Use the "checkin.sh" script to generate ceph.spec and tarball from a git repo and branch. For example: $ bash checkin.sh --repo https://github.com/foo/ceph --branch wip-foo For more options, try "./checkin.sh --help" FAQ === Q. What is the pre_checkin.sh script? A. The "pre_checkin.sh" script generates ceph-test.spec from ceph.spec, and ceph-test.changes from ceph.changes. Q. Should I run it before running checkin.sh? A. It doesn't hurt to run it, but no, you don't need to run it because checkin.sh does that for you.