The Red hat package manager is the package installer. Nowadays for a package management we need to use this command while installing any type of packages.  The most prominent installer is YUM and RPM based package manager where it is to be used while installing the software’s via command line on AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux / Amazon Linux.

Redhat Package Manager (RPM)

  • RPM is both a installation method as well as a package format.
  • RPM packages were original created of Red Hat Linux, but now can be used on many Linux distributions like
  • Alma / Rocky / Amazon Linux, etc.
  • Using RPM we can
  • Install new applications
  • Upgrade existing applications
  • Remove installed applications
  • Query packages
RPM Label Pattern
Bind-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm

Firstly this examples is given by using following format

(Package Name)-(Package Version)-(Package Architecture)-(Package Extension)

Methods of Installation
  • Standalone Method
  • Installing from a Hard disk, CD, DVD or Pen drive
  • Network Installation Method
  • Network file service (NFS).
  • File transfer Protocol(FTP).
Standalone Installation

First of all Installing a package 

# rpm <options> <package name>  --force
Options

-I             install                                                    -U           Update existing package
-v            Verbose                                               –force  Install the package forcefully
-h            Displays the progress in hashes

Removing  an Installed Package

Then Removing a Package 

# rpm <options> <package name> --nodeps

Options
-e                            Erase (uninstall)
–nodeps             Uninstall the package even if other applications are dependent on this application

Querying an Installation

After that Installing a package 

# rpm <options ><Package name>

Options
-q            Query the availability of the package
-qa         Displays all installed packages
-qc          Displays the configuration files of the package
-qi           Displays the information of the package
-ql           Displays all the files associated with the installed package

Network Installation Method – NFS

Secondly Create a directory 

# mkdir <directory name>

Finally Mount the NFS fie system on the directory 

# mount <NFSservip>:<path to the package> <mount Point>

Then To install the package 

# cd <mount point>
# rpm <option><package>  --force
Network Installation Method –FTP

To install the package 

# rpm <options> ftp://<FTPserver><path > --force

Yellowdog Updater Modification (YUM)

  • It is an interactive use to Install, Remove, upgrade or query the packages.
  • Added from RHEL 5 onward.
  • YUM uses an repository that is xml-based rpm metadata for installation.
  • It automatically computes dependencies and figures out what things should occur to install packages.
  • It can be used to installed from a local media, ftp server or nfs server.
To create a Repository

Lastly On the local machine

  • Create a directory.
  • Copy the packages into this directory.
  • Install the package createrepo*.rpm.
  • Insert the 1st OS cd
  • Create the repository.

Also Creating the repository 

# createrepo –g /media/cdrom/Server/repodate/comps-rhel5-server-core.xml <directory>
Client Configuration

To define the path to the repository 

# vi/etc/yum.repos.d/rhel-debuginfo.repo

Add the following lines 

[rhel-debuginfo]
name=Red Hat Enterprise Linux $releasever-$basearch- debug
baseurl=ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/enterprise/$releasver/en/os/$basearch/Debuginfo
enable=0
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-redhat-release

:wq

Client Configuration

For local machine- change the highlighted line to 

baseurl=file:///<path to the directory containing the dumps>
Through ftp – change the highlighted line to
Baseurl=ftp://<ftpserver><path to the directory containing the dumps>
YUM Command

Installing a package 

# yum <option> <package name1>* <package name2>*

Options
List                         Display the list of packages in the repository.
List installed       Displays the packages that are already installed.
Remove               To erase or remove a packages.
Install                    Installs the package from the repository.
Update                 To update existing packages.

Congratulations now you have learned the RPM and Yum Commands cheat sheet on AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux / Amazon Linux.