Rpmbuild subpackage definition causes error in tmp file - rpmbuild

Question

I try to create an rpm package with some subpackages.
running the rpmbuild command results in an error when preparing the first subpackage.
This is the result when running rpmbuild -ba specfile:
[root#RHEL510-BUILD SPECS]# rpmbuild -ba kapsch-icinga.spec
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.88616
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/rpmbuild/BUILD
+ LANG=C
+ export LANG
+ unset DISPLAY
+ -n autoconf
/var/tmp/rpm-tmp.88616: line 27: -n: command not found
error: Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.88616 (%prep)
I don't see any error in the spec file defined.
As described in the rpm documentation the parameter -n defines that a subpackage will use the name defined without the prefix name of the main package.
My SPEC file:
%define _topdir /usr/src/rpmbuild
Name: my-icinga
Version: 1.0
Release: 1
License: GPLv2
Summary: defined installation of ICINGA and all it's components inclugins plugins
Group: Monitoring
%description
In this package all dependancies for a complete installation for icinga/nagios server and client(s)are included.
Each subpackage can be created separately.
#--------------
# define some global configuration parameters
#--------------
%define _nagiosUser icinga
%define _nagiosGrp icinga
%package -n autoconf
Version: 2.69
Release: 1
License: GPLv2
Source: http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.69.tar.gz
Summary: autoconf with a version > 2.65
Group: Monitoring
%description -n autoconf
autoconf will be needed with a version > 2.65 to be able to build some additional subpackages
%package -n my-nagios-plugins
Version: 1.0
Release: 1
License: GPLv2
Summary: Plugins from nagios and ConSol for Kapsch ICINGA cient installation
Group: Monitoring
%description -n my-nagios-plugins
These package includes the standard nagios plugins as well als ConSol plugins check_oracle_health and check_logfiles
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Build area
# here starts the build section for each subpackage
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
%prep -n autoconf
%setup -n autoconf
%build -n autoconf
./configure
./make
#%%prep my-nagios-plugins
#%%setup my-nagios-plugins
#
#%%build my-nagios-plugins
##first build the standard nagios plugins
#cd nagios-plugins-2.0.3
#./configure
#./make
Any hint what's wrong with my SPEC file?
I know that the SPEC file is not complete but the missing parts should not be the cause of the error.

Answer 1

Don't override %_topdir in your spec file. %_topdir
is expanded before the spec file is parsed.
Instead, configure in ~/.rpmmacros

Answer 2

As the error message says, %prep does not take -n as an argument.
There are parts of the spec that are common to all subpackages
There are other underlying issues with your spec file:
If you need autoconf to build packages, you need to install it BEFORE your rpm, typically defining it as a dependency.
Also, I maintain a similar .spec to install icinga and all its dependencies; a very good piece of advice here is the old "KISS" (keep it simple st ...). Make tiny rpms for individual plugins or groups of plugins and create a metapackage that has all of them as dependecy.
Also I advise you to install your custom nagios-plugins to a different location that nagios-plugin:
EG: on centos nagios-plugins install at: /usr/lib/nagios/plugins
our custom built nagios-plugins are installed at: /usr/lib/nagios/plugins/mycompany
NOTE: nagios-plugins from git pulls its own spec file, that can be easily modified to be used with your custom plugins