YUM install zlib gives weird errors

[Mat]

When trying to set up pre-requisites for OO 4.2.1, I did "yum install zlib". This (after download the i686 version comes back with error:
Transaction Check Error:

package zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i686 is already installed
file /@unixroot/usr/lib/z.dll from install of zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i686 conflicts

with file from package zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i386

If this is already installed, fine.
But why does it report a conflict with the 386 version? If this really causes a problem, then one of the two should not be installed. A "rpm --rebuilddb" didn't fix this. Can this be a YUM logic error, in that the 386 version isn't there but it still reports it?
This same error happens on almost all OO 4.1.2 pre-requisites. I m reluctant to go on until this is clear.
I cannot see the yum version because "yum version" doesn't work, see ticket 173.

[Yuri Dario]

Check if zlib is already installed:

rpm -qa "*zlib*"

You probably have i386 there and with new platform file it tries to install i686. Since it is the same version if fails.

[Mat]

rpm -qa "*rpm*" reports indeed "zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i386". But the error is still wrong. It specifically says "package zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i686 is already installed" which is is not, the i386 is installed. The name is different, the assembly code is different, the functionality is probably the same. But is the name already is different, it cannot install it and should not report that it is installed. In such a case, it probably should report "cannot install package zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i686, conflicts with package "package zlib-1.2.5-5.oc00.i686 is already installed". Hving proper error reporting is _very_ important.
Anyway, how can I upgrade selected packages from i386 to i686? I think uninstall the old is the best, the install the new, but won't that cause dependency problems in between?

[Silvan Scherrer]

all packages are upgraded when a new version is available. So don't worry. The same version on different arch is the same code, beside some arch bits. But those do not hurt.

And uninstalling will not work, if dependencies are around. So better don't mess with that.

To your initial question:
the 2 packages are the same. and you can't install two times the same package of different arch. So it tells you it conflicts. The message you be more specific true.
But anyway, in a rpm env you can always exchange yum install commands from a readme with a yum update. Then you get the latest versions. And those not installed will also give you a message. Then you only have to install the missing ones. Or do a yum list and you see if the package is already there.

I close this issue, as in my opinion it's not something which is wrong. If you think different, write a comment and reopen it again.