Description of Problem: `rpm -i' fails on older src.rpm's Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): rpm-4.0.3 on default redhat 7.2 How Reproducible: 100% Steps to Reproduce: (example) 1. wget ftp://ftp.icm.edu.pl/vol/rzm3/linux-redhat-contrib/libc6/SRPMS/xgoban-wally-1-1.src.rpm 2. ~# rpm -i xgoban-wally-1-1.src.rpm Actual Results: error: unpacking of archive failed on file xgoban-wally.spec: cpio: Archive file not in header Expected Results: Installs the source files to $RPM_SOURCE_DIR and the spec file to $RPM_SPEC_DIR Additional Information: This has nothing to do with this specific package. This happens to lots of packages, both from the web and custom built.. They *can* be installed(unpacked) like this: rpm2cpio some.src.rpm | rpm2cpio -idumv but that's defying the purpose of rpm. They can be installed(unpacked) on at least redhat 6.2 without problems.
The xgoban package was prepared on 1/17/98, dunno what version of rpm 2.4.10. That's a long time ago, and there are many problems long since fixed in rpm-2.x.y. Use rpm2cpio to create a new src.rpm. 'Tain't hard, nowhere near as hard as trying to maintain legacy compatible code for buggy software.
It's not only src.rpm's. I can't install the old Applix rpms I've been using up to Red Hat 7.1 on Red Hat 7.2. # rpm -i --nodeps applix-4.3-2.office.i386.rpm error: unpacking of archive failed on file applix/applix: cpio: Archive file not in header