[ILUG] RPM trickery

[Kenn Humborg]

> > Also try rpm --relocate if it is a relocatable package
> > (which is probably won't be).
> 
> Usually (read occasionally) you can relocate it anyway with a --force,
> and you won't have a problem. A question, though - why are there so few
> relocatable RPMs out there? Are they hard to make, or something?

Well, there are two issues with relocating packages:

1. Putting the files in different places
2. Dealing with directory specs that are compiled
   into the binaries.

RPM deals with issue 1 by allowing you to say "stuff that 
goes in /usr/bin/ should go in /home/user/bin, stuff
the goes in /etc should go in /home/user/etc".

However, if there is _any_ hardcoded patch that is not
overrideable by a command line option, then you're 
screwed.

It is an issue, though.  It would be really nice for non-root
users to install RPMs in their home dirs.  Do .debs allow it?
If not, then it's probably _very_ hard to do :-)

Later,
Ken