rpm(8) Red Hat Linux rpm(8)
NAME
rpm - Red Hat Package Manager
SYNOPSIS
rpm [options]
DESCRIPTION
rpm is a powerful package manager, which can be used to
build, install, query, verify, update, and uninstall indi-
vidual software packages. A package consists of an
archive of files, and package information, including name,
version, and description.
There are eight basic modes of operation, and each takes a
different set of options. They are Install, Query, Ver-
ify, Signature check, Uninstall, Build, Rebuild Database,
and Show RC.
Install mode:
rpm -i [install-options] <package_file>+
Query mode:
rpm -q [query-options]
Verify mode:
rpm -V|-y|--verify [verify-options]
Signature Check mode:
rpm --checksig <package_file>+
Uninstall mode:
rpm -e <package_name>+
Build mode:
rpm -bO [build-options] <package_spec>+
GENERAL OPTIONS
These options can be used in all the different modes.
-vv Print lots of ugly debugging information.
--keep-temps
Do not remove temporary files (/tmp/rpm-*). Pri-
marily only useful for debugging rpm.
--quiet
Print as little as possible - normally only error
messages will be displayed.
--help Print a longer usage message then normal.
--version
Print a single line containing the version number
of rpm being used.
--rcfile <file>
Use <file> instead of /etc/rpmrc and $HOME/.rpmrc.
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--root <dir>
Use the directory given as top level directory for
all operations.
INSTALL OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm install command is
rpm -i [install-options] <package_file>+
The <package_file> may be specified as an ftp style URL,
in which case the package will be downloaded before being
installed. See FTP OPTIONS for information on RPM's built
in ftp support.
--force
Same as using both --replacepkgs, --replacefiles,
and --oldpackage.
-h, --hash
Print 50 hash marks as the package archive is
unpacked. Use with -v for a nice display.
--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.
--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.
--root <dir>
Do the installation on the system rooted at <dir>.
Note that this means the database will be updated
under <dir> and any pre or post scripts are run
after a chroot() to <dir>.
--nodeps
Don't do a dependency check before installing the
new package.
--noscripts
Don't execute the preinstall or postinstall
scripts.
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--excludedocs
Don't install any files which are marked as docu-
mentation (which includes man pages and texinfo
documents).
--includedocs
Install documentation files. This is only needed if
excludedocs: 1 is specified in an rpmrc file.
--nodeps
Don't check dependencies before installing the
packages.
--test Do not install the package, simply check for and
report potential conflicts.
-U, --upgrade
Upgrade the package currently installed to the ver-
sion in the new RPM. This is the same as install,
except all other version of the package are removed
from the system.
QUERY OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm query command is
rpm -q [query-options]
You may specify the format that package information should
be printed in. To do this, you use the --queryformat
option, followed by the format string.
Query formats are modifed 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. The RPMTAG_ portion of the tag
name may be omitted, and the tag name may be preceded by a
- to format the tag as a date if possible.
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 two subsets of options for querying: package
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selection, and information selection.
Package selection options:
<package_name>
Query package named <package_name>.
-a Query all packages
-whatrequires <capability>
Query all packages that requires <capability> for
proper functioning.
-whatprovides <virtual>
Query all packages that provide the <virtual> capa-
bility.
-f <file>
Query package owning <file>.
-F Like -f but read file names from stdin.
-p <package_file>
Query an (uninstalled) package <package_file>. The
<package_file> may be specified as an ftp style
URL, in which case the package header will be down-
loaded and queried. See FTP OPTIONS for information
on RPM's built in ftp support.
-P Like -p but read package file names from stdin.
Information selection options:
-i Display package information, including name, ver-
sion, and description. This uses the --queryformat
if one was specified.
-R List packages this one depends on (same as
--requires).
--provides
List capabilities this package provides.
-l List files in package.
-s Display the states of files in the package (implies
-l). The state of each file is either normal, not
installed, or replaced.
-d List only documentation files (implies -l).
-c List only configuration files (implies -l).
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--scripts
List the package specific shell scripts that are
used as part of the installation and uninstallation
processes, if there are any.
--dump Dump file information as follows: path size mtime
md5sum mode owner group isconfig isdoc rdev sym-
link. This must be used with at least one of -l,
-c, -d.
VERIFY OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm verify command is
rpm -V|-y|--verify [verify-options]
Verifying a package compares information about the
installed files in the package with information about the
files taken from the original package and stored in the
rpm database. Among other things, verifying compares the
size, MD5 sum, permissions, type, owner and group of each
file. Any discrepencies are displayed. The package spec-
ification options are the same as for package querying.
Files that were not installed from the package, for exam-
ple documentation files excluded on installation using the
"--excludedocs" option, will be silently ignored.
The format of the output is a string of 8 characters, a
possible "c" denoting a configuration file, and then the
file name. Each of the 8 characters denotes the result of
a comparison of one attribute of the file to the value of
that attribute recorded in the RPM database. A single "."
(period) means the test passed. The following characters
denote failure of certain tests:
5 MD5 sum
S File size
L Symlink
T Mtime
D Device
U User
G Group
M Mode (includes permissions and file type)
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SIGNATURE CHECKING
The general form of an rpm signature check command is
rpm --checksig <package_file>+
This checks the PGP signature built into a package to
ensure the integrity and the origin of the package. PGP
configuration information is read from /etc/rpmrc. See
the section on PGP SIGNATURES for details.
UNINSTALL OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm uninstall command is
rpm -e <package_name>+
--noscripts
Don't execute the preuninstall or postuninstall
scripts.
--nodeps
Don't check dependencies before uninstalling the
packages.
--test Don't really uninstall anything, just go through
the motions. -vv option.
--nodeps
Don't check for broken dependencies before removing
the package.
BUILD OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm build command is
rpm -bO [build-options] <package_spec>+
where -bO specifies the stages of building and packaging
to be done and is one of:
-bp Executes the "%prep" stage from the spec file.
Normally this involves unpacking the sources and
applying any patches.
-bl Do a "list check". The "%files" section from the
spec file is macro expanded, and checks are made to
insure the files exist.
-bc Do the "%build" stage from the spec file (after
doing the prep stage). This generally involves the
equivalent of a "make".
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-bi Do the "%install" stage from the spec file (after
doing the prep and build stages). This generally
involves the equivalent of a "make install".
-bb Build a binary package (after doing the prep,
build, and install stages).
-ba Build binary and source packages (after doing the
prep, build, and install stages).
The following options may also be used:
--short-circuit
Skip straight to specified stage (ie, skip all
stages leading up to the specified stage). Only
valid with -bc and -bi.
--timecheck
Set the "timecheck" age (0 to disable). This value
can also be set in rpmrc with "timecheck:". The
timecheck value expresses, in seconds, the maximum
age of a file being packaged. Warnings will be
printed for all files beyond the timecheck age.
--clean
Remove the build tree after the packages are made.
--test Do not execute any build stages. Useful for test-
ing out spec files.
--sign Embed a PGP signature in the package. This signa-
ture can be used to verify the integrity and the
origin of the package. See the section on PGP SIG-
NATURES for /etc/rpmrc details.
REBUILD AND RECOMPILE OPTIONS
There are two other ways to invoke rpm:
rpm --recompile <source_package_file>+
rpm --rebuild <source_package_file>+
When invoked this way, rpm installs the named source pack-
age, and does a prep, compile and install. In addition,
--rebuild builds a new binary package. When the build has
completed, the build directory is removed (as in --clean)
and the the sources and spec file for the package are
removed.
SIGNING AN EXISTING RPM
rpm --resign <binary_package_file>+
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This option generates and inserts new signatures for the
listed packages. Any existing signatures are removed.
PGP SIGNATURES
In order to use the signature feature RPM must be able to
run PGP (it must be installed and in your path), and it
must be able to find a public key ring with RPM public
keys in it. By default, RPM uses the PGP defaults to find
the keyrings (honoring PGPPATH). If your key rings are
not located where PGP expects them to be, you must set the
following in your /etc/rpmrc
pgp_path
Replacement path for /usr/lib/rpm. Must contain
your key rings.
If you want to be able to sign packages you create your-
self, you also need to create your own public and secret
key pair (see the PGP manual). In addition to the above
/etc/rpmrc entries, you should add the following:
signature
The signature type. Right now only pgp is sup-
ported.
pgp_name
The name of the "user" whose key you wish to use to
sign your packages.
When building packages you then add --sign to the command
line. You will be prompted for your pass phrase, and your
package will be built and signed.
REBUILD DATABASE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm rebuild database command is
rpm --rebuilddb
The only options this mode supports are --dbpath and
--root.
SHOWRC
Running
rpm --showrc
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shows the values RPM will use for all of the options that
may be set in rpmrc files.
FTP OPTIONS
RPM includes a simple FTP client to simplify installing
and querying packages which are available over the inter-
net. Package files for install, upgrade, and query opera-
tions may be specified as an ftp style URL:
ftp://<user>@<password>:hostname/path/to/package.rpm
If the @password portion is omitted, the password will be
prompted for (once per user/hostname pair). If both the
user and password are omitted, anonymous ftp is used. In
all cases passive (PASV) ftp transfers are used.
RPM allows the folowing options to be used with ftp URLs:
--ftpproxy <hostname>
The host <hostname> will be used as a proxy server
for all transfers, which allows users to ftp
through firewall machines which use proxy systems.
This option may also be specified in an rpmrc file.
--ftpport <port>
Specifies the TCP port number to use for the ftp
connection instead of the default port. This
option may also be specified in an rpmrc file.
FILES
/etc/rpmrc
~/.rpmrc
/var/lib/rpm/packages
/var/lib/rpm/pathidx
/var/lib/rpm/nameidx
/tmp/rpm*
SEE ALSO
glint(8), rpm2cpio(8), http://www.redhat.com/rpm
AUTHORS
Marc Ewing <marc@redhat.com>
Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com>
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