B.2.3. Configuration File Changes

Because RPM performs intelligent upgrading of packages with configuration files, you may see one or the other of the following messages:

saving /etc/foo.conf as /etc/foo.conf.rpmsave

This message means that changes you made to the configuration file may not be forward-compatible with the new configuration file in the package, so RPM saved your original file and installed a new one. You should investigate the differences between the two configuration files and resolve them as soon as possible, to ensure that your system continues to function properly.

Alternatively, RPM may save the package's new configuration file as, for example, foo.conf.rpmnew, and leave the configuration file you modified untouched. You should still resolve any conflicts between your modified configuration file and the new one, usually by merging changes from the old one to the new one with a diff program.

If you attempt to upgrade to a package with an older version number (that is, if a higher version of the package is already installed), the output is similar to the following:

package foo-2.0-1.el6.x86_64.rpm (which is newer than foo-1.0-1) is already installed

To force RPM to upgrade anyway, use the --oldpackage option:

rpm -Uvh --oldpackage foo-1.0-1.el6.x86_64.rpm