Ebuild - Definition and Overview

An Ebuild is a bash script written for the Portage system of Gentoo Linux. Each application in the portage tree has an ebuild written for it, and the ebuild, invoked with "emerge nameofebuild", automatically compiles (if necessary) and installs the program, and any required dependencies. Ebuild files are usually named as "name-version.ebuild". Usually, the ebuild is designed to install an application from source, although some ebuilds are designed for binaries. Other ebuilds install meta-packages or virtual packages. Here is an example ebuild for the Beep (http://www.johnath.com/beep/) software:

# Copyright 1999-2004 Gentoo Foundation
# Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
# $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/app-misc/beep/beep-1.2.2.ebuild,v 1.16 2004/07/14 01:43:23 mr_bones_ Exp $

DESCRIPTION="the advanced PC speaker beeper"
HOMEPAGE="http://www.johnath.com/beep/"
SRC_URI="http://www.johnath.com/beep/${P}.tar.gz"

LICENSE="GPL-2"
SLOT="0"
KEYWORDS="x86 ppc alpha amd64"
IUSE=""

DEPEND="virtual/libc"

src_compile() {
    emake FLAGS="${CFLAGS}" || die "compile problem"
}

src_install() {
    dobin beep
    # do we really have to set this suid by default? -solar
    fperms 4711 /usr/bin/beep
    doman beep.1.gz
    dodoc CHANGELOG CREDITS README
}

External links

• Gentoo Portage Features (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=3)
• Gentoo Portage Introduction (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=2&chap=1)
• Working with Portage (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=3)
• Ebuild HOWTO (http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/devrel/handbook/handbook.xml?part=2&chap=1)
• Contributing Ebuilds (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/ebuild-submit.xml)
• Example Ebuild Source (http://www.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/app-misc/beep/beep-1.2.2.ebuild)