[Techtalk] SuSE source RPM install -failed- help!

[Malcolm Tredinnick]

On Thu, May 30, 2002 at 04:22:26PM -0700, Conni wrote:
> On May 30, Judy Hayes conjectured:
> 
> > I am attempting to install SuSE and I received the error below.  Please help!  
> > issued command:  
> > rpm -ivh kernel-2.4.16-24.i386.rpm
> 
> You should rpm -Uvh : -ivh installs a package; Uvh upgrades it.  I've done
> it many times.

For a kernel rpm you almost always want to "install" rather than
"upgrade" (it's the one exception to the normal rule). Otherwise you
remove all of your old working kernels and if you have any problems at
all with the new one it's time to go off and find the rescue disk your
dog was playing with.

With regards to the original problem: rpm is complaining that the file
already exists on your machine (installed by another kernel rpm) and
they are different, so it cannot just share ownership (which can be
dones if the files have the same MD5 sum). I'm not familiar with how
SuSe package their kernel rpms, but it's probably trying to install the
kernel headers so that things being built against this kernel work. This
is why most distros and individuals put the headers in
/usr/src/linux-<Version> and link the current kernel to /usr/src/linux.

In your case, as a workaround, try moving the /usr/src/linux directory
(if it's not a directory, what is it??) to /usr/src/linux.old and trying
again. That's a little bit broken, but it's not too tragic and you will
still be able to remove the old rpm when the time comes.

Malcolm

--