Using yum to install older version of software (ndiswrapper) for kernel compatibility

[openSauce]

Hi,

I'm using Fedora 8 and I'd like to install ndiswrapper via yum. Ndiswrapper requires a kernel module, and there are many versions available at livna:

$ yum list available | grep ndiswrapper
kmod-ndiswrapper.x86_64                  1.53-4.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21-2950.fc8xen.x86_ 1.48-15.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21-2952.fc8xen.x86_ 1.48-17.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21.7-2.fc8xen.x86_6 1.52-2.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21.7-3.fc8xen.x86_6 1.52-6.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.1-42.fc8.x86_64  1.48-15.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.1-49.fc8.x86_64  1.48-16.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.14-107.fc8.x86_6 1.48-19.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.14-115.fc8.x86_6 1.48-20.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.15-137.fc8.x86_6 1.52-1.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.8-63.fc8.x86_64  1.48-17.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.23.9-85.fc8.x86_64  1.48-18.lvn8           livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.3-12.fc8.x86_64  1.52-2.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.3-34.fc8.x86_64  1.52-3.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.3-50.fc8.x86_64  1.52-5.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.4-64.fc8.x86_64  1.52-6.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.5-85.fc8.x86_64  1.52-7.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.24.7-92.fc8.x86_64  1.52-8.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.10-47.fc8.x86_64 1.53-1.lvn8            livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.11-60.fc8.x86_64 1.53-2.lvn8            livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-69.fc8.x86_64 1.53-3.lvn8            livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.4-10.fc8.x86_64  1.52-9.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.6-27.fc8.x86_64  1.52-10.lvn8.1         livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8.x86_64  1.52-11.lvn8.1         livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.3-14.fc8.x86_64  1.53-3.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.5-28.fc8.x86_64  1.53-4.lvn8.1          livna           
kmod-ndiswrapper-xen.x86_64              1.52-6.lvn8.1          livna           
ndiswrapper.x86_64                       1.53-1.lvn8            livna

My kernel is 2.6.21.7-3.fc8xen, so I try to install the module for that version. However the error message tells me I have to have the latest version, and therefore have to upgrade my kernel to go with it:

Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21.7-3.fc8xen.x86_64 0:1.52-6.lvn8.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-ndiswrapper-xen >= 1.52-6.lvn8.1 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21.7-3.fc8xen
--> Processing Dependency: ndiswrapper-kmod-common >= 1.52 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.21.7-3.fc8xen
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ndiswrapper.x86_64 0:1.53-1.lvn8 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: ndiswrapper-kmod >= 1.53 for package: ndiswrapper
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-xen.x86_64 0:1.52-6.lvn8.1 set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper.x86_64 0:1.53-4.lvn8.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.5-28.fc8 = 1.53-4.lvn8.1 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.5-28.fc8.x86_64 0:1.53-4.lvn8.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kernel-x86_64 = 2.6.26.5-28.fc8 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.5-28.fc8
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Error: Missing Dependency: kernel-x86_64 = 2.6.26.5-28.fc8 is needed by package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.26.5-28.fc8

Is there any way to persuade yum to install the earlier version of the module? I tried downloading the rpm direct from livna and using yum localinstall, but it still went and looked for the latest version. And I tried the same thing with the livna repo disabled, but then there were other dependencies it couldn't get.

[openSauce]

Sigh, long day. Forget the question, I just manually downloaded the rpm and the dependencies and installed with rpm.

Out of interest, would there have been any way to do what I wanted with yum?

[stoat]

Originally Posted by openSauce

Out of interest, would there have been any way to do what I wanted with yum?

Hello openSauce,

Yeah, it's the yum-allowdowngrade plugin. See how Psycho figured that out in another thread here.