I needed to update my version of tar to run with some new software, so went and got the new 1.19 version and installed it.

Now, after an uneventful installation (everything went well) I still cannot get the operating system to see the new version of 1.19.

Any ideas?


[root@mailman ~]# rpm -q tar
tar-1.14-12.5.1.RHEL4
[root@mailman ~]#



Thanks in advance.

How did you install the new version, an RPM or from source?

I installed from source...

Ah, that would be the problem then.

The system can only keep track of RPMs, not programs installed from source. If you really wanted to update from source, you would first remove the old RPM for that program and then build the new one in it's place. The problem there is that the system has no idea about the package once it is installed from source. You will start getting messages about tar being missing, and you won't get any updates for it, because as far as the system is concerned you don't even have it installed.

The best way to update software on an RPM based system is with an official RPM, or failing that, by building the software into your own RPM which could then be installed with your distributions' package manager and properly accounted for.

I appreciate the info, thanks.

The next side of that is how to find an RPM build of tar. their website only offer source, and all the repositories that I have found do not have proper rpm builds available.

Could you recommend some sources to find the rpms from? If not, I will start the process of building an RPM from source, but would much rather find a stable rpm from the get go if possible.