Ken,
Great question. I'll admit I'm drifting around without clear direction trying to find the right files to package. My working theory is that it should be possible to run the tests and rebuild the gem file from the files in the gem. In that case, the Rakefile is needed.
Could I propose that if you're going to use a different version of the Rakefile when building the package, that you specify the location of that file using:
rake -f Rakefile.fedora
That seems to tell a more accurate story and does not risk a collision with what the gem provides. It also seems easier to adapt to the external world rather than change it.
I'm happy to rethink how I'm packaging the gem. I'm just explaining my thought process so you understand why I've been doing what I've been doing.
Cheers,
-Dan