You can place all the source files directly in the /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES directory. In most cases, however, it is easier to create a tarball of the sources you want to build and place the tarball file in the /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES directory. The RPM specifications for commands necessary to extract the sources from such a file are trivial. Furthermore, the tarball, when extracted, should create a subdirectory specific to your package. This keeps your source code separate from other packages that also have source code in the SOURCES directory.

The best strategy is to start in a directory of your own making, create the tarball file from the sources, and then copy the tarball file to the /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES directory.

The convention for these tarball files is package-version.tar.gz. For example:

jikes-1.17.tar.gz

Place a file like this into the /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES directory. This file should include all the sources, all the build scripts, and any documentation you want to install as part of the package.