Here is a problem I have been experiencing for many weeks (see below), 
waiting for perhaps a bug fix or newer version of one of the update 
applications.  I have tried to resolve this with apt-get, yum, and smart 
-- none have worked for me.  I can't see why the new packages require 
python 2.3 when I have python 2.4 installed -- is there no backward 
compatibility built into python24?

I am also getting errors when trying to update freetype: it indicates 
that while a newer version is available, it conflicts with the old 
version and so any newer applications which need freetype = (something I 
can't get) the update/install will fail for those as well.  Is there any 
way to force the new freetype, ignoring conflicts, or is that just a bad 
idea?  Anyway, here's the yumex error related to freetype:

/nTransaction Check Error:   file /usr/lib/libttf.so.2.3.0 from install 
of freetype-2.1.9-4.el4 conflicts with file from package 
libttf2-2.1.9-1_4.el4.at
   file /usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6.3.7 from install of 
freetype-2.1.9-4.el4 conflicts with file from package 
libfreetype6-2.1.9-1_4.el4.at

(Also note the error in the text message that yumex provides:  there 
should not be a "/n" in the beginning, where it appears that the author 
intended to tell some C compiler to begin a new line, but somehow was 
taken as actual text.  This appears on every debug message I get from 
yumex, which is no big deal but would be nicer without it).



Thanks!


Here's the output related to the python problem:

# yum update beecrypt
Loading "kernel-module" plugin
Setting up Update Process
Setting up repositories
Reading repository metadata in from local files
Resolving Dependencies
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package beecrypt.x86_64 0:4.1.2-10.1_13.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package beecrypt.i386 0:4.1.2-10.1_13.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: rpm-build
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: rpm-libs
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: apt
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: libbeecrypt.so.6()(64bit) for package: net-snmp
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package rpm-build.x86_64 0:4.4.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package rpm.x86_64 0:4.4.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package libbeecrypt6.x86_64 0:4.1.2-10.1_13.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package apt.x86_64 1:0.5.15lorg3.2-67.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package rpm-devel.x86_64 0:4.4.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: librpmio-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: popt = 1.10.2 for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: librpmio-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpm-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: apt
--> Processing Dependency: rpm = 4.3.3-13_nonptl for package: rpm-python
--> Processing Dependency: librpmbuild-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: librpmdb-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: librpmdb-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-build
--> Processing Dependency: apt = 0.5.15lorg3.2-1.el4.rf for package: 
apt-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpmbuild-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: 
rpm-build
--> Processing Dependency: librpmio-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: apt
--> Processing Dependency: librpmdb-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: apt
--> Processing Dependency: neon-devel for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpm4.4 = 4.4.2 for package: rpm
--> Processing Dependency: librpmdb-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpm-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpm-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-build
--> Processing Dependency: librpm4.4 = 4.4.2 for package: rpm-devel
--> Processing Dependency: librpmio-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm-build
--> Processing Dependency: librpm-4.4.so()(64bit) for package: rpm
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package neon-devel.x86_64 0:0.24.7-5.99_3.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package apt-devel.x86_64 1:0.5.15lorg3.2-67.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package popt.x86_64 0:1.10.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package librpm4.4.x86_64 0:4.4.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package rpm-python.x86_64 0:4.4.2-15.1_58.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: librpmio-4.3.so()(64bit) for package: net-snmp
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: rpm-python
--> Processing Dependency: librpmdb-4.3.so()(64bit) for package: net-snmp
--> Processing Dependency: librpm-4.3.so()(64bit) for package: net-snmp
--> Processing Dependency: neon = 0.24.7-5.99_3.el4.at for package: 
neon-devel
--> Processing Dependency: rpmmodule.so()(64bit) for package: smart
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package librpm4.3.x86_64 0:4.3.3-8_41.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package neon.x86_64 0:0.24.7-5.99_3.el4.at set to be updated
---> Package smart.x86_64 0:0.42-36.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: rpm-python
--> Processing Dependency: smart-config for package: smart
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: smart
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package atrpms-package-config.x86_64 0:110-1.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: rpm-python
--> Processing Dependency: /usr/lib/yum-plugins/kmdl.py for package: 
atrpms-package-config
Importing Additional filelist information for dependency resolution
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: smart
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
---> Package yum-plugin-kmdl.noarch 0:0.2-3.el4.at set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: rpm-python
--> Processing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 for package: smart
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Error: Missing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 is needed by package rpm-python
Error: Missing Dependency: python(abi) = 2.3 is needed by package smart

Thanks for your help!  -Michael