Up-grading using RPMS
Hi all,
I'm having problems getting Mandrake 8.0 to upgrade itself from RPMS. (if the jargon isnt quite right yet.. sorry, i'm a newbie) I downloaded the content of the RPMS folder at a Mandrake mirror and tried the Linux GUI program for that purpose. I managed to get it to load up the list of packages available so I chose the stuff to do with the kernel first (seemed a good place to start!) Initially all seemed ok as it returned a list of other packages that were required (dependencies?) so I oked that - next dialogue tells me that there has been a host of errors listed as xxxx program needs xxx program this list of errors isnt as big as those I get when I try to install other things such as KDE *massive list!* Nothing happens much after this I find that I have to "kill" the process to get anywhere ie restart Can anyone tell me what's going on here? I have visited the Mandrake site and it does have info on RPMS and installation via the command line etc but nothing about the errors the installer keeps reporting thanks |
aaaah - the good old dependency hell. 2 things you could do are:
1. obtain the programs (and any programs they depend on) 2. use the URPMI tool in Mandrake - open a console, su to root and type in urpmi <program>. You will need to set up your urpmi sources - type man urpmi for description and help. There is a website (the PLF, I think - it's something like plf.zarb.org) which can help with creating the sources. |
Thanks for the reply
OK so do I have to download the contents of all the RPMS folders? I just got the stuff in RPMS not RPMS2 and 3; I thought there seemed alot of similiarly named files so I didn't bother... should I get them? |
No - there is no need to download all of the contents of the folders.
If you set up and use urpmi all you need to do is, for example: urpmi gimp and hit enter The program will go to the folders, find the program, check if it's newer than the one you have, check dependencies, if you don't have a program it needs it will download that program and install it, then complete the download and install. All of this happens without your intervention. If you download all the contents, you will end up with a number of unnecessary programs and you will still have to resolve dependencies by hand. |
I'm not sure what you mean by 'upgrade itself.' If you just want to upgrade specific programs, use urpmi. Set up sources. Here's a website that does it for you:
http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/ Then to upgrade a program, urpmi program. ***WARNING*** ***THE FOLLOWING COULD MAKE YOUR SYSTEM UNUSABLE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE*** Now, if you want it to 'upgrade itself' to 9.2, you can do that, too. But it is dangerous so back up your data. Use that website, but change your sources from 8.0 to 9.2. urpmi --auto-select enter yes wait an hour (or much more) Now if you need to upgrade kernel: urpmi kernel (it'll give you options, choose to install the new standard one, or whatever you want) If you changed the kernel you must reboot. Voila, Mandrake 9.2. Hopefully! (I just did this from 9.1 > 9.2). |
Hello - thanks again
Right, I've followed your instructions with repect to URPMI - from a command prompt I used addmedia to point it at my RPM folder - which it found no probs. Next I invoked it for kernel, it responded with a list, I wasn't too sure which to pick so I went for the kernel with no words in its name kernel-2.4.22.10mdk or something close to that. Presented with a massive list of deps which I ok. After some chugging I get loop in prerequisite chain: initscripts coreutils pam initscripts r try w/o checking deps? YES << chug chug>> loop in prerequisite chain: initscripts coreutils pam initscripts r Force? YES! << chug chug>> loop in prerequisite chain: blah blah blah what now? :-( I will get to the bottom of this but it is kinda annoying - how come this process isnt as easy as installing in Windows is? |
That said I'm not in the least bit put off Linux or Mandrake for that matter
In fact can anyone suggest a good in-depth book to help me understand what I'm doing in Linux? I'm a science grad so I can take a fair amount of detail/jargon etc and I used to meddle about with MS-DOS some time ago on a sturdy if glacial 386sx (25Mhz/16MB.. woo hoo!) Is it true that I could, using the right packages run Linux on one of those even now? |
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You don't 'download' things and then urpmi them. You just urpmi them. Quote:
Why are you upgrading your kernel anyway? Any reason? Quote:
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Oh, I see what you mean about URPMI. But can't I use it for a local folder? It did seem to know where to look...
I'm up-grading the kernel mainly in an effort to understand the process. You've got me about the Windows kernel thing. |
Upgrading the kernel via URPMI is nothing like upgrading the kernel by hand.
Your best bet is to get rid of all the downloaded files and, as mac_phil says, point your pc at the ftp sites. Use the link in post#5 to change your sources - follow the instructions on the site, put in the options and you will be presented with a list of commands. Copy and paste them into a console line by line and then do urpmi <package name>. If you want some reading matter, go to RUTE - this can be read online, downloaded and read/printed offline or purchase a hard copy. |
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Upgrading the kernel with urpmi is completely automatic. just urpmi kernel, pick the one you want, it installs, then you reboot. Boom, new kernel. Once you start using urpmi with ftp sites you'll never look back. Like I said, you could upgrade you whole distro, not just the kernel, to 9.2 in three simple steps. |
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