Subject: Install dependencies

From: Wookey <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 18:35:01 +0000 (GMT)

Hello people,

I'm trying to install the current version of ARMlinux and have run into a
problem.

I downloaded the current base files and instimage.tar.gz, then took the
rpms from the CD from which I previously successfully installed ARMlinux,
then added the new kernel rpms. This lot was collated on an NFS mount,
which the installer had no probs using (tick VG).

Installing with this lot produces some package dependency errors. Some of
these make sense and I just have to download new ones, but I don't
understand some of the others:
eg 
bash needs unknown package (/bin/sh)
bash needs unknown package (grep)

downloading the latest version of grep (grep-2.1-1a1.arm.rpm) doesn't
help, and I don't know what package /bin/sh is referring to (there are
several more like this: . I can see
that the comps file in /base gives the list of packages that are selected
in the installer, and it looks like the two files hdlist and uglist deal
with the details and dependencies. However I can't find any docs on
exactly how this works, or how these files are prepared, that might let
me work out which files are actually missing/out of date.

Is this stuff documented anywhere? Do I simply have to go through the
whole list of RPMS to get them all up to date to match what is on the
website or is there a smarter way?

Any help/explanation appreciated.

Wookey
-- 
Aleph One Ltd, Bottisham, CAMBRIDGE, CB5 9BA, UK  Tel (00 44) 1223 811679
work: http://www.aleph1.co.uk/     play: http://www.chaos.org.uk/~wookey/

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From: Russell King - ARM Linux Admin <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 20:32:01 +0000 (GMT)

> me work out which files are actually missing/out of date.

If you are doing a NFS-based or CD-based install, the hdlist and uglist
must must must match the .rpms you have, or else you will be asking for
problems.

The hdlist and so forth is a convienient and quick way to store and retrieve
the information which is contained in the .rpm headers.

Most fo the missing dependencies are caused because the "distribution" is
not one single "distribution", but many different ones.  It now contains
bits of RH 3.0.3, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and even some RH 5.x stuff.  Also, for
some reason, the rpm utility seems to add /bin/sh, but nothing seems to
provide /bin/sh in the dependency information (but the bash package does
actually satisfy it irl).

Yes, it's something that should be fixed, but in the next update to the
installer, I've decided to mask out some specific dependency warnings
instead.
   _____
  |_____| ------------------------------------------------- ---+---+-
  |   |        Russell King       [email-masked]      --- ---
  | | | |  http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/~rmk/armlinux.html    /  /  |
  | +-+-+                                                     --- -+-
  /   |               THE developer of ARM Linux              |+| /|\
 /  | | |                                                     ---  |
    +-+-+ -------------------------------------------------  /\\\  |
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From: Wookey <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 11:34:53 +0000 (GMT)

On Tue 02 Nov, Russell King - ARM Linux Admin wrote:
> Wookey writes:
> > Installing with this lot produces some package dependency errors. 

> must must must match the .rpms you have, or else you will be asking for

OK, doing a get * (isn't ncftp marvellous!) to get all my packages
uptodate allows the installer to proceed. Indeed it has just finished so
that seems to work OK.

(BTW is there a good reason why this step of the installer formats the
HDs? If there is a 'package foo not found' error (quite likely for a
range of scenarios) you have to wait whilst it formats all the linux
partitions again each time you think you have fixed it.) It would be
better if the drive formatting was done and then the package 
picker/dependencies/installing part was independent of drive formatting.

> The hdlist and so forth is a convienient and quick way to store and
> retrieve the information which is contained in the .rpm headers.

OK, but how are they generated? or even examined? If I knew this I could
make them match up, and make new distributions that worked. 

> actually satisfy it irl).

I'm happy to spend time fixing these problems, and updating packages, if
someone points me at some clues/tools for installation fettling.

> installer, I've decided to mask out some specific dependency warnings

Hmm, bit of a bodge, but functional for a given set of rpms I suppose.

---

From: Phil Norman <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 14:53:17 +0000

On Wed, Nov 03, 1999 at 11:34:53AM +0000, Wookey wrote:
> HDs?

If you're referring to the redhat installer, it doesn't have to
reformat the partitions each time.  One of the options available
instead of 'format a new partition', is 'mount a previously-
formatted partition'.  I tend to use that option every time anyway,
since I tend to format the partitions myself (-b 2048 is my
friend - leads to vastly quicker access, especially when deleting
large files, or fscking).

Cheers,
Phil

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From: Wookey <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 15:10:51 +0000 (GMT)

On Wed 03 Nov, Phil Norman wrote:
> formatted partition'.  

But when doing a first time install I do need the partitions formatting
once. It's just that if there is a problem with my rpms I don't
then need it reformatting every time I go round the 'which packages do
you want to install' loop.

Wookey

---

From: Russell King - ARM Linux Admin <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 18:36:40 +0000 (GMT)

> you want to install' loop.

Err, the partitions are formatted at just before they are mounted for the
install, not after the "Which partitions do you want to format" window.
   _____
  |_____| ------------------------------------------------- ---+---+-
  |   |        Russell King       [email-masked]      --- ---
  | | | |  http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/~rmk/armlinux.html    /  /  |
  | +-+-+                                                     --- -+-
  /   |               THE developer of ARM Linux              |+| /|\
 /  | | |                                                     ---  |
    +-+-+ -------------------------------------------------  /\\\  |
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