On 11/30/06, Tony Nelson <tonynelson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Does "rpm --initdb" ever delete database files, specifically the Packages file? Is it safe to do "rpm --initdb ; rpm --rebuilddb"? I want to get straight what "rpm --initdb" does, so I don't give bad advice. I had read that --initdb created a fresh, new database, as implied by "man rpm", wiping out the old database. Others have disagreed, and it seems that they are right. I looked casually at the RPM source code for --initdb (stopping when it called through a function pointer), and it looks like --initdb only tries to open / create the database file(s), and won't replace existing files. I ran "rpm -vv --initdb --dbpath /my/broken/database", and it only mentioned the Packages file.
The only current use in rpm for --initdb is to conform to the doco so that I don't have to waste time and energy explaining to users why --initdb hasn't been needed for years and years. Perhaps I should document --verifydb in the man page for the same reasons. Have fun! 73 de Jeff _______________________________________________ Rpm-list mailing list Rpm-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rpm-list
