[mdlug] Package update question

[Robert Meier]

Michael, Ray, Greg,

>> ... Then you do an update via yum on the development server,
>> before updating the production server,
>> but find out that one of the updates breaks an application. 
>> Assuming that you have identified the package that is
>> causing the problem, how do you backout just that one
>> package? ...
> I would not bother with uninstalling the application. If yum here is a 
> front end to rpm I would obtain an rpm of an earlier, preferably 
> desired, version and do:
>    $ rpm -ivh --force package.xx.yy.zz.rpm
> to force installation of the old version.

IMHO, this is the major advantage that yum introduced,
compared to apt, and most other "smarter" auto-update systems.

Basing the installation on rpm's which are usually (and always should be)
reversible (with no package cooperation required),
you should always be able to uninstall a broken, malicious, or simply
undesired package completely.

Concurring,
-- 
Bob

 "Destruction is *easy*. Even stupid people and weather formations can
    do it. If you think you're so cool, try *improving* something."
	      -- Ray Ingles 1997