Re: rpm --verify, timestamp differences

Jeff Johnson wrote:
> 
> 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

Jeff,

Thanks - I'll give that a shot.

R.