[Yum] More suggestions...

[Robert G. Brown]

As I sit here working on the HOWTO, more features are occurring to me.
Nothing like documenting what CAN be done to help stimulate thoughts of
what it might do.

I will try to be terse.  Seriously.  All my verbosity is going into the
HOWTO itself.  If any of these features are already there, I apologize
-- I AM reading the man page in between to look for them, but probably
the man page from the production version.

<itemize>
 <item> Either .yumrc or e.g yum -f myyum.conf to replace /etc/yum.conf.
Right now one has to edit /etc/yum.conf as root to add a repository
"permanently".  This is not desireable, especially if one only wishes to
graze one of the other public repository to see what they have or to get
a single package.  Remember, every repository on that list is presumed
to be infinitely trusted as any RPM installed as root from there can
destroy every system that updates from it literally overnight.

<item> In fact, yum -u http://www.tomsrepository.org/coolstuff would be
good for the same reason.  Obviously good for seeing what Tom's
Repository has handy with yum list or yum info without root privileges
or needing to hack on yum.conf.  Also good for root to grab a single
package from Tom to install and try out (planning to move it/mirror it
to your own repository if it is "good").

<item> "make rpm" as a make target.  I'm happy to contribute this as I
use one routinely.  To build a yum repository, as far as I can tell one
MUST build the yum rpm after customizing /etc/yum.conf and so forth for
the site.  Sure, y'all probably build rpm's in your sleep, but
documenting the build process for a novice administrator who
nevertheless wants to get started using yum is even more work than
building a make target.  Although I'm doing it anyway <sigh>.
<itemize>

Look ma, just one page.  I'm so proud of myself...

   rgb

-- 
Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb at phy.duke.edu