OK, I've copied /var, but I can't kill X so that I can unmount it--I've knocked off all the other processes, but gdmgreeter, etc. keep coming back like zombies.

How do I put a stake through its heart (at least long enough to umount /var), without a reboot at a lower sysinit level (because I'm still afraid to reboot given the partial update of yum)?

Sounds like you need to do an "init 3" to take
the system into text mode. This will prevent
gdm from being respawed. After you're done doing
stuff to /var, do an "init 5" to return to
graphical mode.

You should do this from a console terminal, not
an xterm, and you need to be root.

Instead of doing all this why don't you just symlink the /var/.../yum directory over to a larger drive somewhere. That lets you finish the update, and then you can repartition to your hearts content!

Just to clarify, run the command:

mv /var/cache/yum /yumtmp
ln -s /yumtmp /var/cache/yum

I have just tried this out to make sure nothing "bad" happens - so you should be good to go. Note that if it does something weird on your system, it is completely reversible.

Instead of doing all this why don't you just symlink the /var/.../yum directory over to a larger drive somewhere.

D'oh!

That's the best idea yet.

Randomly came across this thread from another planet. The most proper way to fix this is to run yum clean all, which will remove everything in /var/cache/yum. Then make a new directory on a larger partition and change cachedir= line in /etc/yum.conf. Then try to updated again.

...make a new directory on a larger partition and change cachedir= line in /etc/yum.conf

Another good suggestion (perhaps even better). But I've already started the new update with the change in symbolic link (which is sort of equivalent--just a different way of redirecting the directory), and it seems to be going fine.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. Of course, it's not over until it's over...

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