Keeping gnumeric current on Fedora Core 3

[Richard Bumby <bumby math rutgers edu>]

Fedora Core 3 comes with a 1.2.x version of gnumeric, but the 
requirements listed on the gnumeric site suggested that the requirements 
for the latest 1.4.x were satisfied.  To preserve the sanity of the 
system, I decided that I should build an RPM although I have never done 
a project this large in rpm.  To guide this task, I got the Source RPM 
for the version that was installed so that I could examine the 
gnumeric.spec.  The comparison between that file and the one in the 
1.4.x tarfile was instructive:

(1) You say, "don't even think about making a gnumeric-devel", but they 
create one anyway.

(2) They seem to exclude optional features to avoid having to require 
them for the binary RPM.

(3) You built a manpage and installed it in the right place, but forgot 
to include it in your list of files for the package.

Other than that, it was clear that both files were aiming to do the same 
thing.

Before starting, I installed all packages mentioned on your site, in the 
README file of the tarfile, or as a requirement in the spec file.  These 
three lists weren't completely in sync, though most of the differences 
appear to be among optional features.  I think I managed to get a 
successful build, but I haven't tested it yet.  

The requirements for the 1.5 include newer versions of some packages 
than are included in Fedora.  Can these packages be upgraded without 
breaking something?  (I ask because upgrading the freetype2 library on 
my previous system broke gnomeprint.)  Since the 1.5 series is supposed 
to be a "testing" version, can it live beside a stable 1.4.x that is 
used for production work?  

--RT Bumby
 Rutgers Mathematics Department