transaction lock prevents test installs by non-root users?

[s davison computer org]

(I apoligize for resending this -- it went out
the first time without a subject line.)

I'd like to set up a system whereby developers,
who do not have root privileges, can build and
test-install binary RPMs. By making use of the
--dbpath and --prefix options it looks almost
doable. But now I find that a user running
"rpm --install" must have write access to
/var/lock/rpm. I guess I could change the
permissions on that directory, but then many
developers would be using the same lock file,
not to mention possible conflicts with real
installs on the build machine.

I havent' tried using the --root option. I
assume that would not work since according to
the rpm man page it involves a call to chroot,
and only the root user can make that system
call.

Does anyone know a way around this, so that a
non-privileged developer could test install
scripts?

(This is rpm Version 4.3.3, rhel4u1.)

Thanks for any help.

Stowe Davison