Linux Administration/Installation/RPM and YUM Packages

This lesson covers RPM and YUM package managers.

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the RPM and YUM packages portion of Linux+ certification include:

• Use RPM and YUM package management
  • Install, re-install, upgrade and remove packages using RPM and YUM
  • Obtain information on RPM packages such as version, status, dependencies, integrity and signatures
  • Determine what files a package provides, as well as find which package a specific file comes from
  • The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:
    • rpm
    • rpm2cpio
    • /etc/yum.conf
    • /etc/yum.repos.d/
    • yum
    • yumdownloader

Readings

1. Wikipedia: RPM Package Manager
2. Wikipedia: yum (software)

Activities

1. Complete the tutorial IBM: Learn Linux, 101: RPM and YUM package management
2. Read RPM release notes

Lesson Summary

• RPM Package Manager (RPM) (originally Red Hat Package Manager) is a free and open-source package management system using the .rpm file format.
• rpm -i package installs the given package.
• rpm -U package upgrades the given package.
• rpm -F package freshens (reinstalls) the given package.
• rpm -e package erases (removes) the given package.
• rpm2cpio extracts RPM payload files without having to install the package.
• The Yellowdog Updater, Modified (YUM) is a free and open-source command-line package-management utility for computers running the Linux operating system using the RPM Package Manager.
• yum install packagelist installs the given packages.
• yum update packagelist updates the given packages.
• yum remove packagelist removes the given packages.
• yumdownloader is a program for downloading RPMs from Yum repositories.
• /etc/yum.conf is the configuration file used by yum.
• /etc/yum.repos.d/ is the yum repository directory.

See also

• apt and dpkg
• macOS: brew
• dnf (Dandified YUM)
• podman management tool for pods, containers and images
• snap

References

← Debian Packages

Linux Administration/Installation