Features/Simplified Maven Packaging

Simplify Java/Maven Packaging using XMvn

Summary

Introduce new Maven packaging tooling with new macros, automated install section and more

Owner

• Name: Stanislav Ochotnicky
• Email: sochotnicky@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 19
• Last updated: 2013-01-24
• Percentage of completion: 50%

Detailed Description

Current Maven packaging can be time-consuming and full of repetition even for simple packages. To simplify Maven packaging new XMvn tools and macros have been developed. Main features of XMvn include:

• No need for patched Maven (simpler maintenance)
• Automated %install section with possible per-artifact installation configuration
• Automatic requires generation for Maven artifacts

Goal of this feature is to migrate all packages to use XMvn instead of mvn-rpmbuild script. Several packages have already been converted as part of initial testing:

• http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/maven-surefire.git/tree/maven-surefire.spec
• http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/maven-doxia.git/tree/maven-doxia.spec
• http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/slf4j.git/tree/slf4j.spec
• http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/apache-commons-compress.git/tree/apache-commons-compress.spec

Most simple form of new Maven spec file would like something like this:

Name:           XXX
Version:        XXX
Release:        1%{?dist}
Summary:        XXX
License:        XXX
Group:          Development/Libraries
URL:            XXX
Source0:        XXX
BuildArch:      noarch

BuildRequires:  maven-local
BuildRequires:  XXX

%description
XXX

%package javadoc
Summary:        API documentation for %{name}
Group:          Documentation

%description javadoc
This package provides %{summary}.

%prep
%setup -q

%build
%mvn_build

%install
%mvn_install

%files -f .mfiles
%doc README
%doc LICENSE NOTICE
%dir %{_javadir}/%{name}

%files javadoc -f .mfiles-javadoc
%doc LICENSE NOTICE

%changelog
* Wed Jan 23 2013 Mr Packager <root@localhost> - XXX-1
- Initial packaging

Benefit to Fedora

After moving packages to start using XMvn instead of current mvn-rpmbuild spec files will be simpler, easier to maintain and modify. Automatic requires generation will make updating packages easier and less error-prone.

Not having to patch Maven will also open door to faster Maven updates.

Scope

Conversion of mvn-rpmbuild spec files to XMvn is mostly trivial removals and simplifications, but we'll be providing recipes for most common conversions.

How To Test

Tests are best done by reworking your packages to use XMvn instead of mvn-rpmbuild and then verify that automatically generated requires stayed sane.

User Experience

End-users:

• No end-user visible difference

Packagers:

• Packagers will likely enjoy simplified spec files
• Packagers will nevertheless have to learn new ways to handle Maven packaging. Advantages outweigh this learning curve though.

Dependencies

• No dependencies

Contingency Plan

• In case some packages can not migrate due to inevitable incompatibilities they can keep using mvn-rpmbuild and ignore automatic requires.

Documentation

Recipes for conversion from old mvn-rpmbuild to XMvn are being prepared [1].

Release Notes

Improved and simplified way to create RPM packages out of Apache Maven projects has been introduced. See documentation for conversion recipes from old spec files.

Comments and Discussion

• See Talk:Features/XMvn