RPM cheat sheet
November 20, 2009
The worst thing about commercial Linux is RPM. I can never remember the command line incantations required for even fairly simple tasks.
While yum eventually takes away the pain of applying software updates–so long as you’re not in a hurry–there are all kinds of other tasks it doesn’t handle. I therefore rely on an RPM cheat sheet I’ve assembled over the years. Here’s a copy for anyone else who might find it useful.
| rpm -e package-1.2.3-gm | Erase named package from system |
| rpm -i package-1.2.3-gm.rpm | Install package file into system |
| rpm -U package-1.2.3-gm | Upgrade package |
| rpm -F package1 package2 | Upgrade packages to latest versions in an appropriate order |
| rpm -Fvh * | Upgrade a bunch of packages from the matching RPM files |
| rpm -q package | Returns full name and version of installed package |
| rpm -qp package.rpm | Same for a non-installed package |
| rpm -qi package | Returns misc details about package |
| rpm -qpi package.rpm | Same for a non-installed package |
| rpm -qa | grep something | Search all installed packages for something |
| rpm -qf file | Which package put this file here? |
| rpm -ql package | List of files in an installed package |
| rpm -qlp package.rpm | Same for files in a non-installed package |
| rpm -qRl package | List dependencies of an installed package |
| rpm -qR package.rpm | List dependencies of a non-installed package |
| rpm -ivh package.src.rpm | Install a source RPM, spec goes into /usr/src/RedHat/SPECS |
| rpmbuild -ba package.spec | Build from installed source installed |
| rpm -qa --queryformat="%10{SIZE}\t%{NAME}\n" | sort -k1,1n | List installed software packages in order of size |
Notes:
- Wildcards work with filenames, but not with package names.
- Any package filename argument can be replaced with a full URL of where to get the package from.
- --test to see what a command would do without actually doing it.
- -v for verbose output.
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