The otp_src_R13B02_OTP-8199.patch fixes the following issue present in otp_src_R13B02: OTP-8199 In the new release of Reltool (0.5) there is a severe bug that may cause your source files to be deleted. The bug is triggered when you generate a target system WITH archive files AND your library directories are given with absolute paths. (Library directories are given with the ERL_LIBS environment variable or with the lib_dirs configuration parameter.) You need to apply the patch with a gnu patch compatible patch program. How to apply the patch: $ ls otp_src_R13B02_OTP-8199.patch otp_src_R13B02.tar.gz $ gtar -zxf otp_src_R13B02.tar.gz $ patch -ZNp0 < otp_src_R13B02_OTP-8199.patch patching file otp_src_R13B02/lib/reltool/src/reltool_target.erl $ cd otp_src_R13B02 $ # configure, make, and make install as usual...