CMake:Packaging With CPack

Introduction

CPack is a software packaging tool distributed with [http://www.cmake.org CMake] since version 2.4.2. It uses the generators concept from CMake, to abstract package generation on specific platforms. It can be used with or without CMake, but it may depend on some software being installed on the system. For example, on Mac OSX, it relies on Xcode to be installed and on Windows it requires NSIS.

Using CPack with CMake

CMake comes with CPack module, which will generate appropriate CPack input file. To use this module, some CMake variables need to be set. These variables will be copied to the CPack input file.

A simple CMake section to use CPack from CMake is this:

INCLUDE(CPack)

This will generate new target in Makefile (or Visual Studio, or Xcode) called "package". By running this target, CPack will be invoked, which will generate all the packages. Example output of the "package" target of Makefile is:

Run CPack packaging tool...
CPack: Create package using STGZ
CPack: Install projects
CPack: - Run preinstall target for: CMake
CPack: - Install project: CMake
CPack: - Strip files
CPack: Compress package
CPack: Finalize package
CPack: Package /home/andy/CMake-bin/cmake-2.5.0-Linux-i686.sh generated.
CPack: Create package using TGZ
CPack: Install projects
CPack: - Run preinstall target for: CMake
CPack: - Install project: CMake
CPack: - Strip files
CPack: Compress package
CPack: Finalize package
CPack: Package /home/andy/CMake-bin/cmake-2.5.0-Linux-i686.tar.gz generated.
CPack: Create package using TZ
CPack: Install projects
CPack: - Run preinstall target for: CMake
CPack: - Install project: CMake
CPack: - Strip files
CPack: Compress package
CPack: Finalize package
CPack: Package /home/andy/CMake-bin/cmake-2.5.0-Linux-i686.tar.Z generated.

When adding line:

INCLUDE(CPack)

CMake module CPack.cmake will generate CPack configuration file called CPackConfig.cmake.

A more typical CMake list section for CPack configuration would be:

INCLUDE(InstallRequiredSystemLibraries)

SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "My funky project")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR "Me, myself, and I")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_FILE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ReadMe.txt")
SET(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Copyright.txt")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR "1")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR "3")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH "2")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "CMake ${CMake_VERSION_MAJOR}.${CMake_VERSION_MINOR}")
IF(WIN32 AND NOT UNIX)
  # There is a bug in NSI that does not handle full unix paths properly. Make
  # sure there is at least one set of four (4) backlasshes.
  SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_ICON "${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Utilities/Release\\\\InstallIcon.bmp")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_INSTALLED_ICON_NAME "bin\\\\MyExecutable.exe")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_DISPLAY_NAME "${CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY} My Famous Project")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_HELP_LINK "http:\\\\\\\\www.my-project-home-page.org")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_URL_INFO_ABOUT "http:\\\\\\\\www.my-personal-home-page.com")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_CONTACT "me@my-personal-home-page.com")
  SET(CPACK_NSIS_MODIFY_PATH ON)
ELSE(WIN32 AND NOT UNIX)
  SET(CPACK_STRIP_FILES "bin/MyExecutable")
  SET(CPACK_SOURCE_STRIP_FILES "")
ENDIF(WIN32 AND NOT UNIX)
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES "MyExecutable" "My Executable")
INCLUDE(CPack)

CPack and INSTALL commands

CPack will internally use CMake's install mechanism to populate the package. The Install Commands page describes how to use the CMake's INSTALL command.

Using CPack without CMake

CPack can be used directly by specifying CPackConfig.cmake file. This file uses CMake syntax and has to contain several variables. Here is example CPackConfig.cmake files from CMake build directory on Linux system:

SET(CPACK_CMAKE_GENERATOR "Unix Makefiles")
SET(CPACK_GENERATOR "STGZ;TGZ;TZ")
SET(CPACK_INSTALL_CMAKE_PROJECTS "/home/andy/vtk/CMake-bin;CMake;ALL;/")
SET(CPACK_NSIS_DISPLAY_NAME "CMake 2.5")
SET(CPACK_OUTPUT_CONFIG_FILE "/home/andy/vtk/CMake-bin/CPackConfig.cmake")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_FILE "/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Copyright.txt")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "CMake is a build tool")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES "ccmake;CMake")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "cmake-2.5.0-Linux-i686")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "CMake 2.5")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_REGISTRY_KEY "CMake 2.5.0")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME "CMake")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR "Kitware")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION "2.5.0")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR "2")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR "5")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH "0")
SET(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE "/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Copyright.txt")
SET(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_README "/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Templates/CPack.GenericDescription.txt")
SET(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_WELCOME "/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Templates/CPack.GenericWelcome.txt")
SET(CPACK_SOURCE_GENERATOR "TGZ;TZ")
SET(CPACK_SOURCE_OUTPUT_CONFIG_FILE "/home/andy/vtk/CMake-bin/CPackSourceConfig.cmake")
SET(CPACK_SOURCE_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "cmake-2.5.0")
SET(CPACK_SOURCE_STRIP_FILES "")
SET(CPACK_STRIP_FILES "bin/ccmake;bin/cmake;bin/cpack;bin/ctest")
SET(CPACK_SYSTEM_NAME "Linux-i686")
SET(CPACK_TOPLEVEL_TAG "Linux-i686")

These variables can be overwritten on the command line using the option "-D":

cpack -D CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR=Me -D CPACK_SYSTEM_NAME=super-duper-linux ...

CPack Settings

Variable Name	____________Description____________	Example
CPACK_CMAKE_GENERATOR	What CMake generator should be used if the project is CMake project	Unix Makefiles
CPACK_GENERATOR	CPack generator to be used	STGZ;TGZ;TZ
CPACK_INSTALL_CMAKE_PROJECTS	List of four values: Build directory, Project Name, Project Component, Directory in the package	/home/andy/vtk/CMake-bin;CMake;ALL;/
CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_FILE	File used as a description of a project	/path/to/project/ReadMe.txt
CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY	Description summary of a project	CMake is a build tool
CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES	Pair of project executable and label	ccmake;CMake
CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME	Package file name without extension. Also a directory of installer	cmake-2.5.0-Linux-i686
CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY	Installation directory on the target system	CMake 2.5")
CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_REGISTRY_KEY	Registry key used when installing this project	CMake 2.5.0
CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME	Package name	CMake
CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR	Package vendor name	Kitware
CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION	Package full version	2.5.0
CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR	Package Major Version	2
CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR	Package Minor Version	5
CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH	Package Patch Version	0
CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE	License file for the project	/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Copyright.txt
CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_README	ReadMe file for the project	/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Templates/CPack.GenericDescription.txt
CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_WELCOME	Welcome file for the project	/home/andy/vtk/CMake/Templates/CPack.GenericWelcome.txt
CPACK_SOURCE_GENERATOR	List of generators used for the source package	TGZ;TZ
CPACK_SOURCE_IGNORE_FILES	Pattern of files in the source tree that won't be packaged	/CVS/;/\\.svn/;\\.swp$;\\.#;/#;.*~;cscope.*
CPACK_SOURCE_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME	Name of the source package	cmake-2.5.0
CPACK_SOURCE_STRIP_FILES	List of files in the source tree that will be stripped. Starting with CMake 2.6.0 CPACK_SOURCE_STRIP_FILES will be a boolean variable which enables stripping of all files (a list of files evaluates to TRUE in CMake, so this change is compatible).
CPACK_STRIP_FILES	List of files to be stripped. Starting with CMake 2.6.0 CPACK_STRIP_FILES will be a boolean variable which enables stripping of all files (a list of files evaluates to TRUE in CMake, so this change is compatible).	bin/ccmake;bin/cmake;bin/cpack;bin/ctest
CPACK_SYSTEM_NAME	System name	Linux-i686
CPACK_TOPLEVEL_TAG	Directory for the installed	Linux-i686

CPack Package Generators

Currently CPack features the following package generators:

TGZ

Tar GZip compressed packages.

STGZ

Self extracting Tar GZip compressed packages (needs /bin/sh, tar and gunzip for extracting).

NSIS

Nullsoft Installer. Requires NSIS for creating the package.

ZIP

ZIP compressed packages. Requires zip, WinZip or 7Zip for creating the package.

TBZ2

Tar BZip2 compressed packages. Requires bzip2 for creating the package.

TZ

Tar UNIX compress compressed packages.

PackageMaker (OSX only)

Mac OSX Package Maker packages. Requires Package Maker for creating the package.

OSXX11 (OSX only)

Mac OSX X11 Bundle. Requires hdiutil for creating the package.

CygwinBinary (Cygwin only)

Tar Bzip2 compressed Cygwin package. Requires bzip2 for creating the package.

CygwinSource (Cygwin only)

Tar Bzip2 compressed Cygwin source package. Requires bzip2 for creating the package.

RPM and deb packages are currently not supported, but you should look at RPM and Deb modules.

Here's a link to a workaround how to create RPMs using CMake and CPack: http://public.kitware.com/pipermail/cmake/2007-April/013562.html .

Conclusion

CPack is a powerful, easy to use, cross-platform packaging tool. Using a simple configuration file or using a CMake module, the author of a project can package a complex project into a simple installer.

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