B.2. Using RPM
RPM has five basic modes of operation (not counting package building): installing, uninstalling, upgrading, querying, and verifying. This section contains an overview of each mode. For complete details and options, try
rpm --help or man rpm. You can also see Section B.5, “Additional Resources” for more information on RPM.
B.2.1. Finding RPM Packages
Before using any RPM packages, you must know where to find them. An Internet search returns many RPM repositories, but if you are looking for Red Hat RPM packages, they can be found at the following locations:
- The initial RPM repositories provided with the YUM package manager. See Chapter 8, Yum for details on how to use the official Red Hat Enterprise Linux package repositories.
- The Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) is a community effort to provide high-quality add-on packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. See http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL for details on EPEL RPM packages.
- Unofficial, third-party repositories not affiliated with Red Hat also provide RPM packages.
Important
When considering third-party repositories for use with your Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, pay close attention to the repository's web site with regard to package compatibility before adding the repository as a package source. Alternate package repositories may offer different, incompatible versions of the same software, including packages already included in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux repositories. - The Red Hat Errata Page, available at http://www.redhat.com/apps/support/errata/.
