FC2 kernel quality

[Kjartan Maraas]

fre, 01,.10.2004 kl. 00.03 +0100, skrev Jonathan Andrews:
> On Thu, 2004-09-30 at 22:39, Charles R. Anderson wrote:
> > On Thu, Sep 30, 2004 at 09:15:43PM +0100, Jonathan Andrews wrote:
> > > What I take home is the message that to build a Redhat kernel I need to
> > > understand rpm ......
> > 
> > To build any Redhat package you need to understand rpm.  Why should 
> > the kernel be any different?
> 
> Because every other package can be built from source and still work on
> Redhat.... 
> 
And if all functionality coming from the patches that Red Hat add to the
kernel was removed you'd be just as happy?

> Up until today that what I always did, most of my Redhat 9 boxes have
> kernel.org kernels ... and run fine ? Makes me wonder why Redhat fork
> the kernel - but thats an argument I cant hope to win so I will shut up
> now ! 
> 
> As for rpm 
> 
> [root at jonspc root]# man rpm |wc
>     831    3325   40895
> 
> 3,325 words, most starting with - or --   That doesn't include rpmbuild,
> or any reference what to do when it locks itself ! No wonder linux is
> described as to complex !
> 
If it locks itself you file bugs in bugzilla like everyone did around
the time this bug manifested itself. I've not seen rpm "lock itself"
since RH 8 here, and I've been updating from rawhide since RH9 -> FC3.
That's a *lot* of rpm -Fvh *.rpm and yum update's...

> Oh yea and gems like this are common ...
> 
> [root at jonspc root]# rpm -q apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr1.i386.rpm 
> package apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr1.i386.rpm is not installed

The package name is apt, rpm -q apt would suffice.

> [root at jonspc root]# rpm -i apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr1.i386.rpm 
> package apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr1 is already installed...
> 
> Also, while im at it - listing files in a package would be about the
> most useful feature. So it would be simple ? 
> 
rpm -ql

> As a new(ish) user of rpm I would try 
> 
> rpm --whatprovides package.rpm 
> Doesnt work.
> 
> rpm --list package.rpm
> nope !
> 
> rpm -l package.rpm
> nope !
> 
So assuming -l or --list or --whatprovides would list the contents is
what every new(ish) user would do?

> My machines also have an extra utility, so I can remember how to get it
> working again without a reboot.
> 
> [root at jonspc root]# cat /usr/bin/rpm_clear_lock 
> #Clear rpm lock
> rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*
> 
Again, this bug has been fixed AFAIK. I haven't seen it in ages at
least.

Btw, the first hit on

http://www.google.no/search?hl=no&ie=UTF-8&q=list+packages+in+rpm&btnG=Google-s%C3%B8k&meta=

gives you a nice table that compares the options used in dpkg/apt-get
with the equivalent rpm command

Cheers
Kjartan