The easiest way to query packages is to use the
Query option from the menu at the top. If you
want to query more than one package, make all your selections and then
press the Query button on the menu.
You'll see a window like the one shown in Figure 18-9. The more packages you've queried,
the more tabs you'll find within the box,
each tab representing a window for a
package.
The name of the package is centered at the top of the box. Below, the
box is divided into two columns of listed information; below this
information, you'll see a display area showing package files.
In the left column in the information list, you'll find the size of
the file, the machine on which the file is found, the name of the
package distribution and its group.
In the right column, you'll find the date that the package was
installed on your machine, the date the package was built, the name of
the vendor and the name of the group who packaged the software. If the
package has not been installed on your machine, that space will simply
read, "not installed."
Below the description is a list of the files contained in the
package. If a D appears in its
related column to the left of the path, that file is a documentation
file and would be a good thing to read for help on using the
application. If a C appears in its
respective column, the file is a configuration file. Under the
S column, you can view the state of
the package; here, you'll see if any files are missing from the
package (this probably means that there is a problem with the
package).
If you're querying a package that's already installed, you'll also
find two additional buttons at the bottom of this window:
Verify and Uninstall. If
you're performing a query on a package that hasn't been installed yet,
the buttons on the bottom will be labeled
Install, Upgrade and
Check Sig.
To close the query window without performing any action, left-click on
the X at the top right of the window bar.
Verifying a package checks all of the files in the package to ensure
they match the ones present on your system. The checksum, file size,
permissions, and owner attributes are all checked against the
database. This check can be used when you suspect that one of the
program's files has become corrupted for some reason.
Choosing the packages to verify is like choosing the packages to
query. Select the packages in the display window and use the
Verify button on the toolbar or from
=> on
the menu. A window opens like the one in Figure 18-10.
As the package is being checked, you'll see the progress in the
window. If there are any problems discovered
during the verify process, they'll be described in the main display
area.
Uninstalling a package removes the application and associated files
from your machine. When a package is uninstalled, any files it uses
that are not needed by other packages on your system are also
removed. Configuration files that have been modified are copied to
<filename>.rpmsave
so you can reuse them later.
 | Note |
|---|
| | You must be root to uninstall packages.
|
If uninstalling a package would break "dependencies" (which could
interfere with the operation of applications that require one or more
of the removed files in the package), a dialog will pop up, asking you
to confirm the deletion.
You can uninstall a selected package in a variety of ways: from the
menu, under ; from the toolbar and from the
Query function. If you decide to remove more
than one package at a time, you can choose more than one package in
the same way as you would when installing, querying or verifying. The
total number of selections will be displayed in the status bar on the
bottom of the main window.
Once you've begun to uninstall packages,
Gnome-RPM asks for confirmation, showing a
window like the one in Figure 18-11. All of
the packages that are about to be uninstalled are listed. You should
carefully check the list to make sure that you're not about to remove
something you want to keep. Clicking the Yes
button will start the uninstallation process. After it is completed,
the packages and groups that have been removed will disappear from any
open windows.
When a new version of a package is released, it is easy to install
it on your system. Select the package from the window of available
packages in the same way you select packages for installation. You
can begin the upgrade process in two ways: either the
Upgrade button on the toolbar or using
=>
on the menu. You simply
Add packages in the same manner as you would
during a new package installation.
During the upgrade, you'll see a progress indicator like the one for
shown when you are installing packages. When it's finished, any old
versions of the packages will be removed, unless you specify
otherwise (refer to the section called Configuration for more
information).
In most cases, you should upgrade packages rather than uninstall the
old versions of a package and then install the new ones. If you use
upgrade, any changes you made to package configuration files are
preserved properly. If you uninstall an old version of a package
and then install a new package, your changes could be lost.
If you run out of disk space during an installation, the install
will fail. However, the package which was being installed when the
error occurred may leave some files around. To clean up after this
error, reinstall the package after you've made more disk space
available.
