$ mock -r epel-7-x86_64 --install yum
...
$ mock -r epel-7-x86_64 --shell
python-catkin-sphinx.noarch : Sphinx plugins for Catkin projects
python-ipython-sphinx.noarch : Sphinx directive to support embedded IPython code
python-oslo-sphinx.noarch : OpenStack Sphinx Extensions
python-repoze-sphinx-autointerface.noarch : Auto-generate Sphinx API docs from Zope interfaces
python-sphinx-doc.noarch : Documentation for python-sphinx
python-sphinx-theme-openlmi.noarch : OpenLMI theme for Sphinx documentation generator
python-sphinx_rtd_theme.noarch : Sphinx theme for readthedocs.org
python-sphinxcontrib-adadomain.noarch : Ada domain for the Sphinx documentation generator
python-sphinxcontrib-cheeseshop.noarch : Sphinx extension cheeseshop
python-sphinxcontrib-httpdomain.noarch : Sphinx domain for documenting HTTP APIs
python-sphinxcontrib-issuetracker.noarch : Sphinx integration with different issue trackers
python-sphinxcontrib-napoleon.noarch : Sphinx napoleon extension
python-sphinxcontrib-spelling.noarch : A spelling checker for Sphinx-based documentation
python2-sphinx-theme-alabaster.noarch : Configurable sidebar-enabled Sphinx theme
python34-sphinx-autobuild.noarch : Watch a Sphinx directory and rebuild the documentation
python34-sphinx-theme-alabaster.noarch : Configurable sidebar-enabled Sphinx theme
python-cornice-sphinx.noarch : Generate documentation for Web Services
python-numpydoc.noarch : Sphinx extension to support docstrings in Numpy format
python-sphinx.noarch : Python documentation generator
python2-breathe.noarch : Adds support for Doxygen xml output to reStructuredText and Sphinx
python2-sphinxcontrib-programoutput.noarch : Extension to insert output of commands into documents
python34-breathe.noarch : Adds support for Doxygen xml output to reStructuredText and Sphinx

Sphinx provides rpms for EPEL.  
They can be found here:  http://sphinxsearch.com/downloads/release/

External RPMs are no-go IMO.  We need to have self-standing repositories,
that's what the bug is about (and also the parent bug).

I'm afraid this is invalid bug however, because I see some python-*sphinx*
packages available in epel-7-x86_64 chroot.

(In reply to Pavel Raiskup from comment #3)
> External RPMs are no-go IMO.  We need to have self-standing repositories,
> that's what the bug is about (and also the parent bug).
> 
> I'm afraid this is invalid bug however, because I see some python-*sphinx*
> packages available in epel-7-x86_64 chroot.

My comment was intended for people who were running EPEL and wanted to install Sphinx and come across this bug.  It's an option.

Got it, thanks Gerald.

Is the python-sphinx package the same as sphinx???

Ah, OK -- those are different things..  though I was not aware the need for
'sphinx'.  Is that really needed, or is that just unused dependency for
copr sources?

Both the copr-backend and the copr-backend-doc package builds fine without the sphinx package...

I'll create a PR for leaving it out for EPEL7..

Turns out sphinx package is not needed for copr:
https://pagure.io/copr/copr/pull-request/40