How to use the command rpm (with examples)

Description:

The rpm command stands for RPM Package Manager. It is a powerful package management tool used on Linux systems. With rpm, you can query, install, upgrade, and manage software packages on your system. It provides a wide range of functionalities to handle RPM packages effectively.

Use case 1: Show version of httpd package

Code:

rpm --query httpd

Motivation: To retrieve the version of the installed httpd package, you can use the rpm command with the --query option followed by the package name. This is useful when you need to check the version of a specific package on your system.

Explanation:

• --query specifies the action to query the package information.
• httpd is the name of the package being queried.

Example output:

httpd-2.4.37-39.el8.x86_64

Use case 2: List versions of all matching packages

Code:

rpm --query --all 'mariadb*'

Motivation: To list all versions of packages whose names match a specific pattern (in this case starting with mariadb), you can use the rpm command with the --query option, --all flag, and the pattern.

Explanation:

• --query specifies the action to query the package information.
• --all flag lists all versions of packages matching the pattern 'mariadb*'.

Example output:

mariadb-1:10.5.12-1.el8.x86_64
mariadb-1:10.4.18-1.el8.x86_64
mariadb-1:10.3.29-1.el8.x86_64

Use case 3: Forcibly install a package regardless of currently installed versions

Code:

rpm --upgrade path/to/package.rpm --force

Motivation: This command is useful when you want to install a package regardless of any currently installed versions. It can help you override conflicts and force the installation of a specific package.

Explanation:

• --upgrade specifies the action to upgrade an RPM package.
• path/to/package.rpm is the path to the RPM package you want to install.
• --force flag forces the installation of the package, ignoring any conflicts or dependencies.

Use case 4: Identify owner of a file and show version of the package

Code:

rpm --query --file /etc/postfix/main.cf

Motivation: When you have a file on your system and you want to know which package owns it, you can use the rpm command with the --query option and the --file flag followed by the file path. This can help in troubleshooting or understanding the origin of files on your system.

Explanation:

• --query specifies the action to query the package information.
• --file flag is used to specify the file path you want to identify the owner of.
• /etc/postfix/main.cf is the file path being queried.

Example output:

postfix-3.3.1-13.module+el8.5.0+13267+8ada9f61.x86_64

Use case 5: List package-owned files

Code:

rpm --query --list kernel

Motivation: To list all files owned by a specific package (in this case, the kernel package), you can use the rpm command with the --query option, --list flag, and the package name. This provides a comprehensive list of files associated with the package.

Explanation:

• --list flag lists all files owned by the specified package.
• kernel is the name of the package being queried.

Example output:

/usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-302.el8.x86_64/Makefile
/usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-302.el8.x86_64/arch/alpha/kernel/asm-offsets.c
/usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-302.el8.x86_64/arch/alpha/kernel/asm-offsets.s
...

Use case 6: Show scriptlets from an RPM file

Code:

rpm --query --package --scripts package.rpm

Motivation: If you want to view the scriptlets contained within an RPM file, you can use the rpm command with the --query option, --package flag, and the path to the RPM file. This can be helpful to examine the pre- and post-installation scripts associated with the package.

Explanation:

• --package specifies the action to query the package information.
• --scripts flag displays the scriptlets included in the RPM package.
• package.rpm is the path to the RPM file being queried.

Use case 7: Show changed, missing, and/or incorrectly installed files of matching packages

Code:

rpm --verify --all 'php-*'

Motivation: When you suspect that some files provided by matching packages may be corrupted, missing, or modified, you can use the rpm command with the --verify option, --all flag, and the pattern of package names. This command verifies the integrity of package files and reports any discrepancies.

Explanation:

• --verify specifies the action to verify the integrity of package files.
• --all flag applies the verification to all packages whose names match the provided pattern (php-* in this case).

Example output:

S.4...T. /usr/bin/php
S.5....T. /usr/sbin/php-fpm
missing   /usr/share/doc/php-common-7.4.23/CODING_STANDARDS-1.2.1.xml

Use case 8: Display the changelog of a specific package

Code:

rpm --query --changelog package

Motivation: To view the changelog of a specific package, you can use the rpm command with the --query option, --changelog flag, and the package name. This provides information about the history and changes made to the package over time.

Explanation:

• --changelog flag displays the changelog of the specified package.
• package is the name of the package being queried.

Conclusion:

The rpm command is a versatile package management tool that allows you to perform various operations on RPM packages. From querying package information to installing, upgrading, and verifying packages, rpm provides a comprehensive set of functionalities for managing software packages on Linux systems.