Re: --initdb

["Jeff Johnson" <n3npq jbj gmail com>]

On 11/30/06, Tony Nelson <tonynelson georgeanelson com> wrote:
> Does "rpm --initdb" ever delete database files, specifically the Packages
> file?  Is it safe to do "rpm --initdb ; rpm --rebuilddb"?  I want to get
> straight what "rpm --initdb" does, so I don't give bad advice.
>
> I had read that --initdb created a fresh, new database, as implied by "man
> rpm", wiping out the old database.  Others have disagreed, and it seems
> that they are right.  I looked casually at the RPM source code for --initdb
> (stopping when it called through a function pointer), and it looks like
> --initdb only tries to open / create the database file(s), and won't
> replace existing files.  I ran "rpm -vv --initdb --dbpath
> /my/broken/database", and it only mentioned the Packages file.

The only current use in rpm for --initdb is to conform to the doco
so that I don't have to waste time and energy explaining to users why --initdb
hasn't been needed for years and years.

Perhaps I should document --verifydb in the man page for the same reasons.

Have fun!

73 de Jeff