From Fedora Project Wiki
  • MUST: rpmlint must be run on every package. The output should be posted in the review.
  • SHOULD: Patches should be explained and be submitted to upstream.
  • SHOULD: Group tag must make sense.
  • SHOULD: Search for /usr/lib and /usr/local inside the source, make sure that they are handled properly.
  • MUST  : Remove precompiled binaries.
  • SHOULD: All relevant doc files should be packaged.
  • MUST: The package must be named according to the Package Naming Guidelines .
  • MUST: The spec file name must match the base package %{name}, in the format %{name}.spec unless your package has an exemption on Package Naming Guidelines .
  • SHOULD: Buildroot should be one of these:
  %(mktemp -ud %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-XXXXXX)
  %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-root-%(%{__id_u} -n)
  %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-root
  • MUST: The package must be licensed with a Fedora approved license and meet the Licensing Guidelines .
  • MUST: The License field in the package spec file must match the actual license.
  • MUST: The file, containing the text of the license(s) for the package must be included in %doc if (and only if) the source package includes the text of the license(s) in its own file.
  • MUST: The spec file must be written in American English.
  • MUST: The spec file for the package MUST be legible. If the reviewer is unable to read the spec file, it will be impossible to perform a review.
  • MUST: The sources used to build the package must match the upstream source, as provided in the spec URL.
  • MUST: The package must successfully compile and build into binary rpms on at least one supported architecture.
  • MUST: If the package does not successfully compile, build or work on an architecture, then those architectures should be listed in the spec in ExcludeArch.
  • MUST: All build dependencies must be listed in BuildRequires, except for any that are listed in the exceptions section of the Packaging Guidelines ; inclusion of those as BuildRequires is optional. Apply common sense.
  • MUST: The spec file MUST handle locales properly. This is done by using the %find_lang macro. Using %{_datadir}/locale/* is strictly forbidden.
  • MUST: Every binary RPM package which stores shared library files (not just symlinks) in any of the dynamic linker's default paths, must call ldconfig in %post and %postun.
  • MUST: If the package is designed to be relocatable, the packager must state this fact in the request for review, along with the rationalization for relocation of that specific package. Without this, use of Prefix: /usr is considered a blocker.
  • MUST: A package must own all directories that it creates. If it does not create a directory that it uses, then it should require a package which does create that directory. Refer to the Guidelines for examples.
  • MUST: A package must not contain any duplicate files in the %files listing.
  • MUST: Permissions on files must be set properly. Executables should be set with executable permissions, for example. Every %files section must include a %defattr(...) line. We prefer %defattr(-,root,root,-)
  • MUST: Each package must consistently use macros, as described in the macros section of Packaging Guidelines .
  • MUST: The package must contain code, or permissable content. This is described in detail in the code vs. content section of Packaging Guidelines .
  • MUST: Large documentation files should go in a -doc subpackage.
  • MUST: If a package includes something as %doc, it must not affect the runtime of the application. To summarize: If it is in %doc, the program must run properly if it is not present.
  • MUST: ScriptletSnippets are used properly. (for icons, fonts, mimeinfo, desktop-database, gconf, texinfo, scrollkeeper) Follow:
         http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/ScriptletSnippets
  • MUST: Header files must be in a -devel package.

If there is a -devel package, check for the header files inside the package to figure out "Requires:" for the -devel package.

  • MUST: Static libraries must be in a -static package.
  • MUST: Packages containing pkgconfig(.pc) files must 'Requires: pkgconfig' (for directory ownership and usability).
  • MUST: If a package contains library files with a suffix (e.g. libfoo.so.1.1), then library files that end in .so (without suffix) must go in a -devel package.
  • MUST: In the vast majority of cases, devel packages must require the base package using a fully versioned dependency: Requires: %{name} = %{version}-%{release}
  • MUST: Packages must NOT contain any .la libtool archives, these should be removed in the spec.
  • MUST: Packages containing GUI applications must include a %{name}.desktop file, and that file must be properly installed with desktop-file-install in the %install section. Follow:
         http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines#Desktop_files
  • MUST: Packages must not own files or directories already owned by other packages.
  • MUST: All filenames in rpm packages must be valid UTF-8.
  • MUST: Latest version is packaged.
  • MUST: Dist tag is present and proper.
  • MUST: Compiler flags must be appropriate.
  • MUST  : Parallel make must be supported whenever possible. If it is not supported, this should be noted in the SPEC file as a comment.
  • MUST: final provides and requires are sane
  • MUST: package builds in mock
  • MUST: package installs and removes properly.
  • MUST: package must obey the Application specific Guidelines (python, java etc)
         http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines#Application_Specific_Guidelines