Is there a way i can remove existing packages instead of reinstalling?
How can i tell what i should remove so there is no conflict with version and stuff?
How do i get the initial conf file? i tought i could issue ./configure but it keeps my old conf file.

I am installing a LAMPS server (Linux, Apache, Mysql, PHP, SSh)
and it never works so far, i keep on reinstalling the distro before i try to properly install and configure it, but it is a pain...

Dan

Definitely! In fact, it's suggested to fix your problem rather than re-install.

Ok, so you might wanna give us some more info so we can help, how are you installing your packages? Are you using the RPM's on the install CD? If not, you might look into that. Then, to remove/add the packages, all you have to do is type:
rpm -e filename
To remove, and then to install:
rpm -ivh filename.rpm



Cool

Well, mostly they are .tar.gz package. I know that for RedHat distro it is recomended to use rpm but i find some flaws with some packetage (like webmin) so i stick to tar.gz

Ok, I suggest you look into using something called checkinstall (can be found at www.freshmeat.net ) and then when you install from tar.gz (tarballs) you can easily uninstall with the help of checkinstall (Read the sites documentation, great tool).

Cool

it seems to be supporting slack deb and rpm package only, it doesn't say a word about RedHat...
Does that can be any good for me?

RedHat is rpm

RPM stands for:
RedHat Package Manager

Cool

yes, i know that redhat uses rpm packages but i install tarballs on my redhat... so i'am not using rpm isn't it?

Checkinstall will take a tarball, and at the point where you normally type:
make install
You type:
checkinstall
At that point checkinstall will take over, and during it's 'magic' will ask you if you have Slackware (tgz) Debian (.deb) or RedHat (rpm) so you say Redhat and it creates an RPM, installs it with the RPM install deal, and then it gets recorded just like other RPM's.

Give it a try, you'll see what I mean, read the documentation though, basically, it's like this:
./configure
make
make test (make check whatever)
And then instead of:
make install
You will be typing:
checkinstall

Cool

Are there some other ways to uninstall or check the programs installed by tar.gz file?
Thank you Master.

Yes, cool...

this is quite confusing for me thow... i had a tgz package and it turned out to be a rpm...
to remove the package, i now have to use rpm -e, packaging is quite misterious to me

Occasionally a programmer will include a make uninstall target which will simply do the opposite of the make install. It seems to be rare though, and not always on the applications you'd expect it to be. Really the best I've found is checkinstall, works great and seems to be on the 3 systems that need it most (deb, RH, SLack).

Cool

Can be quite confusing at first, but once you use it 2 or 3 times, it's second nature and in the end, an excellent add on and tool for your linux box.

Cool