install extra ix86 packages after system installation

[Gene Czarcinski]

The FC1 x86_64 is capable of running both 32-bit applications and 64-bit 
applications.  FC1 currently includes a few ix86 libraries which are needed 
to support the application packages not yet ported/converted to 64-bit (e.g., 
mozilla and openoffice).  During installation (and post installation using 
up2date to update packages), the actual files installed seem to be "the right 
ones".

For configuration files going into /etc and most (hopefully all) files going 
into /usr/share, there is no problem installing both packages since the files 
should be identical.  Similarly, there is no problem for library files since 
ix86 packages will use /lib, /usr/lib, and /usr/X11R6/lib whereas x86_64 
packages will use /lib64, /usr/lib64, and /usr/X11R6/lib64.  The problem is 
with the the program files which go into /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, 
and /usr/X11R6/bin.

Now a lot of packages which provide libraries and "clean" and only provide 
libraries (and configuration, data files, etc. which do not matter).  
However, some packages (e.g., openssl) which provide libraries also provide 
one or more program files (/usr/bin/openssl in the case of openssl).  This is 
a problem since the last package installed will determine which binary is 
installed.

I have raised this problem on other mailing lists and not gotten any (let 
alone a satisfactory) answer.

To demonstrate to myself that what I describe above is what happens I ran a 
test.  The system is an Opteron 140 on an ASUS SK8V motherboard.  An 
"everything" install was performed for FC1 x86_64.  The package I chose for 
my test was e2fsprogs (it did not require anything which was not already 
installed).  

I first checked a couple of the program files (badblocks and blkid) with the 
file command and, sure enough, they were x86_64 binaries. I then did:

  rpm  -ivh  e2fsprogs-1.34-1.i386.rpm

I then checked the files again with the file command ... badblocks and blkid 
were now 32-bit applications.

I then reinstalled the x86_64 package with:

  rpm -Uvh --force e2fsprogs-1.34-1.x86_64.rpm

Sure enough, the programs were back to being 64-bit applications.

With FC2 coming "real soon now" it looks like mozilla will be 64-bit and I 
suspect soon that all applications will be 64 bit.

So how do we handle the situation where we have an "old" application which 
cannot be converted to 64 bit but we want to run it on our 64 bit system.  
This should be possible.  However, there is is possible, it is not at all 
easy with the current way rpm seems to work.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Gene