[SOLVED] Reconstruct package from installed file

PJBrs · 04-07-2020, 07:00 AM

I have a couple of packages installed but I lost the packages themselves, and also the specific build scripts. Now I would like to upgrade some of them, but I want to keep an option open to revert back if I run into trouble. Hence my question: How can I reconstruct a package from installed files?

The reason I ask here, is that I expect somebody else to already have run into this issue, and I hope they have a script lying around somewhere. If not, I might have to cook something up by myself...

Chuck56 · 04-07-2020, 08:13 AM

We need some more specifics. Which packages? Did you use slackbuild scripts? Are they listed in /var/log/packages? Did you install by extracting a 3rd party tar, rpm or deb file?

rkelsen · 04-07-2020, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJBrs

Hence my question: How can I reconstruct a package from installed files?

removepkg --preserve packagename

From the manpage for removepkg:
"--preserve packagename - If specified, the complete package subtree is reconstructed in /var/lib/pkgtools/setup/tmp/preserved_package/packagename."

Once you have the package subtree, you can use makepkg on it to create the package.

ehartman · 04-07-2020, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkelsen

removepkg --preserve packagename

-copy may be the better option as that just constructs a copy of the package without actually removing the files.

PJBrs · 04-07-2020, 12:15 PM

@rkelsen @ehartman

Thanks very much! This really helps. By the way, package ended up here:

Code:

/var/log/setup/tmp/preserved_packages

bassmadrigal · 04-07-2020, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJBrs

By the way, package ended up here:

Code:

/var/log/setup/tmp/preserved_packages

I think that is the location on 14.2 and earlier. On -current and future releases like 15.0, the package database has been moved from /var/log/ to /var/lib/pkgtools/.

PJBrs · 04-07-2020, 02:16 PM

I'm still on 14.2, waiting for 15.0.

Xsane · 04-08-2020, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJBrs

@rkelsen @ehartman

Thanks very much! This really helps. By the way, package ended up here:

Code:

/var/log/setup/tmp/preserved_packages

Note the 'tmp' in the path. It will not survive a reboot. So if you value the
'preserved' packages, then move them out of that directory.

I submitted a patch set allowing the caller to set the copy/preserve target,
but Pat didn't like it I guess. The set also added --preserve to upgradepkg and
implemented a significant speed-up of copy/preserve.

ehartman · 04-08-2020, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xsane

Note the 'tmp' in the path. It will not survive a reboot.

As far as I know /var/log/setup/tmp/ in 14.x is a real directory (probably unlike -current), not a tmpfs one, so will not be affected by a reboot.
The directory is created - but empty - by the pkgtools-14.2 package.

Xsane · 04-08-2020, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehartman

As far as I know /var/log/setup/tmp/ in 14.x is a real directory (probably unlike -current), not a tmpfs one, so will not be affected by a reboot. The directory is created - but empty - by the pkgtools-14.2 package.

14.2 rc.S

Code:

# Clean up some temporary files:
rm -f /var/run/* /var/run/*/* /var/run/*/*/* /etc/nologin \
  /etc/dhcpc/*.pid /etc/forcefsck /etc/fastboot \
  /var/state/saslauthd/saslauthd.pid \
  /tmp/.Xauth* 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
  ( cd /var/log/setup/tmp && rm -rf * )
  ( cd /tmp && rm -rf kde-[a-zA-Z]* ksocket-[a-zA-Z]* hsperfdata_[a-zA-Z]* plugtmp* )

ehartman · 04-08-2020, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xsane

Code:

# Clean up some temporary files:
rm -f /var/run/* /var/run/*/* /var/run/*/*/* /etc/nologin \
  /etc/dhcpc/*.pid /etc/forcefsck /etc/fastboot \
  /var/state/saslauthd/saslauthd.pid \
  /tmp/.Xauth* 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
  ( cd /var/log/setup/tmp && rm -rf * )
  ( cd /tmp && rm -rf kde-[a-zA-Z]* ksocket-[a-zA-Z]* hsperfdata_[a-zA-Z]* plugtmp* )

You're right and I stand corrected!

Never noticed that bit in the rc.S startup script before....

To the OP: so you will have to move your generated packages out of the /var/log/setup/tmp tree before rebooting, as the above code will remove all files AND subdirectories in there at bootup.