Source RPM woes -- "Unknown tag"

Poetics · 01-28-2008, 04:02 PM

Good afternoon!

I myself being a Slackware-type (compile everything manually) user, I'm utterly at a loss when it comes to RPMs. I can install and remove RPMs just fine, but today I find myself confronted with a Source RPM for Nessus, the security scanner. I have unpacked the src.rpm into /usr/src/redhat (this is on a CentOS 5 machine), which deposited all of the files in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES and the spec file in usr/src/redhat/SPECS

Running rpm build however returns the following (I don't know why the spec file has such a long name, but that's what it came as):

Code:

_[/usr/src/redhat/SPECS]_(root@centos5)_
# rpmbuild nessus.specnasl.specnessus-server.specnessus-debuginfo.speclibnessus2.speclibhosts_gatherer2.speclibpcap-nessus2.speclibnasl2.specnessus-devel.spec
error: line 32: Unknown tag: %lib_package nessus 2

I've poked around the internet but nobody seems to have had this problem with this package. Looking inside the specfile around line 32 shows that there is no 'package' section relating to the base nessus package, which I imagine would be problematic.

If anyone could suggest to where I should turn my attention, I'd be appreciative. Thanks!

-- Christopher

unSpawn · 01-28-2008, 04:38 PM

Dumping a .src.rpm should only need the --rebuild arg to get your build process going. BTW it's not SOP to build as root: build as unprivileged user (or is that some practice that crept over from using Slackware?) see Building without root, patching software, and distributing RPMs.

Poetics · 01-28-2008, 04:50 PM

Thanks for the suggestion; however adding the --rebuild flag returns a "cannot be installed" error (no more information than the specfile name).

I'm well aware the dangers inherent in doing most tasks as root and glad you picked up on it -- unfortunately for this particular box it's a necessity handed down by management.

Edit: Good link too, I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it as I start to delve (begrudgingly, admittedly) into the world of RPMs.

unSpawn · 01-28-2008, 06:12 PM

I never needed to handle %lib_package macros, so for an explanation see here starting at "Would mind telling me". Hope that works. If it doesn't try building from the nine specs separately starting with the libs.
If that doesn't work post the output in BB code tags and we'll see. If that doesn't work maybe I can help you cheat the whole process and build a monolithic RPM but you mustn't ever distribute that chimera outside your /24.