HOWTO: Remove older duplicated RPMs automatically

[AndyGreen]

Over time RPM seems to collect duplicate packages for one reason or another (interrupted installs, hoarding, who knows), causing unpleasantness at update time. Attached is a short script that issues a list of packages which are not only duplicated, but are older (by install date) than the newest duped package (which is not printed). The script itself just prints package versions and does not remove anything.

The issued list is suitable for feeding into rpm -e to give your constipated package database a colonic irrigation, without actually removing any packages. I suggest you review the output against rpm -q packagename and satisfy yourself that the list is looking good before hitting it with rpm -e, but it has worked great on a couple of machines here and I hope it is useful to others bedevilled by the package duplication problem. Please note that although it works fine for me, it might eat your install and burn down your house, try at your own risk.

[carneyc]

here it all is..........
aspell
at-spi
binutils
bluez-libs
bzip2-libs
db4-devel
db4-utils
gdk-pixbuf
ghostscript
gnome-desktop
gtksourceview
howl-libs
kbd
kdeartwork
kdelibs
krb5-libs
krbafs
libcap
libdbi
libgcj
libIDL
libidn
libpcap
libtermcap
libwvstreams
libxklavier
lm_sensors
lockdev
ncurses
newt-devel
nss_db
openldap
openssl
pcre
readline
rpm-devel
SDL_mixer
startup-notification
swig
tcp_wrappers
wireless-tools
Xaw3d
xdelta
aspell-0.50.5-3.fc3 at-spi-1.6.0-3 binutils-2.15.92.0.2-5 bluez-libs-2.10-2 bzip2-libs-1.0.2-13 db4-devel-4.2.52-6 db4-utils-4.2.52-6 gdk-pixbuf-0.22.0-16.fc3 ghostscript-7.07-33 gnome-desktop-2.8.0-3 gtksourceview-1.1.0-4.fc3 howl-libs-0.9.6-6 kbd-1.12-2 kdeartwork-3.3.1-1 kdelibs-3.3.1-2.9.FC3 krb5-libs-1.3.6-5 krbafs-1.2.2-6 libcap-1.10-20 libdbi-0.6.5-9 libgcj-3.4.3-22.fc3 libIDL-0.8.4-1 libidn-0.5.6-1 libpcap-0.8.3-7 libtermcap-2.0.8-39 libwvstreams-3.75.0-2 libxklavier-1.02-3 lm_sensors-2.8.7-2 lockdev-1.0.1-4.1 ncurses-5.4-13 newt-devel-0.51.6-5 nss_db-2.2-29 openldap-2.2.13-2 openssl-0.9.7a-40 pcre-4.5-3 readline-4.3-13 rpm-devel-4.3.2-21 SDL_mixer-1.2.5-4 startup-notification-0.7-1 swig-1.3.21-6 tcp_wrappers-7.6-37.2 wireless-tools-27-1.2.0.fc3 Xaw3d-1.5-23 xdelta-1.1.3-15

[carneyc]

A big thanks
Chris

[AndyGreen]

Well, copy the latter part of the script like this

rpm -e aspell-0.50........blah blah xdelta-1.1.3-15

and hit enter.

[mkleehammer]

Once you are sure you like the results, you can erase the packages without cutting and pasting by using the following (assuming you're using the bash shell):

rpm -e $(listrmpdupes)

The construct $(xxx) runs "xxx" and replaces $(xxx) with whatever xxx prints out. In this case, whatever listrmpdups prints (the list of packages) will replace the $(xxx).

This is very nice script. You might consider using "uniq -d" to generate the list of duplicates.

mk.

[jvernon]

after I run it the latter pary of my script says:
alsa-lib-1.0.6-3 atk-1.8.0-2 audiofile-0.2.6-1 bzip2-libs-1.0.2-13 cracklib-2.7-28 cyrus-sasl-2.1.19-3 db4-4.2.52-6 dbus-0.22-10 dbus-glib-0.22-10 device-mapper-1.00.19-2 e2fsprogs-1.35-11.2 esound-0.2.35-2 evolution-data-server-1.0.2-3 expat-1.95.7-4 fontconfig-2.2.3-5 freetype-2.1.9-1 GConf2-2.8.1-1 gdbm-1.8.0-24 glib2-2.4.7-1 glibc-2.3.3-74 gnome-vfs2-2.8.2-8 gnutls-1.0.20-3 gtk2-2.4.13-9 hal-0.4.0-10 howl-libs-0.9.6-6 krb5-libs-1.3.4-7 libart_lgpl-2.3.16-3 libbonobo-2.8.0-2 libcap-1.10-20 libgcc-3.4.2-6.fc3 libgcrypt-1.2.0-3 libgnome-2.8.0-2 libgpg-error-1.0-1 libIDL-0.8.4-1 libjpeg-6b-33 libpng-1.2.7-1 libselinux-1.17.14-1 libsoup-2.2.1-1 libstdc++-3.4.2-6.fc3 libtiff-3.6.1-7 libxml2-2.6.14-2 openldap-2.2.13-2 openssl-0.9.7a-40 ORBit2-2.12.0-3 pam-0.77-65 pango-1.6.0-7 perl-5.8.5-9 popt-1.9.1-21 redhat-artwork-0.117-1 startup-notification-0.7-1 xorg-x11-libs-6.8.1-12 xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL-6.8.1-12 zlib-1.2.1.2-1

but when i try
rpm -e alsa-lib.......zlib1.2.1.2-1
I get this error message:
error: "alsa-lib-1.0.6-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "atk-1.8.0-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "audiofile-0.2.6-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "bzip2-libs-1.0.2-13" specifies multiple packages
error: "cracklib-2.7-28" specifies multiple packages
error: "cyrus-sasl-2.1.19-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "db4-4.2.52-6" specifies multiple packages
error: "dbus-0.22-10" specifies multiple packages
error: "dbus-glib-0.22-10" specifies multiple packages
error: "device-mapper-1.00.19-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "e2fsprogs-1.35-11.2" specifies multiple packages
error: "esound-0.2.35-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "evolution-data-server-1.0.2-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "expat-1.95.7-4" specifies multiple packages
error: "fontconfig-2.2.3-5" specifies multiple packages
error: "freetype-2.1.9-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "GConf2-2.8.1-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "gdbm-1.8.0-24" specifies multiple packages
error: "glib2-2.4.7-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "glibc-2.3.3-74" specifies multiple packages
error: "gnome-vfs2-2.8.2-8" specifies multiple packages
error: "gnutls-1.0.20-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "gtk2-2.4.13-9" specifies multiple packages
error: "hal-0.4.0-10" specifies multiple packages
error: "howl-libs-0.9.6-6" specifies multiple packages
error: "krb5-libs-1.3.4-7" specifies multiple packages
error: "libart_lgpl-2.3.16-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "libbonobo-2.8.0-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "libcap-1.10-20" specifies multiple packages
error: "libgcc-3.4.2-6.fc3" specifies multiple packages
error: "libgcrypt-1.2.0-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "libgnome-2.8.0-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "libgpg-error-1.0-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "libIDL-0.8.4-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "libjpeg-6b-33" specifies multiple packages
error: "libpng-1.2.7-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "libselinux-1.17.14-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "libsoup-2.2.1-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "libstdc++-3.4.2-6.fc3" specifies multiple packages
error: "libtiff-3.6.1-7" specifies multiple packages
error: "libxml2-2.6.14-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "openldap-2.2.13-2" specifies multiple packages
error: "openssl-0.9.7a-40" specifies multiple packages
error: "ORBit2-2.12.0-3" specifies multiple packages
error: "pam-0.77-65" specifies multiple packages
error: "pango-1.6.0-7" specifies multiple packages
error: "perl-5.8.5-9" specifies multiple packages
error: "popt-1.9.1-21" specifies multiple packages
error: "redhat-artwork-0.117-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "startup-notification-0.7-1" specifies multiple packages
error: "xorg-x11-libs-6.8.1-12" specifies multiple packages
error: "xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL-6.8.1-12" specifies multiple packages
error: "zlib-1.2.1.2-1" specifies multiple packages

any suggestions?

[Oetzi]

I noticed that the script mix different architectures together, so if you have a package both in 32 and 64bit the script will show this as a duplicate package.
So beware of this or you may remove packages you still want to use.

Your rpm-message shows this - you installed these packages in 2 different architectures - and rpm doesn't know which one to remove.

[AndyGreen]

Wow, nice debug Oetzi. I only have 32-bit machines here.

I can see how to separate by Arches and I'll look at making a new version suitable for 64-bit. But for now the script is only correct for 32-bit installs.

[jlblom]

Hi Andy,
Actually you hit a big problem in 64-bit systems. The 32-bit and 64-bit main programs and part of the libraries are equal for both architectures, which in my opinion is a serious error as you get a lot of duplicate packages in name but not in function. Therefore programs like synaptic find many packages "broken" and want to remove them but also yum complains about "duplicate packages" and won't install in nightly updates. I thought your solution was my upgrade saver but I doesn't dare to use it as the risk of my installation being eaten or my house burned down is too large .
But seriously, it is a big problem for which I see no solution short of allowing duplicate packages in yum.
As an example for libapr you find 2 occurrences ith the same name albeit in different directories:
/usr/lib/libapr-0.so.0
/usr/lib/libapr-0.so.0.9.6
/usr/lib64/libapr-0.so.0
/usr/lib64/libapr-0.so.0.9.6
Of course with file command you can see the architecture but rpm is not intelligent enough for this difference.
However in your last post you mentioned to look into this problem and I wonder if you had come up with a solution.
I think it is a problem that affects he whole 64-bit community. The solution may be the use of 2 separated directory systems one for 32-bit and one for 64-bit applications eliminating (even forbidding) the use of shared libraries between 32-bit and 64-bit applications. But I can't oversee the consequences so maybe my idea for a solution is too simple.
I hope you have some answers.
Joep

[Oetzi]

You can always remove packages via yum:

yum remove <package>.i386
yum remove <package>.x86_64

Afaik by using rpm it is not possible to distinguish between different architectures. But yum can do this.
So a solution can be using yum instead of plain rpm.

[ajamison]

how can you be 100% sure you are not deleting valid packages that are not duplicate

[BobFedora]

http://hacktux.com/rpm/error/specifi...tiple/packages

[Hlingler]

This kind of hacking is no longer required now with 'package-cleanup --cleandupes':
su
yum install yum-utils
[...]
package-cleanup --cleandupes

Closed as obsolete.

V