Getting and Installing Software Packages

Red hat Package Manager format

Currently, we use the abbreviation RPM for both the packages in this format and the format itself. RPM was developed by Red Hat as a file format for Linux distributions. This format was so convenient that many distributions use it now: Fedora, Madrigal Linux and its derivatives PCLinuxOS and AltLinux, PS2 Linux, Red Flag Linux, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, ArkLinux, Yellow Dog Linux, PLD Linux Distribution, Scientific Linux, Linux XP, TurboLinux. This format was even ported to Novell NetWare and AIX from IBM.

You can get RPM packages from a variety of sources. First of all, there is a huge amount of these on the DVD you installed your system from (look in the Packages directory). For example, Fedora 8 DVD has more than 4000 packages in this directory. Additional packages for fedora Linux can be retrieved from Fedora repository or its mirrors (the current list of mirrors is available at Fedora Project site), from third party repositories, or from software project sites. The RPM Finder will let you to locate the RPMs you need.

Using the RPM command

The command used to work with RMP files is rpm. This command has a list of options that allows users to manage RPM packages. Some of the most important options are:

-i – install
-U – upgrade
-F – freshen
-q – query
-V – verify
-e – uninstall

To make sure the package you are about to install is not corrupted, you can use the --checksig option:

# rpm --checksig VMwareTools-6.0.2-59824.i386.rpm
VMwareTools-6.0.2-59824.i386.rpm: md5 OK

To install an RPM package you can use either -i or -U option. The upgrade option will install the package even if it hasn't been previously installed.

# rpm -U VMwareTools-6.0.2-59824.i386.rpm

Additional options one can use for installation are:

-v – print debug information during installation;
-h – print 50 hash marks (#) as the package unpacks;
--percent – print the percentage of the total package that has been installed;
--force – force the content of the current package to be installed;
--replacefiles – force files in this package to be installed, even if the files were placed there by other packages.

-U option will install the package if i hasn't been installed or will upgrade it if it has been installed. Very similar option -F can only upgrade the package.

If you no longer use a package, you can remove it using the -e option:

# rpm -e package.rpm

The package will be silently removed if there is no dependencies on this package. If you would like to know what are the files you are removing, you can use -v or better -vv option:

# rpm -evv package.rpm

It is not a bad idea to check the packages that depend on the package you want to remove before uninstalling it. This can be done with -q (query) option and --whatrequires sub-option:

# rpm -q --whatrequires package.rpm

You can use the query option -q of rpm to get information about RPM packages. The following list shows some useful options:

-qa – list all installed packages;
-qf file – list the package that owns the given file
-qi package – list los of info about the given package
-ql package – list all the files from the given package

Please read your textbook or the manual for the rpm program to find out what the following options do: -qR, -qd, -qc, -qp.

Using YUM

The Yellow dog Updater, Modified (yum) software allows you install and update selected software packages not only from the local storages, but also from software repositories on the Web. Comparing with rpm, yum will check whether the package you are installing is dependent on any other packages being installed. If youm finds that it needs other packages, it will search any repositories you have configured to download and install what you need.

In order to install a package from a Web repository you need to use a command like

# yum install switchdesk-gui

where switchdesk-gui is the name of the package you would like to install. In order to install RPM packages locally, you can use the localinstall option:

# yum localinstall /media/cdrom/Fedora/Packages/switchdesk-gui

yum

see what are the packages installed on your system:
```
# yum list
```
check for available updates
```
# yum check-update
```
update package(s) you want
```
# yum update package1 [package2 ...]
```
search for a package
```
# yum search game
```

Using Package Updater and Package Manager

In addition to shell commands rpm and yum Fedora has two GUI software packages – Package Updater and Package Manager (you have already seen Package Manager during the installation). Both of these programs based on yum and offer no more than yum can offer. To start the Package Updater, click Applications -> System Tools -> Software Updater. To start Package Manager, click Applications -> Add or Remove Programs.

Project Manager window has three tabs:

Browse – allows to view major package categories and package groups. Please note that not all available RPM packages are visible here.
Search – allows you to search for available package.
List – provides the user with the list of all packages available from the media (CD or DVD you run you installation from) marking them as installed or not.

In order to use either of these programs, you need to have the root access to the system because the first thing you see upon executing them is the root password prompt.

Additional Reading

Chapter 5 from the course textbook.
Wikipedia: RPM Package Manager