installing kernel packages with rpm

[Michael Kearey]

On Fri, 2005-04-22 at 15:08 -0400, Blackburn, Marvin wrote:
> According to most documentation, kernel packages should be installed
> using -rpm -ivh;
> however, there are multiple packages starting with kernel that up2date
> obviously uses the rpm -Uhv.
> 
> How do I know which packages should use -i and which should use -U
> 
> for example
> kernel-2.4.....
> kernel-smp.....
> have multiple versions installed whereas
> kernel-source....
> kernel-doc.....
> kernel-utils....
> have only one version.
> 
> How does up2date determine when to use update as opposed to install?

Hi there,


- The kernel packages does contain a kernel.
- The kernel-smp packages does contain a kernel.
- The kernel-source does not contain a kernel, just the source to build
it.
- kernel-doc does not contain a kernel, just the documentation for it.
- kernel-utils does not contain a kernel, just some general utilities
required to work with one.

Therefore for up2date, if the package contains a kernel it's
*installed*. The reason this is done is to ensure that a fall-back or
back up kernel is available in case the new one is not suitable.

The exact mechanism used by up2date to check the package to see if it
contains a kernel, I don't know - possibly an rpm TAG.

Cheers,
Michael