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bt33Flag for Netherlands

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Can't use 'yum' in Linux

A long time ago in a place far far away I remember using yum to install lots of stuff and it worked great, but now I am trying it again on my own server and it's not working. Linux does not recognize 'yum' and when I try to install the RPM package I get the following error:

[root@supersecret /]# rpm -Uvh yum*.noarch.rpm
warning: yum-2.0.3-0.fdr.1.rh90.noarch.rpm: Header V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 8df56d05
error: Failed dependencies:
        rpm-python >= 0:4.1.1 is needed by yum-2.0.3-0.fdr.1.rh90.noarch
        yum < 3.2.0 conflicts with yum-metadata-parser-1.1.2-2.el5.x86_64

I have a feeling I am looking at it the wrong way somehow but I can't figure out what. My linux version is the following:

[root@supersecret /]# cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.6.9-023stab048.4-smp (root@rhel4-64) (gcc version 3.4.5 20051201 (Red Hat 3.4.5-2)) #1 SMP Fri Jul 11 18:00:55 MSD 2008

I remember getting the error that gcc couldn't be found either while trying to install different packages, but here it says a gcc version number? I am totaly lost, any help would be very greatly appreciated, thanks experts!
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GarthSnyder

The gcc version reported by /proc/version relates to the build environment of your kernel, so it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about software installed on the system.

The fact that you are getting a message about conflicts with the installed yum metadata parser makes me wonder if yum isn't already installed. What does "rpm -q yum" tell you? What about "whereis yum"? Is it possible that your PATH environment variable isn't set through /usr/bin?
RedHat EL 3 uses up2date is this not working for you?
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ASKER

[root@supersecret ~]# up2date
-bash: up2date: command not found
[root@supersecret ~]# rpm -q yum
package yum is not installed
[root@supersecret ~]# whereis yum
yum:
[root@supersecret ~]# echo $PATH
//sbin://bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin

All bad news it seems :(
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zencrafter

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Looks like experts-exchange doesn't like double dashes.  The import and nodeps options have 2 dashes in front of them, instead of just 1 like for -e.
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ASKER

I get this:

[root@supersecret /]# rpm -e --nodeps redhat-release
error: package redhat-release is not installed

And I'm guessing because that didn't work I can't use the last command because of the dependencies.

[root@supersecret /]# rpm -Uvh *.rpm
error: Failed dependencies:
        python-abi = 2.3 is needed by python-elementtree-1.2.6-5.el4.centos.x86_64
        libreadline.so.4()(64bit) is needed by sqlite-3.3.6-2.x86_64
        rpm-python is needed by yum-2.4.3-4.el4.centos.noarch

I rented this server so I didn't install RedHat myself, it's basicly a cheap server where I can roam free as root but with little to no support.
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ASKER

When I try to install the missing packages I get dependency erros again, and so on and on. Isn't it weird that I would need to install all rpm's? I found a list of rpm's my provider claims to have installed on the server:

http://www.flexservers.nl/vps/rpm-packages-centos5.php

Is it maybe something else or should I just install all the rpm's the server asks for? (which are a loooot)
Based on that package list, it looks like your provider is using OpenVZ as a virtual hosting/machine mechanism.  Since it looks like your distro is really RedHat and not CentOS, I'd recommend contacting your hosting support for assistance in updating your virtual's RPMs, as they have not given you the mechanism to do so on your own.