rpm(8) Red Hat Linux rpm(8)NAMErpm - Red Hat Package Manager
SYNOPSISrpm [options]
DESCRIPTIONrpm is a powerful package manager, which can be used to build, install,
query, verify, update, and uninstall individual software packages. A
package consists of an archive of files, and package information,
including name, version, and description.
One of the following basic modes must be selected: Initialize Database,
Rebuild Database, Build Package, Recompile Package, Build Package from
Tarball, Query, Show Querytags, Install, Freshen, Uninstall, Verify,
Signature Check, Resign, Add Signature, set owners and groups and Show
Configuration.
Database maintenance:
rpm-i [--initdb]
rpm-i [--rebuilddb]
Building:
rpm [-b|t] [package_spec]+
rpm [--rebuild] [sourcerpm]+
rpm [--tarbuild] [tarredsource]+
Querying:
rpm [--query] [queryoptions]
rpm [--querytags]
Maintaining installed packages:
rpm [--install] [installoptions] [package_file]+
rpm [--freshen|-F] [installoptions] [package_file]+
rpm [--uninstall|-e] [uninstalloptions] [package]+
rpm [--verify|-V] [verifyoptions] [package]+
Signatures:
rpm [--verify|-V] [verifyoptions] [package]+
rpm [--resign] [package_file]+
rpm [--addsign] [package_file]+
Miscellaneous:
rpm [--showrc]
rpm [--setperms] [package]+
rpm [--setgids] [package]+
GENERAL OPTIONS
These options can be used in all the different modes.
-vv Print lots of ugly debugging information.
--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 <filelist>
Each of the files in the colon separated <filelist> is read
sequentially by rpm for configuration information. The default
<filelist> is /usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc:/etc/rpmrc:~/.rpmrc. Only the
first file in the list must exist, and tildes will be expanded
to the value of $HOME.
--root <dir>
Use the system rooted at <dir> for all operations. Note that
this means the database will be read or modified under <dir> and
any pre or post scripts are run after a chroot() to <dir>.
--dbpath <path>
Use RPM database in <path>.
--justdb
Update only the database, not the filesystem.
--ftpproxy <host>, --httpproxy <host>
Use <host> as an FTP or HTTP proxy host. See FTP/HTTP OPTIONS.
--ftpport <port>, --httpport <port>
Use <port> as the FTP or HTTP port on the proxy host. See
FTP/HTTP OPTIONS.
--pipe <cmd>
Pipes the output of rpm to the command <cmd>.
INSTALL AND UPGRADE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm install command is
rpm-i [install-options] <package_file>+
This installs a new package. The general form of an rpm upgrade com‐
mand is
rpm-U [install-options] <package_file>+
This upgrades or installs 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.
rpm [-F|--freshen] [install-options] <package_file>+
This will upgrade packages, but only if an earlier version currently
exists.
The <package_file> 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 built-in ftp and http sup‐
port.
--force
Same as using --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 ar‐
chive. 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.
--allfiles
Installs or upgrades all the missingok files in the package,
regardless if they exist.
--nodeps
Don't do a dependency check before installing or upgrading a
package.
--noscripts
Don't execute the preinstall or postinstall scripts.
--notriggers
Don't execute scripts which are triggered by the installation of
this package.
--ignoresize
Don't check mount file systems for sufficient disk space before
installing this package.
--excludepath <path>
Don't install files whose name begins with <path>.
--excludedocs
Don't install any files which are marked as documentation (which
includes man pages and texinfo documents).
--includedocs
Install documentation files. This is the default behavior.
--test Do not install the package, simply check for and report poten‐
tial conflicts.
--ignorearch
This allows installation or upgrading even if the architectures
of the binary RPM and host don't match.
--ignoreos
This allows installation or upgrading even if the operating sys‐
tems of the binary RPM and host don't match.
--prefix <path>
This sets the installation prefix to <path> for relocatable
packages.
--relocate <oldpath>=<newpath>
For relocatable packages, translates the files that would be put
in <oldpath> to <newpath>.
--badreloc
To be used in conjunction with --relocate, this forces the relo‐
cation even if the package isn't relocatable.
--noorder
Don't reorder the packages for an install. The list of packages
would normally be reordered to satisfy dependancies.
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|-qf] option, followed by the
format string.
Query formats are modifed versions of the standard printf(3) format‐
ting. The format is made up of static strings (which may include stan‐
dard C character escapes for newlines, tabs, and other special charac‐
ters) 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.
Alternate output formats may be requested by following the tag with
:typetag. Currently, the following types are supported: octal, date,
shescape, perms, fflags, and depflags.
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 dis‐
tribution information in two columns, you could use %-30{NAME}%{DISTRI‐
BUTION}.
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 selection, and
information selection.
Package selection options:
<package_name>
Query installed package named <package_name>.
-a, --all
Query all installed packages
--whatrequires <capability>
Query all packages that requires <capability> for proper func‐
tioning.
--whatprovides <virtual>
Query all packages that provide the <virtual> capability.
-f <file>, --file <file>
Query package owning <file>.
-g <group>, --group <group>
Query packages with the group of <group>.
-p <package_file>
Query an (uninstalled) package <package_file>. The <pack‐
age_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 built-in ftp and http
client support.
--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.
--querybynumber <num>
Query the <num>th database entry directly; this is helpful for
debugging purposes.
--triggeredby <pkg>
Query packages that are triggered by packages <pkg>.
Information selection options:
-i Display package information, including name, version, and
description. This uses the --queryformat if one was specified.
-R, --requires
List packages on which this package depends.
--provides
List capabilities this package provides.
--changelog
Display change information for the package.
-l, --list
List files in package.
-s, --state
Display the states of files in the package (implies -l). The
state of each file is either normal, not installed, or replaced.
-d, --docfiles
List only documentation files (implies -l).
-c, --configfiles
List only configuration files (implies -l).
--scripts
List the package specific shell scripts that are used as part of
the installation and uninstallation processes, if there are any.
--triggers, --triggerscripts
Display the trigger scripts, if any, which are contained in the
package.
--dump Dump file information as follows: path size mtime md5sum mode
owner group isconfig isdoc rdev symlink. This must be used with
at least one of -l, -c, -d.
--last Orders the package listing by install time such that the latest
packages are at the top.
--filesbypkg
This lists all the files in each package.
--triggerscripts
Shows all the trigger scripts for the selected packages.
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 specification
options are the same as for package querying.
Files that were not installed from the package, for example documenta‐
tion files excluded on installation using the "--excludedocs" option,
will be silently ignored.
Options that can be used in verify mode:
--nofiles
Ignores missing files when verifying.
--nomd5
Ignores MD5 checksum errors when verifying.
--nopgp
Ignores PGP checking errors when verifying.
--nofiles
Ignores missing files when verifying.
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)
SIGNATURE CHECKING
The general form of an rpm signature check command is
rpm--checksig <package_file>+
This checks the PGP signature of package <package_file> to ensure its
integrity and origin. PGP configuration information is read from con‐
figuration files. See the section on PGP SIGNATURES for details.
UNINSTALL OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm uninstall command is
rpm-e <package_name>+
--allmatches
Remove all versions of the package which match <package_name>.
Normally an error is issued if <package_name> matches multiple
packages.
--noscripts
Don't execute the preuninstall or postuninstall scripts.
--notriggers
Don't execute scripts which are triggered by the removal of this
package.
--nodeps
Don't check dependencies before uninstalling the packages.
--test Don't really uninstall anything, just go through the motions.
Useful in conjunction with the -vv option.
BUILD OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm build command is
rpm -[b|t]O [build-options] <package_spec>+
The argument used is -b if a spec file is being used to build the pack‐
age and -t if RPM should look inside of a gzipped (or compressed) tar
file for the spec file to use. After the first argument, the next argu‐
ment (O) 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 verify that each file
exists.
-bc Do the "%build" stage from the spec file (after doing the prep
stage). This generally involves the equivalent of a "make".
-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).
-bs Build just the source 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
configured by defining the macro "_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.
--rmsource
Remove the sources and spec file after the build (may also be
used standalone, eg. "rpm --rmsource foo.spec").
--test Do not execute any build stages. Useful for testing out spec
files.
--sign Embed a PGP signature in the package. This signature can be
used to verify the integrity and the origin of the package. See
the section on PGP SIGNATURES for configuration details.
--buildroot <dir>
When building the package, override the BuildRoot tag with
directory <dir>.
--target <platform>
When building the package, interpret <platform> as arch-vendor-
os and set the macros _target, _target_arch and _target_os
accordingly.
--buildarch <arch>
When building the package, set the architecture to <arch>. This
option has been obsoleted by --target in RPM 3.0.
--buildos <os>
When building the package, set the architecture to <os>. This
option has been obsoleted by --target in RPM 3.0.
REBUILD AND RECOMPILE OPTIONS
There are two other ways to invoke building with rpm:
rpm--recompile <source_package_file>+
rpm--rebuild <source_package_file>+
When invoked this way, rpm installs the named source package, 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 pack‐
age are removed.
SIGNING AN EXISTING RPMrpm--resign <binary_package_file>+
This option generates and inserts new signatures for the listed pack‐
ages. Any existing signatures are removed.
rpm--addsign <binary_package_file>+
This option generates and appends new signatures for the listed pack‐
ages to those that already exist.
PGP SIGNATURES
In order to use the signature feature RPM must be configured to run
PGP, 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 will need to configure the macro
_pgp_path
to be the location of the PGP key rings to use.
If you want to be able to sign packages you create yourself, you also
need to create your own public and secret key pair (see the PGP man‐
ual). You will also need to configure the macros
_signature
The signature type. Right now only pgp is supported.
_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.
For example, to be able to use PGP to sign packages as the user "John
Doe <jdoe@foo.com>" from the key rings located in /etc/rpm/.pgp you
would include
%_signature
pgp
%_pgp_name
/etc/rpm/.pgp
%_pgp_name
John Doe <jdoe@foo.com>"
in a macro configuration file. Use /etc/rpm/macros for per-system con‐
figuration and ~/.rpmmacros for per-user configuration.
REBUILD DATABASE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm rebuild database command is
rpm--rebuilddb
To rebuild a new database, do:
rpm--initdb
The only options for these modes are --dbpath and --root.
SHOWRC
Running
rpm--showrc
shows the values RPM will use for all of the options that may be set in
rpmrc files.
FTP/HTTP OPTIONS
RPM includes simple FTP and HTTP clients to simplify installing and
querying packages which are available over the internet. Package files
for install, upgrade, and query operations may be specified as an ftp
or http style URL:
ftp://<user>:<password>@hostname:<port>/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 omit‐
ted, anonymous ftp is used. In all cases passive (PASV) ftp transfers
are used.
RPM allows the following options to be used with ftp URLs:
--ftpproxy <hostname>
The host <hostname> will be used as a proxy server for all ftp
transfers, which allows users to ftp through firewall machines
which use proxy systems. This option may also be specified by
configuring the macro _ftpproxy.
--ftpport <port>
The TCP <port> number to use for the ftp connection on the
proxy ftp server instead of the default port. This option may
also be specified by configuring the macro _ftpport.
RPM allows the following options to be used with http URLs:
--httpproxy <hostname>
The host <hostname> will be used as a proxy server for all http
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.
FILES
/usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc
/etc/rpmrc
~/.rpmrc
/var/lib/rpm/packages
/var/lib/rpm/pathidx
/var/lib/rpm/nameidx
/tmp/rpm*
SEE ALSOglint(8), rpm2cpio(8), http://www.rpm.org/
AUTHORS
Marc Ewing <marc@redhat.com>
Jeff Johnson <jbj@redhat.com>
Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com>
Red Hat Software 22 December 1998 rpm(8)