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RPM Packaging for SmallTextPad

This guide covers building RPM packages for SmallTextPad, a lightweight Java text editor with encryption and multi-language support.

Files

• smalltextpad.spec - RPM spec file with complete package definition
• build-rpm.sh - Helper script to build the RPM package
• README-rpm.md - This documentation file

Prerequisites

System Requirements

• Linux distribution with RPM package management (Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, openSUSE, etc.)
• Java 21+ JDK installed
• RPM build tools

Installing Build Dependencies

Fedora/RHEL/CentOS:

sudo dnf install rpm-build rpmdevtools java-21-openjdk-devel

openSUSE:

sudo zypper install rpm-build java-21-openjdk-devel

Building the RPM Package

1. Navigate to the packaging directory:

   cd packaging
   

2. Run the build script:

   ./build-rpm.sh
   

The script will:

• Set up the RPM build environment
• Create a source tarball
• Build both binary and source RPM packages

Package Details

Package Information

• Name: smalltextpad
• Version: 1.5.0
• Architecture: noarch (Java application)
• License: Custom (see LICENSE file)
• URL: https://github.com/gcclinux/smalltextpad
• Maintainer: Ricardo Wagemaker

Installation Locations

• Executable: /usr/bin/smalltextpad
• JAR file: /usr/share/smalltextpad/SmallTextPad.jar
• Resources: /usr/share/smalltextpad/res/
• Dictionaries: /usr/share/smalltextpad/dic/
• Desktop file: /usr/share/applications/smalltextpad.desktop
• Icons: /usr/share/icons/hicolor/{128x128,256x256,1024x1024}/apps/smalltextpad.png
• Documentation: /usr/share/doc/smalltextpad/

Features Included

• Desktop integration with application menu entry
• File associations for text files and .sstp encrypted files
• Multiple icon sizes for different display densities
• Proper MIME type handling
• Multi-language desktop entry descriptions
• Automatic icon cache and desktop database updates

Installing the Package

After building, install the package with:

# Using rpm directly
sudo rpm -ivh ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/noarch/smalltextpad-1.5.0-1.*.noarch.rpm

# Or using dnf (Fedora/RHEL)
sudo dnf install ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/noarch/smalltextpad-1.5.0-1.*.noarch.rpm

# Or using zypper (openSUSE)
sudo zypper install ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/noarch/smalltextpad-1.5.0-1.*.noarch.rpm

Using the Application

Once installed, you can:

1. Launch from application menu: Look for “SmallTextPad” in the Office or Development category
2. Launch from command line: smalltextpad [filename]
3. Open files: Right-click text files and choose “Open with SmallTextPad”

Uninstalling

sudo rpm -e smalltextpad
# or
sudo dnf remove smalltextpad
# or
sudo zypper remove smalltextpad

Customization

Modifying the Spec File

The smalltextpad.spec file can be customized for different requirements:

• Dependencies: Modify the Requires: lines to change Java version requirements
• File locations: Change installation paths in the %install section
• Desktop integration: Modify the desktop file creation in the %install section
• Package metadata: Update summary, description, and other metadata

Building for Different Architectures

While SmallTextPad is a Java application (noarch), you can modify the spec file to build architecture-specific packages if needed by changing:

BuildArch: noarch

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Java not found during build:
   • Ensure Java 21+ JDK is installed
   • Check that java and javac are in your PATH
2. RPM build tools missing:
   • Install rpm-build and rpmdevtools packages
3. Permission errors:
   • Ensure you have write permissions to ~/rpmbuild/
   • The build script will create the directory structure if needed
4. Missing MANIFEST.MF:
   • The build script automatically creates this file if missing

Build Logs

Check RPM build logs for detailed error information:

tail -f ~/rpmbuild/BUILD/smalltextpad-*/build.log

Contributing

To contribute improvements to the RPM packaging:

1. Fork the repository
2. Make changes to the spec file or build scripts
3. Test the build process
4. Submit a pull request

Support

• Project Repository: https://github.com/gcclinux/smalltextpad
• Issues: https://github.com/gcclinux/smalltextpad/issues
• Latest Releases: https://github.com/gcclinux/smalltextpad/releases/latest

See Also

• JAR Build Guide - Building standalone JAR files
• Snap Build Guide - Building Snap packages for universal Linux distribution
• Windows Build Guide - Building Windows installers and portable packages
• Back to Home - Main documentation and downloads