An ebuild is a specialized bash script format created by the Gentoo Linux project for use in its Portage software management system which automates compilation and installation procedures for software packages.-1... The Gentoo Linux operating system (pronounced ) is a Linux distribution named after the Gentoo penguin. ... Portage is an advanced package management system. ... A diagram of the operation of a typical multi-language, multi-target compiler. ... // Installation (or setup) of a program (including drivers) is the act and the effect of putting the program in a computer system so that it can be executed. ...

Each version of each application or package in the Portage repository has a specific ebuild script written for it.

The ebuild script is used by the emerge tool, also created by the Gentoo Linux project. The emerge tool uses the ebuild to perform its job: calculate any dependencies of the desired software installation, download the required files (and patch them, if necessary), configure the package (based on USE flag settings), compile, and perform a sandboxed installation (in /var/tmp/portage/[ebuild name]/image/ by default). Upon successful completion of these steps the installed files are merged into the live system, outside the sandbox. Look up Emerge in Gentoo-wiki, the wiki about the Gentoo Linux distribution. ... A sandbox is a testing (or virtual) environment that isolates untested code changes and outright experimentation from the production environment or repository, in the context of software development including web development and revision control, and by extension in web-based editing environments including wikis. ...

Although most ebuilds found in the Gentoo Portage repository are used to compile programs from source code, there are also ebuilds to install binary packages, ebuilds that install only documentation or data such as fonts, and basic ebuilds called "metabuilds" which solely trigger the installation of other ebuilds (such as the GNOME or KDE metabuilds). This article is about the mythical creature. ... KDE (K Desktop Environment) (IPA: ) is a free software project which aims to be a powerful system for an easy-to-use desktop environment. ...

Example

Here is an example ebuild for version 1.2.2 of the Beep software:

 # Copyright 1999-2006 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-r1.ebuild,v 1.3 2006/08/19 11:00:37 kloeri Exp $ inherit eutils base DESCRIPTION="the advanced PC speaker beeper" HOMEPAGE="http://www.johnath.com/beep/" SRC_URI="http://www.johnath.com/beep/${P}.tar.gz" LICENSE="GPL-2" SLOT="0" KEYWORDS="alpha amd64 ~ppc ~ppc64 ~sparc ~x86" IUSE="" PATCHES="${FILESDIR}/${P}-nosuid.patch" src_compile() { emake FLAGS="${CFLAGS}" || die "compile problem" } src_install() { dobin beep fperms 0711 /usr/bin/beep doman beep.1.gz dodoc CHANGELOG CREDITS README } 

See also

• Portage (software)
• Gentoo Linux

Image File history File links Free_Software_Portal_Logo. ... Portage is an advanced package management system. ... The Gentoo Linux operating system (pronounced ) is a Linux distribution named after the Gentoo penguin. ...

External links

• Ebuild HOWTO
• Contributing Ebuilds