RPM
Section: Misc. Reference Manual Pages (8)
Updated: 09 June 2002
Page Index
NAME
rpm - RPM Package Manager
SYNOPSIS
QUERYING AND VERIFYING PACKAGES:
rpm {-q|--query} [select-options] [query-options]
rpm --querytags
rpm {-V|--verify} [select-options] [verify-options]
INSTALLING, UPGRADING, AND REMOVING PACKAGES:
rpm {-i|--install} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
rpm {-U|--upgrade} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
rpm {-F|--freshen} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
rpm {--reinstall} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
rpm {-e|--erase} [--allmatches] [--justdb] [--nodeps] [--noscripts]
[--notriggers] [--test] PACKAGE_NAME ...
MISCELLANEOUS:
rpm --showrc
rpm --setperms PACKAGE_NAME ...
rpm --setugids PACKAGE_NAME ...
rpm --setcaps PACKAGE_NAME ...
rpm --restore PACKAGE_NAME ...
select-options
[PACKAGE_NAME]
[-a,--all [SELECTOR]] [-f,--file FILE]
[-g,--group GROUP] [-p,--package PACKAGE_FILE]
[--hdrid SHA1] [--pkgid MD5] [--tid TID]
[--querybynumber HDRNUM] [--triggeredby PACKAGE_NAME]
[--whatprovides CAPABILITY] [--whatrequires CAPABILITY]
[--whatrecommends CAPABILITY] [--whatsuggests CAPABILITY]
[--whatsupplements CAPABILITY] [--whatenhances CAPABILITY]
[--whatobsoletes CAPABILITY] [--whatconflicts CAPABILITY]
query-options
General:
[--changelog] [--changes] [--dupes] [-i,--info]
[--last] [--qf,--queryformat QUERYFMT] [--xml]
Dependencies:
[--conflicts] [--enhances] [--obsoletes] [--provides]
[--recommends] [-R,--requires] [--suggests] [--supplements]
Files:
[-c,--configfiles] [-d,--docfiles] [--dump] [--fileclass]
[--filecolor] [--fileprovide][--filerequire] [--filecaps]
[--filesbypkg] [-l,--list] [-s,--state]
[--noartifact] [--noghost] [--noconfig]
Scripts and triggers:
[--filetriggers] [--scripts] [--triggers,--triggerscripts]
verify-options
[--nodeps] [--nofiles] [--noscripts]
[--nodigest] [--nosignature]
[--nolinkto] [--nofiledigest] [--nosize] [--nouser]
[--nogroup] [--nomtime] [--nomode] [--nordev]
[--nocaps]
install-options
[--allfiles] [--badreloc] [--excludepath OLDPATH]
[--excludedocs] [--force] [-h,--hash]
[--ignoresize] [--ignorearch] [--ignoreos]
[--includedocs] [--justdb]
[--nodeps] [--nodigest] [--noplugins]
[--nocaps] [--noorder] [--noverify]
[--nosignature] [--noscripts] [--notriggers]
[--oldpackage] [--percent] [--prefix NEWPATH]
[--relocate OLDPATH=NEWPATH]
[--replacefiles] [--replacepkgs]
[--test]
DESCRIPTION
rpm is a powerful Package Manager,
which can be used to build, install, query, verify, update, and
erase individual software packages.
A package consists of an archive of files and
meta-data used to install and erase the archive files. The meta-data
includes helper scripts, file attributes, and descriptive information
about the package.
Packages come in two varieties: binary packages,
used to encapsulate software to be installed, and source packages,
containing the source code and recipe necessary to produce binary
packages.
One of the following basic modes must be selected:
Query,
Verify,
Install/Upgrade/Freshen/Reinstall,
Uninstall,
Set Owners/Groups,
Show Querytags, and
Show Configuration.
GENERAL OPTIONS
These options can be used in all the different modes.
- -?, --help
-
Print a longer usage message then normal.
- --version
-
Print a single line containing the version number of rpm
being used.
- --quiet
-
Print as little as possible - normally only error messages will
be displayed.
- -v, --verbose
-
Print verbose information - normally routine progress messages will be
displayed.
- -vv
-
Print lots of ugly debugging information.
- --rcfile FILELIST
-
Replace the list of configuration files to be read. Each of the files in the colon separated
FILELIST
is read sequentially by rpm for configuration
information.
Only the first file in the list must exist, and tildes will be
expanded to the value of $HOME.
The default FILELIST is
/usr/:lib/:rpm/:rpmrc::/usr/:lib/:rpm/:redhat/:rpmrc::/etc/:rpmrc::~/.rpmrc.
- --load FILE
-
Load an individual macro file.
- --macros FILELIST
-
Replace the list of macro files to be loaded. Each of the files in the colon separated
FILELIST
is read sequentially by rpm for macro definitions.
Only the first file in the list must exist, and tildes will be
expanded to the value of $HOME.
The default FILELIST is
/usr/:lib/:rpm/:macros::/usr/:lib/:rpm/:macros.d/:macros.*::/usr/:lib/:rpm/:platform/:%{_target}/:macros::/usr/:lib/:rpm/:fileattrs/:*.attr::/usr/:lib/:rpm/:redhat/:macros::/etc/:rpm/:macros.*::/etc/:rpm/:macros::/etc/:rpm/:%{_target}/:macros::~/.rpmmacros
- --pipe CMD
-
Pipes the output of rpm to the command CMD.
- --dbpath DIRECTORY
-
Use the database in DIRECTORY rather
than the default path /var/lib/rpm
- --root DIRECTORY
-
Use the file system tree rooted at DIRECTORY for all operations.
Note that this means the database within
DIRECTORY
will be used for dependency checks and any scriptlet(s) (e.g.
%post if installing, or
%prep if building, a package)
will be run after a chroot(2) to
DIRECTORY.
- -D, --define='MACRO EXPR'
-
Defines MACRO with value EXPR.
- --undefine='MACRO'
-
Undefines MACRO.
- -E, --eval='EXPR'
-
Prints macro expansion of EXPR.
More - less often needed - options can be found on the rpm-misc(8) man page.
INSTALL AND UPGRADE OPTIONS
In these options, PACKAGE_FILE can be either rpm binary
file or ASCII package manifest (see PACKAGE SELECTION OPTIONS), and
may be specified as an
ftp or
http URL,
in which case the package will be downloaded before being
installed. See FTP/HTTP OPTIONS
for information on rpm's
ftp and
http
client support.
The general form of an rpm install command is
rpm {-i|--install} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
This installs a new package.
The general form of an rpm upgrade command is
rpm {-U|--upgrade} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
This upgrades or installs the package currently installed
to a newer version. This is the same as install, except
all other version(s) of the package are removed after the
new package is installed.
rpm {-F|--freshen} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
This will upgrade packages, but only ones for which an earlier version is
installed.
The general form of an rpm reinstall command is
rpm {--reinstall} [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...
This reinstalls a previously installed package.
- --allfiles
-
Installs or upgrades all the missingok files in the package,
regardless if they exist.
- --badreloc
-
Used with --relocate, permit relocations on
all file paths, not just those OLDPATH's
included in the binary package relocation hint(s).
- --excludepath OLDPATH
-
Don't install files whose name begins with
OLDPATH.
- --excludeartifacts
-
Don't install any files which are marked as artifacts,
such as build-id links.
- --excludedocs
-
Don't install any files which are marked as documentation
(which includes man pages and texinfo documents).
- --force
-
Same as using
--replacepkgs,
--replacefiles, and
--oldpackage.
- -h, --hash
-
Print 50 hash marks as the package archive is unpacked.
Use with -v|--verbose for a nicer display.
- --ignoresize
-
Don't check mount file systems for sufficient disk space before
installing this package.
- --ignorearch
-
Allow installation or upgrading even if the architectures
of the binary package and host don't match.
- --ignoreos
-
Allow installation or upgrading even if the operating
systems of the binary package and host don't match.
- --includedocs
-
Install documentation files. This is the default behavior.
- --justdb
-
Update only the database, not the filesystem.
- --nodigest
-
Don't verify package or header digests when reading.
- --nomanifest
-
Don't process non-package files as manifests.
- --nosignature
-
Don't verify package or header signatures when reading.
- --nodeps
-
Don't do a dependency check before installing or upgrading
a package.
- --nocaps
-
Don't set file capabilities.
- --noorder
-
Don't reorder the packages for an install. The list of
packages would normally be reordered to satisfy dependencies.
- --noverify
-
Don't perform verify package files prior to installation.
- --noplugins
-
Do not load and execute plugins.
- --noscripts, --nopre, --nopost, --nopreun, --nopostun, --nopretrans, --noposttrans
-
Don't execute the scriptlet of the same name.
The --noscripts option is equivalent to
--nopre
--nopost
--nopreun
--nopostun
--nopretrans
--noposttrans
and turns off the execution of the corresponding
%pre,
%post,
%preun,
%postun
%pretrans, and
%posttrans
scriptlet(s).
- --notriggers, --notriggerin, --notriggerun, --notriggerprein, --notriggerpostun
-
Don't execute any trigger scriptlet of the named type.
The --notriggers option is equivalent to
--notriggerprein
--notriggerin
--notriggerun
--notriggerpostun
and turns off execution of the corresponding
%triggerprein,
%triggerin,
%triggerun, and
%triggerpostun
scriptlet(s).
- --oldpackage
-
Allow an upgrade to replace a newer package with an older one.
- --percent
-
Print percentages as files are unpacked from the package archive.
This is intended to make rpm easy to run from
other tools.
- --prefix NEWPATH
-
For relocatable binary packages, translate all file paths that
start with the installation prefix in the package relocation hint(s)
to NEWPATH.
- --relocate OLDPATH=NEWPATH
-
For relocatable binary packages, translate all file paths
that start with OLDPATH in the
package relocation hint(s) to NEWPATH.
This option can be used repeatedly if several
OLDPATH's in the package are to
be relocated.
- --replacefiles
-
Install the packages even if they replace files from other,
already installed, packages.
- --replacepkgs
-
Install the packages even if some of them are already installed
on this system.
- --test
-
Do not install the package, simply check for and report
potential conflicts.
ERASE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm erase command is
rpm {-e|--erase} [--allmatches] [--justdb] [--nodeps] [--noscripts] [--notriggers] [--test] PACKAGE_NAME ...
The following options may also be used:
- --allmatches
-
Remove all versions of the package which match
PACKAGE_NAME. Normally an
error is issued if PACKAGE_NAME
matches multiple packages.
- --justdb
-
Update only the database, not the filesystem.
- --nodeps
-
Don't check dependencies before uninstalling the packages.
- --noscripts, --nopreun, --nopostun
-
Don't execute the scriptlet of the same name.
The --noscripts option during package erase is
equivalent to
--nopreun
--nopostun
and turns off the execution of the corresponding
%preun, and
%postun
scriptlet(s).
- --notriggers, --notriggerun, --notriggerpostun
-
Don't execute any trigger scriptlet of the named type.
The --notriggers option is equivalent to
--notriggerun
--notriggerpostun
and turns off execution of the corresponding
%triggerun, and
%triggerpostun
scriptlet(s).
- --test
-
Don't really uninstall anything, just go through the motions.
Useful in conjunction with the -vv option
for debugging.
QUERY OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm query command is
rpm {-q|--query} [select-options] [query-options]
You may specify the format that package information should be
printed in. To do this, you use the
--qf|--queryformat QUERYFMT
option, followed by the QUERYFMT
format string. Query formats are modified versions of the
standard printf(3) formatting. The format
is made up of static strings (which may include standard C
character escapes for newlines, tabs, and other special
characters) and printf(3) type formatters.
As rpm already knows the type to print, the
type specifier must be omitted however, and replaced by the name
of the header tag to be printed, enclosed by {}
characters. Tag names are case insensitive, and the leading
RPMTAG_ portion of the tag name may be omitted
as well.
Alternate output formats may be requested by following
the tag with :typetag.
Currently, the following types are supported:
- :armor
-
Wrap a public key in ASCII armor.
- :arraysize
-
Display number of elements in array tags.
- :base64
-
Encode binary data using base64.
- :date
-
Use strftime(3) "%c" format.
- :day
-
Use strftime(3) "%a %b %d %Y" format.
- :depflags
-
Format dependency comparison operator.
- :deptype
-
Format dependency type.
- :expand
-
Perform macro expansion.
- :fflags
-
Format file flags.
- :fstate
-
Format file state.
- :fstatus
-
Format file verify status.
- :hex
-
Format in hexadecimal.
- :octal
-
Format in octal.
- :humaniec
-
Human readable number (in IEC 80000). The suffix K = 1024, M = 1048576, ...
- :humansi
-
Human readable number (in SI). The suffix K = 1000, M = 1000000, ...
- :perms
-
Format file permissions.
- :pgpsig
-
Display signature fingerprint and time.
- :shescape
-
Escape single quotes for use in a script.
- :string
-
Display string format. (default)
- :triggertype
-
Display trigger suffix.
- :vflags
-
File verification flags.
- :xml
-
Wrap data in simple xml markup.
For example, to print only the names of the packages queried,
you could use %{NAME} as the format string.
To print the packages name and distribution information in
two columns, you could use %-30{NAME}%{DISTRIBUTION}.
rpm will print a list of all of the tags it knows about when it
is invoked with the --querytags argument.
There are three subsets of options for querying: package selection,
file selection and information selection.
PACKAGE SELECTION OPTIONS:
- PACKAGE_NAME
-
Query installed package named PACKAGE_NAME. To specify the package more precisely the package name may be followed by the version or version and release
both separated by a dash or an architecture name separated by a dot. See the output of rpm -qa or rpm -qp PACKAGE_FILE as an example.
- -a, --all [SELECTOR]
-
Query all installed packages.
An optional SELECTOR in the form of tag=pattern can be provided to
narrow the selection, for example name="b*" to query packages whose name
starts with "b".
- --dupes
-
List duplicated packages.
- -f, --file
FILE -
Query package owning FILE.
- --filecaps
-
List file names with POSIX1.e capabilities.
- --fileclass
-
List file names with their classes (libmagic classification).
- --filecolor
-
List file names with their colors (0 for noarch, 1 for 32bit, 2 for 64 bit).
- --fileprovide
-
List file names with their provides.
- --filerequire
-
List file names with their requires.
- -g, --group GROUP
-
Query packages with the group of GROUP.
- --hdrid SHA1
-
Query package that contains a given header identifier, i.e. the
SHA1 digest of the immutable header region.
- -p, --package PACKAGE_FILE
-
Query an (uninstalled) package PACKAGE_FILE.
The PACKAGE_FILE may be specified
as an ftp or http style URL, in
which case the package header will be downloaded and queried.
See FTP/HTTP OPTIONS for information on
rpm's
ftp and
http
client support. The PACKAGE_FILE argument(s),
if not a binary package, will be interpreted as an ASCII package
manifest unless --nomanifest option is used.
In manifests, comments are permitted, starting with a '#', and each
line of a package manifest file may include white space separated
glob expressions, including URL's,
that will be expanded to paths that are substituted in place of
the package manifest as additional PACKAGE_FILE
arguments to the query.
- --pkgid MD5
-
Query package that contains a given package identifier, i.e. the
MD5 digest of the combined header and
payload contents.
- --querybynumber HDRNUM
-
Query the HDRNUMth database entry
directly; this is useful only for debugging.
- --specfile SPECFILE
-
Parse and query SPECFILE as if
it were a package. Although not all the information (e.g. file lists)
is available, this type of query permits rpm to be used to extract
information from spec files without having to write a specfile
parser.
- --tid TID
-
Query package(s) that have a given TID
transaction identifier. A unix time stamp is currently used as a
transaction identifier. All package(s) installed or erased within
a single transaction have a common identifier.
- --triggeredby PACKAGE_NAME
-
Query packages that are triggered by package(s)
PACKAGE_NAME.
- --whatobsoletes CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that obsolete CAPABILITY for proper functioning.
- --whatprovides CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that provide the CAPABILITY capability.
- --whatrequires CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that require CAPABILITY for proper functioning.
- --whatconflicts CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that conflict with CAPABILITY.
- --whatrecommends CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that recommend CAPABILITY.
- --whatsuggests CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that suggest CAPABILITY.
- --whatsupplements CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that supplement CAPABILITY.
- --whatenhances CAPABILITY
-
Query all packages that enhance CAPABILITY.
PACKAGE QUERY OPTIONS:
- --changelog
-
Display change information for the package.
- --changes
-
Display change information for the package with full time stamps.
- --conflicts
-
List capabilities this package conflicts with.
- --dump
-
Dump file information as follows (implies -l):
-
path size mtime digest mode owner group isconfig isdoc rdev symlink
- --enhances
-
List capabilities enhanced by package(s)
- --filesbypkg
-
List all the files in each selected package.
- --filetriggers
-
List filetrigger scriptlets from package(s).
- -i, --info
-
Display package information, including name, version, and description.
This uses the --queryformat if one was specified.
- --last
-
Orders the package listing by install time such that the latest
packages are at the top.
- -l, --list
-
List files in package.
- --obsoletes
-
List packages this package obsoletes.
- --provides
-
List capabilities this package provides.
- --recommends
-
List capabilities recommended by package(s)
- -R, --requires
-
List capabilities on which this package depends.
- --suggests
-
List capabilities suggested by package(s)
- --supplements
-
List capabilities supplemented by package(s)
- --scripts
-
List the package specific scriptlet(s) that are used as part
of the installation and uninstallation processes.
- -s, --state
-
Display the states of files in the package
(implies -l). The state of each file is one of
normal,
not installed, or
replaced.
- --triggers, --triggerscripts
-
Display the trigger scripts, if any, which are contained in
the package.
--xml
Format package headers as XML.
FILE SELECTION OPTIONS:
- -A, --artifactfiles
-
Only include artifact files (implies -l).
- -c, --configfiles
-
Only include configuration files (implies -l).
- -d, --docfiles
-
Only include documentation files (implies -l).
- -L, --licensefiles
-
Only include license files (implies -l).
- --noartifact
-
Exclude artifact files.
- --noconfig
-
Exclude config files.
- --noghost
-
Exclude ghost files.
VERIFY OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm verify command is
rpm {-V|--verify} [select-options] [verify-options]
Verifying a package compares information about the installed files in
the package with information about the files taken from the package
metadata stored in the rpm database. Among other things, verifying
compares the size, digest, permissions, type, owner and group of
each file. Any discrepancies are displayed.
Files that were not installed from the package, for example,
documentation files excluded on installation using the
"--excludedocs" option,
will be silently ignored.
The package and file selection options are the same as for package
querying (including package manifest files as arguments).
Other options unique to verify mode are:
- --nodeps
-
Don't verify dependencies of packages.
- --nodigest
-
Don't verify package or header digests when reading.
- --nofiles
-
Don't verify any attributes of package files.
- --noscripts
-
Don't execute the %verifyscript scriptlet (if any).
- --nosignature
-
Don't verify package or header signatures when reading.
- --nolinkto
-
- --nofiledigest (formerly --nomd5)
-
- --nosize
-
- --nouser
-
- --nogroup
-
- --nomtime
-
- --nomode
-
- --nordev
-
Don't verify the corresponding file attribute.
- --nocaps
-
Don't verify file capabilities.
The format of the output is a string of 9 characters, a possible
attribute marker:
c %config configuration file.
d %doc documentation file.
g %ghost file (i.e. the file contents are not included in the package payload).
l %license license file.
r %readme readme file.
from the package header, followed by the file name.
Each of the 9 characters denotes the result of a comparison of
attribute(s) of the file to the value of those attribute(s) recorded
in the database. A single
"." (period)
means the test passed, while a single
"?" (question mark)
indicates the test could not be performed (e.g. file permissions
prevent reading). Otherwise, the (mnemonically
emBoldened) character denotes failure of
the corresponding --verify test:
S file Size differs
M Mode differs (includes permissions and file type)
5 digest (formerly MD5 sum) differs
D Device major/minor number mismatch
L readLink(2) path mismatch
U User ownership differs
G Group ownership differs
T mTime differs
P caPabilities differ
MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS
- rpm --showrc
-
shows the values rpm will use for all of the
options are currently set in
rpmrc and
macros
configuration file(s).
- rpm --setperms PACKAGE_NAME
-
sets permissions of files in the given package. Consider using
--restore instead.
- rpm --setugids PACKAGE_NAME
-
sets user/group ownership of files in the given package. This command can
change permissions and capabilities of files in that package. In most
cases it is better to use --restore instead.
- rpm --setcaps PACKAGE_NAME
-
sets capabilities of files in the given package. Consider using
--restore instead.
- rpm --restore PACKAGE_NAME
-
The option restores owner, group, permissions and capabilities of files
in the given package.
- Options --setperms, --setugids, --setcaps and
-
--restore are mutually exclusive.
FTP/HTTP OPTIONS
rpm can act as an FTP and/or HTTP client so
that packages can be queried or installed from the internet.
Package files for install, upgrade, and query operations may be
specified as an
ftp or
http
style URL:
http://HOST[:PORT]/path/to/package.rpm
ftp://[USER:PASSWORD]@HOST[:PORT]/path/to/package.rpm
If both the user and password are omitted, anonymous ftp is used.
rpm allows the following options to be used with
ftp URLs:
- rpm allows the following options to be used with
-
http and ftp URLs:
- --httpproxy HOST
-
The host HOST will be used as
a proxy server for all http and ftp transfers. This
option may also be specified by configuring the macro
%_httpproxy.
- --httpport PORT
-
The TCP PORT number to use for the
http connection on the proxy http server instead
of the default port. This option may also be specified by configuring
the macro %_httpport.
LEGACY ISSUES
Executing rpmbuild
The build modes of rpm are now resident in the /usr/bin/rpmbuild
executable.
Install the package containing rpmbuild (usually rpm-build) and see
rpmbuild(8) for documentation of all the rpm build modes.
FILES
rpmrc Configuration
/usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc
/usr/lib/rpm/<vendor>/rpmrc
/etc/rpmrc
~/.rpmrc
Macro Configuration
/usr/lib/rpm/macros
/usr/lib/rpm/<vendor>/macros
/etc/rpm/macros
~/.rpmmacros
Database
/var/lib/rpm/Basenames
/var/lib/rpm/Conflictname
/var/lib/rpm/Dirnames
/var/lib/rpm/Group
/var/lib/rpm/Installtid
/var/lib/rpm/Name
/var/lib/rpm/Obsoletename
/var/lib/rpm/Packages
/var/lib/rpm/Providename
/var/lib/rpm/Requirename
/var/lib/rpm/Sha1header
/var/lib/rpm/Sigmd5
/var/lib/rpm/Triggername
Temporary
/var/tmp/rpm*
SEE ALSO
rpm-misc(8),
popt(3),
rpm2cpio(8),
rpmbuild(8),
rpmdb(8),
rpmkeys(8),
rpmsign(8),
rpmspec(8),
rpm --help - as rpm supports customizing the options via popt aliases
it's impossible to guarantee that what's described in the manual matches
what's available.
http://www.rpm.org/ <URL:http://www.rpm.org/>
AUTHORS
Marc Ewing <marc@redhat.com>
Jeff Johnson <jbj@redhat.com>
Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com>