Description of problem: Tried to install kernel source using yum as follows: # yum --enablerepo=updates-source install kernel-$(uname -r).src Loading "installonlyn" plugin Loading "fastestmirror" plugin Setting up Install Process Setting up repositories updates-source [1/8] mirror-updates [2/8] livna [3/8] macromedia [4/8] core [5/8] updates [6/8] freshrpms [7/8] extras [8/8] Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile Reading repository metadata in from local files Parsing package install arguments No Match for argument: kernel-2.6.16-1.2111_FC5.src Nothing to do Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): yum-2.6.1-0.fc5 How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Verify repo data: # cat /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-updates.repo [updates] name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Updates #baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/$releasever/$basearch/ mirrorlist=http://fedora.redhat.com/download/mirrors/updates-released-fc$releasever enabled=1 gpgcheck=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora [updates-debuginfo] name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Updates - Debug baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/$releasever/$basearch/debug/ enabled=0 gpgcheck=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora [updates-source] name=Fedora Core $releasever - Updates Source baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/$releasever/SRPMS/ enabled=0 gpgcheck=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora 2. Verify location of kernel source package: http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/5/SRPMS/kernel-2.6.16-1.2111_FC5.src.rpm 3. Install kernel source rpm using yum: # yum --enablerepo=updates-source install kernel-$(uname -r).src Actual results: # yum --enablerepo=updates-source install kernel-$(uname -r).src Loading "installonlyn" plugin Loading "fastestmirror" plugin Setting up Install Process Setting up repositories updates-source [1/8] mirror-updates [2/8] livna [3/8] macromedia [4/8] core [5/8] updates [6/8] freshrpms [7/8] extras [8/8] Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile Reading repository metadata in from local files Parsing package install arguments No Match for argument: kernel-2.6.16-1.2111_FC5.src Nothing to do Expected results: Yum locates and installs kernel source rpm. Additional info:
Yum doesnt provide a feature to download source rpms. You can use yumdownloader which is available as part of yum-utils in Fedora Extras. Refer to the release notes in http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/release-notes/fc5/release-notes-ISO/#id3126937 for more information.
There is nothing in the man page that states that yum cannot install source RPM(s). Is this not a limitation imposed by Fedora Core? Why add the trappings for source repositories if yum is not able to install source packages? Adding the source repositories but having yum disregard those repositories is totally illogical and indicative of disjointed thinking. If you want to extend yum using a add-in such as yumdownloader and provide for the retrieval of any rpm file then create a new directory for source repositories, e.g. /etc/source.repos.d/. Do not add to yum configuration files features that yum alone cannot perform.
Man pages describe features implemented and not otherwise. There is no limitation imposed by Fedora Core in Yum. The source repositories are provided in FC5 but disabled by default. It is a onvenience for developers. If you are going to enable the source repositories you might as well as learn to use the appropriate utility for the job.