Dependencies, headaches, and myths

[matrixcubed]

Just thought I would issue a small rant.

I've been messing around with Apache's RPM install, and the biggest pain in the nethers that I have ever come across is having to update an RPM's dependencies with such mythological creatures as libcrypto.so.2, libssl.so.0, libaprutil.so.0; the list goes on.

Hunting for these in RPMfind.net is usually fruitless (since that site seems to be on last-legs), and other sites don't really have the best explanations on why things are the way they are. More or less, what is implied is "just install it, it'll work". Not very welcoming. :(

I've got Apache re-installed (back to 1.3 for me, installed via good ol' configure/make/make install) along with PHP (same method) and MySQL (same).

What exactly does RPM accomplish in an environment (particularly my poor P100 that cannot support a desktop environment to make things a little easier to work with) where dependencies are not only difficult to find, but whose purpose and necessary installation steps are shrouded in mystery?

Personally I find the configure/make/make install route much more satisfying. Sure, my server's file layout will look like hell in a few months, but the alternative is not pleasant.

Anyone actually have good things to say about such weird dependencies?

[hlrguy]

I don't have a feeling one way or the other about dependancies, but I have never had one I couldnt resolve. I was playing with downloaders and wanted to try prozilla. I downloaded prozgui-2.0.... and
it told me it needed fltk and libfltk.so.1

I entered
fltk rpm
in google, found the rpm that provides both, downloaded and installed and away I went.

I have never come accross a program using rpms that I couldn't resolve the depndancies by just downloading the needed rpms.

libcrypto.so.2 rpm had hundreds of hitshttp://www.megaloman.com/~hany/RPM/libcrypto.so.2.html

libssl.so.0
http://at.rpmfind.net/opsys/linux/RPM/libssl.so.0.html

libaprutil.so.0
http://rpm.rutgers.edu/rpm-html/libaprutil.so.0.html

google is my best friend

hlrguy

P.S. If I download a version of rpm and there are a hundred dependancies, then I either use the tar.gz method, which I don't like for the reason you specified, or just find an rpm built closer to my linux version, which is redhat7.0 because, I mean, aren't we all a little lazy
at times. :-)

[crofox]

dependency hell is what made me switch distros, seriously. this is not a plug for my distro of choice. if you really are frustrated, try another distro that has a better package management system. it's worth the effort to avoid future headaches.

[fancypiper]

Easy RPM software management: Red Carpet (http://www.ximian.com/products/ximian_red_carpet/)

[Icarus]

Originally posted by fancypiper
Easy RPM software management: Red Carpet (http://www.ximian.com/products/ximian_red_carpet/) It's great but I think he said he didn't have a GUI or something...I used an APT-GET for Red Hat the other day and was able to fix up all my dependancies with it and install a bunch of stuff with it. I have a post around here some where here with the links for it an stuff...

[jglen490]

Anyone actually have good things to say about such weird dependencies?
Yes, the weird ones are rare, but when they occur, I've been able to use rpmfind to discover what packages they are in for a given distro. In most cases, the package is on the install CDs for my distro, but on occasion I've had to download from rpmfind.

I'll admit that I don't spend my entire day downloading and installing new packages, so for me the weird ones are rare.

btw, I just went to rpmfind, searched on libcrypto.so.2, and came to a response page with 25 rpm packages -- most of which are the openssl package that I'm betting is on your install CD.

[direkt]

I agree with you matirx. I just started using debian after many years of using slackware and I find the apt-get easy to use, but it makes configuring things messier. With tar.gz you know where all your config files are etc .. I am thinking about going back to slackware

[carlywarly]

urpmi is an excellent cure for most, if not all, such difficulties (and it works from the cli).