rpm

rpm

The rpm command is a package management tool for managing RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) packages. It is used in Red Hat-based distributions, such as Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux). The rpm command allows users to install, query, verify, update, and remove RPM packages.

Basic Usage

Installing a Package

To install an RPM package, use:

sudo rpm -i package_name.rpm

Options:

• -i: Install the specified package.

Removing a Package

To remove an installed package, use:

sudo rpm -e package_name

Options:

• -e: Erase (remove) the specified package.

Upgrading a Package

To upgrade an existing package or install it if it's not already installed, use:

sudo rpm -U package_name.rpm

Options:

• -U: Upgrade the specified package.

Querying Packages

To query installed packages or specific package files, use:

rpm -q package_name

Options:

• -q: Query the specified package.

Example: To query if a package is installed:

rpm -q httpd

To get detailed information about an installed package:

rpm -qi package_name

Options:

• -i: Display package information.

Listing Files in a Package

To list files installed by a package, use:

rpm -ql package_name

Options:

• -l: List the files in the package.

Verifying a Package

To verify the integrity and authenticity of an installed package, use:

rpm -V package_name

Options:

• -V: Verify the specified package.

Importing a GPG Key

RPM packages can be signed with GPG keys to ensure their integrity. To import a GPG key:

sudo rpm --import /path/to/RPM-GPG-KEY

Advanced Usage

Installing from a Repository

For installing packages from repositories, you would typically use yum or dnf (the newer package manager for Fedora and RHEL-based distributions). However, you can combine rpm with yum/dnf if you need to:

sudo yum install package_name

Or with dnf:

sudo dnf install package_name

Force Install/Upgrade

To forcefully install or upgrade a package, ignoring some dependency issues:

sudo rpm -ivh --force package_name.rpm

Options:

• --force: Force the installation or upgrade.

• -v: Verbose mode.

• -h: Print hash marks as the package archive is unpacked.

Checking Dependencies

To check the dependencies of an RPM package:

rpm -qpR package_name.rpm

Options:

• -p: Query a package file.

• -R: List the requirements (dependencies) of the package.

Example Usage

Installing a Package

To install a package named example-1.0-1.x86_64.rpm:

sudo rpm -i example-1.0-1.x86_64.rpm

Querying a Package

To get information about the installed httpd package:

rpm -qi httpd

Listing Files in a Package

To list all files installed by the httpd package:

rpm -ql httpd

Verifying a Package

To verify the integrity of the httpd package:

rpm -V httpd

Conclusion

The rpm command is an essential tool for managing software packages on Red Hat-based systems. It provides a comprehensive set of options for installing, querying, verifying, updating, and removing packages. Understanding how to use rpm effectively can help you manage your system's software efficiently.

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