What does `package-cleanup --orphans' really tell me?

[Kam Leo]

On Dec 18, 2007 8:03 AM, Aaron Konstam <akonstam at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 2007-12-17 at 23:50 -0800, Dean S. Messing wrote:
> > Kam Leo wrote:
> > : On Dec 17, 2007 2:02 PM, Dean S. Messing <deanm at sharplabs.com> wrote:
> > : >
> > : > Craig White (toward the end of the Cups Problem thread) wrote:
> > : > : sudo rpm -e x264-0.0.0-0.3.20061023.fc6.i386
> > : > : sudo yum -y install yum-utils
> > : > : # and then finally...let us know the output of
> > : > : sudo package-cleanup --orphans
> > : > :
> > : > : This will list problematic packages
> > : >
> > : > Out of curiosity, I just ran
> > : >
> > : > `package-cleanup --orphans'
> > : >
> > : > on my fairly well-maintained F7 system and got:
> > : >
> > : > [root at medulla0 ~]# package-cleanup --orphans
> > : > Setting up yum
> > : > kernel-2.6.22.9-91.fc7.x86_64
> > : > fetchmail-init-1.1-0.noarch
> > : > autofs-5.0.1-27.x86_64
> > : > kernel-devel-2.6.23.1-10.fc7.x86_64
> > : > pam-0.99.7.1-5.1.fc7.x86_64
> > : > pam-0.99.7.1-5.1.fc7.i386
> > : > mysql-libs-5.0.45-1.fc7.i386
> > : > pam-devel-0.99.7.1-5.1.fc7.i386
> > : > metamail-2.7-29.7.x.legacy.x86_64
> > : > kernel-2.6.23.1-21.fc7.x86_64
> > : > pam-devel-0.99.7.1-5.1.fc7.x86_64
> > : > mysql-libs-5.0.45-1.fc7.x86_64
> > : > VMwareWorkstation-6.0.2-59824.x86_64
> > : > kernel-devel-2.6.23.1-21.fc7.x86_64
> > : > kernel-2.6.23.1-10.fc7.x86_64
> > : > kmod-nvidia-100.14.19-1.2.6.23.1_10.fc7.x86_64
> > : > iptables-ipv6-1.3.8-2.1.fc7.x86_64
> > : > grub-0.97-13.i386
> > : > iptables-1.3.8-2.1.fc7.x86_64
> > : > kernel-2.6.22.5-76.fc7.x86_64
> > : > AdobeReader_enu-8.1.1-1.i486
> > : >
> > : > (Yes, I keep more than two kernels around.)
> > : >
> > : > Which of these is problematic?  I'd be interested to know what
> > : > `package-cleanup --orphans' is checking for?
> > : >
> > : > The man page gives this description:
> > : >
> > : > DESCRIPTION
> > : >        package-cleanup  is  a  program  for  cleaning  up  the  locally-
> > : >        installed RPMs.
> > : >
> > : >
> > : > Later in the man page it says something about these packages not
> > : > coming from any yum repo.  In the list above, that is only true for a
> > : > subset of packages (e.g. AdobeReader_enu and VMwareWorkstation).
> > : >
> > : > Dean
> > :
> > : For F8 "man package-cleanup" provides this output:
> > :
> > : [snip]
> > :
> > :        --orphans
> > :               List  installed  packages  which are not available from currenly
> > :               configured repositories.
> > :
> > : My take on "currenly configured" [sic] is enabled yum repositories. So
> > : what --orphan will tell you is that the listed package(s) is(are) not
> > : in a yum repository or is due to be replaced by an update. Here is the
> > : output for my F8-x84 installation which had some updates pending:
> > <snip>
> If that is true , why are kernels listed? They are certainly inn a
> repository. At least mine are.

That is not correct. Fedora only keeps three kernels around.
Everything holds the distro's first kernel. Updates holds the current
released version. Testing has the next candidate. Kernels in Updates
are replaced by their successor and the rpms are removed from
circulation. If you keep more than two kernels at least one will
appear in the orphans listing.