RPM stands for Red Hat Package Manager, which is an open-source package management system used in Linux distributions. It allows users to install, uninstall, and manage software packages in Linux/UNIX operating systems. RPM was initially designed to be used in Red Hat Linux, but it is now widely used in other Linux distributions, including Fedora, CentOS, OpenSUSE, OpenMandriva, and Oracle Linux. Most RPM files are binary with the compiled version of the software.
RPM is known for its enhanced security. When packages are installed using RPM, it writes records into a database that keeps track of detailed information about the packages. If something is found to be suspicious, users can refer to the database, which also makes debugging easy. RPM is designed to provide powerful querying options. Users can search through their entire database for packages or just for certain files. They can also easily find out what package a file belongs to and from where the package came.
To use RPM, users need to have a package they want to install already. Before using the commands, they need to gain sudo permission. Some of the most commonly used RPM command options include:
- -i, --install: Install package(s).
- -e, --erase: Remove (uninstall) package(s).
- -q, --query: Query package(s).
- -U, --upgrade: Upgrade package(s).
- -l, --list: List files in a package.
- -V, --verify: Verify package(s).
- -s, --state: Display the state of the listed files.
- -v, --verbose: Provide more detailed output.
- -h, --hash: Print hash marks as the package installs.
Users can combine multiple options to customize each query. For example, to install an RPM package, users can use the following syntax: sudo rpm -ivh package_name .
