version numbers and other Qs about the gui update tool

[Joel]

(apologies for breaking threading -- delivery disabled and copying from
marc.theaimsgroup.)

> Joel wrote:
> > Just did an update via the gui notification tool.
> > 
> > The update tool now tells me I'm running kernel-2.6.10-1.9_FC2 and the
> > latest is -2.6.10-1.771_FC2 . So, I can assume .771 is greater than .9
> > in the version numbering, right?
> 
> Right.
> 
> > I did kernel and userland at the same time. I'm thinking that's a no-no,
> > but I'm not sure which should go first, kernel or userland. Does it
> > matter when doing a binary update?
> 
> In general it's best to do userland first so that any required updates 
> are done that a new kernel might need but it doesn't really matter 
> because you only start using a new kernel after a reboot.

Hmm. When you recompile your kernel, which do you start with? 

My memory with openbsd, for instance, is that you compile the kernel
first and then userland. Will that be different for Fedora Core?

> > It'd been a while, so it slammed /var. df showed 99% until I
> > did yum clean all from the command line. Now it's down to 57% (over 1GB),
> > and the root partition's /lib has leftovers from about seven updates, so
> > I'm going to have to read the FAQ about how to clean out old kernels and
> > their libraries and other leftovers from updates. 
> > 
> > Can anybody point me to the FAQ on these questions?
> 
> See which kernels you have installed:
> $ rpm -q kernel kernel-smp
> 
> See which kernel you're running:
> $ uname -r
> 
> Then use "rpm -e" to remove all the kernels that are installed which are 
> not the latest update and that you are not currently running. For example:
> # rpm -e kernel-2.6.10-1.9_FC2
> 
> You might want to leave a single "old" kernel installed as a backup 
> though in case you have problems at a later date.
> 
> Paul.

Thanks, Paul. Ripped out four old kernels, left the last two. (It was
only six updates, after all.) Now my root partition is down to 40% of
500MB. 

du shows /lib contains about 100MB.

I've got an /altroot partition that I just set up for grins. Is there a
pointer somewhere to instructions for actually using it?

And is there something that should be done with the approximately 833MB
in /var/spool/up2date ? Or is that something I just live with and keep
an eye on, being careful not to update too many things at once?

(Yeah, I know, it comes from being greedier with the apps than I have
hard disk space to handle, and the real answer is deleting apps I'm not
using, but that would be too sensible, right? ;-/)

--
Joel Rees   <rees at ddcom.co.jp>
digitcom, inc.   株式会社デジコム
Kobe, Japan   +81-78-672-8800
** <http://www.ddcom.co.jp> **