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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

fpm

Ch 126.8of 28 Software Packaging Tools
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac, self-hosted
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Target platformsDebian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, Arch Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Solaris
  4. 4Output formatsdeb, rpm, solaris, freebsd, osxpkg, pacman, puppet, p5p, sh, tar, zip, dir
  5. 5Command-line packagingYes
5 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: fpm.readthedocs.io
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The fpm homepage

Overview

fpm is ranked #12 of 28 in software packaging tools on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted. There is a free plan.

fpm plans and pricing

All plans
fpm Free Command-line package building and conversion; some output formats require optional system tools fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on software packaging tools

Target platforms
Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, Arch Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Solarisfpm.readthedocs.io
Output formats
deb, rpm, solaris, freebsd, osxpkg, pacman, puppet, p5p, sh, tar, zip, dirfpm.readthedocs.io
Command-line packaging
Yesfpm.readthedocs.io

Facts

Purpose
fpm is a command-line tool for creating packages for existing package systems with less effort.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Package targets
The documentation lists targets including Debian, RPM, FreeBSD, macOS, Arch Linux, Alpine, Solaris, Snap, tar, zip, and shell archive packages.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Package inputs
Examples and documentation cover inputs such as local directories, npm packages, CPAN modules, Python packages, Ruby gems, and existing RPM or Debian packages.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Package conversion
fpm can convert an existing RPM package to a Debian package.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Package modification
The project README says fpm can modify existing packages by removing files or changing metadata and dependencies.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Package scripts
The project README says fpm can strip pre, post, and maintainer scripts from packages.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Installation
fpm is written in Ruby and the installation guide instructs users to install it with `gem install fpm`.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Prerequisites
Ruby must be installed before installing fpm, and some package formats require additional system tools.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
macOS limitation
The installation guide says building an osxpkg package requires running macOS.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Docker
The documentation says Docker can avoid installing fpm’s many underlying system tools locally and describes running fpm in a container.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Support
The documentation invites users to report problems through the project issue tracker.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
Documentation status
The documentation describes itself as a work in progress and says it is not extensive.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026
License
The project’s RubyGems listing identifies the license as MIT-like.rubygems.org · 4 Oct 2026
Current release
The project documentation lists version 1.18.0 as released on August 26, 2026.fpm.readthedocs.io · 4 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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