how to 'rip apart' a rpm.

[Bill Davidsen]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Saturday 15 May 2010, Kevin J. Cummings wrote:
>> On 05/15/2010 11:22 AM, reg at dwf.com wrote:
>>> I want to look at the individual files in a src rpm.
>>> How do I 'rip it apart' ??
>> rpm -qpl src.rpm
>>
>> should show you a list of the files in the RPM.  When you "install" it,
>> they get installed in your rpmbuild sandbox under:  SPECS and SOURCES
>> subdirectories.
>>
>>> Doing an install doesnt seem to be the answer, It does something, but I
>>> have no idea where the bits and pieces are going.
>>> They are NOT in /usr/src/redhat nor in /root/rpmbuild.
>> You really shouldn't be playing with source RPMs as root.  Look in your
>> user RPM sandbox:
> 
> Then I'd suggest that doing so as a user be made possible.  I think its 
> asinine that I am prevented from building my kernels as a user, simply 
> because mkinird cannot be made to run if you are not root.
> 
You don't need mkinitrd to build a kernel, you need it to *install* a kernel, 
two different operations. After you do the make you can make modules_install and 
install with the -n option (if you wish) to inspect what they will do, or just
   "su -c "make modules_install modules"
after the build is done.

You didn't ask: I run my build in a script command, so I have the details of any 
error messages.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot