Installing an rpm -- will it require a reboot?

[RobertCarback]

I'm fairly new to Unix (20 yrs HP-UX) and need to install an NTP rpm -- ntp-4.1.2-4.EL3.1.i386.rpm. I'm on the Redhat version --
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES release 3 (Taroon Update 3).

Is there any chance that this rpm will require a reboot? Do any of the rpms require a reboot?

[Heironimus · Accepted solution]

NTP shouldn't need a reboot, you can start it with the init script afterwards. Very few packages in Linux require rebooting. rpm usually won't force a reboot even for updates that do need one, that's left up to you.

[RobertCarback]

Great. Thanks!

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

I've never seen an rpm that requires a reboot.

most new services will permit you to configure and use the service immediately afterward.

Even an upgrade will permit you to use the new binary with a system servicename restart

The only exception I've seen is kernel packages, which you can't really use until you have booted the system.

The nice thing there is that the installation can be done weeks before the reboot.

SEP

[Alpha977]

Hello Robert!

NTP service not require the server reboot.
configure the /etc/ntp.conf and stop.

The only reboot i know after an rpm is only the service you update by rpm.
In this case you are installing new.
No server reboot is required in Linux after an rpm installation.
Probably is if you install a new kernel by rpm.

Regards!

[dirk dierickx]

indeed, there is no package that will force you to reboot on linux. sometimes it is adviced though, in cases when the package is kernel related.
other times, you can just install the package and your done, at worst you'll have to restart the daemon/program if the packaged doesn't already do that for you.