Mastering RPM and YUM Package Management for LPIC-1 Certification #
Introduction #
Package management is a critical skill for any Linux system administrator. The LPIC-1 certification exam tests your ability to manage packages using RPM, YUM, and Zypper. In this tutorial, we’ll cover the essentials of these tools, with real-world code examples, to help you confidently manage packages on RPM-based Linux distributions.
RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) #
Installing Packages #
To install a package using RPM, use the -i option. For example:
sudo rpm -i example-package.rpm
Re-installing Packages #
To re-install a package, use the --replacepkgs option:
sudo rpm -i --replacepkgs example-package.rpm
Upgrading Packages #
To upgrade a package, use the -U option. If the package is not already installed, this command will install it:
sudo rpm -U example-package.rpm
Removing Packages #
To remove a package, use the -e option:
sudo rpm -e example-package
Obtaining Package Information #
To get information about an installed package, use the -q option:
rpm -q example-package
To check package version:
rpm -q example-package --qf "%{VERSION}\n"
To see package dependencies:
rpm -qR example-package
Verifying Package Integrity #
To verify the integrity of a package, use the -V option:
rpm -V example-package
Extracting Package Files #
To extract files from an RPM package, use rpm2cpio:
rpm2cpio example-package.rpm | cpio -idmv
YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) #
YUM is a higher-level package manager that resolves dependencies and makes package management easier.
Installing Packages #
To install a package using YUM, use the install command:
sudo yum install example-package
Re-installing Packages #
To re-install a package, use the reinstall command:
sudo yum reinstall example-package
Upgrading Packages #
To upgrade all packages, use the update command:
sudo yum update
To upgrade a specific package:
sudo yum update example-package
Removing Packages #
To remove a package, use the remove command:
sudo yum remove example-package
Obtaining Package Information #
To get information about a package:
yum info example-package
Listing Available Packages #
To list all available packages:
yum list available
Checking for Updates #
To check if updates are available for installed packages:
yum check-update
Zypper (SUSE Linux) #
Installing Packages #
To install a package using Zypper:
sudo zypper install example-package
Re-installing Packages #
To re-install a package:
sudo zypper install --force example-package
Upgrading Packages #
To upgrade all installed packages:
sudo zypper update
Removing Packages #
To remove a package:
sudo zypper remove example-package
Obtaining Package Information #
To get information about a package:
zypper info example-package
Awareness of DNF #
DNF (Dandified YUM) is the next-generation version of YUM. It is used in Fedora and RHEL 8+.
Installing Packages #
To install a package using DNF:
sudo dnf install example-package
Re-installing Packages #
To re-install a package:
sudo dnf reinstall example-package
Upgrading Packages #
To upgrade all installed packages:
sudo dnf upgrade
Removing Packages #
To remove a package:
sudo dnf remove example-package
Obtaining Package Information #
To get information about a package:
dnf info example-package
Configuration Files #
/etc/yum.conf #
The main configuration file for YUM, which contains global options for the YUM package manager.
/etc/yum.repos.d/ #
This directory contains repository configuration files for YUM. Each file in this directory specifies a repository that YUM can use to download and install packages.
Conclusion #
Mastering RPM, YUM, and Zypper package management tools is essential for any Linux administrator, and understanding these tools will help you succeed in the LPIC-1 certification exam. With these commands and concepts, you’ll be well-equipped to handle package management tasks on any RPM-based Linux distribution.