[CentOS] Why are multiple architecture rpms installed?

[Robert Heller]

At Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:47:51 +0100 CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:

> 
> Hello,
> 
> I noticed, that whenever I install a package on CentOS 5.x, rpms for 
> multiple architectures are installed:


This is normal for a 64-bit Intel/AMD flavored system.  You have both
the 64-bit libraries and the 32-bit libraries. You *probably* should not
have the devel packages for both 32-bit and 64-bit, but I am not sure if
that is a problem or not.

> 
> yum install sqlite-devel
> Loading "fastestmirror" plugin
> Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
>   * base: centos.intergenia.de
>   * updates: centos.intergenia.de
>   * addons: centos.intergenia.de
>   * extras: centos.intergenia.de
> base                      100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
> updates                   100% |=========================|  951 B    00:00
> addons                    100% |=========================|  951 B    00:00
> extras                    100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
> Setting up Install Process
> Parsing package install arguments
> Resolving Dependencies
> --> Running transaction check
> ---> Package sqlite-devel.x86_64 0:3.3.6-2 set to be updated
> ---> Package sqlite-devel.i386 0:3.3.6-2 set to be updated
> --> Finished Dependency Resolution
> 
> Dependencies Resolved
> 
> =============================================================================
>   Package                 Arch       Version          Repository        Size
> =============================================================================
> Installing:
>   sqlite-devel            x86_64     3.3.6-2          base 
> 260 k
>   sqlite-devel            i386       3.3.6-2          base 
> 260 k
> 
> Transaction Summary
> =============================================================================
> Install      2 Package(s)
> Update       0 Package(s)
> Remove       0 Package(s)
> 
> Total download size: 520 k
> Is this ok [y/N]: y
> Downloading Packages:
> (1/2): sqlite-devel-3.3.6 100% |=========================| 260 kB    00:01
> (2/2): sqlite-devel-3.3.6 100% |=========================| 260 kB    00:01
> Running rpm_check_debug
> Running Transaction Test
> Finished Transaction Test
> Transaction Test Succeeded
> Running Transaction
>    Installing: sqlite-devel                 ######################### [1/2]
>    Installing: sqlite-devel                 ######################### [2/2]
> 
> Installed: sqlite-devel.x86_64 0:3.3.6-2 sqlite-devel.i386 0:3.3.6-2
> Complete!
> 
> 
> Thats pretty annoying, because an "rpm -qa | grep sqlite" only shows the 
> package name, not the arch:
> 
> sqlite-3.3.6-2
> sqlite-devel-3.3.6-2
> sqlite-3.3.6-2
> sqlite-devel-3.3.6-2
> 
> When I later want to remove rpms, I always have to mention both archs 
> explicitly:
> 
> rpm -e sqlite-3.3.6-2.i386
> rpm -e sqlite-3.3.6-2.x64_86
> 
> And sometimes packages have arch i686 as well.

You should not have both i686 and i386 packages for the same thing, but
it is OK to have both i686 and x64_86 packages.

> 
> Or I get an error:
> 
> rpm -e sqlite
> error: "sqlite" specifies multiple packages
> 
> First I thought, that this might be an issue due to 32bit compatibility. 
> But then I remembered, that I used CentOS 4 on 64bit, too, and there was 
> no such problem.
> 
> How can I get rid of it?
> 
> Kind regard
> Marten
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
> 
>                                                                                                                  

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Download the Model Railroad System
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Binaries for Linux and MS-Windows
heller at deepsoft.com       -- http://www.deepsoft.com/ModelRailroadSystem/