I've read and skimmed many resources RE: RPMs and how they work. Largely these documents describe the commandline args and how to use the RPM utilities.

I'm more interested in understanding how/if there is a central RPM database. Where does that database reside? Are there utilities available to manipulate it? Is it possible to compile/build/install an app and subsequently add it to the RPM database?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding - but better clarity around how this works may spark some ideas to fix the dependency hell issues.

For example, I love APT-GET and Synaptic - but the source I use to sync with (freshrpms) seems to only include updates equivilant to the Red Hat errata (security, bugfixes) and rarely new product updates.

I want a mechanism (even if I have to build it) to grab KDE 3.1.1, Mozilla 1.4b, OpenOffice 1.03, etc, etc when they are initially made available - and have it presented in the same Synaptic like UI without trashing the value of an RPM database in keeping track of what I have installed.

This may be solved with a different source repository - but I have yet to find one that does this with Redhat 8 or 9.

When you install an rpm the database is updated, that's the whole point of using rpm

if you have a program that's not available as an rpm you can create an rpm and install it

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/RPM-HOWTO/index.html

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I'm more interested in understanding how/if there is a central RPM database. Where does that database reside?

If you mean is there a single global rpm data base web site, the answer is no. Each distribution that uses rpm maintains their own rpm data base.

If you are talking about your own machine, yes, there is a central RPM database. SuSE puts it in /var/lib/rpm
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Is it possible to compile/build/install an app and subsequently add it to the
RPM database?

If you are talking globally, some distributions have a portion of their central
RPM database set aside for user contributions. But this is not a heavily used feature.

If you are talking about your own machine try checkinstall.

http://asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/
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Anyone know of a utility to browse the local RPM database? (I hate to say this, but something like REGEDIT??)

it depends on what you want to see but there's

rpm -qa

also check out kpackage if you want a description of each rpm and a file list

or gnorpm


however there is nothing like a registry in linux.

I would say it's more like add remove programs deluxe edition

Thanks - understood there is no registry in Linux. Was looking for an editor for the RPM database (or at least a browser).

Was wondering if it would be possible to manually add/remove files to be tracked, and want to look at the "guts" of the db to see if supporting tools could be authored to help add apps after a non-RPM install.

Thanks again for your answer.

kpackage is the best I've seen

I think if you want to maintain a full rpm based system the answer is to only use rpm files, this would require some rpm's to be built from time to time for some people.