Build a YUM Repository

This tutorial creates a new Managed RPM repository. You need a writable directory, and one or more RPM files.

1. Create the workspace

mkdir -p /srv/sow
cd /srv/sow
sow init .
sow repo new pigsty
sow dist new el9 --format rpm -r pigsty

The Dist name is an identifier chosen by you. SOW does not infer an operating-system release from el9.

2. Set membership policy

Edit the generated sow.yml. This example keeps one version per package and architecture and excludes debug packages:

schema: sow/v3
architectures: [x86_64, aarch64]
repos:
  pigsty:
    dists:
      el9:
        format: rpm
        limit: 1
        exclude:
          - kind: [debuginfo, debugsource, llvmjit]
targets: {}

Validate every manual edit before writing repository state:

sow config check
sow config show --all

exclude runs before limit. Neutral noarch packages are projected into every enabled architecture view; they are not listed in architectures.

3. Add RPMs

sow add /path/to/packages/*.rpm -r pigsty -d el9
sow status -r pigsty
sow check -r pigsty

add parses the package headers, stores each accepted package once in the canonical pool, updates Desired membership, and materializes a new Generation. Excluded inputs are reported per item and are not command failures.

The public tree has this shape:

/srv/sow/pigsty/
├── pool/...
└── dists/el9/
    ├── x86_64/repodata/...
    └── aarch64/repodata/...

The rpm-md location href entries reach package bytes in the root pool/ by relative paths. Do not copy an architecture directory by itself: it is not a standalone repository.

4. Preview over HTTP

For a local preview:

cd /srv/sow
python3 -m http.server --bind 127.0.0.1 8080

Check the entry point from another shell:

curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:8080/pigsty/dists/el9/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml >/dev/null

Use a maintained HTTP server for persistent service. It must expose the whole pigsty/ tree so client-resolved package URLs under pigsty/pool/ remain reachable.

5. Configure dnf

Replace REPO_HOST with an address the client can reach:

# /etc/yum.repos.d/pigsty.repo
[pigsty-el9]
name=Pigsty EL9
baseurl=http://REPO_HOST:8080/pigsty/dists/el9/$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=0
repo_gpgcheck=0

Then refresh and query the repository:

sudo dnf clean metadata
sudo dnf makecache --refresh
dnf --disablerepo='*' --enablerepo=pigsty-el9 list available

This configuration is deliberately unsigned. Enable client verification only after following Sign Your Repository.

6. Publish or export

Before delivery, require a successful deep check:

sow check -r pigsty

Use sow publish for a configured filesystem or R2 target. A whole-root copy is acceptable only into an offline staging location that is switched into service atomically; do not run an unordered in-place sync against a live repository.

Some mirroring tools, including default dnf reposync, reject rpm-md package locations that traverse to the root pool. Export a self-contained RPM leaf when such a consumer is required:

sow export rpm-leaf el9 x86_64 /srv/export/pigsty-el9-x86_64 -r pigsty

The destination must be absent or empty. The export duplicates package bytes by default; --hardlink is an explicit same-filesystem, trusted, read-only optimization.

Update the repository

sow add /path/to/new.rpm -r pigsty -d el9
sow rm PACKAGE_NAME -r pigsty -d el9
sow build -r pigsty
sow check -r pigsty

add and rm change Desired membership. build is useful after policy or signing configuration changes. check is the publication gate; status alone is not.

The automated client and platform scope is listed under Platforms & Integrations.