Desktop Redhat 7.0 install; wanting to add network modules after the fact

[Richard Horton]

I am specifically installing and re-installing Redhat 7.1 However I have one very simple question. I would like to setup the Desktop installation routine for my new install. Then, I would like to install different networking packages as I download the latest rpm and install them. For example, I will perform a fresh Redhat 7.1 desktop install. Then I would like to install the actually Xserver package so the Xwindows session can be network. Later I would like to individual install the rpm for the FTP or Qmail package.

This way I can install each individual network package 1 at a time and test and learn the entire configuration.

So, my simple question is:

If I perform the desktop RedHat 7.1 install; How do I install individual network services and packages easily? Please use the xwindow Server module as an example. I appreciate any help anyone can give.

I am doing this because I wish to make a backup of the original CLEAN desktop and then I can always recover to that point if I screw up a module install and I can start over much quicker.

[Kodjo Agbenu · Accepted solution]

Hello Richard,

Very interesting question.

In fact, it is not so easy to do that with RedHat.

The problem is that, as for any Operating system, you could break dependencies by installing single software packages.

Using SuSE or latest Mandrake versions, you would have chosen one main package (let's say XFree86-4.0.3...rpm), then the administration tool (YaST) would make all dependency check.

Using RedHat 7.x, you can try kpackage or gnorpm, but I'm not sure that it resolve all dependencies for you.

Another way to proceed :

Try to install one package. If the system claims for another package it depends on, then try installing that one before, and so on. It could be quite long, however it would be a way to learn.

Example :

rpm -Uvh sendmail...rpm

-> error : need metamail...

rpm -Uvh metamail...rpm

-> error : need zsh...

etc...


Another source of information about RPM packages :

http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM

Search for a package, then click on the html link. You will see the list of required packages, with subsequent URLs that you can click in order to retrieve all the dependency graph.

Good luck

Kodjo