RPM and tarballs

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

Oliver Ruebenacker wrote:
>     Dear friends,
> 
>  If you install software directly from a tarball, rpm will not be
> aware of the installation. How can rpm be made aware of it?
> 
>  Is rpm --rebuilddb supposed to always fix the problem? What if it does
> not?
> 
>  Or should I always try to turn the tarball into an rpm file? How to do
> this?
> 
>  Thank you!
> 
The --rebuilddb option is used to fix corruption in the database. It
does not go out and look at what is installed. The best way to
handle this is to build an RPM from the tarball. This requires that
you generate a .spec file for the package, build the package, and
then install it.

You can also use checkinstall to build a package from the install
process of building a tarball. (I don't think checkinstall is
included in FC.) I have not found the right options to make
checkinstall generate an RPM that works with SELinux enabled - it
wants to include setting the ACLs as part of the RPM. I have to find
time to play with it. Besides, you have to run it as root, and I
like to build RPMs as a normal user.

It is also possible to create an RPM that just adds entries to the
RPM database, but this is kind of a last resort option. It is not a
good practice.

In the long run, I feel it is worth the extra effort to build an RPM
for the tarball package. It makes managing the packages on your
system easier. That is what packaging systems were designed for in
the first place.

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!