---
name: "rpm-rpmrc"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "rpm-tools"
version: "6.0.1-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rpm-rpmrc"
---

# rpm-rpmrc(5)

rpm platform compatibility configuration

## NAME

**rpm-rpmrc** - rpm platform compatibility configuration

## SYNOPSIS

*VARIABLE*: {*ARCH*\|*OS*}: *VALUE* ...

*VARIABLE*: *ARCH* *VALUE*

## FILES

*/usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc*\
 */usr/lib/rpm/\<vendor\>/rpmrc*\
 */etc/rpmrc*\
 *~/.config/rpm/rpmrc*

## DESCRIPTION

The low-level machine architecture and OS configuration in **rpm** is managed via a set of rpmrc files as defined by the *rpmrc path*. Most users never need to look at, much less touch these files.

Each file in the colon separated *rpmrc path* is read sequentially by **rpm** for configuration information. Tildes will be expanded to the value of the environment variable **HOME**. The first file in the path must exist, others are considered optional.

If a value is defined multiple times, the last entry wins. The default *rpmrc path* uses this to achieve the following hierarchy of platform configuration:

- 1\.

  Generic **rpm** factory defaults

- 2\.

  Vendor (distribution) specific configuration

- 3\.

  Host specific configuration

- 4\.

  User specific configuration

In older rpm versions the path of per-user rpmrc was *~/.rpmrc*. This is still processed if it exists and the new configuration directory does not exist.

## CONFIGURATION

*ARCH* and *OS* relate to [**uname**(2)](/uname/2.md) machine and operating system information, but are not 1:1 equivalent. The following directives are supported in the rpmrc files:

**arch\_canon** *ARCH*: *CANON\_ARCH* *ARCH\_NUM*

Names and numbers of known architectures to alias different spellings to a canonical one. *CANON\_ARCH* is what the *ARCH* entries in other rpmrc directives refer to.

The number is not used for any calculations by **rpm** but must be present for historical reasons.

**arch\_compat**: *ARCH*: *COMPAT\_ARCH* ...

Declare compatibility between machine architectures, ie. *ARCH* machines can install packages for *COMPAT\_ARCH* architecture.

**archcolor**: *ARCH* *COLOR*

Declare the "color" of *ARCH*. The color relates to the word length aka bitness of the architecture:

- •

  **0** means none (noarch packages and similar)

- •

  **1** means 32-bit

- •

  **2** means 64-bit

**buildarch\_compat**: *ARCH*: *COMPAT\_ARCH* ...

Declare compatibility between build architectures targets, ie. *ARCH* machines can produce *COMPAT\_ARCH* binaries.

**buildarchtranslate**: *ARCH*: *TRANSLATE\_ARCH*

Automatically translate detected host architecture *ARCH* to *TRANSLATE\_ARCH* when building packages. This is used to map sub-architectures to a main one, for example when building on a **x86\_64\_v2** host we typically want the generated package to be of the main **x86\_64** architecture.

**optflags**: *ARCH* *OPTFLAGS*

Compiler flags to use when building packages for *ARCH* architecture. The *OPTFLAGS* value is available as **%{optflags}** macro in spec files.

**os\_canon**: *OS*: *CANON\_OS* *OS\_NUM*

Names and numbers of known operating systems to alias different spellings to a canonical one. *CANON\_OS* is what the *OS* entries in other rpmrc directives refer to.

The number is not used for any calculations by **rpm** but must be present for historical reasons.

**os\_compat**: *OS*: *COMPAT\_OS* ...

Declare compatibility between operating systems, ie. *OS* machine can install packages for *COMPAT\_OS* operating system.

## ENVIRONMENT

If **XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME** environment variable is set, it replaces *~/.config* in the *rpmrc path*.

## SEE ALSO

[**rpm**(8)](/rpm/8.md), [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md), [**rpm-config**(5)](/rpm-config/5.md), [**rpm-macros**(7)](/rpm-macros/7.md)