---
name: "rpmspec"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rpm-tools"
version: "6.0.1-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rpmspec"
---

# rpmspec(1)

RPM Spec Tool

## NAME

rpmspec - RPM Spec Tool

## SYNOPSIS

**rpmspec** {**-q**\|**--query**} \[options\] \[query-options\] *SPEC\_FILE* ...

**rpmspec** {**-P**\|**--parse**} \[options\] *SPEC\_FILE* ...

**rpmspec** **--shell** \[options\] \[*SPEC\_FILE* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**rpmspec** is a tool for querying a spec file. More specifically for querying hypothetical packages which would be created from the given spec file. So querying a spec file with **rpmspec** is similar to querying a package built from that spec file. But it is not identical. With **rpmspec** you can't query all fields which you can query from a built package. E. g. you can't query BUILDTIME with **rpmspec** for obvious reasons. You also cannot query other fields automatically generated during a build of a package like auto generated dependencies.

## OPERATIONS

**-q**, **--query**

Query parsed spec header, similarly to querying packages.

**-P**, **--parse**

Output parsed spec file to the standard output. That is, conditionals are handled, macros parsed and so on.

**--shell**

Invoke an interactive shell for inspecting macros, optionally after parsing a spec. Mainly useful for troubleshooting.

## ARGUMENTS

*SPECFILE*

RPM spec file used for building packages with rpmbuild.

## OPTIONS

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md) for the options common to all operations.

## QUERY OPTIONS

- **--qf** *QUERYFMT*, **--queryformat** *QUERYFMT*

  Specify output format for spec queries. See [**rpm-queryformat**(7)](/rpm-queryformat/7.md) for details.

- **--rpms**

  Operate on the all binary package headers generated from spec.

- **--builtrpms**

  Operate only on the binary package headers of packages which would be built from spec. That means ignoring package headers of packages that won't be built from spec i. e. ignoring package headers of packages without file section.

- **--srpm**

  Operate on the source package header(s) generated from spec.

## ENVIRONMENT

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md).

## EXIT STATUS

On success, 0 is returned, a nonzero failure code otherwise.

## EXAMPLES

**rpmspec -q rpm.spec**

Get list of binary packages which would be generated from the rpm spec file, eg:

```
rpm-4.11.3-3.fc20.x86_64
rpm-libs-4.11.3-3.fc20.x86_64
rpm-build-libs-4.11.3-3.fc20.x86_64
...
```

**rpmspec -q --qf "%{name}: %{summary}n" rpm.spec**

Get summary infos for single binary packages generated from the rpm spec file, eg:

```
rpm: The RPM package management system
rpm-libs: Libraries for manipulating RPM packages
rpm-build-libs: Libraries for building and signing RPM packages
...
```

**rpmspec -q --srpm rpm.spec**

Get the source package which would be generated from the rpm spec file, eg:

```
rpm-4.11.3-3.fc20.x86_64
```

**rpmspec -P rpm.spec**

Parse the rpm spec file to standard output, eg:

```
Summary: The RPM package management system
Name: rpm
Version: 4.14.0
...
```

**rpmspec --shell**

Run interactive macro shell for debugging macros, eg:

```
> %define foo bar
> %foo
bar
> %(date)
Tue Apr 13 03:55:37 PM EEST 2021
> %getncpus
8
```

**rpmspec --shell popt.spec**

Run interactive macros shell in spec context, eg:

```
%name
popt
%version
1.18
```

## SEE ALSO

[**popt**(3)](/popt/3.md), [**rpm**(8)](/rpm/8.md), [**rpmbuild**(1)](/rpmbuild/1.md), [**rpm-queryformat**(7)](/rpm-queryformat/7.md), [**rpm-macros**(7)](/rpm-macros/7.md)

**rpmspec --help** - as rpm supports customizing the options via popt aliases it's impossible to guarantee that what's described in the manual matches what's available.

**http://www.rpm.org/**