wrapping up into a little ball to protect
   itself against those evil systems administrators.