On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:40:43 -0400, Tom wrote: > Macro forms of system executables (such as %{__rm}) should not be used > except when there is a need to allow the location of those executables > to be configurable. > > https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:Guidelines#Macros > rm should be used in preference to %{__rm}, but %{__python} is acceptable. Hmmm... where's the rationale? The "why?"s aren't answered. One truth about macro-fied commands is that typically the packagers don't ensure consistency throughout the entire build process. For example, "configure" scripts and Makefiles pick up their own commands based on $PATH (or other techniques) or hardcode plain path-less commands in at least a few files. Nothing ensures that the value of %__rm and similar macros are passed on to the build framework. Using %__python is not acceptable either in that case. Unless a redefinition of %__python makes sure that nothing else than the expanded value is used throughout the entire build process *and* also inside RPM scriptlets. If a packager sees "a need to allow the location of those executables to be configurable", the spec file ought to (or MUST?) give an explanation in a comment. Only that helps with fighting macro-madness. -- $ rpm --eval %__ln_s ln -s $ rpm --eval %__ln %__ln -- packaging mailing list packaging@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/packaging