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I want to time how long it takes to compile the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. I have downloaded the SRPMs from the Red Hat's FTP server.

How do I time how long it takes to compile all of the packages?

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Having read the comments below I see no relation to the scope of serverfault. Please read our faq. – Iain♦ Apr 6 '12 at 17:16

closed as off topic by Iain♦ Apr 6 '12 at 17:15

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2 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

I'm not going to blow up my workstation for days on end by testing this, but given a directory of SRPMS I don't see why this wouldn't work:

time (for RPM in $(ls *.srpm); do rpmbuild --rebuild $RPM; done)

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up vote 4 down vote

Create a build environment and and set up a long chain of rpmbuild --rebuild packagename.srpm commands...

But the better* approach is to simply go to CentOS.org. Download the ISO images for the current release from a local mirror server.

*Assuming you're not modifying any packages.

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There's no reason to compile your own version of the operating system. CentOS is available in pre-compiled form. The build process involved with compiling the entire OS is involved and requires a lot of space and CPU time to accomplish. Why would you want to do this? – ewwhite Apr 6 '12 at 15:27
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If you're looking to test CPU utilization on a machine or generate an artificial load, download the stress utility as detailed here: serverfault.com/a/209894/13325 – ewwhite Apr 6 '12 at 15:30
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@PeterPenzov For future reference, your question is how to generate CPU load on a system, not how to compile Red Hat from source. You'll get to the easiest solution the quickest if you just stick to the original problem. – Aaron Copley Apr 6 '12 at 15:44
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He is focusing on the question, specifically, trying to figure out why you'd want to do this. Don't be rude. – ceejayoz Apr 6 '12 at 16:09
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@PeterPenzov You're not providing us the full details. We're trying to focus on your question, but it feels like a moving target at the moment. You should edit your original question posting to provide as much detail as you can. – Jeff Ferland Apr 6 '12 at 16:10
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