How to create rpm packages with non stripped binaries in Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Usually binaries are stripped of the debug information for making them compact. Non-stripped binaries are binaries which have debug information built into them. Non stripped binaries are generally build by passing -g option to gcc.

Rpms shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides stripped binaries. A separate debuginfo package is provided with all debugging information. Debuginfo rpms for Red Hat Enterprise Linux could be found in following url.

http://people.redhat.com/anderson/debuginfo.html

'file' command could tell if a binary is stripped or not.

# file /usr/bin/python
/usr/bin/python: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, AMD x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.4.0, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped

Some times a non stripped binary will be useful for profiling and debugging.

Below steps could be followed to create an rpm package which provides a non stripped binary. Following is an example of building a python rpm package with non stripped binary.

1. Download the source rpm for the package from rhn.redhat.com.

2. Install the source rpm in the system with following command.

# rpm -ivh python-2.3.4-14.2.src.rpm

3. Edit /etc/rpm/macros and add following line.

%debug_package %{nil}

4. Build the rpm using rpmbuild command.

# rpmbuild -bb /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/python.spec

'-bb' option is given so that a binary package is only created. '-ba' option could build binary and source packages

Binary package will be created under /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/

5. Now remove the current rpm with stripped binary and install the new binary rpm package win non stripped binary.

# rpm -e python --nodeps

# rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/python-2.3.4-14.2.x86_64.rpm
Preparing... ########################################### [100%]
1:python ########################################### [100%]

# file /usr/bin/python
/usr/bin/python: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, AMD x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.4.0, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), not stripped

6. For listing symbols from the non stripped binary 'nm' command could be used.

# nm /usr/bin/python

I used RHEL in this example because of familiarity. This should work with almost all rpm based operating system flavors.