[WBEL-devel] Decision time re: rpm-4.2.2-0.14.src.rpm

Time to toss one out to the list and get an opinion.

The problem: the version of rpm included in U2 can't be patched for 
whitebox.  The patch touches configure.ac and this triggers off GNU 
autoconf/automake/libtool/blah/blah when the package gets rebuilt.  
Problem is this new version of rpm depends on a much newer version of all 
that GNU auto[blah] than they supply for RHEL3.

Options I have thought of:

1.  Ignore this update to rpm.  Not really an option because it adds ia32e 
as an arch and that will be needed for the x86_64 port.  Plus there are a 
lot of bug fixes listed in the changelog.

2.  Stuff the package on a Fedora machine, merge the patch, run autoconf 
and repackage.  This should allow rebuilding on WBEL so long as no changes 
get reintroduced which would trigger autoconf.  This option totally breaks 
the pristine source+patch concept since it would mean repacking the 
tarball.

3.  Bring in the newer autoconf/automake/etc and include them in lostRPMS.

4.  Wade in and back out the changes which require newer tools.  This 
would involve major surgery on a core piece of software.  Not preferred.

Longterm I believe I should contact the rpm maintainers and see about
getting my two line patch incorporated upstream so this won't be a problem
in the future, because I don't see RH considering our problem as their
problem since an unmodified package builds correctly.

-- 
John M.      http://www.beau.org/~jmorris        This post is 100% M$ Free!
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