RPM-MACROFILE(5)              File Formats Manual             RPM-MACROFILE(5)

NAME
       rpm-macrofile - rpm macro file format

SYNOPSIS
       %NAME[([OPTS]) BODY

DESCRIPTION
       Rpm macro files are used to define rpm-macros(7) in the global macro
       context. The two primary uses of macros are assisting packaging work,
       and configuring rpm behavior. A pre-determined set of macro files is
       read upon rpm library initialization as described in rpm-config(5) but
       they can also be loaded via the %load macro separately.

       The format of a macro file is: the macro NAME prefixed with %, followed
       by whitespace and then the macro body, each new definition separated
       with a newline. The syntax is exactly the same as when using %define.
       See rpm-macros(7) for details on the macro syntax.

       A trailing \ indicates line continuation, but can be omitted inside
       macro bodies wrapped in a %{macro:...} block.

       Lines starting with # or consisting solely of whitespace are ignored.

       Reading a macro file is always fully declarative: no macros are ever
       expanded when reading a macro file.

EXAMPLES
   Example 1. Simple macro
           %mytool   /usr/bin/mytool-with-annoying-name

   Example 2. Multiline macro with a preceding comment
           # Trailing %{nil} is handy for ensuring a newline at the end
           %mycmd %{mytool} \
               --one \
               --with \
               --too \
               --many arguments \
           %{nil}

   Example 3. Multiline parametric Lua macro:
           %myhelper() %{lua:
               function dostuff(arg)
                   return 'do stuff to '..arg
               end
               print(dostuff(arg[1]))
           }

SEE ALSO
       rpm-config(5) rpmbuild-config(5) rpm-macros(7)

RPM 6.0.1                         2026-03-06                  RPM-MACROFILE(5)