Folks there is rpm3 which was used to build the packages of Mandrake 7.2 and
there is rpm4 released by RH and used in cooker (and in RH7, I think). rpm4
is backwards compatible, meaning it will install rpm version 3 files but rpm
3 is NOT forwards compatible. It will not install files built with rpm
version 4. Even if it could, the files are compiled with different versions
of gcc and require different libraries.
Cooker has been a repository of programs that people used to informally
update their machines, though it was never intended as more than a very open
and public method of showing the development process and getting more users
involved in the testing. While some minor incompatibilities have existed in
the placement of directories or in the menuing structure from distro to
distro, it has never before been a total lack of forward compatibility.
Backporting the new developments to 7.2 is a rather large task limited by
available developer time and interest. The directory
/Mandrake-devel/unsupported at your favorite mirror contains some backports.
Others, done by users, are at ftp://mandragon.org/pub/mandrake.
The newer rpm is improved in performance and should provide enhanced
installation for most users, once it is released in the next distribution.
It is possible to upgrade to rpm version 4. If anyone is interested, I'll
put up detailed instructions on www.mandrakeforum.com tomorrow, but remember
there is still a library problem, and installing the new library is
intentionally breaking your system.
Civileme
