On Sat, Dec 07, 2002 at 04:23:17PM +0100, Lars Braeuer wrote: > > > Herbert Poetzl wrote: > > >On Sat, Dec 07, 2002 at 02:19:32PM +0100, Lars Braeuer wrote: > > > >>does anyone have a brief explanation of how rpm is working when giving > >>it a list of rpms (like in the vserver redhat minimum installation > >>script). I'm currently adapting the redhat installation script to work > >>with suse (7.3/8.0), it almost works but there's still a problem that > >>drives me crazy. I'm not used to rpm, I usually compile all my > >>applications by hand, but for an automated vserver creation rpm is much > >>easier. ;) > >> > >>I checked the rpm manpages several times and the only thing I found, is > >>that rpm tries to sort the packages, so that all dependencies are > >>fullfilled. > >> > >>when running the install script with a minium rpm list, it almost > >>installs all packages. but one of the most important packages (aaa_base) > >>containing a basic passwd and group file, is not installed. I kind of > >>found a workaround by copying the passwd and group file from the > >>installation cd, but there are more files in the aaa_base rpm that are > >>needed. > > > > > >the aaa_base or similar "base" packages on rpm based > >distributions are usually some kind of "fake" package > >which gets installed after the "base" installation > >required to get rpm, etc working. so these packages > >usually list a number of files, but do not contain > >any of those files (they usually can be found on the > >first installation CD in a directory named "*base*" ... > >the installation scripts simply copy the files to the > >destination directory/medium and then install the > >selected packages including the fake aaa_base package. > > > Installing the aaa_base package right after all the other packages are > installed works fine. But the rpms initially installed seem to require > those files included there.
I did not check the suse base packages, they seem to include several files (which will be necessary), but maybe there is another package representing the mentioned pre-installed files, but I can give you an example for mandrake ... # rpm -ql basesystem-8.2-1mdk (contains no files) # rpm -q --provides basesystem-8.2-1mdk basesystem = 8.2-1mdk > So do you mean that it's the right approach to copy a set of base files > (passwd/group/shadow) from the installation cd before running the base > installation, so that everyhting is there for a "base" installation? and > afterwards just install the aaa_base package? yes, I think so, but maybe you should take a look at the installation scripts, on the SuSE CD ... > If the aaa_base rpm is just a fake, I wonder why the description says > "This package installs several important configuration files. " I guess, regarding SuSE I might be wrong there ... > On a redhat vserver installation, which rpm is responsible for the > passwd and group files? if you have all RPMs of any rpm based distribution, you can easily create a list of files/provides included. # rpm -ql -p <package-file-path> will list all files in a package (or in the given packages) # rpm -q --provides -p <package-file-path> will list the provided symbols/versions ... so if you make a loop over all packages, writing the package name and then listing the files/provides you'll be able to locate packages for files easily. (some distributions provide tools to scan/list the uninstalled packages) best, Herbert > thanks for your help. > > lars
