Linux RPM Package Management System

What is Package?

In the generic sense, an RPM package is a container of files. It includes the group of files associated with a specific program or application, which normally includes binary installation scripts, as well as configuration and documentation files. It also includes instructions on how and where these files should be installed and uninstalled.

What is RPM?

The RPM Package Manager greatly simplifies the distribution, installation, upgradation and removal of software on RHEL systems.

Software to be installed using rpm is distributed through rpm package files, which are essentially compressed archives of files and associated dependency  information. Package files are named using the following format:

name-version-release.architecture.rpm

Installing and Removing Software

rpm   command  is  used for following functions

Install :  -i

Upgrade : -U

Freshen : -F

Erase : -e

Examples

#rpm -ivh samba-2.3-8.i386.rpm  [ To install Package ] 
#rpm -e samba-2.3-8.i386.rpm  [ To remove Package ]

 RPM Queries

rpm    -q  :  To queries any installed package

rpm    -qa  :  To queries all installed packages

rpm    -qi  :  To show general information

rpm    -ql  :  To show list of package files installed

rpm    -qip  :  To show general information of uninstalled package

rpm    -qlp  :  To show list of packages of uninstalled package