In this case, the block following the conditional would be included only if the build architecture were not i386 or alpha.

Here's another example:

%ifnos Linux

This example would include the block following the conditional only if the operating system were not Linux.

19.7. Hints and Kinks

There isn't much in the way of hard-and-fast rules when it comes to multiplatform package building. But in general, the following uses of RPM's multiplatform capabilities seem to work the best:

• The excludexxx and exclusivexxx tags are best used when it's known that there's no reason for the package to be built on specific architectures.
• The %ifxxx and %ifnxxx conditionals are most likely to be used in the following areas:
  • Controlling the inclusion of %patch macros for platform-specific patches.
  • Setting up platform-specific initialization prior to building the software.
  • Tailoring the %files list when the software creates platform-specific files.

Given that some software is more easily ported to different platforms than others, this list is far from complete. If there's one thing to remember about multiplatform package building, it's to not be afraid to experiment!