Application Packaging Developer's Guide

The build Class Script

The build class creates or modifies a package object file by executing Bourne shell instructions. These instructions are delivered as the package object. The instructions run automatically at installation if the package object belongs to the build class.

The name of the build class action script should be the same as the name of the file on which the instructions are executed. The name must also be executable by the sh command. The script's output becomes the new version of the file as it is built or modified. If the script produces no output, the file is not created or modified. Therefore, the script can modify or create the file itself.

For example, if a package delivers a default file, /etc/randomtable, and if the file does not already exist on the target system, the prototype file entry might be as follows:


e build /etc/randomtable ? ? ?

The package object, /etc/randomtable, might look like the following:


!install
# randomtable builder
if [ -f $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable ]; then
		echo "/etc/randomtable is already in place.";
	    else
		echo "# /etc/randomtable" > $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable
		echo "1121554	# first random number" >> $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable
fi
 
!remove
# randomtable deconstructor
if [ -f $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable ]; then
		# the file can be removed if it's unchanged
		if [ egrep "first random number" $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable ]; then
			rm $PKG_INSTALL_ROOT/etc/randomtable;
		fi
fi
 

See Chapter 5, Case Studies of Package Creation for another example using the build class.