[CentOS] New rpm, same name, how to update

Mon Dec 8 18:04:30 UTC 2008
Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com>

Robert Moskowitz wrote:
>      
>> If you can build the RPM, you do have access to the spec file.  If 
>> you're building directly from a .src.rpm with rpmbuild, it's embedded in 
>> the .src.rpm making things a little tougher.  Best is if you're building 
>> from some kind of source tree and so have the .spec file right there.
>>   
> 
> I am building from some kind of source tree, so I await the developers 
> help. But you here have given me some direction to push them to 'do the 
> right thing'.

Are you just moving ahead in the upstream development?  If so, just 
using appropriate version numbering should do the right thing.

> I am the first one on this project that is installing the code on a 
> number of systems, many of which are a little anemic (www.oqo.com) for 
> doing compiles on a daily basis. And generally want to move usage to a 
> more production framework.

If you have a bunch of machines you probably want to set up your own yum 
repository for subsequent updates and build an rpm to install the repo 
url and its GPG key.

>>>> On the other hand --replacepkgs or --oldpackage might work. 
>>>>       
>>> This must require some yum plugin??? as --replacepkgs is not documented 
>>> on my systems, nor does it work.
>>>     
>> These are rpm options, not yum options:
>>
>> 	rpm -Uvh --replacepkgs my-custom-thing-1.0-1.i386.rpm
> 
> oh. of course. So now I install the downloadonly yum plugin....

That should be the first thing anyone does if they need to baby-sit 
updates or reboot at appropriate times anyway, but if the version 
numbers are bumped the files should update in a normal yum run.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com