[TriLUG] Updating via RPM

[Jeremy Portzer]

On Thu, 2003-03-06 at 14:18, Janyne Kizer wrote:
> I have a simple RPM that I created a few weeks ago.  I created a new
> version of it and I would like to update it using our Current server to
> distribute it via up2date.  I am having a problem, though, that if the
> new version is installed using that -U command by hand or from the
> Current server, it doesn't seem to work.  If it installed with the -i
> command after the previous version is removed with the -e, it works fine
> (or with --force).  From what I can tell, -U should be doing the same
> thing...  Anyway, since I can get the RPM to work under some
> circumstances, I know that the file that is being replaced is really
> there, I just don't understand why update doesn't update it!  
> 
> Any pointers that would help me get to the bottom of this would be
> appreciated...

Does the .rpm have %post scripts or other things that modify the
system?  Or does it just install files?  It's possible that there are
bugs in some of the scripts in the .rpm -- sometimes different scripts
are run in different circumstances, depending on the .rpm's
construction.  (By the way, "-U" and "-i" *should* yield identical
results if the RPM wasn't previously installed.)

Also, what do you mean by "[the program] doesn't seem to work" -- are
the files there?  Does "rpm -q [packagename]" show it as installed ? 
What about it doesn't work?

By the way, you should never use --force or --nodeps.  If you're having
problems, you've got to fix the dependencies, or fix the RPMs, if you
want a consistent database.  (Those options should come with a warning
of "don't blame RPM if everything's messed up!")

Hope this helps,
Jeremy