Build Service/FAQ

From openSUSE

What exactly is the openSUSE Build Service ?

The openSUSE Build Service provides software developers with a tool to create and release their open source software for openSUSE and other Linux distributions easily on different hardware architectures and for a broad user audience.

Developers who want to provide their software to a broader audience of Linux users are often hampered when packages built for one distribution will not work on other distributions. The openSUSE Build Service is the only open source build system that helps developers provide packages with the same high quality for multiple distributions from the same source code. With the system imaging tool KIWI, open source developers can more quickly build a Linux distribution that meets their needs, rigorously test it to ensure product quality, and easily package it for quick installation. Users can easily find the latest open source packages they are looking for and will be able in the future to build customized distributions.

The openSUSE Build Service is completely open source, giving developers and users free and full access to build their choice of Linux packages, whether based on openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu or other projects.

Can everybody build packages with the openSUSE Build Service ?

Yes, everybody can build packages using the openSUSE Build Service. Apply for an openSUSE account (sames account as for editting the wiki) and go to http://build.opensuse.org to get started.

The web interface of the openSUSE Build Service provides you a list of all projects, search functionality as well as some statistcs, and the current status of the openSUSE Build Service. You will also find help about the openSUSE Build Service, a description of building packages, writing specification files as well as reporting a bug.

You can discuss the openSUSE Build Service with us using the opensuse-buildservice@opensuse.org mailing list.

But bear in mind that the openSUSE Build Service is a community support project. So please, if you plan to build packages, make sure

• your package really adds something new to the community
• you talk to people that are working on similar packages or topics
• to rather help on existing packages than duplicating packages
• you let people know about what you're doing to find other interested community members. Mailinglists are the right place to do that.

Always remember, regardless how much build power is added to the build service, it can be eaten up by not so usefull packages ;-)

Can the openSUSE Build Service build package for other distributions ?

Yes, we do support rpm and debian packages atm. Beside openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise, we do support Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and Mandriva distributions.

Can the openSUSE Build Service build packages for Windows OS ?

Currently not, but the general design would allow to implement also Windows support.

Can I build my own distribution with the openSUSE Build Service ?

KIWI does support the generation of image files already. The integration into the openSUSE Build Service is planned.

Why is the openSUSE Build Service unique ?

• The OBS is completely under open source license (GPL).
• The OBS makes building of packages very easy.
• The OBS offers possibility to experiment.
• It is the base to create a huge package collection.
• It allows to build packages for various distributions
• It provides an easy end user interface feature 1-Click Installations.
• OBS is a developer platform by supporting alternative package versions (link to source link docu)
• The OBS guarantees consistent builds of packages, this means it rebuilds all packages if a depended package did change.
• The OBS makes package building a community effort. That means fun, fun, fun and deivided pain ;-)

Can I install an own copy of the openSUSE Build Service ?

Yes, you can install it via the obs rpm packages from the [ openSUSE:Tools project]. You might want to read a Build Service Tutorial

Do I need to install openSUSE to build openSUSE packages ?

No, the OBS does build packages independent of your distribution remotely. That is the benefit - you do not need to install all the systems for which you want to build.

The openSUSE Build Service is either used through a webinterface or a command line tool for the rookies called osc

While the webinterface gives you an easy to use interface to control your package on the server side, the osc command line tool allows to build a package on your local system. It installs a openSUSE build environment into a sub directory on your computer for debugging. That is excellent to learn, experiment and test.