1. Setup yum install gcc make autoconf automake expat-devel openssl-devel Fedora: yum install fedora-packager cd ~ rpmdev-setuptree CentOS: mkdir -p ~/rpmbuild/{BUILD,RPMS,SOURCES,SPECS,SRPMS} Then make a tarball of sources: tar czf libstrophe_git.tar.gz libstrophe 2. Build cp libstrophe.spec ~/rpmbuild/SPECS cp libstrophe_git.tar.gz ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES rpmbuild -bb ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/libstrophe.spec 3. Install yum localinstall ~/rpmbuild/RPMS//libstrophe-1.1..rpm Or, if localinstall is not recognised: rpm -i ~/rpmbuild/RPMS//libstrophe-1.1..rpm