[Wolves] RPM

[David Goodwin]

Mo Awkati wrote:
> Here is another distraction!!!
>  
> I can understand now (I think!) how to run RPM. However, where and how 
> do you point RPM (from the command line) to the right source of the 
> package? what I mean is if I have a package on CD-ROM that came with a 
> magazine how do I install using RPM. I understand the file name format 
> for RPM packages.
>  
> Also, I think,though I am not sure, YaST2 does the the same job of RPM, 
> is this correct? and is it just a case of browsing for the source of the 
> package from within YaST2?
>  
> Cheers
>  
> Mo

I know the following :


rpm -qa | grep aPackageName

will show you if a package is installed.


rpm -iUvh packageName.rpm

will install it (upgrades if already there). v = verbose.


rpm -e package

will remove a package


rpm -iUvh *.rpm

install all rpms in a particular directory.


rpm -qf packageName

list all files in an rpm




There is also rpmbuild, which is used to build binary rpm's from 
.src.rpm packages.

e.g.

rpm -i something.src.rpm
cd /usr/src/redhat/SPECS

<<edit particular .spec file>>

rpmbuild -ba something.spec

<<builds binary rpms etc, places output binary packages in 
/usr/src/redhat/BUILD


which can then be installed (see above).




rpm's are nice in terms that they track dependancies, and have a nice 
clean removal. You can also use them to check all files on your system 
(i believe) to see if any useful binaries have been tampered with ....

However, you're likely to find rpm-dependancy-hell strikes sometime, 
when you wish to install a single package and end up installing 10 to 
satisfy dependancies. A good way around this is to try out apt-rpm which 
is similar to Debian's apt.


thanks,

David.