weird yum chain reaction. Possible?

[Paul Johnson]

One of the Fedora 7 systems for which I provide support had a weird
thing happen today and I was wondering what you think.  Could yum do
this?  The yum log shows that some packages were removed.  The user
says he doesn't know a thing about yum and did not manually remove any
packages.  I suppose it is possible he started yumex.  He is a
registered "sudoer".

If the user did not do this, then it has to be a yum problem.  The yum
log is pasted in below. Note the last 4 lines, which removed things
that this system really needed.

How to blame yum?

It appears to me that a kernel update via yum started a chain
reaction. It wanted to find an openafs-kernel module, but I did not
build one yet (oversight!). In the past, yum would quit at that stage
and nothing would update. However, this time was different.  The yum
log shows that not only did it go ahead and install the new kernel,
but it also removed everything that required the openafs-kernel
module.  In this case, that caused it to uninstall a meta package I
install, called kups-meta.  That meta package requires a bunch of rpms
that I want our systems to have, and it also adds some login scripts
that are installed in /usr/local/bin.  kups-meta got removed by yum,
and then the user could not log in anymore.

About 1 month ago, I had noticed a change in yum concerning kernels
and modules.  The new yum will install kernels, even if updates for
module packages are not available.  On other systems, I've seen
kernels update before the livna nvidia packages are available, and
then X either won't start or it runs on xv.  But this was the first
time where I've seen spontaneous package removal by yum.

What do you think?  Could yum do this?

Mar 11 05:23:36 Updated: qt.i386 1:3.3.8b-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:23:58 Updated: wine-core.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:01 Updated: arts.i386 8:1.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:03 Updated: dbus.i386 1.0.2-7.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:04 Updated: openldap.i386 2.3.34-7.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:05 Updated: cups-libs.i386 1:1.2.12-9.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:06 Updated: libdvdread.i386 0.9.7-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:07 Updated: krb5-libs.i386 1.6.1-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:08 Updated: libdvdnav.i386 4.1.1-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:09 Updated: akode.i386 2.0.2-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:10 Updated: pcre.i386 7.3-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:24:14 Updated: xine-lib.i386 1.1.10.1-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:04 Updated: tetex-fonts.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:07 Updated: tetex-dvips.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:07 Updated: pkgconfig.i386 1:0.21-6.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:10 Updated: poppler.i386 0.5.4-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:38 Updated: gimp-libs.i386 2:2.4.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:40 Installed: twolame-libs.i386 0.3.12-1.lvn7
Mar 11 05:25:41 Updated: libupnp.i386 1.6.5-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:25:43 Updated: graphviz.i386 2.12-10.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:17 Updated: gimp.i386 2:2.4.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:18 Updated: dbus-x11.i386 1.0.2-7.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:21 Updated: tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api.i386 5.5.26-1jpp.2.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:37 Updated: dia.i386 1:0.96.1-6.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:44 Updated: xine.i386 0.99.5-1.lvn7
Mar 11 05:26:45 Updated: akode-pulseaudio.i386 2.0.2-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:26:48 Updated: mplayer.i386 1.0-0.84.rc2.lvn7
Mar 11 05:26:50 Updated: system-config-printer-libs.i386 0.7.74.10-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:17 Updated: wine-ldap.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:19 Updated: wine-cms.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:19 Updated: wine-capi.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:20 Updated: wine-esd.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:21 Updated: wine-twain.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:21 Updated: wine-jack.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:22 Updated: wine-nas.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:23 Updated: unison.i386 2.27.57-2.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:24 Installed: libopendaap.i386 0.4.0-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:32 Installed: vlc-core.i386 0.8.6e-1.lvn7
Mar 11 05:27:48 Updated: vlc.i386 0.8.6e-1.lvn7
Mar 11 05:27:50 Updated: gnuplot.i386 4.0.0-19.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:52 Installed: php-common.i386 5.2.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:53 Installed: php-cli.i386 5.2.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:54 Updated: libnetfilter_conntrack.i386 0.0.82-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:55 Updated: mikmod.i386 3.2.2-6.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:56 Updated: pinentry.i386 0.7.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:27:56 Updated: pinentry-qt.i386 0.7.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:01 Updated: mplayer-gui.i386 1.0-0.84.rc2.lvn7
Mar 11 05:28:05 Updated: tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api.i386 5.5.26-1jpp.2.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:11 Updated: tetex-xdvi.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:16 Updated: httpd.i386 2.2.8-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:18 Updated: krb5-workstation.i386 1.6.1-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:20 Updated: krb5-devel.i386 1.6.1-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:28 Updated: cups.i386 1:1.2.12-9.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:41 Updated: tetex-afm.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:42 Updated: cpuspeed.i386 1:1.2.1-5.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:43 Updated: apcupsd.i386 3.14.2-2.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:44 Updated: xterm.i386 232-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:56 Updated: firefox.i386 2.0.0.12-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:57 Updated: python-exif.noarch 1.0.7-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:57 Updated: gnome-python2-extras.i386 2.14.3-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:28:58 Updated: kde-filesystem.noarch 4-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:29:00 Updated: graphviz-devel.i386 2.12-10.fc7
Mar 11 05:29:27 Updated: libsilc.i386 1.0.2-5.fc7
Mar 11 05:29:41 Updated: thunderbird.i386 2.0.0.12-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:29:44 Updated: smolt.noarch 1.1-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:29:44 Updated: smolt-firstboot.noarch 1.1-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:30:11 Updated: firefox-devel.i386 2.0.0.12-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:30:12 Updated: gnuplot-emacs.i386 4.0.0-19.fc7
Mar 11 05:30:13 Updated: system-config-printer.i386 0.7.74.10-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:30:49 Updated: gimp-help.noarch 2.4.0-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:30:53 Updated: dbus-devel.i386 1.0.2-7.fc7
Mar 11 05:31:26 Updated: openldap-devel.i386 2.3.34-7.fc7
Mar 11 05:31:30 Updated: tzdata.noarch 2007k-2.fc7
Mar 11 05:31:30 Installed: kernel.i686 2.6.23.15-80.fc7
Mar 11 05:32:21 Updated: devhelp.i386 0.13-13.fc7
Mar 11 05:32:22 Updated: gnome-python2-libegg.i386 2.14.3-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:32:23 Updated: gnome-python2-gtkhtml2.i386 2.14.3-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:32:41 Updated: yelp.i386 2.18.1-9.fc7
Mar 11 05:33:05 Updated: perl-libs.i386 4:5.8.8-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:33:37 Updated: perl.i386 4:5.8.8-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:34:33 Updated: kdelibs.i386 6:3.5.9-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:35:54 Updated: kdebase.i386 6:3.5.9-3.fc7
Mar 11 05:36:19 Updated: kdemultimedia.i386 6:3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:37:33 Updated: kdepim.i386 6:3.5.9-6.fc7
Mar 11 05:38:25 Updated: kdeutils.i386 6:3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:38:57 Updated: tetex.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:39:47 Updated: kdeutils-extras.i386 6:3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:40:09 Updated: kdemultimedia-extras.i386 6:3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:41:23 Updated: kdegames.i386 6:3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:41:32 Updated: rkward.i386 0.4.9-2.fc7
Mar 11 05:41:33 Updated: wine-tools.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:42:07 Updated: ghostscript.i386 8.15.4-4.fc7
Mar 11 05:42:13 Updated: xscreensaver-base.i386 1:5.05-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:42:44 Updated: kdeaddons.i386 3.5.9-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:42:45 Updated: perl-Test-Harness.i386 2.56-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:42:46 Updated: wine.i386 0.9.56-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:43:32 Updated: tetex-latex.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:43:35 Updated: logwatch.noarch 7.3.4-11.fc7
Mar 11 05:44:22 Updated: tetex-doc.i386 3.0-40.5.fc7
Mar 11 05:44:24 Updated: perl-ExtUtils-MakeMaker.i386 6.30-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:44:28 Updated: spamassassin.i386 3.2.4-1.fc7
Mar 11 05:44:29 Updated: perl-CPAN.i386 1.76_02-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:45:59 Updated: evolution.i386 2.10.3-8.fc7
Mar 11 05:46:01 Updated: perl-ExtUtils-Embed.i386 1.26-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:46:03 Updated: perl-devel.i386 4:5.8.8-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:46:04 Updated: perl-Test-Simple.i386 0.62-28.fc7
Mar 11 05:54:58 Erased: openafs-kernel
Mar 11 05:56:06 Erased: twolame
Mar 11 05:56:31 Erased: openafs-client
Mar 11 05:56:51 Erased: kups-meta


-- 
Paul E. Johnson
Professor, Political Science
1541 Lilac Lane, Room 504
University of Kansas