YUM crashes during update

[Tim]

Mike Johnston wrote:
>>> I upgraded from FC 4 to FC 5.
>>> When I do a 'yum update' it uses all the memory and eventually
>>> crashes.

a different Tim:
>> You don't say how much memory you have.  Maybe you just don't have
>> enough to cope with resolving all the dependencies?

Timothy Murphy:
> Do programs crash because you don't have enough memory?

You'd hope not, but then I seem to recall reading that an upgrade,
rather than an install, is quite demanding.  It's got much more work to
do.

> I would have thought they would just hang.

Me too.  Though, I don't know if the original poster really crashed or
it just got stuck, and they thought it was a crash.  Although they said
it crashes, they've not provided any specifics.

> In any case, couldn't the OP just add more swap space?

Don't know.  I'm hoping someone more familiar with that might join in.
I do recall that when I've installed older versions of Red Hat Linux on
low-spec boxes, if the installer thought I didn't have enough RAM, it
would prompt me about using the swap space straight away.  I haven't
been through that difficulty recently.

>>> Is it better to just re-install FC 5?
 
>> It depends...  (on your skills, your needs, etc.).  There's no easy
>> answer to that.

> If in fact the cause was shortage of memory,
> I don't see how re-installing FC-5 would help.

Hmm, yes.  I was thinking of something that they didn't say (if an
update wasn't working, a fresh install might).  You can hardly
re-install something that didn't install...

A fresh install (back up what needs keeping from the prior installation,
wipe out the drive by doing an install instead of update) might work if
RAM is low.  Doing an install of as few packages as possible might be
necessary.

-- 
(Currently running FC4, occasionally trying FC5.)

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