Editing Linux Standard Base (section)

===Choice of the RPM package format===
LSB specified that software packages should either be delivered as an LSB-compliant installer,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://refspecs.linux-foundation.org/LSB_3.1.0/LSB-Core-generic/LSB-Core-generic/swinstall.html#SWINSTALL-INTRO | title = Chapter 22. Software Installation 22.1. Introduction | work = Linux Standard Base Core Specification 3.1 | year = 2005}}</ref> or (preferably) be delivered in a restricted form of the [[RPM Package Manager]] format.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://refspecs.linux-foundation.org/LSB_3.1.0/LSB-Core-generic/LSB-Core-generic/pkgscripts.html | title = Chapter 22. Software Installation 22.3. Package Script Restrictions | work = Linux Standard Base Core Specification 3.1 | year = 2005}}</ref>

This choice of package format precluded the use of other existing package formats not compatible with RPM. To address this, the standard did not dictate which package format the system must use for its own packages, merely that RPM must be supported to allow packages from third-party distributors to be installed on a conforming system.