Create an RPM that can also manipulate files and add users
I'm trying to create an RPM in Fedora 15 that will install my software, but in order for my software to work correctly once installed, I also need to edit other (configuration) files on the system, add users/groups, etc. Performing some of these tasks is only allowed by the root user. I know to never create an RPM as the root user, and I understand why that is such a bad idea. However, if I add shell script statements to my spec file (%post, %prep... any section) to edit the necessary files, add users/groups, etc., my rpmbuild command fails with message "Permission denied" (not surprisingly).
What's the best way to handle this? Do I have to tell my users to install my package first, and then perhaps run a shell script as root to configure it all? That doesn't seem very elegant. I was hoping to allow a user to do everything with one simple command such as 'yum install mysoftware'.
Much of my research suggests that perhaps this shouldn't even be done via RPM. I've read many parts of Maximum RPM, and lots of other good resources, but haven't found what I'm looking for. I'm new to creating RPMs, but have already been able to successfully create a simple spec file for my software... I just can't get everything configured properly after the package is unzipped and installed to the correct location. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Answer
useradd should be run in %pre and shouldn't run during rpmbuild. That's the standard way of doing it. I would recommend the packaging guidelines and specifically the section on users and groups.