Methods to create software

You can convert the human-readable source code into machine code by natively compiling or interpreting software.

Natively compiled software
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Natively compiled software is software written in a programming language that compiles to machine code with a resulting binary executable file. Natively compiled software is standalone software.

Note

Natively compiled RPM packages are architecture-specific.

If you compile such software on a computer that uses a 64-bit (x86_64) AMD or Intel processor, it does not run on a 32-bit (x86) AMD or Intel processor. The resulting package has the architecture specified in its name.

Interpreted software
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Some programming languages, such as Bash or Python, do not compile to machine code. Instead, a language interpreter or a language virtual machine executes the programs' source code step-by-step without prior transformations.

Note

Software written entirely in interpreted programming languages is not architecture-specific. Therefore, the resulting RPM package has the noarch string in its name.

You can either raw-interpret or byte-compile software written in interpreted languages:

  • Raw-interpreted software

    You do not need to compile this type of software. Raw-interpreted software is directly executed by the interpreter.

  • Byte-compiled software

    You must first compile this type of software into bytecode, which is then executed by the language virtual machine.

    Note

    Some byte-compiled languages can be either raw-interpreted or byte-compiled.

Note that the way you build and package software by using RPM is different for these two software types.