---
layout: default
title: rpm.org - Conditional Builds
---
# Conditional Builds
Rpmbuild supports conditional package builds with the command line switches
`--with` and `--without`.
Here is an example of how to enable gnutls and disable openssl support:
```
$ rpmbuild -ba newpackage.spec --with gnutls --without openssl
```
## Creating build conditionals
### Using `%bcond` (new in rpm 4.17.1)
To create a build conditional in a spec file, use the `%bcond` macro at the
beginning of the file, specifying the name of the conditional and its default
value:
```
# Create a "gnutls" build conditional, enabled by default:
%bcond gnutls 1
# Create a "bootstrap" build conditional, disabled by default:
%bcond bootstrap 0
```
The default can be any numeric expression.
To pass a complex expression as a single argument, you can enclose it in
`%[...]` .
```
# Create `--with openssl` and `--without openssl` cli options, with the default
# being the inverse of the gnutls setting:
%bcond openssl %{without gnutls}
# Create `extra_tests` bcond, enabled by default if both of the other
# conditinals # are enabled:
%bcond extra_tests %[%{with gnutls} && %{with sqlite}]
```
### Using `%bcond_with` and `%bcond_without`
Build conditionals can also be created using the macros `%bcond_with` and
`%bcond_without`. These macros *create command line options*. When you add
an option to build with feature X, it implies that the default is to build
without.
These macros have historically confused a lot of people (which is why
`%bcond` was added) but are not hard to use once you think in terms
of adding command line switches:
```
# Create an option to build with gnutls (`--with gnutls`), thus default to
# building without it
%bcond_with gnutls
# Create an option to build without openssl (`--without openssl`), thus default
# building with it
%bcond_without openssl
```
To change the default, change the command line switch from `with` to `without`
or vice versa. The remainder of the spec file can be left unchanged.
## Check whether an option is enabled or disabled
To make parts of the spec file conditional depending on the command-line
switch, you can use the `%{with foo}` macro or its counterpart,
`%{without foo}`:
```
%if %{with gnutls}
BuildRequires: gnutls-devel
%endif
%if %{with openssl}
BuildRequires: openssl-devel
%endif
```
Alternatively, you can test the presence (or lack thereof) of `%with_foo`
macros which is nicer in other situations, e.g.:
```
%configure \
%{?with_static:--enable-static} \
%{!?with_static:--disable-static}
```
Always test for the `with`-condition, not the `without`-counterpart!
## References
* [macros](https://github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm/blob/master/macros.in)
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