> I hate RPM format.
> why cant it let us control wher we want the files ?
> most of these damn rpm packages scatter the files so much,
> after installing the product, I dont even know where did it get installed
> !!!!
> Grrr...
as far as controlling where the files are installed, you may want to look
at the --prefix and --relocate options. RPM's dont scatter files any more
than any other form of installation (binaries in /usr/bin, sytem binaries
in /usr/sbin, docs in /usr/doc, man pages in /usr/man/*, config files in
/etc, variable files in /var/*, logs in /var/log) . In fact, the files go
in the same place that the same developer who creates the Makefiles and
.debs and .tar.gz's tells them to go. There are also plenty of GUI's, and
command line options to tell you where every single file you specify will
be installed. You can even selectively view what dependencies are there
for the packages, and what other packages are required and what could get
over written or affected by installing the package. RPMS' also support
post- and pre- install scripts that run things like ldconfig after an
install automagically. RPM's also, store the exact place every file in an
install is stored. that measn if I do an rpm -evv packagename, it will
clean my system of the package *entirely*. Try unistalling a package you
installed from a tarball six months ago.
> On the contrary .tar.gz is comparitivly much better it gives us max choice
> in installation.
I view of the above reasons, I really find it hard to agree with your
statement. 'Max choice' ? I don't know about that. Do you know how easy it
is to customize RPM's by downloading the SRPMS ? maybe you should look
into the 'rpm --rebuild' option, and spec files, and other
'configurability' RPM offers you. The man page is a wonderful place to
start.
Let me emphasize here, that while naming RPM here, the same goes for
debian's .DEB format as well. apt is in fact, even more configurable than
rpm, but as I don't run debian, i can't tell you much about it.
On a more political note, an indication for those of you who are not
interested in flaming content that there's not much technical content
after this, I really find it strange that such an attitude towards
things like RPM exist in the Linux world. I'm no great fan of RedHat or
RPM or debian. I use what works. tarballs work for me, and so does rpm.
RPM however, makes my life easier, and makes my system easier to maintain
95% of the time. So I use it. Hence, I do not believe it would grant me
guru status if I came here and posted how trashy RPM or redhat or xyz was.
Mr Soni, Maybe you need to RTFM a bit. I see you've mentioned in a
previous post that you prefer posting to this list to reading HOWTO's and
README's. Unfortunately, this will not take you far in the Linux world.
Everything in Linux is documented carefully for a reason - to make it
easier for people to use. I have spent many years on mailing lists and
chat channels helping out newbie after newbie with what are relatively
mudane tasks for me. I've also generated a fair volume of documentation of
my own in this time, so I find it hard to swallow when someone proclaims
their dislike of written documentation in preference to posting
unitelliegent remarks or questions to a mailing list, without even
bothering to read a man page.
Raju : 'Old Monk', the man who is so highly respected in the Linux world,
with true 'Guru' status - am I missing something here? Do I have to bash
redhat/rpm to be cool? I remember pointing out some zoot issues to you
when you announced you were installing it on your new box. Does that make
me a guru ?
My point here : Read the manual. Understand what a service has to offer
you before you trash it. Don't trash things you don't know about, or
haven't used. Nothing is 'best'. There is a no 'best distro', or 'best
installer', or 'best operating system'. Everything has it's place.
Maybe a RPM-HOWTO for the next meet wouldn't be a bad idea. I would
volunteer to give it, but I'm unfortunately in Bangalore till June.
On a side note, I don't usually post long posts. This is just my reaction
to a rather disturbing trend I am witnessing. Use Linux for what it can do
for you. Don't use it because it's cool.
nikhil datta
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