[Rpm-maint] Rpm for multiple sub-systems

[Mark Hatle]

In the past I had to do something similar to this.  In my environment
(cross-development) there were four RPM databases.  1 host system (which
was read-only), 1 "common host-applications", 1 "host-applications" and
1 "target applications" database.

I had added a hook in rpm, then when it was unable to resolve a
dependency in the database that it was currently working with, it would
go out and request an external resolver script.  So when installing a
"host-application", if I had a requirement such as "common(foo)" it
would go and look in the common RPM database for something providing "foo".

If this would work in your situation, I can probably dig up the patches
and help you work with them.

Mark Hatle
Wind River Systems
Mendota Heights, MN

Wendy Palm wrote:
> Our machines are designed with multiple sub-systems with
> cross-dependencies and we are looking at how rpm may be modified to
> be able to handle something like this, preferably with a single
> database.
> 
> For example, Cray ABC system is set up with x86_64 on subsystem A,
> x86_64 on subsystem B and ppc on subsystem C.  While the arch is the
> same for A and B, the packages of B may not be the same set as A, but
> will definitely have packages in common.  In order to install package
> X on subsystem A, package Y MUST be installed on subsystem C.
> Currently, we are using seperate databases, chrooting into each
> environment and manually checking the cross-dependencies, and that's
> already too manually intensive and doesn't scale well.
> 
> We are debating whether this is possible with rpm alone at all, or
> something that someone may already be working on or at least thinking
> about.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas/comments?
> 
> thanks for your time, Wendy