Jon Fairbairn
Here is the data I have recorded. Perhaps different installation parameters are required?
I don't have the rpms to hand to check the dependencies, but what you say doesn't on its own point to a problem with the rpm.
Redhat Linux 6.2, I686 SMP Glasgow Haskell Compilation System, version 5.00.1 rpm --version RPM version 4.0.2
rpm -U ghc-5.00.2-rh62-1.i386.rpm error: failed dependencies: ghc = 4.08 is needed by ghc-prof-4.08-1 ghc = 5.00.1 is needed by ghc-prof-5.00.1-1
This implies that you have ghc-prof-4.08-1 installed, and it does need ghc 4.08. Similarly ghc-prof-5.00.1-1. Using -U means update, and it wants to remove older versions of the package mentioned, but it can't since that would break dependencies for ghc-prof, which you haven't asked it to change.
rpm -U ghc-5.00.2-rh62-1.i386.rpm ghc-prof-5.00.2<whatever>
ought to have worked, although you may need to do something about having _two_ versions of ghc-prof installed (rpm -e to erase?).
It is ok to have two or more versions of ghc-prof. It only contains libraries for the matching ghc base install and uses different directories for different versions. As pointed out, the problem is that -U implies erasing the old versions. If you like to keep the old versions, just install with `-i' to install in addition to the old ones. (Whether you install ghc-prof for the new version doesn't matter in this case.) If there are conflicts (there will be conflicts in /usr/bin), pass the option --replacefiles, which will the new package make overwrite all the old (conflicting files). This doesn't hurt as you can still invoke the old versions of ghc by giving explicit version numbers, like so % ghc-4.08 <some arguments> If you do not like to retain the old versions, either explicit erase (with -e) the old versions (of at least ghc-prof) before installing the new, or use % rpm -U ghc-5.00.2-rh62-1.i386.rpm ghc-prof-5.00.2-rh62-1.i386.rpm rpm will, then, understand that you want to update the whole lot and delete all the old stuff first. Cheers, Manuel