To guarantee the operational security of a system, update packages must
be installed in the system from time to time. Previously, a bug in a package
could only be eliminated by replacing the entire package. Large packages
with bugs in small files could easily result in large amounts of data.
However the SUSE RPM offers a feature enabling the
installation of patches in packages.
The most important considerations are demonstrated using
pine as an example:
- Is the patch RPM suitable for my system?
-
To check this, first query the installed version of the package. For
pine, this can be done with
rpm -q pine
pine-4.44-188
Then check if the patch RPM is suitable for this version of
pine:
rpm -qp --basedon pine-4.44-224.i586.patch.rpm
pine = 4.44-188
pine = 4.44-195
pine = 4.44-207
This patch is suitable for three different versions of
pine. The installed version in the example is
also listed, so the patch can be installed.
- Which files are replaced by the patch?
-
The files affected by a patch can easily be seen in the patch RPM.
The rpm parameter -P allows
selection of special patch features. Display the list of files with
the following command:
rpm -qpPl pine-4.44-224.i586.patch.rpm
/etc/pine.conf
/etc/pine.conf.fixed
/usr/bin/pine
or, if the patch is already installed, with the following
command:
rpm -qPl pine
/etc/pine.conf
/etc/pine.conf.fixed
/usr/bin/pine
- How can a patch RPM be installed in the system?
-
Patch RPMs are used just like normal RPMs. The only difference is
that a suitable RPM must already be installed.
-
Which patches are already installed in the system and for which
package versions?
-
A list of all patches installed in the system can be displayed with the
command rpm -qPa. If only one patch is
installed in a new system (as in this example), the list appears as follows:
rpm -qPa
pine-4.44-224
If, at a later date, you want to know which package version was
originally installed, this information is also available in the RPM
database. For pine, this information can be displayed
with the following command:
rpm -q --basedon pine
pine = 4.44-188
More information, including information about the patch feature of RPM, is
available in the man pages of rpm and
rpmbuild.
