Re: wrapping a 3rd party installer within an RPM package?

[Jeff Johnson <n3npq jbj gmail com>]

On Feb 6, 2007, at 3:44 PM, Praveenkumar Ponnusamy wrote:

> Hi -
>
> I have a third-party installer (Macrovision's Install Anywhere  
> based) for a _huge_ project. I am investigating the possibility of  
> providing an RPM package for the same. I don't want to create an  
> RPM package from _scratch_ because I don't want to maintain a build  
> process parallel to what I already have for the third-party  
> installer - so this is what I've done so far:
>
> * transported the third party installer as the RPM package's  
> payload (in %files section)

Nothing wrong with this.

> * unpacked the third-party installer and invoked its setup script  
> from within RPM's post install section (%post).

The running of the installer in %post, but you're unlikely to
be happy with the results.

Better approaches are:

1) detect the 1st execution of some component and run/configure the  
installer there.
2) add notes about how to run the installer to, say, %description and/ 
or as a README
in /usr/share/doc/*/

> The obvious problem here is that - since the installer is the  
> _payload_ for RPM package, looking up the files installed by the  
> package using "rpm -q --dump <my-package>" command actually shows  
> the installer files. But I want for it to show the _actual_ files  
> installed by the third-party installer. This will provide great  
> flexibility later when installing updates and patches.

Yep. There is %ghost that can claim ownership of files that were not  
contained
in the payload.

> I know this is a rather unconventional situation - but it will  
> help. Can anybody think of any solution for this scenario?

Not at all unconventional, jusk ask LSB about 3rd part ISV's ... ;-)

73 de Jeff