RPM(8) Red Hat Linux RPM(8)
NAME
rpm - RPM Package Manager
SYNOPSIS
QUERYING AND VERIFYING PACKAGES:
rpm {-q|--query} [select-options] [query-options]
rpm {-V|--verify} [select-options] [--nodeps] [--nofiles]
[--nomd5] [--noscripts]
rpm {-K|--checksig} [--nogpg] [--nopgp] [--nomd5] PACK
AGE_FILE ...
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 {-e|--erase} [--allmatches] [--nodeps] [--noscripts]
[--notriggers] [--repackage] [--test] PACKAGE_NAME ...
BUILDING PACKAGES:
rpm {-ba|-bb|-bp|-bc|-bi|-bl|-bs} [build-options] SPECFILE
...
rpm {-ta|-tb|-tp|-tc|-ti|-tl|-ts} [build-options] TARBALL
...
rpm {--rebuild|--recompile} SOURCEPKG ...
MISCELLANEOUS:
rpm {--initdb|--rebuilddb}
rpm {--addsign|--resign} PACKAGE_FILE ...
rpm {--querytags|--showrc}
rpm {--setperms|--setugids} PACKAGE_NAME ...
SELECT-OPTIONS
[PACKAGE_NAME] [-a,--all] [-f,--file FILE]
[-g,--group GROUP] [-p,--package PACKAGE_FILE] [--query
bynumber NUMBER] [--triggeredby PACKAGE_NAME] [--whatpro
vides CAPABILITY] [--whatrequires CAPABILITY]
QUERY-OPTIONS
[--changelog] [-c,--configfiles] [-d,--docfiles] [--dump]
[--filesbypkg] [-i,--info] [--last] [-l,--list] [--pro
vides] [--qf,--queryformat QUERYFMT] [-R,--requires]
[--scripts] [-s,--state] [--triggers,--triggerscripts]
INSTALL-OPTIONS
[--allfiles] [--badreloc] [--excludepath OLDPATH]
[--excludedocs] [--force] [-h,--hash] [--ignoresize]
[--ignorearch] [--ignoreos] [--includedocs] [--justdb]
[--nodeps] [--noorder] [--noscripts] [--notriggers]
[--oldpackage] [--percent] [--prefix NEWPATH] [--relo
cate OLDPATH=NEWPATH] [--repackage] [--replacefiles]
[--replacepkgs] [--test]
BUILD-OPTIONS
[--buildroot DIRECTORY] [--clean] [--nobuild] [--rmsource]
[--rmspec] [--short-circuit] [--sign] [--target PLATFORM]
DESCRIPTION
rpm is a powerful Package Manager, which can be used to
build, install, query, verify, update, and erase individ
ual 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, Signature Check, Install/Upgrade/Freshen, Unin
stall, Build Package, Build Package from Tarball, Recom
pile Package, Initialize Database, Rebuild Database,
Resign, Add Signature, 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 Print verbose information - normally routine
progress messages will be displayed.
-vv Print lots of ugly debugging information.
--rcfile FILELIST
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:/etc/rpmrc:~/.rpmrc.
--pipe CMD
Pipes the output of rpm to the command CMD.
--dbpath DIRECTORY
Use the database in DIRECTORY rathen than the
default path /var/lib/rpm
--root DIRECTORY
Use the system rooted at DIRECTORY for all opera
tions. Note that this means the database will be
read or modified under DIRECTORY and any %pre or
%post scriptlet(s) are run after a chroot(2) to
DIRECTORY.
INSTALL AND UPGRADE OPTIONS
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 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 down
loaded before being installed. See FTP/HTTP OPTIONS for
information on rpm's internal ftp and http client support.
--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.
--excludedocs
Don't install any files which are marked as docu
mentation (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 dis
play.
--ignoresize
Don't check mount file systems for sufficient disk
space before installing this package.
--ignorearch
Allow installation or upgrading even if the archi
tectures of the binary package and host don't
match.
--ignoreos
Allow installation or upgrading even if the operat
ing 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.
--nodeps
Don't do a dependency check before installing or
upgrading a package.
--noorder
Don't reorder the packages for an install. The list
of packages would normally be reordered to satisfy
dependancies.
--noscripts
--nopre
--nopost
--nopreun
--nopostun
Don't execute the scriptlet of the same name. The
--noscripts option is equivalent to
--nopre --nopost --nopreun --nopostun
and turns off the execution of the corresponding
%pre, %post, %preun, and %postun scriptlet(s).
--notriggers
--notriggerin
--notriggerun
--notriggerpostun
Don't execute any trigger scriptlet of the named
type. The --notriggers option is equivalent to
--notriggerin --notriggerun --notriggerpostun
and turns off execution of the corresponding %trig
gerin, %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 relocateable 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 relo
cation hint(s) to NEWPATH. This option can be used
repeatedly if several OLDPATH's in the package are
to be relocated.
--repackage
Re-package the files before erasing. The previously
installed package will be named according to the
macro %_repackage_name_fmt and will be created in
the directory named by the macro %_repackage_dir
(default value is /var/tmp).
--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.
--nobuild
Do not install the package, simply check for and
report potential conflicts.
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 modifed ver
sions 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 omit
ted however, and replaced by the name of the header tag to
be printed, enclosed by {} characters. Tag names are case
insesitive, and the 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: 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 distribution
information in two columns, you could use %-30{NAME}%{DIS
TRIBUTION}. rpm will print a list of all of the tags it
knows about when it is invoked with the --querytags argu
ment.
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.
-f, --file FILE
Query package owning FILE.
-g, --group GROUP
Query packages with the group of GROUP.
-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 internal ftp and http client
support. The PACKAGE_FILE argument(s), if not a
binary package, will be interpreted as an ASCII
package manifest. Comments are permitted, starting
with a '#', and each line of a package manifest
file may include white space seperated glob expres
sions, including URL's with remote glob expres
sions, that will be expanded to paths that are sub
stituted in place of the package manifest as addi
tional PACKAGE_FILE arguments to the query.
--querybynumber NUMBER
Query the NUMBERth 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.
--triggeredby PACKAGE_NAME
Query packages that are triggered by package(s)
PACKAGE_NAME.
--whatprovides CAPABILITY
Query all packages that provide the CAPABILITY
capability.
--whatrequires CAPABILITY
Query all packages that requires CAPABILITY for
proper functioning.
PACKAGE QUERY OPTIONS:
--changelog
Display change information for the package.
-c, --configfiles
List only configuration files (implies -l).
-d, --docfiles
List only documentation files (implies -l).
--dump Dump file information as follows:
path size mtime md5sum mode owner group isconfig isdoc rdev symlink
This option must be used with at least one of -l, -c, -d.
--filesbypkg
List all the files in each selected package.
-i, --info
Display package information, including name, ver
sion, 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.
--provides
List capabilities this package provides.
-R, --requires
List packages on which this package depends.
--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 con
tained in the package.
VERIFY OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm verify command is
rpm {-V|--verify} [select-options] [--nodeps] [--nofiles]
[--nomd5] [--noscripts]
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, MD5 sum, permissions, type, owner and group of each
file. Any discrepencies 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 selection options are the same as for package
querying (including package manifest files as arguments).
Other options that can be used only in verify mode are:
--nodeps
Don't verify dependencies.
--nofiles
Don't verify files.
--nomd5
Don't verify file MD5 checksums.
--noscripts
Don't execute the %verifyscript scriptlet (if any).
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 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 "?" indi
cates the test could not be performed (e.g. file permis
sions 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 MD5 sum differs
D Device major/minor number mis-match
L readLink(2) path mis-match
U User ownership differs
G Group ownership differs
T mTime differs
SIGNATURE CHECKING
The general form of an rpm signature check command is
rpm --checksig [--nogpg] [--nopgp] [--nomd5] PACKAGE_FILE
...
This checks the GPG signature of package PACKAGE_FILE to
ensure its integrity and origin. GPG configuration infor
mation is read from configuration files. See the section
on GPG SIGNATURES for details.
ERASE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm erase command is
rpm {-e|--erase} [--allmatches] [--nodeps] [--noscripts]
[--notriggers] [--repackage] [--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 PACK
AGE_NAME matches multiple packages.
--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 equiva
lent 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 %trig
gerun, and %triggerpostun scriptlet(s).
--repackage
Re-package the files before erasing. The previously
installed package will be named according to the
macro %_repackage_name_fmt and will be created in
the directory named by the macro %_repackage_dir
(default value is /var/tmp).
--test Don't really uninstall anything, just go through
the motions. Useful in conjunction with the -vv
option for debugging.
BUILD OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm build command is
rpm {-bSTAGE|-tSTAGE} [build-options] FILE ...
The argument used is -b if a spec file is being used to
build the package and -t if rpm should look inside of a
(possibly compressed) tar file for the spec file to use.
After the first argument, the next character (STAGE) spec
ifies the stages of building and packaging to be done and
is one of:
-ba Build binary and source packages (after doing the
%prep, %build, and %install stages).
-bb Build a binary package (after doing the %prep,
%build, and %install stages).
-bp Executes the "%prep" stage from the spec file. Nor
mally this involves unpacking the sources and
applying any patches.
-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".
-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.
-bs Build just the source package.
The following options may also be used:
--buildroot DIRECTORY
When building a package, override the BuildRoot tag
with directory DIRECTORY.
--clean
Remove the build tree after the packages are made.
--nobuild
Do not execute any build stages. Useful for testing
out spec files.
--rmsource
Remove the sources after the build (may also be
used standalone, e.g. "rpm --rmsource foo.spec").
--rmspec
Remove the spec file after the build (may also be
used standalone, eg. "rpm --rmspec foo.spec").
--short-circuit
Skip straight to specified stage (i.e., skip all
stages leading up to the specified stage). Only
valid with -bc and -bi.
--sign Embed a GPG signature in the package. This signa
ture can be used to verify the integrity and the
origin of the package. See the section on GPG SIG
NATURES for configuration details.
--target PLATFORM
When building the package, interpret PLATFORM as
arch-vendor-os and set the macros %_target, %_tar
get_arch, and %_target_os accordingly.
REBUILD AND RECOMPILE OPTIONS
There are two other ways to invoke building with rpm:
rpm {--rebuild|--recompile} SOURCEPKG ...
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 A PACKAGE
rpm {--addsign|--resign} PACKAGE_FILE ...
The --addsign option generates and inserts new signatures
for each package. Any existing signatures will be dis
carded.
The --resign option generates and appends signatures for
the listed packages while preserving the existing signa
tures.
GPG SIGNATURES
In order to use the signature feature, rpm must be config
ured to run GPG and be able to find a public key ring with
Red Hat (or other vendor) public keys. By default, rpm
uses the same conventions as GPG to find key rings, namely
the $GPGPATH environment variable. If your key rings are
not located where GPG expects them to be, you will need to
configure the macro %_gpg_path to be the location of the
GPG key rings to use.
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 GPG manual). You will also need to con
figure the macros
%_signature
The signature type. Right now only gpg and pgp are
supported.
%_gpg_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 GPG to sign packages as the user "John Doe
" from the key rings located in
/etc/rpm/.gpg using the executable /usr/bin/gpg you would
include
%_signature gpg
%_gpg_path /etc/rpm/.gpg
%_gpg_name John Doe
%_gpgbin /usr/bin/gpg
in a macro configuration file. Use /etc/rpm/macros for
per-system configuration and ~/.rpmmacros for per-user
configuration.
REBUILD DATABASE OPTIONS
The general form of an rpm rebuild database command is
rpm {--initdb|--rebuilddb} [-v] [--dbpath DIRECTORY]
[--root DIRECTORY]
Use --initdb to create a new database, use --rebuilddb to
rebuild the database indices from the installed package
headers.
SHOWRC
The command
rpm --showrc
shows the values rpm will use for all of the options are
currently set in rpmrc and macros configuration file(s).
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:
ftp://USER:PASSWORD@HOST: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 omitted, anonymous ftp is used. In
all cases, passive (PASV) ftp transfers are performed.
rpm allows the following options to be used with ftp URLs:
--ftpproxy HOST
The host HOST 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 HOST
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 config
uring the macro %_ftpport.
rpm allows the following options to be used with http
URLs:
--httpproxy HOST
The host HOST will be used as a proxy server for
all http transfers. This option may also be speci
fied 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 config
uring the macro %_httpport.
FILES
/usr/lib/rpm/rpmrc
/etc/rpmrc
~/.rpmrc
/usr/lib/rpm/macros
/etc/rpm/macros
~/.rpmmacros
/var/lib/rpm/Conflictname
/var/lib/rpm/Basenames
/var/lib/rpm/Group
/var/lib/rpm/Name
/var/lib/rpm/Packages
/var/lib/rpm/Providename
/var/lib/rpm/Requirename
/var/lib/rpm/Triggername
/var/tmp/rpm*
SEE ALSO
popt(3),
rpm2cpio(8),
rpmbuild(8),
http://www.rpm.org/
AUTHORS
Marc Ewing
Jeff Johnson
Erik Troan
Red Hat, Inc. 06 June 2001 RPM(8)