i'm trying to install a linmodem driver (broadcom) in mandrake 9.0 which unpacks as a <filename>.src.rpm & doesn't install the modem. the readme references a <filename>.i386.rpm which is nowhere to be found. Can someone tell me what the deal is with src rpm's? do they have to be converted to binaries? i tried rpmbuild on it & got an error msg. rpm i does install a 1/2 dozen files in rpm/source dir but they don't install.

actually, when you build a source rpm, redhat will
put it somewhere weird like /var/lib/rpm, or somewhere
close to that.

If you build 'em they should end up in a not so weird place like /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/<arch>.
Post some errors, that will help.

Well ,here goes: The sequence was I went to the modem database & found the driver for the chip (BCM4212KQL, a gateway ‘palmer’ modem). Went to the dell website & d/l’d the file: BCOM_WAN_V20_SOURCE_A.tar.gz. I untarred it & it installed a dozen files in usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/ & one file in usr/src/RPM/SPECS. I then stumbled/bumbled around & did the following:

Script started on Fri Dec 20 17:55:28 2002 ManDrake 1
[root@gw700x bcm4212-source]# rpm -ivv BCMSM-3.4.19-6.src.rpm


D: ============== BCMSM-3.4.19-6.src.rpm
D: Expected size: 504445 = lead(96)+sigs(160)+pad(0)+data(504189)
D: Actual size: 504445
D: added source package [0]
D: found 1 source and 0 binary packages
D: Expected size: 504445 = lead(96)+sigs(160)+pad(0)+data(504189)
D: Actual size: 504445
BCMSM-3.4.19-6
D: ========= Directories not explictly included in package:
D: 0 /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/
D: 1 /usr/src/RPM/SPECS/
D: =========
D: fini 100644 1 ( 0, 0) 3087 /usr/src/RPM/SPECS/BCMSM-3.4.19.spec
D: fini 100644 1 ( 0, 0) 507194 /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/BCMSM-3.4.19.tar.gz
GZDIO: 63 reads, 510668 total bytes in 0.010 secs
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[root@gw700x bcm4212-source]# rpmbuild BCMSM-3.4.19-6.src.rpm


error: File /usr/local/tarpkgs/bcm4212-source/BCMSM-3.4.19-6.src.rpm does not appear to be a specfile.
[root@gw700x bcm4212-source]# exit
Script done on Fri Dec 20 17:56:27 2002
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

total 1816 /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/BCMSM-3.4.19 created by 'rpm -ivv' above


-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 504445 Jul 23 10:55 BCMSM-3.4.19-6.src.rpm
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 3252 Jul 19 00:46 BCMSM.inf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4533 Dec 20 18:00 BCMSM_inf.c
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2752 Dec 20 18:00 BCMSM_inf.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 2377 Jul 19 00:46 BCMSM-init-redhat
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 1109440 Jul 19 00:46 BCMSM_lib.o
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 27541 Dec 20 18:00 INF2C*
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 39907 Jul 19 00:46 INF2C.c
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Dec 20 17:59 LastRPMBuildInfo
-rwxr-xr-x 1 1248 games 100087 Jul 19 00:46 lkvi.c*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 1248 games 20442 Jul 19 00:46 lkvi.h*
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 9641 Jul 19 00:46 Makefile
-rw-r--r-- 1 1248 games 3108 Jul 19 00:46 README
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Dec 21 12:02 sourcesdir.doc
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was an attempt to install the thing ‘manually’:
'make' and 'make install' done from /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/BCMSM-3.4.19

[m[root@gw700x BCMSM-3.4.19]# make
BCM V.92 56K Modem Install
Copyright (C) 2000 Broadcom Corporation. All rights reserved.


[root@gw700x BCMSM-3.4.19]# make install KERNEL_DIR=/usr/src/linux
Building Linux Kernel Version Independent layer for this system..
In file included from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/wait.h:13,
from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/fs.h:12,
from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/capability.h:17,
from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/binfmts.h:6,
from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/sched.h:9,
from /usr/src/linux/include/linux/vmalloc.h:4,
from lkvi.c:160:
/usr/src/linux/include/linux/kernel.h:199:1: missing binary operator
make: *** [lkvi.o] Error 1
[root@gw700x BCMSM-3.4.19]# exit
Script done on Fri Dec 20 18:04:47 2002
------------------------------------------------------------

this was an attempt to build an rpm based on the readme in /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES/BCMSM-3.4.19


Script started on Sat Dec 21 11:48:06 2002
[root@gw700x BCMSM-3.4.19]# make rpm RPM_KERNELS=2.4.19-16mdk

make: *** No rule to make target `BCMSM-3.4.19.spec.template', needed by `BCMSM-3.4.19-6.i386.rpm'. Stop.
[root@gw700x BCMSM-3.4.19]# exit

Script done on Sat Dec 21 11:52:46 2002
-------------------------------------------------
Obviously I’m in way over my head. All I know is these rpm’s aren’t all they’re cracked up to be & the driver in this thing will work in Linux. I got it going in my Libranet install with the help of their (excellent) tech support (took about a ½ dozen emails though).

Still trying to figure out what this <filename>.src.rpm is supposed to do.
Haven't had much luck with the man pages.
I take it that source rpm's are not used to install programs but to build other rpm's?

Yes, .src.rpm files are used in conjunction with rpmbuild to create .rpm binary packages. For instance foo.src.rpm, you could build foo.rpm with a command like rpmbuild --rebuild foo.rpm. The binary would go into /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/

Then you could install it with a command like rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/foo.rpm.

Actually, one of the last 10-15 lines of the rpmbuild command will tell you where it wrote the binary if it was complete. Something like:
Wrote: /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/foo.rpm

Anyway, hope this helps....

Ignore my previous post, as I had a typo.. Sry, here is what I meant to type......

Yes, .src.rpm files are used in conjunction with rpmbuild to create .rpm binary packages. For instance foo.src.rpm, you could build foo.rpm with a command like rpmbuild --rebuild foo.src.rpm. The binary would go into /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/

Then you could install it with a command like rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/foo.rpm.

Actually, one of the last 10-15 lines of the rpmbuild command will tell you where it wrote the binary if it was complete. Something like:
Wrote: /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/foo.rpm

Anyway, hope this helps....

_Installing_ a source RPM basically just copies it to the system and nothing more. On RedHat it's in /usr/src/redhat cd to /usr/src/redhat/SPECS and there will be the SPEC file used to build the RPM. For older RedHat distros it's built with "rpm". In RedHat 8 it's "rpmbuild"

# rpm -ivh foo.src.rpm
# cd /usr/src/redhat/SPECS
# ls
foo.spec
# rpmbuild -bb --target i686 foo.spec
# cd ../RPMS/i686
# ls
foo.i686.rpm

Just an example... --target isn't necessary but you can do that to build an RPM for a specific architecture if you desire. -bb means "build binary".

Hi Daveb3,

I am trying to install the same modem BCM 1212 series for linux. I was very thrilled to find drivers for it at the linmodems pages. But when I try to compile I get similiar problems as yours. I am using Redhat 9.0. In your postings you have said that you have the modem working fine. It would be great if you could help me out with the step you had taken. I appreciate it. I am very new to this groups, It would be helpful if you could email also, if possible, the steps to this add "vwake100@softhome.net". I appreciate ur help on this.

Its been awhile, but if memory serves the main problem with the drivers for this broadcom chip is they were compiled with an older version of gcc & both redhat & mandrake use the newer versions of gcc, thus the error msgs.

I got the chip working in Libranet linux only because its compiled with the older gcc, & that required a lot of help from their tech support.

I did email broadcom about the issue but never got a reply so gave up on getting the chip to work in redhat. Mandrake I dropped altogether.