[Yum] RE: yum compatibility backward with rpm

[Skahan, Vince]

To answer Jim and Seth's responses, the reason I think a very-optional
set of "--force" and/or "--nodeps" options would be helpful is that it
would help me use the very nice yum feature set to make custom smaller
rpm-based distros without needing to hack on the vanilla Fedora rpms
themselves at all.   There are a variety of 'requires' and other
configuration things defined in the rpms in vanilla Fedora that do not
make equal sense for the embedded-like distro I'm trying to cook up from
a drastic subset of the rpms Fedora supplies.

Examples - our lawyers want a custom /etc/issue but RH/FC historically
had that file set as unalterable in the rpm it was provided with, so me
trying to alter the login banner with a rpm caused a rpm dependency
conflict of multiple rpms claiming the same file.   Also, all RH-based
distros really want a MTA present, I absolutely don't.   Many rpms have
cross-dependencies to things like gnu readline or other interactive
packages.  In an embedded os nobody needs those goodnesses.

Bottom line is I'd like to be able, at my own risk of course, to use yum
to "just do what I say to do" in terms of rpm lists, just as I can use
--nodeps to do with rpm. Yes, I'm well aware of the risk of toasting my
system, I'd just like yum to be as flexible as rpm is regarding doing
such things, so I'm hoping it's possible to talk about
command-line-switch compatibility between yum and rpm and/or alternate
workarounds.

Example 2 - yes, I know how to build bogus rpms that 'claim' to 'provide
xyz' so that dependency checks can be met via sleight of hand.  I'm
somehow less sure how to supersede a bad rpm itself (the /etc/issue
example above) without nuking something manually in a postinstall script
or by manual commands in a wrapper installation script.  I'd really like
to be able to set up a custom repo and do a rpm install from there, and
have the rpms do it all.

Lastly, I have to take exception in the use of the words "incredibly
stupid" and "fathom any sane reason why" in a couple of the responses.
The fact that I see places where yum could be 'more' useful if it was
more rpm-like is neither stupid nor insane by any definition of the
term.  Sometimes having a bigger swiss-army-knife even if most folks
never use that last two tools is goodness to the folks who 'would' use
that kind of feature set.

Thanks...

------ vince.skahan at boeing.com ------