[CentOS] rpm --freshen issue

[Todd Denniston]

ken wrote, On 10/21/2009 05:12 AM:
> On 10/20/2009 12:15 PM Benjamin Franz wrote:
>> ken wrote:
<SNIP>
>>>
>>> Yeah, this directory contains 1507 rpms (IIRC)... which is a lot, but it
>>> should still work.  This is Linux, after all.  And there's plenty enough
>>> memory and cpu to handle it.
>>>   
>> Running
>>
>> rpm --freshen --repackage * 
>>
>> for 1500+ rpms  probably exceeds the maximum character length for some 
>> part of the system after expansion of the '*'  by the shell.
> 
<SNIP understanding shell command length>

<SNIP drawn out scripting>
> Benjamin, thanks for your constructive response.  Any further such (from
> you or anyone else) will be much appreciated.
> 
> Best,
> ken
> 
>> Alternatively, use 'createrepo' to create a Yum repository of the RPMs 
>> and use yum to handle it for you.
>>

Ken,
please let me second the idea for using createrepo on the collection so that you can then use yum to 
resolve everything.

Assuming "/install" is where the rpms are at and createrepo is installed from base(at least on 5. it 
is in base), running the following commands should get the system going:

createrepo /install
cat >> /etc/yum.repos.d/quickupdate.repo << END_EOF
[expedient]
name=expedient update dir
baseurl=file:///install
enabled=0
#assume the machine already has gpg key for all rpms you have
gpgcheck=1
END_EOF
yum update --disablerepo=\* --enablerepo=expedient



alternatively if the problem is not really the shell length, then
yum localupdate /install
or
yum localupdate /install/*
might work.
https://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=118#comment90
http://fedoraforum.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-140404.html

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter