[PLUG] mandrake linux, How do you install anything without error messages?

[Dennis Brylow]

Quoting leon (leon@purdue.edu):
> I'm curious how any of you
> installed any software other than the ones on the cds because I can't
> seem to install anything from the rpm files because my computer is
> missing a bunch of files or mandrake linux put all the files that are
> required where I can't find them.  

   The RPM system is intended to enforce dependencies that exist
between the complex web of Linux software packages.
   When your RPM installer tells you that it cannot install an
RPM because it is missing components, these errors generally fall
into two categories:
1) Components that are required in order for that software to work.
   So, for example, if your RPM installer complained that it couldn't
   install "xine" because your system is missing several critical
   libraries that xine depends on, forcing it to install will simply
   copy over files that will not run.
2) Components that the person who built the RPM had installed on their
   system which the RPM build software mistook as necessary.  This is
   usually due to sloppiness on the part of RPM builders, who don't
   pay attention to the output of the RPM builder, or don't care if
   configure linked their binary to all manner of obscure library.

   If the missing dependencies are in class 1, then the solution is
that you probably *need* to find those dependencies.  If "xine" 
requires some special library to display video, you're going to have
to get that.  Places to look: on your Mandrake CD - it might just
not be installed by default; the webpage where you got the RPM in
question - the builders probably are aware of any critical libraries
their software requires; rpmfind.net - somebody somewhere probably
built it already.  Or, you could always track down the tarball
and build it yourself.

   If the missing dependencies are in class 2, then your problems
can probably be solved by downloading the SRPM for the package,
and rebuilding it.  (rpm --rebuild <package>)  This is essentially
the same as downloading the source and compiling it yourself.  The
only thing the SRPM adds to this process is accountability and
duplicability.  The spec file includes information about all of the
source, all of the patches, the order they were applied, all the
options that were passed to configure and make, all the
installation steps, and the final locations of the files.
   If building the SRPM fails, then it's usually for the same
reason building the tar-ball would have failed -- because you're
missing some vital component the software requires.

> Anyways, is there any way to uninstall it?  

   rpm --erase <name>

will remove the RPM.


	-D