How and when do updates of apps get into repos?

[Michael Schwendt]

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:52:43 +0200, DB wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> A question that has scratched at my grey cell for a time.....
> 
> There are apps in repos & there are more recent versions on their home 
> pages or in Source Forge - how and when do the updated versions get 
> incorporated into the repos? 

When the Fedora package maintainers publish updated packages.
 
> And the other side of the same question.... If I install/build/compile 
> or whatever one of these updated versions into my F10, will yum & co be 
> able to keep tabs on it or must I keep a running watch on the page I got 
> it from?  

"yum & co" only care about packages found in the local RPM database
and in the enabled repositories. If you install a self-built program
without using RPM packages, "yum & co" don't know about it.
 
> And.... if I find an RPM on a non-Fedora site, what are likely/possible 
> side-effect consequences of installing it??

Depends on who packaged it and whether the same software is included
with Fedora. One could fill a chapter of a book with stuff about sloppy
packaging, conflicts, incompatibilities, version races, regression,
security issues (such as unfixed vulnerabilities or compromised
packages), problems after a dist-upgrade.