Using rpm-3.0.4-0.48, I find that, say, rpm -F "ftp://mirrorsite.mirror/..../redhat-updates/6.2/i386/netscape*.rpm" copies all netscape files into /var/tmp, and proceeds to install all (three) netscape rpm packages regardless of what is currently installed. For example, I don't have communicator installed, yet the above proceeded to install it. However, if I ftp all of these netscape packages to /tmp and run rpm -F /tmp/netscape*.rpm then only those pieces of netscape currently installed are upgraded (i.e., correct `freshen' behavior). Is there a fix? Thanks, - Graham
Rpm insulates itself from network indeterminancy by downlaoding the entire package before checking (and in the -F case, discarding) if the package should be installed. At the moment this is a "feature", not a bug (although I understand perfectly why you wish the behavior changed.)
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 20607 ***