Using -i or -U to install src.rpm files leads to counterintuitive results. RPM ought to either manage the unpacked source files (which seems kinda cool to me...) or there ought to be a seperate option (or even seperate program) for unpacking src.rpm files.
rpm *does* manage unpacked source files. Take a look at --clean remove the build tree (usually /usr/src/redhat/<name>-<version>) --rmsource remove the sources/patches (usually in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES --rmspec remove the specfile (usually in /usr/src/redhat/SPEC) For example, to remove all the components of a src.rpm, one would do cd /usr/src/redhat/SPECS rpm --clean --rmsource --rmspec <your_specfile_here> In addition, if you are as poor a typist as me :-), you can extend rpm with something like a --zap argument by doing echo "rpm alias --zap --clean --rmsource --rmspec" >> /etc/popt so that you can shorten the example above to rpm --zap <your_specfile_here> Meanwhile, what you are expecting is a rpm database entry, and there is no easy way, because of the number of unknown files generated during a build, to create a database entry. Finally, there is the legacy expectation. For better or worse, rpm does what it does and cannot be changed at this point.
Thanks for the tips - the --zap idea is very useful. Anyway, I understand the reasoning, but still think that -U/-i should always result in a database entry and source rpms should be installed a different way. Ah well, I'm sure we've all got more important things to do. :) Thanks again.
Q> --clean remove the build tree Q> (usually /usr/src/redhat/<name>-<version>) Usually /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/<name>-<version> in my experience...