RPM database

[admin1979]

Hello,

We are using SLES 10 Linux. We have a unique request wherein the installed rpm (lets say xyz.rpm ) should not be shown when one does "rpm -qa" query on the system. But at the same time we want the functionality files provided by the rpm. In short the information from RPM database should be removed only
and not the actual rpm.


Thanx,
admin

[Matti_Kurkela]

rpm --justdb -e xyz

will remove the information about the RPM from the database, but leave the files on the system.

As a consequence, you will not receive any security updates to xyz.rpm using automated update tools. If you want the updates, you must install them manually.

The dependencies for files in xyz.rpm will no longer be tracked, so after this operation you will not be warned if you later remove a library that is required by the files in xyz.rpm.

MK

[dirk dierickx]

yeah, this is a brain-dead idea. when removing it from the database you lose effectivly almost all of the benefits of packages.

perhaps an idea it to change the rights of the rpm command so that only root/admins can use it? (rpm -q is available to all) so a simple chmod could suffice.

i'm not sure what you want to do even. if you install the rpm, remove it from the db, the files will still be there on the system. even if people view the rpm's installed, what do you expect them to do with this information that could be 'abused'? they can't remove the rpm anyway, it's there, the user will need to life with it.

installing apps outside a package manager can be done too. create a seperate dir in /opt or somesuch and put it in there. don't mangle it with other binaries in /usr/bin or the likes.

[admin1979]

Thanks. The justdb seems to be working.
And i read the man page , is just for the same cauze.

Now the question why we want to do it.
It is because few of the rpms in our customised OS , need only during the installation of the same. Post installation , in order to collect the actuall RPM count , we do not need it thereafter. Hence we wanted it to be removed.

Thanks to all.
Admin

[admin1979]

As mentioned above.