Check this out: [root] beaker:~/updates# rpm -Uvh samba-1.9.18p10-5.i386.rpm package samba-1.9.18p10-5 is already installed error: samba-1.9.18p10-5.i386.rpm cannot be installed [root] beaker:~/updates# rpm -Uvh samba-1.9.18p10-5.i386.rpm --force samba ################################################## error: samba-1.9.18p10-5.i386.rpm cannot be installed [root] beaker:~# rpm -q samba samba-1.9.18p7-2 samba-1.9.18p10-5 [root] beaker:~# rpm -V samba-1.9.18p10-5 [root] beaker:~# So the package is installed ok? Hmmm lets start again and delete samba. [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# rpm -e samba --allmatches -vv D: counting packages to uninstall D: opening database in //var/lib/rpm/ D: found 2 packages to uninstall D: uninstalling record number 3153944 D: uninstalling record number 3815512 [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# rpm -e samba --allmatches -vv D: counting packages to uninstall D: opening database in //var/lib/rpm/ D: found 2 packages to uninstall D: uninstalling record number 3153944 D: uninstalling record number 3815512 [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# rpm -q samba samba-1.9.18p10-5 samba-1.9.18p7-2 ARARARARGH! [root] beaker:~# rpm --rebuilddb [root] beaker:~# [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# rpm -e samba --allmatches -vv D: counting packages to uninstall D: opening database in //var/lib/rpm/ D: found 2 packages to uninstall D: uninstalling record number 3153944 D: uninstalling record number 3815512 [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# rpm -e samba --allmatches -vv D: counting packages to uninstall D: opening database in //var/lib/rpm/ D: found 2 packages to uninstall D: uninstalling record number 3153944 D: uninstalling record number 3815512 [root] beaker:/home/tjmc# ARARARGGH!!! Help. Please. Help. RH 5.1, RPM 2.5.3-5.1 I'm going to attempt to solve my problem by migrating to 5.2... But I'd still like to know why this happened.
Sounds like you may have a corrupted rpm database. Try rebuilding it using the rpm --rebuilddb command and then removeing and reinstalling the packages in question.