There are several tools you might want to take a look at:

1) http://freshmeat.net/projects/autospec/
"Autospec is a program which creates Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) spec files automatically from a tarball."

2) http://freshmeat.net/projects/checkinstall/
"CheckInstall keeps track of all files installed by a "make install" or equivalent, creates a Slackware, RPM, or Debian package with those files, and adds it to the installed packages database, allowing for easy package removal or distribution."

There was a magazine review of this not too long ago that was very favorable. Sorry, I don't remember which magazine.

3) http://freshmeat.net/projects/rpmbuilder2/
"RPMbuilder is a program to help users create RPMs from a source .tar.gz package. It helps build a generic RPM spec file. Although this program will bail out on nonstandard build methods, it should be good enough for most apps."


> ----
> you mean like rpmbuild ?

Yep, that's the one!

> rpmbuild -t some_tar_file.tgz (works when there is a spec file in the
> tar file)

No spec in my download.  :^(

> There is another program - I've forgotten that supplies it's own spec
> file but to tell you the truth, I just compile from source and deal
> with it...if it's a good package, with decent info in the
> INSTALL/README or at least ./config --help   I'd rather have the
> control over the build than just slapping at it with rpmbuild

I may have to do that.  I want to install DigiKam but none of the 
repositories seem to have it as rpm.

Alan

PS I am using the SMART tool you suggested.  Great stuff!  Thanks!