Here's an RPM fix!

[Gleef <gleef capital net>]

OK, one of my big gripes with RPM is how it handles libraries (I don't
know if DEB is any better).  Lets say you need a stable version and a
development version of a library on a system.  With both versions of the
package installed, it is difficult to update the development version,
since using the -U flag will try to delete the stable version as well.

This is a particular problem with the gtk+ libraries for those of us who
are using the RPMs in part or in whole for our GNOME installations.  I've
uploaded to ftp.labs.redhat.com/pub/incoming a source and binary rpm to
make this easier.  gtk+-stable-1.0.3-1.i386.rpm contains the 1.0.3
version of libgtk, libgdk and libglib.  Here's a typical installation:

  $ rpm -q gtk+
  gtk+-1.0.2
  gtk+-1.1.0-1998052517
  
  $ rpm -e gtk+-1.0.2
  removing these packages would break dependencies:
        libgtk.so.1 is needed by control-panel-3.5-1
        libgtk.so.1 is needed by usermode-1.4-1
        libgtk.so.1 is needed by usernet-1.0.6-1
        libglib.so.1 is needed by control-panel-3.5-1
        libglib.so.1 is needed by usermode-1.4-1
        libglib.so.1 is needed by usernet-1.0.6-1
        libgdk.so.1 is needed by control-panel-3.5-1
        libgdk.so.1 is needed by usermode-1.4-1
        libgdk.so.1 is needed by usernet-1.0.6-1
        gtk >= 0.99.970925 is needed by usermode-1.4-1

  $ rpm -e gtk+-1.0.2 --nodeps

  $ rpm -ivh gtk+-stable-1.0.3-1.i386.rpm
  gtk+-stable ##################################################

Now everything that uses the stable version of the gtk libraries will be
using the version in gtk+-stable, and you can upgrade gtk+ to your hearts
content.  When they come out with gtk+-1.0.4, gtk+-stable can be upgraded
independantly.

Note that, like other versions of gtk+-1.0, the version in gtk+-stable is
not binary compatible with some older gtk programs, such as the RedHat 5.0
version of control panel.

If this package is thought of as a useful thing, someone should build the
alpha version, and they should be moved into the support directory on the
ftp site.

Enjoy.
-Gleef