Author: Ximenes Zalteca
Email: ximenes@null.net
Summary: RPM complains about different architecture
Date: Jun 28 1997

FQQ: When I try to install an RPM on my machine, why does it say 'package
xxxxx is for a different architecture'?

Answer:

There are two possible reasons for this. One of them is likely if you're using
Linux/Alpha, and the other is more general.

Linux/Alpha answer
=----------------=
Between releases in the 4.x series of RedHat Linux, the architecture name for
Linux/Alpha machines was changed from 'axp' to 'alpha' (this was done to more
closely match the naming scheme that the kernel uses). This means that if you're
trying to install a new .alpha.rpm with an old version of RPM, it will complain
about an incompatible architecture.

The quick fix for this problem would be to use the --ignorearch command when
installing the package. However, there is a better solution. That is to just
grab a newer version of RPM from ftp.rpm.org. Any version after 2.2.11 or so
should do the job.

General answer
=------------=
Check the ending of the filename on the package that you're trying to install.
Is it the right file for your machine? Here's a brief summary of machine types
and the appropriate suffixes:

     Intel (and clones)  -> i386.rpm
     Alpha          	 -> alpha.rpm, axp.rpm
     SPARC          	 -> sparc.rpm
     Motorolla 680x0	 -> m68k.rpm
     PowerPC        	 -> ppc.rpm
