How does RPM work?

martian · 03-09-2006, 09:38 AM

I'm running RedHat, and want to install the Java SDK 1.5 (I'm currently using 1.4). This isn't a package that is available under up2date, as near as I can tell from the RedHat Network website (rhn.redhat.com). So I'd like to install it using RPM. Everything else on my computer has been installed using up2date, and I'm worried that RPM will conflict with up2date.

Also, I'm wondering what exactly RPM and up2date do to "install" software. For example, I see some symbolic links in /usr/bin, and am guessing that these links were created by up2date? If I use RPM to update Java, will I need to update all of those symbolic links to point to the new JVM?

(As you can see, I know just enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be useful.)

Thanks for the help!

Chris

Philosopher · 03-09-2006, 10:00 AM

up2date is as far as I know nothing else but a rpm-frontend (somebody correct me please if I´m wrong).
To install/ update your Java SDK just download the latest version from java.sun.com, open up a terminal, become root and then type

Code:

rpm -Uhv java-whatever.rpm

This should work for all rpm-based distributions. For more information about rpm type

Code:

man rpm

The symbolic links will be created by rpm, at least the ones nescassary to run Javaprograms. If you´re developer you maybe have to create your own symbolic links in /usr/bin (so did I under Mandriva 2006)

caspervn · 03-09-2006, 10:02 AM

JVM installer creates folders and files in a particular folder which you have chose.
For example: you set folder containing JVM is /home/data/jvm, and installation of jvm's installed in this folder

martian · 03-09-2006, 10:30 AM

Thanks for the tips.

When I run

Code:

rpm -Uhv jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.rpm

I get a message saying that the package is already installed. So I typed

Code:

java -version

and found out that the version of Java that I'm running is 1.4.2. Am I doing something wrong? I also see something about gij, which appears to be a GNU compiler for Java?

Thanks.

tredegar · 03-09-2006, 10:37 AM

Something to think about:
which java will tell you the path to your java executable. This may be a link pointing to your (old) java1.4.2, check this with ls -al /path/to/java. If it is a link you'll need to delete it, and make a new link pointing to the java executable in your new java1.5.0
Or maybe I am barking up the wrong tree here!.

HTH

blanks · 03-09-2006, 10:56 AM

If you're interested in learning about how rpm works, check this out:
http://www.rpm.org/max-rpm/

It's probably the most comprehensive rpm documentation there is.

Philosopher · 03-09-2006, 11:06 AM

Seems you have two JDK versions now... but it doesn´t matter because different java versions don´t conflict. It´s just up to you which one to choose.

My Java is installed in /usr/java/jdk1.5.0_06/ so I guess it´s the same on your system. There are two possibilities for you now: delete the old symbolic link and either create a new one or add /usr/java/jdk1.5.0_06/jre/bin to your path. Or don´t do anything and invoke the new java on the commandline when needed.

martian · 03-09-2006, 12:00 PM

It looks like the Java pointers go from /usr/bin -> /etc/alternatives -> /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.4.2-gcj/bin. I would like to change these to point to the updated 1.5 JVM, but I'm still having problems installing.

If I run "locate java", I find two *empty* directories labeled java-1.5.0. But RPM insists that Java 1.5 is installed. Ideas?

Philosopher · 03-09-2006, 12:13 PM

Try as root

Code:

# updatedb

and then again

Code:

> locate jdk

martian · 03-09-2006, 12:40 PM

/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_06/

Java 1.5 must have gotten installed at some point, without my realizing it, while I was trying to run RPM. So thanks for the help. I'll try updating those symbolic links.