Install and update software with RPM and DNF

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Pakketten installeren, bijwerken en verwijderen met DNF en RPM

Understand packages and repositories

An RPM package is one file with the program, its config files, its docs and scripts — plus metadata: name, version, dependencies, signature.

httpd-2.4.63-1.el10.x86_64.rpm
│     │      │ │    └── architecture (x86_64, aarch64, noarch)
│     │      │ └─────── built for Enterprise Linux 10
│     │      └───────── release (the Red Hat build number)
│     └──────────────── version of the software
└────────────────────── name

A repository is a web folder (or a local folder) full of packages plus an index. A registered RHEL 10 system gets two main repositories:

Repository	What is in it
BaseOS	The core of the system: kernel, shell, basic tools, systemd
AppStream	Applications, languages and databases: Apache, PHP, Python, PostgreSQL …

$dnf repolist
$dnf repolist --all
$ls /etc/yum.repos.d/
redhat.repo

Notitie

redhat.repo is written by subscription-manager. Do not edit it by hand: use subscription-manager repos --enable=REPO instead.

12.2

Find a package

Search by name or description, look at the details, or ask which package gives a file or command.

$dnf search nginx
$dnf search all "web server"
$dnf info httpd
$dnf list httpd
$dnf list --available 'php*'
$dnf provides /usr/sbin/semanage
$dnf provides '*/bin/dig'
policycoreutils-python-utils-3.8-1.el10.noarch : SELinux policy core python utilities
bind-utils-32:9.18.33-1.el10.x86_64 : Utilities for querying DNS name servers

Examentip

A command is missing? dnf provides '*/bin/NAME' tells you which package to install.

12.3

Install, update and remove

dnf install installs a package and its dependencies. dnf update updates. dnf remove removes.

#dnf install httpd
#dnf install -y httpd mod_ssl
#dnf install ./mytool-1.2-1.el10.x86_64.rpm
#dnf reinstall openssh-server
#dnf check-update
#dnf update
#dnf update openssl
#dnf update --security
#dnf remove httpd
#dnf autoremove

Command	What it does
`dnf install PKG`	Install (asks first; `-y` answers yes)
`dnf install ./FILE.rpm`	Install a local package file — DNF still gets its dependencies
`dnf check-update`	Show updates without installing them
`dnf update`	Update all packages (`dnf upgrade` is the same)
`dnf update --security`	Only security updates
`dnf remove PKG`	Remove a package and the packages that need it
`dnf autoremove`	Remove dependencies that nothing needs any more

Op het werk

A new kernel works only after a reboot. dnf needs-restarting -r tells you if the server must be rebooted after the updates.

12.4

Install package groups

A group installs a set of packages for one job, for example a desktop or development tools.

$dnf group list
$dnf group list --hidden
$dnf group info "Development Tools"
#dnf group install "Development Tools"
#dnf group install --with-optional "System Tools"
#dnf group remove "Development Tools"

12.5

Read the history and undo

DNF writes every transaction in a history. You can see what changed, and undo a transaction.

#dnf history
ID     | Command line             | Date and time    | Action(s)      | Altered
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    14 | install httpd mod_ssl    | 2026-10-27 11:20 | Install        |    9
    13 | update                   | 2026-10-26 22:01 | Upgrade        |   41
#dnf history info 14
#dnf history undo 14
#tail /var/log/dnf.rpm.log

Onthoud

dnf history undo ID reverts one transaction. It is the fastest fix when an install broke something.

12.6

Add your own repository

A repository is defined by a small .repo file in /etc/yum.repos.d/.

/etc/yum.repos.d/local.repo

[local-appstream]
name=Local AppStream mirror
baseurl=http://repo.example.com/rhel10/AppStream/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-redhat-release

#dnf config-manager --add-repo http://repo.example.com/rhel10/BaseOS/
#dnf repolist
#dnf --disablerepo='*' --enablerepo=local-appstream list --available
#dnf config-manager --set-disabled local-appstream

Let op

gpgcheck=0 turns off the signature check. Then DNF installs any package from that server, also a changed one. Use it only for a local test repository you built yourself. More: Make a repository file.

12.7

Query packages with rpm

rpm -q asks the installed package database. It is fast and works offline.

$rpm -q openssh-server
openssh-server-9.9p1-7.el10.x86_64
$rpm -qa | wc -l
512
$rpm -qa 'kernel*'
$rpm -qi httpd
$rpm -ql httpd | head
$rpm -qc openssh-server
/etc/ssh/sshd_config
/etc/sysconfig/sshd
$rpm -qd chrony
$rpm -qf /etc/ssh/sshd_config
openssh-server-9.9p1-7.el10.x86_64
$rpm -q --changelog openssl | head
$rpm -qp --scripts mytool-1.2-1.el10.x86_64.rpm

Option	Question it answers
`-qa`	Which packages are installed?
`-qi PKG`	What is this package (version, vendor, size)?
`-ql PKG`	Which files does it have?
`-qc PKG` / `-qd PKG`	Which config / doc files?
`-qf FILE`	Which package owns this file?
`-qp FILE.rpm`	Ask a package file that is not installed yet
`--scripts`	Which scripts run at install and removal?

12.8

Check packages for changes

rpm -V compares the installed files with the package. rpm -K checks the signature of a package file.

#rpm -V openssh-server
S.5....T.  c /etc/ssh/sshd_config
#rpm -Va 2> /dev/null | grep -v ' c '
$rpm -K mytool-1.2-1.el10.x86_64.rpm
$rpm -qa gpg-pubkey*

In the rpm -V output, S = size changed, 5 = content changed, T = time changed, c = config file. A changed config file is normal; a changed program in /usr/bin is a warning sign.

Let op

Use rpm -ivh only when you must. It does not get dependencies and does not write the DNF history. Prefer dnf install ./FILE.rpm.

Oefenen

Lab 9.1Use a local repository and manage packagesGemiddeld · 40 minNog niet begonnen

Oefenen

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