diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+* 0.6.3 (2012-09-24)
+- support tarball path argument
+- use a temporary working dir for opening tarball or cabal unpack
+- add a manpage
+
 * 0.6.2 (2012-09-10)
 - fix output of L/GPL version
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
 
     $ cabal-rpm path/to/mypkg.cabal
 
+or tarball:
+
+    $ cabal-rpm path/to/mypkg-version.tar.gz
+
 or on a package source dir:
 
     $ cabal-rpm mypkg-0.1
diff --git a/cabal-rpm.cabal b/cabal-rpm.cabal
--- a/cabal-rpm.cabal
+++ b/cabal-rpm.cabal
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 Name:                cabal-rpm
-Version:             0.6.2
+Version:             0.6.3
 Synopsis:            RPM package creator for Haskell Cabal-based packages
 Description:
     This package generates RPM spec files from Haskell Cabal packages.
     .
     Recent changes:
     .
+    * 0.6.3: accept tarball arg, use temporary working directory, and add manpage
+    .
     * 0.6.2: fix L/GPL version output
     .
     * 0.6.1: fix bugs for 'cabal-rpm pkg' unpacking and extra docs
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@
                      2012 Jens Petersen <petersen@fedoraproject.org>
 Category:            Distribution
 Build-type:          Simple
-Extra-source-files:  README.md NEWS
+Extra-source-files:  README.md NEWS man/cabal-rpm.1.md man/cabal-rpm.1
 Cabal-version:       >=1.6
 
 source-repository head
diff --git a/man/cabal-rpm.1 b/man/cabal-rpm.1
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/cabal-rpm.1
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+.SH NAME
+.PP
+cabal-rpm - generates RPM .spec files from Cabal packages
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.PP
+cabal-rpm [\f[I]options\f[]] [\f[I]path-or-pkg\f[]]
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+.PP
+Cabal-rpm generates RPM .spec files from Haskell Cabal package.
+.PP
+If no \f[I]path-or-pkg\f[] is specified, cabal-rpm looks for a .cabal
+file in the current directory.
+Otherwise, it will look for \f[I]path-or-pkg\f[].
+If the argument is a directory then it will look there for a .cabal
+file.
+If the argument is a path to a .cabal or .tar.gz file then it will use
+it.
+Otherwise if there is no \[aq]/\[aq] in the argument and it does not
+exist then cabal-rpm will try to unpack the package and use its .cabal
+file.
+Cabal-rpm uses a temporary directory for unpackaging tarballs or
+packages.
+.PP
+Cabal-rpm then parses the above specified .cabal file and uses it to
+generate a .spec file that can be built.
+.SH OPTIONS
+.TP
+.B -h
+Show the help text.
+.RS
+.RE
+.TP
+.B --name \f[I]NAME\f[]
+Override the RPM package name to be \f[I]NAME\f[]
+.RS
+.RE
+.PP
+-f \f[I]FLAGS\f[] : Override one or more Cabal build configuration
+flags.
+.PP
+--release=\f[I]RELEASE\f[] : Override the release number in the .spec
+file.
+.PP
+-v \f[I]N\f[] : Set verbosity to \f[I]N\f[].
+.PP
+--version=\f[I]VERSION\f[] : Override the version number in the .spec
+file.
+.SH EXAMPLES
+.PP
+Create a .spec file for the Cabal src package in current directory:
+.IP
+.nf
+\f[C]
+cabal-rpm
+\f[]
+.fi
+.PP
+Create a .spec file for package (directory or package name):
+.IP
+.nf
+\f[C]
+cabal-rpm\ [package]
+\f[]
+.fi
+.PP
+Create a .spec file for package-version (directory or package name):
+.IP
+.nf
+\f[C]
+cabal-rpm\ [package-version]
+\f[]
+.fi
+.PP
+Create a .spec file for a .cabal file:
+.IP
+.nf
+\f[C]
+cabal-rpm\ path/to/some.cabal
+\f[]
+.fi
+.PP
+Create a .spec file from a tarball:
+.IP
+.nf
+\f[C]
+cabal-rpm\ path/to/pkg-ver.tar.gz
+\f[]
+.fi
+.SH HISTORY
+.PP
+Cabal-rpm was originally written by Bryan O\[aq]Sullivan in 2007-2008
+and resurrected by Jens Petersen in 2012 to replace cabal2spec.
+.SH SEE ALSO
+.PP
+<http://github.com/juhp/cabal-rpm/>
diff --git a/man/cabal-rpm.1.md b/man/cabal-rpm.1.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/cabal-rpm.1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+% CABAL-RPM(1)
+% Jens Petersen
+% 2012-09-24
+
+# NAME
+cabal-rpm - generates RPM .spec files from Cabal packages
+
+# SYNOPSIS
+cabal-rpm [*options*] [*path-or-pkg*]
+
+# DESCRIPTION
+Cabal-rpm generates RPM .spec files from Haskell Cabal package.
+
+If no *path-or-pkg* is specified, cabal-rpm looks for a .cabal file
+in the current directory.  Otherwise, it will look for *path-or-pkg*.
+If the argument is a directory then it will look there for a .cabal file.
+If the argument is a path to a .cabal or .tar.gz file then it will use it.
+Otherwise if there is no '/' in the argument and it does not exist
+then cabal-rpm will try to unpack the package and use its .cabal file.
+Cabal-rpm uses a temporary directory for unpackaging tarballs or packages.
+
+Cabal-rpm then parses the above specified .cabal file and
+uses it to generate a .spec file that can be built.
+
+
+# OPTIONS
+-h
+:   Show the help text.
+
+--name *NAME*
+:   Override the RPM package name to be *NAME*
+
+-f *FLAGS*
+: Override one or more Cabal build configuration flags.
+
+--release=*RELEASE*
+: Override the release number in the .spec file.
+
+-v *N*
+: Set verbosity to *N*.
+
+--version=*VERSION*
+: Override the version number in the .spec file.
+
+# EXAMPLES
+Create a .spec file for the Cabal src package in current directory:
+
+    cabal-rpm
+
+Create a .spec file for package (directory or package name):
+ 
+    cabal-rpm [package]
+
+Create a .spec file for package-version (directory or package name):
+
+    cabal-rpm [package-version]
+
+Create a .spec file for a .cabal file:
+
+    cabal-rpm path/to/some.cabal
+
+Create a .spec file from a tarball:
+
+    cabal-rpm path/to/pkg-ver.tar.gz
+
+# HISTORY
+Cabal-rpm was originally written by Bryan O'Sullivan in 2007-2008
+and resurrected by Jens Petersen in 2012 to replace cabal2spec.
+
+# SEE ALSO
+<http://github.com/juhp/cabal-rpm/>
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Package/Rpm/Main.hs b/src/Distribution/Package/Rpm/Main.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Package/Rpm/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Package/Rpm/Main.hs
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@
 import Distribution.Package.Rpm (createSpecFile)
 import Distribution.Package.Rpm.Setup (RpmFlags (..), parseArgs)
 import Distribution.Simple.Utils (defaultPackageDesc, findPackageDesc)
-import Control.Monad (unless, void)
+import Control.Monad (void)
 import Data.Char (isDigit)
-import System.Directory (doesDirectoryExist, doesFileExist)
+import Data.List (isSuffixOf)
+import System.Directory (doesDirectoryExist, doesFileExist, getCurrentDirectory,
+                         removeDirectoryRecursive, setCurrentDirectory)
 import System.Environment (getArgs)
 import System.FilePath.Posix (takeExtension)
 import System.Process (readProcess, system)
@@ -26,38 +28,62 @@
 main :: IO ()
 main = do (opts, args) <- getArgs >>= parseArgs
           let verbosity = rpmVerbosity opts
-          cabalPath <- if null args then defaultPackageDesc verbosity else findCabalFile  $ head args
+          (cabalPath, mtmp) <- if null args
+                               then do
+                                 pth <- defaultPackageDesc verbosity
+                                 return (pth, Nothing)
+                               else findCabalFile $ head args
           void $ createSpecFile cabalPath opts
+          maybe (return ()) removeDirectoryRecursive mtmp
 
-findCabalFile :: FilePath -> IO FilePath
+-- returns path to .cabal file and possibly tmpdir to be removed
+findCabalFile :: FilePath -> IO (FilePath, Maybe FilePath)
 findCabalFile path = do
   isdir <- doesDirectoryExist path
   if isdir
-    then findPackageDesc path
+    then do
+      file <- findPackageDesc path
+      return (file, Nothing)
     else do
       isfile <- doesFileExist path
       if not isfile
         then if '/' `notElem` path
-             then tryUnpack path
+             then do
+               tryUnpack path
              else error $ path ++ ": No such file or directory"
-        else if takeExtension path /= ".cabal"
-             then error $ path ++ ": file should have .cabal extension file."
-             else return path
+        else if takeExtension path == ".cabal"
+             then return (path, Nothing)
+             else if isSuffixOf ".tar.gz" path
+                  then do
+                    tmpdir <- mktempdir
+                    _ <- system $ "tar zxf " ++ path ++ " -C " ++ tmpdir ++ " *.cabal"
+                    subdir <- readProcess "ls" [tmpdir] []
+                    file <- findPackageDesc $ tmpdir ++ "/" ++ init subdir
+                    return (file, Just tmpdir)
+                  else error $ path ++ ": file should be a .cabal or .tar.gz file."
 
-tryUnpack :: String -> IO FilePath
+tryUnpack :: String -> IO (FilePath, Maybe FilePath)
 tryUnpack pkg = do
   pkgver <- if isDigit $ last pkg then return pkg
             else do
               contains_pkg <- readProcess "cabal" ["list", "--simple-output", pkg] []
-              let pkgs = filter (startsWith pkg) $ lines contains_pkg
+              let pkgs = filter ((== pkg) . fst . break (== ' ')) $ lines contains_pkg
               return $ map (\c -> if c == ' ' then '-' else c) $ last pkgs
   isdir <- doesDirectoryExist pkgver
-  unless isdir $ do
+  if isdir
+    then do
+    pth <-findPackageDesc pkgver
+    return (pth, Nothing)
+    else do
+    cwd <- getCurrentDirectory
+    tmpdir <- mktempdir
+    setCurrentDirectory tmpdir
     _ <- system $ "cabal unpack " ++ pkgver
-    return ()
-  findPackageDesc pkgver
+    pth <- findPackageDesc pkgver
+    setCurrentDirectory cwd
+    return (tmpdir ++ "/" ++ pth, Just tmpdir)
 
-startsWith :: String -> String -> Bool
-startsWith pkg mth = take (length pkg') mth == pkg'
-  where
-    pkg' = pkg ++ " "
+mktempdir :: IO FilePath
+mktempdir = do
+  mktempOut <- readProcess "mktemp" ["-d"] []
+  return $ init mktempOut