[NBLUG/talk] rpm question

ME dugan at passwall.com
Thu Dec 4 22:15:01 PST 2003


E Frank Ball said:
> On Thu, Dec 04, 2003 at 09:04:17PM -0800, Mike Egan, ME wrote:
> } I don't do much RedHat, so here is a question from the peanut gallery...
> }
> } If you  overlay one RPM over another that was built using the specfile
> } with mods, what happens when an up2date or security update is performed?
> } Is the update manager smart enough to know that the version installed is
> a
> } custom build so that it will not overwrite it with a "newer security
> } update" that does not have interbase support? If so, does it tell the
> user
> } that they will need to manually rebuild a new copy of a php plugin with
> a
> } new src rpm that has been patched?
> }
> } If not, what is the suggested method for staying with custome RPM and
> } security updates.
>
>
> If you are creating a custom RPM that you don't want overwritten just
> give it a huge version number (package-99.0.0.i386.rpm) and up2date or
> whatever tool your using won't find a newer version.  If you make a new
> version it can be 99.0.1.
>
> With RedHat < 7.3 I made a dummy sendmail package with a huge version
> number that installed nothing.  It satisfied all the dependencies, then
> I ran postfix compiled from source (I didn't make a postfix RPM).

Thanks Frank,

Would up2date or redcarpet try to overwrite a custom source build if you
did not alter the package version in this way? Would it provide any
warnings before overwriting?

Another thing I am after is a way to get notified that there has been a
package change in a custom-built package so you would know you would need
to re-make a new package from a new source.

With hand-built apps/services from source for Debian, I keep track of the
announce lists for each of the apps/services to stay informed of new
releases and security fixes. I'm trying to see if the package method for
custom packaged files offers a shortcut here so users of this method will
be able to avoid subscribing to so many lists.

-ME




More information about the talk mailing list