Yum Update Changes Inode Of File

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Hi folks,

on CentOS 6.5 I run tripwire software which verifies data integrity. My system is automatically updated by yum (as far as I understand the
/etc/cron.daily/0yum.cron is responsible for the regular system updates). After a system update I’m then notified by tripwire about the changes on the file system.

By browsing those tripwire reports I found that there are files which did not change at all (i.e. the MD5 hash is the same as before) but the inode changed. I do not understand what yum did to the file that resulted in an inode change, especially I’m wondering how the inode can change although there was no modification on the file at all.

Thanks in advance for any clarification.

Find below an excerpt from the tripwire log (for /etc/nsswitch.conf)
which shows that only inode changed.

Regards,

Meikel

Excerpt from tripwire report:

Modified object name: /etc/nsswitch.conf

Property: Expected Observed
————- ———– ———

3 thoughts on - Yum Update Changes Inode Of File

  • Meikel,

    Aside from the stupid way:

    create a file “org_name”
    copy it to new_name rm org_name mv new_name org_name

    I don’t know of a way to change inode and keep md5 the same.

    Does anyone know of a way?

    This would be the perfect question for this forum.

    GKH

  • If the bug that Matthew cited is involved, then that’s likely very much what happened. If the OP never changed nsswitch.conf, then the MD5
    would be the same despite the package removing and creating a new file.

    –keith