How to use setuptools to create rpm packages for linux

Question

I want to build a rpm package for my software. I am only familiar with the classic way of using rpmbuild tool of linux with spec files and source directory. But I read in the documentation of distutils that it can somehow create a RPM package. Setuptools is based on distutils so I am guessing it also has some procedure to build rpm. Although I never practically used any of the two modules, but I always thought that they build their own standalone packages.

I have two questions. First is that what is the exact procedure to create a rpm from setuptools. Second is that, is this way more organized than rpmbuild utility?

What I researched so far on Internet-

1. Setuptools is mainly used to create a "wheel" package. And it is similar to other packages like rpm or deb, except linux will not directly understand it like RPM.
2. Need to pass bdist_rpm flag during the build process to create a rpm package.( link )

I am quite confused with the concept of building and distributing a package. Need some explanation on what i am understanding wrong between setuptools and rpm.

Answer 1

How to build RPM package using bdist directly from setup.py http://jeromebelleman.gitlab.io/posts/devops/setuppy/ Note that this method is easy and can produce just simply RPM packages. And for example, you cannot put requires (or build requires) in metadata, you have to remember to put them on the command line all the times.

I would say that bdist is suitable just for initial work. If you want to ship and support it then creating SPEC file is a must.

One more example - AFAIK you cannot specify %post or %pre scriptlets using bdist and setup.py.

Here is an example of python SPEC file: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:Python#Example_common_spec_file