Re: rpm --verify, timestamp differences

On Jun 13, 2008, at 8:54 PM, Robin Bowes wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Can anyone tell me why, on a newly-installed (from kickstart)  
> minimal CentOS system, some of the packages fail verification  
> because of timestamp differences on some files?
>
> For example:
> # rpm --verify device-mapper
> .......T   /usr/include/libdevmapper-event.h
> .......T   /usr/include/libdevmapper.h
> .......T d /usr/share/man/man8/dmsetup.8.gz
>
> Now, it would be possibly understandable if the files that were  
> changed were config files, but those listed above are a couple of  
> headers and a man page.
>
> Why would the timestamps be different than the metadata in the RPM  
> database?
>

The issue is peculier to kickstart & anaconda, not rpm. I have  
personally
seen the rpm --verify complaints, but only immediately after kickstart/ 
anaconda
installs/upgrades.

Meanwhile, its easier to just fix the mtimes than to try to understand  
Why ... ?

Here's a means to reestablish file mtimes whenever necessary using -- 
setmtimes
popt alias wrapper to the necessary touch(1) command.

Disclaimer: I haven't tested this --setmtimes alias for over a year,  
its just some
litter that I happen to have lying around.

Add this popt alias for --setmtimes to /etc/popt:

rpm     alias --setmtimes -q --qf '[\[ -L %{FILENAMES:shescape} \] ||  
touch -m -c --date="%{FILEMTIMES:date}" %{FILENAMES:shescape}\n]' \
                 --pipe "sh"
         --POPTdesc=$"set mtime of file(s) in a package"

Choose some package "foo" to test.

Type
      rpm --setmtimes foo
to verify functionality. Lather rinse repeat until you are confident
that --setmtimes does what its supposed to do.

(aside) I considered carrying --setmtimes as Yet Another option in  
rpm, but
the pain of adding --setmtimes to rpm does not justify the gain of
repairing (and concealing) kickstart/anaconda flaws imho.

YMMV, everyone's does.

hth

73 de Jeff