Re: [vox-tech] Application Upgrade Questions

[William Kendrick <nbMAPSs@sonic.net>]

Bob Scofield asked:
> 1)  If you have a program that's been installed by an rpm, and you want
> to upgrade to a new version all you have to do is to get the rpm for the
> newer version and execute the -u option.  But how do you upgrade a
> program that had to be compiled?  Do you have to remove the program
> before compiling and installing the newer version?  Or, will the newer
> version simply over write the older version when it is installed?

It all depends on the person who made the application. :)
But yes, usually a "./configure && make && make install" will just
overwrite the old version.


> 2)  Suppose that you have a program that was installed by an rpm, and
> you want to upgrade to a new version, but you want to download a tar
> ball and compile the newer version.  Do you have to remove the older
> program first, or will the compiled version simply over write the old
> rpm version?

Danger, danger!


> 3)  Suppose that you have a program that was compiled, and you want to
> upgrade to a new  version, but you want want the new version to be
> installed by an rpm.  Do you have to remove the older version and
> install the rpm by executing the -i option?  Or, can you just leave the
> older version there and execute the -u option on the rpm?

I believe you need to do an "-i"nstall, since RPM doesn't know about
.tar.gz's.  (That's why it's dangerous above... you have libXYZ 1.2
and install 2.5 as a .tar.gz, then you try to install App123 and
it requires "libXYZ 2.0 or higher".  Since the RPM database THINKS you have
1.2 still, you'll need to force the thing to install, which could be
troublesome)

-bill!