LinuxQuestions.org - Slackware Install Enhancement Suggestion

I have a suggestion for a minor [?] enhancement to the Slackware
install program(s) and package maintenance tools.

I am not sure how others handle Slackware updates, but I keep a complete
Slackware tree on an extra hard drive, and periodically use 'wget' to
keep it up-to-date. For a given release, normally this will just
involve loading new files to the patches directory and a few other
new files (ChangeLog, etc.)

Then I will move these newer version packages into their actual
directories under the /slackware directory, and remove the older
version.

So.. for example if in the N set, we have apache-version1.tgz and
there is a patch released called apache-version2.tgz then I
move the patches/apache-version2.tgz file into the N directory
and remove apache-version1.tgz Now any future installs will
use the newer version.

But there is one glitch with this. Since the old file is now gone,
the next time I do a 'wget' it gets put back.. and then I have to
delete it again.

MY SUGGESTION
=============

Instead of removing the old version, if I were to replace it with
a zero-length file of the same name, and the same timestamp as the
original old file, then won't get replaced again during the next 'wget'.
But.. now when you do an install, there are 2 versions of the package
there.

So.. Would it be hard to change the installer so that if it sees a
ZERO LENGTH package file, then just IGNORE it. This way the old
old package files could remain as a place holder for 'wget' yet the old
package would not get loaded.

Has this ever been suggested before? When I get some time I was
going to try to find the install code and see if I can figure out
what would be required to implement this. .. or anyone else
care to try it?

BTW, I also use this zero-length file trick to prevent various
files in the slackware tree that I don't want (know I will never
use) from actually being loaded every time I do a 'wget' .. like
some large ones that will only use up lots of disk space.