I have a desktop and a laptop, both running PCLOS/KDE with the new kernel
and kde4.8.3. I keep them up to date. Occasionally, I might install
a package on one machine only, and today I thought I'd try to get them
in-sync. I ran rpm -qa | sort on both machines and ran comm on the
results. I found several screwy things I can't explain. I'm going
to just ask specifics about one of them to keep this short.
First, I'm running the exact same kernel on both PCs. Here's the result of uname -a:
Linux desktop.homenet 3.2.18-pclos1.bfs #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 22 04:05:24 CEST 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
Linux laptop.homenet 3.2.18-pclos1.bfs #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 22 04:05:24 CEST 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
Second, I'm using the exact same repository (and I mean exact because I
copied my sources.list file from on machine to the other) to make sure
I wasn't crazy. Here's the repository from my sources.list file:
http://mirror.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/mirror/pclinuxos/pclinuxos/apt/ pclinuxos/2010 main updates nonfree kde games xfce4 special
I have exactly one (no more) repository selected. I do occasionally change
repositories, but right now, they are both set identically. Additionally,
I had to do some major backups of root on both machines recently. I never
did the rpm/sync testing before the backups.
Here's a specific anomly:
Running
rpm -qa | grep ^avahi
on both machines reports the following:
on desktop: avahi-0.6.28-1pclos2010
on laptop: avahi-0.6.30-2pclos2012
On the desktop, I start synaptic, verify the repository (again), reload, and
search for avahi. I'm told I have avahi-0.6.28-1pclos2010 installed and
it is the latest version. I could reinstall it if I wished. Everything looks
correct.
On the laptop, I start synaptic, verify the repository (again), reload, and
search for avahi. I'm told I have avahi-0.6.30-2pclos2012 installed,
and that it is the latest version. I cannot try to reinstall it: I can't
select that option. (I can select reinstall on other packages in a normal
state, there's something peculiar about this one) I did discover I could
go to Package -> Force Version, and I am then given the option to select
either 0.6.30 or 0.6.28. But if I select 0.6.28, I'm given a warning
that a bunch of other packages would have to be removed (not reinstalled,
but removed) including tools I use all the time (like vlc). If I select
0.6.30, nothing happens: I still can't force a reinstallation.
I have never (knowingly) installed any package outside of the repositories;
I just click on reload and mark all upgrades.
I try using some other random repositories before posting this, and
I got identical results.
Why is synaptic reporting different latest versions from the same repository
for the same tool? What should I do about it? Why can't I reinstall?
