Red Hat RPM and YUM Package Management
Red Hat Package Manager and YUM are powerful package managers that allow the administrator to install, remove, and obtain package information. It is a software distribution method widely used in various Linux distributions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, and Fedora.
Red Hat RPM and YUM Package Management makes it possible to install packages , perform software updates, software groups, and dozens of other tasks. It’s as powerful as dpkg and apt-get.
This package manager performs in a way simple installation, maintenance, and removal of software packages.
Each rpm package contains binary programs, configuration files, documentation, and information from
how they should be installed and their dependencies.
This utility maintains a database of all installed packages and their files, version control, and dependencies.
In some special situations, the database may become corrupt. The package manager has special functions to recover its integrity.
The rpm packages have the following nomenclature:
We can also find packages with names on package-version format.src.rpm. These packages contain the source files for a software and are mostly architecturally independent.
The rpm package manager is used by various Linux distributions. But the packages may differ in information. additional from one distribution to another. Always try to use packages made specifically for your distribution.
This manager also controls dependencies between packages. They contain information about the dependencies of each application, and this information is used during your installation or removal.
If the installation of a new package requires another, rpm will alert the administrator.
The rpm tool
The rpm command is responsible for installing, removing, updating, converting the packages. This command is first organized into operating modes, which may be: querying, verifying, integrating, installing, removing, updating, and reconstructing the rpm database. Each operating mode may or may not contain several options available.
The most common operating modes are:
To consult the rpm database
# rpm {-q|—query} [query options] package_name
Example:
# rpm —q bash
bash-2.05b-207
To check the status of packages with rpm
# rpm {-v|—Verify} package_name
Example:
# rpm -V snort-2.0.1-98.i586.rpm
package snort-2.0.1-98.i586.rpm is not installed
To verify the signature and integrity of packages with rpm
# rpm {-K|—CheckSig} package_name
Example:
# rpm -K libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm
libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm: sha1 md5 gpg OK
To install a new package with rpm:
# rpm {-i|—install} [installation options] package_name
Example:
# rpm —i libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm
To install a new package showing installation details:
# rpm —ivh libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm
Preparing… ######################################## [100%]
1:libcap ##################################################### [100%]
To update a package with rpm:
# rpm {-u|—upgrade} [installation options] package_name
Example:
# rpm -U libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm
package libpcap-0.7.2-37 is already installed
To remove a package with rpm:
# rpm {-e|—erase} [removal options] package_name
Example:
# rpm —and libpcap-0.7.2-37.i586.rpm
To remake the bank of RPM data:
# rpm {—initdb|—rebuilddb}
Example:
# rpm —initdb
To check the dependencies of a package with rpm:
# rpm {—qPr}
Example:
# rpm —QPr BitTorrent-5.2.2-1-python2.4.noarch.rpm
/usr/bin/python2.4
python >= 2.3
python (abi) = 2.4
python-crypto >= 2.0
python-psyco
python-twisted >= 2.0
python-zopeinterface
rpmlib (CompressedFilenames) = 2.6
To install a package ignoring dependencies (a very stupid thing to do):
# rpm {—ivh —nodeps}
Example:
# rpm -ivh —nodeps BitTorrent-5.2.2-1-python2.4.noarch.rpm
Preparing… ######################################## [100%]
1:BitTorrent #################################################### [100%]
To list the recently installed rpm packages:
# rpm {—qa —last}
Example:
# rpm -qa —last
kernel-headers.x86_64 Fri 06 Mar 2019 11:55:01 BRT
graphviz-gd.x86_64 Fri 06 Mar 2019 11:55:00 BRT
file-devel.x86_64 & nbsp; Fri, Mar 06, 2019 11:55:00 PDT
To find out which rpm package a file belongs to:
# rpm {—qf file}
Example:
# rpm -qf /usr/bin/htpasswd
httpd24-tools-2.4.10-15.58.amzn1.x86_64
To learn information about a particular installed package:
# rpm {—qi package_name}
Example:
# rpm -qi httpd24
Name: httpd24
Version: 2.4.10
Release: 15.58.amzn1
Architecture: x86_64
Install Date: Fri 13 Feb 2015 21:56:14 BRST
Group & nbsp;: System Environment/Daemons
Size: 3792099
To verify the integrity of the files installed with the database of packages:
# rpm {—Go}
Example:
# rpm -Go
to
S.5… T. c /etc/sysconfig/svnserve
… L… c /etc/localtime
..?… /usr/sbin/glibc_post_upgrade.x86_64
S.5… T. c /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
..?… /usr/sbin/suexec
The options of
The most frequent package information queries are:
- -a: Lists all packages installed on the system;
- -f file: Lists the name of the package containing the searched file;
- -p package-name: Shows whether a particular package is installed;
- -i package-name: Shows extra information about a particular package;
- -l package-name: Shows the list of files that a package contains;
- -R packagename: Shows the list of dependencies that a package needs to be installed.
The options for installing and updating packages most frequent are:
- —force: This option forces the installation of a package and its files even if it is already installed. This option even forces the installation of an older package on top of a newer one
- -h: This option shows the installation progress;
- —nodeps: This option disables the dependency check for the installation of a package;
- -v: Shows extra information during installation and updating the packages;
- -vv: Shows much more information during the installation and updating of the packages. Generally used by developers.
The options for uninstalling the packages are:
- —nodeps: Disables dependency checking, uninstalling the package even if it is needed by others;
- —test: Tests the removal of the package without actually removing it. It is useful for testing whether removing the package will cause any damage to the system or application.
Prefer when updating a package to a higher version new use the —U mode. So the oldest package will be removed, the new one will be installed and the settings will be maintained.
YUM Tool
Yum is an acronym for Yellow Dog Updater, Modified. It is a tool used to manage the installation and removal of packages in Linux distributions, which use the RPM system.
It is a file package manager similar to APT-GET that automatically deals with dependencies by computing them and solving what must be done to treat them.
It has a configuration file that specifies which repositories YUM should use to search and download
the RPM packages.
New RPM-based Linux will always have the YUM package manager installed. If you need to install YUM, it can be found on the site http://yum.baseurl.org.
The installation command is:
# rpm -ivh yum.rpm
YUM requires you to configure the package repositories in the yum.conf configuration file
Example:
# vi /etc/yum.conf
name=Fedora Core 3 — Fedora US mirrorbaseurl= http://SERVERNAME/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.os
name=Fedora Core 3 Updates — Fedora US mirrorbaseurl=http://SERVERNAME/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.updates
In addition to the /etc/yum.conf configuration file, YUM allows you to place repository configuration files in the /etc/yum.pos.d/ directory. This directory contains the settings for each repository.
You can add extra repositories or “beta-test” software repositories in the repository list of YUM.
Some yum commands:
- yum list: List all available packages;
- yum check-update or yum list updates: Check if there are packages available for an update;
- yum update: Update your system;
- yum install :Installs a specific package and its dependencies;
- yum remove: Removes a specific package
- yum info : Shows basic information for a given package.
See the examples:
To install a package with yum:
# yum install postgresql
Resolving Dependencies
Install 2 Package (s)
Is this ok [Y/n]: and
Package (s) data still to download: 3.0 M
(1/2): postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64.rpm ; | 2.8 MB 00:11
(2/2): postgresql-libs-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 203 kB 00:00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total & nbsp; 241 Kb/s | 3.0 MB 00:12
Running Transaction
Installing: postgresql-libs-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64
1/2
Installing: postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64 2/2
Complete!
To update packages installed with yum:
# yum update
Plugins loaded: priorities, update-motd, upgrade-helper
amzn-main/latest
; Resolving dependencies
—> Performing transaction verification
---> The aws-cli.noarch package 0:1 .7.5-1.2.amzn1 will be updated
---> The aws-cli.noarch package 0:1 .7.12-1.3.amzn1 will be an update
—> Completed dependency resolution
& nbsp; Resolved dependencies
===============================================================
Package Arq. Repo Tam version.
============================================================================
Installing:
kernel & nbsp; x86_64 3.14.34-27.48.amzn1 amzn-updates 16 M
Updating:
; aws-cli noarch 1.7.12-1.3.amzn1 amzn-updates 604 k
Transaction Summary
& nbsp; ========================================================================== Install 1 Package (+4 Dependent packages)
Upgrade 1 Package
Total download size: 16 M
Is this ok [Y/d/n]:
To remove a package with yum:
# yum remove postgresql
Resolving Dependencies
---> Package postgresql.x86_64 0:9 .0.4-5.fc15 will be erased
Is this ok [Y/n]: and
Running Transaction
Erasing ;: postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64 1/1
Removed:
postgresql.x86_64 0:9 .0.4-5.fc15
Complete!
To search for all packages with a certain word
# yum search Firefox
Loaded plugins: langpacks, soon, refresh-packagekit
============== N/S Matched: Firefox ==========================
firefox.x86_64: Mozilla Firefox Web browser
gnome-do-plugins-firefox.x86_64: gnome-do-plugins for Firefox
Mozilla- firetray-firefox.x86_64: System tray extension for firefox
mozilla-adblockplus.noarch: Adblocking extension for Mozilla Firefox
mozilla-noscript.noarch: JavaScript list extension for Mozilla Firefox
Name and summary matches only, use “search all” for everything.
To obtain information about a particular package using yum:
# yum info mysql
yum info mysql
Plugins loaded: priorities, update-motd, upgrade-helper
newrelic & nbsp; & nbsp; 59/59
Installed packages
Name: mysql
Architecture & nbsp;: noarch
Version: 5.5
Release: 1.6.amzn1
Size: 0.0
Repo: installed
To view all available packages on yum repository:
# yum list
Installed packages
GeoIP.x86_64 1.4.8-1.5.amzn1 & nbsp; @amzn -main
GeoIP-Devel.x86_64 1.4.8-1.5.amzn1 @amzn -main
Pyyaml.x86_64& nbsp; 3.10-3.6.amzn1 installed
acl.x86_64 & nbsp; 2.2.49-6.9.amzn1 installed
acpid.x86_64 1.0.10-2.1.6.amzn1 installed
alsa-lib.x86_64 1.0.22-3.9.amzn1 installed
apr.x86_64 1.5.0-2.11.amzn1 @amzn -updates
(…)
To find out what package a particular file is belongs to:
# yum provides /etc/sysconfig/nfs
Plugins loaded: priorities, update-motd, upgrade-helper
1:nfs-utils-1.2.3-39.15.amzn1.x86_64: NFS utilities and supporting clients and daemons for the kernel NFS server
Repo: amzn-main
Result from:
File name: /etc/sysconfig/nfs
To find out which repositories are active in YUM:
# yum replist
repo id repo name status
amzn-main/latest AMZN-Main-Base 5.019
amzn-updates/latest AMZN-Updates-Base 1.085
newrelic/x86_64 & nbsp; New Relic packages 59
republican: 6,163
The yumdownloader command
The yumdownloader command does the downloading RPM files from the YUM repositories. It is useful for you to download the packages for later installation, or when you are going to install packages in several machines, without the need to download the same package several times.
Example:
$ yumdownloader httpd24
amzn-main/latest | 2.1 kB 00:00
amzn-updates/latest | 2.3 kB 00:00
httpd24-2.4.10-15.58.amzn1.x86_64.rpm & nbsp; | 1.3 MB 00:00