Colin Paul Adams wrote: > Is this a permitted upgrade path, or is it better to re-install from > scratch (just preserving /home and /etc? I'd be *very* wary about trying that. For one thing, the installer will almost certainly run RPM pre-uninstall scripts (http://www.rpm.org/max-rpm/s1-rpm-erase-erasing-package.html) if any packages are replaced. Those pre-uninstall scripts are allowed to make use of existing binaries in the package -- except they'll be 64 bit binaries, which Just Won't Run under a 32 bit installer. So you can expect to break a few RPMs on the upgrade. I imagine that nearly all 64 bit RPMs that aren't upgraded will be removed anyway (the 64 bit kernel might remain). Any left will be useless and potentially confusing. I'm not even convinced that the installer would even try upgrading a different architecture. It's certainly not something that would have received widespread testing. If you *want* to test it, and report any breakages to Bugzilla, go ahead. You should be familiar with troubleshooting Linux problems, using RPM and other tools to diagnose package problems, and using the rescue CD to reinstall or remove packages if necessary. You should also have alternative ways of accessing the Internet and getting packages to the PC, and plenty of time to spend if necessary. And you should not expect to use this PC for any work for a couple of weeks, and be prepared to re-install *anyway* if things go too badly wrong. Otherwise, just re-install and save yourself the headache! Hope this helps, James. -- E-mail: james@ | The attitude ``The computer said so, so it must be aprilcottage.co.uk | right'' is always amusing to the people who program them. | -- Geoff Lane
