[on-asterisk] How to build RPM package of Asterisk from source?
Bruce N
I noticed that RPM packages of Asterisk downloaded from Digium repository
installs DAHDI on a VPS just fine without the need to tamper the mother
node (install DAHDI on mother node first). However, when installing
Asterisk from source one has to install DAHDI drivers on the mother node
first to make it available to the VPS. That is something I would like to
avoid. So, I want to build my own custom Asterisk RPM package but it's the
first time for me and need some guidance from those who are familiar with
RPM package development. Digium repositories also do not include all
Asterisk features and add-ons (e.g. OOH323, etc...) hence I want to build
my own.
My first question is if the building process requires me to install
Asterisk on a physical server with all features and then build the RPM? If
so, how does that package work on different type of hardware? I also don't
understand why a compiled version is able to get DAHDI running on a VPS
while same is not possible from a source install.
My second question is if you know of any simple guides that can run me
through RPM building process on a RedHat (CentOS specifically) platform. I
am hoping this doesn't require me to write a lengthy install script.
Any feedback is much appreciated.
-Bruce
Leif Madsen
> I noticed that RPM packages of Asterisk downloaded from Digium repository
> installs DAHDI on a VPS just fine without the need to tamper the mother
> node (install DAHDI on mother node first). However, when installing
> Asterisk from source one has to install DAHDI drivers on the mother node
> first to make it available to the VPS. That is something I would like to
> avoid. So, I want to build my own custom Asterisk RPM package but it's the
> first time for me and need some guidance from those who are familiar with
> RPM package development. Digium repositories also do not include all
> Asterisk features and add-ons (e.g. OOH323, etc...) hence I want to build
> my own.
That's because some modules are build as submodules of the primary
package. Look on
http://packages.asterisk.org/centos/5/asterisk-1.8/x86_64/RPMS/ (for
example) and you'll see the submodules that gives you the other
modules, such as ooh323 that you mention.
> My first question is if the building process requires me to install
> Asterisk on a physical server with all features and then build the RPM? If
> so, how does that package work on different type of hardware? I also don't
> understand why a compiled version is able to get DAHDI running on a VPS
> while same is not possible from a source install.
You have to build for the hardware architecture that you're installing
on. x86_64 can load both i386 and x86_64 build (both in terms of
installation and of building). A 32-bit OS can only build 32-bit RPMs.
Sometimes you can crosscompile and build, but if you're using
something like mock, you do need the appropriate hardware to build on.
I don't understand what you mean by install DAHDI on a VPS in regards
to "compiled" or "source". An RPM is pre-compiled software, but the
ability of the system to load or allow the loading of kernel modules
is not circumvented by building an RPM.
> My second question is if you know of any simple guides that can run me
> through RPM building process on a RedHat (CentOS specifically) platform. I
> am hoping this doesn't require me to write a lengthy install script.
The install script is the .spec file, which is provided inside an
.src.rpm which you can use to build the .src.rpm. Then you use the
.src.rpm to build the installable .rpm. This is usually done via
rpmbuild application. If you use mock, which I mentioned earlier, then
the usage of mock deals with much of the build environment creation
and the packaging for you. The "old way" is to install all the
dependencies required to compile Asterisk on the box to "precompile"
the software for the RPM. With mock the same thing happens, but you
don't dirty the build environment since it is created each time you
build the RPM.
It took me about a week to go from not knowing anything about RPMs to
building the spec files for my environment and using mock to build
both DAHDI and Asterisk 1.4/1.8 RPMs for all the modules I required
along with converting all our other spec files to being usable by mock
to build all our RPMs (about 12 applications in total).
Leif.
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Leif Madsen
fall under the same maintainer of Digium generally). DAHDI can be
installed independently of Asterisk, and vice-versa, but certain
features of Asterisk require a timing source. The source can either be
res_timing_pthread (awful), res_timing_timerfd (only available in
kernels newer than 2.6.23 or something, so not available on CentOS
5.x, and not as robust as DAHDI timing), or res_timing_dahdi, which of
course requires that DAHDI be loaded. (Also of note, in newer versions
of DAHDI you don't need to load dahdi dummy separately. Just loading
DAHDI itself is enough without modules as the dummy timing has been
put into the core, so it's not an external module anymore.)
If you don't have DAHDI installed prior to installing Asterisk (or
rather, you don't have Asterisk compiled against DAHDI), then the
features that require timing either need to use something other than
res_timing_dahdi, or they won't be compiled at all. I believe
chan_dahdi only compiles if Asterisk is compiled against DAHDI.
Leif.
On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM, Bruce N <bruc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Much appreciated Lief. This is amazing detailed info. I will have to find
> the time to go over this process thoroughly.
>
> I thought that the RPM install of Asterisk installs and loads DUMMY DAHDI by
> default. But I guess, as you say, the install might happen but it doesn't
> mean it load and function well?!
>
> Best,
> Bruce
--
Leif Madsen.
http://www.leifmadsen.com
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/asterisk
Bruce N
Are the .src.rpm files of Asterisk (on Digium repository) open-source and
public? I want to have a look at source rpm files to read the current spec
files (should give me much of a head boost). I don't see them posted in:
http://packages.asterisk.org/centos/5/asterisk-1.8/x86_64/RPMS/
Thanks again,
Bruce
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Bruce N
-Bruce