rpm(8)

Usage

Querying and verifying packages

rpm {-q | --query} [select-options] [query-options] [PACKAGE_FILE ...] [PACKAGE_NAME ...]

rpm {-V | --verify} [select-options] [verify-options] [PACKAGE_NAME ...]

Installing, upgrading and removing packages

rpm {-i | --install} [transaction-options] [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...

rpm {-U | --upgrade} [transaction-options] [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...

rpm {-F | --freshen} [transaction-options] [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...

rpm --reinstall [transaction-options] [install-options] PACKAGE_FILE ...

rpm --restore [transaction-options] [select-options] PACKAGE_NAME ...

rpm {-e | --erase} [transaction-options] [erase-options] PACKAGE_NAME ...

Misc operations

rpm --querytags

Overview

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.

Operations

Querying and verifying packages

-V, --verify

Verify package(s), comparing 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.

-q, --query

Query package files or installed package(s).

Installing, upgrading and removing packages

-i, --install

Install new package(s) without considering upgrade scenarios. This is considered special usage, normally installations should be done with --upgrade.

-U, --upgrade

Install or upgrade package(s) to a newer version. Old and/or obsoleted package(s) are removed after the new package is installed.

-F, --freshen

Upgrade package(s), but only ones for which an earlier version is installed.

--reinstall

Reinstall previously installed package(s).

--restore

Restore file metadata such as timestamp, owner, group, permissions and capabilities of files of installed package(s).

-e, --erase

Erase installed packages.

Misc operations

--querytags

Dump known querytags. Useful with the --queryformat option.

Obsolete compatibility aliases

These are obsolete popt(3) aliases for backwards compatibility only, and their use is discouraged.

--initdb, --rebuilddb, --verifydb

See rpmdb(8).

--addsign, --delsign, --resign

See rpmsign(1).

-K, --checksig, --import

See rpmkeys(8).

--specfile

See rpmspec(1).

See rpm-common(8) for the operations common to all rpm executables.

Arguments

PACKAGE_FILE

Either an rpm package or an rpm-manifest(5) file. May also 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.

PACKAGE_NAME

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.

Options

See rpm-common(8) for the options common to all operations.

Options

--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.

--excludeconfigs, --noconfigs: Do not install configuration files.

--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.

--ignoresize: Don't check mount filesystems 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.

--nocontexts: Don't set SELinux contexts for files and scriptlets. Only effective if rpm-plugin-selinux(8) is installed and active.

--nocaps: Don't set file capabilities.

--noverify: Don't perform verify package files prior to installation.

--nosysusers: Don't create sysusers from packages

--oldpackage: Allow an upgrade to replace a newer package with an older one.

--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.

Options

--allmatches: Remove all versions of the package which match PACKAGE_NAME. Normally an error is issued if PACKAGE_NAME matches multiple packages.

Options

The transaction options are common to --install, --upgrade, --reinstall and --erase operations.

--deploops: Print dependency loops as warnings.

-h, --hash: Print 50 hash marks as the package archive is unpacked. Use with -v|--verbose for a nicer display.

--justdb: Update only the database, not the filesystem.

--nodb: Update only the filesystem, not the database.

--nodeps: Don't check dependencies before uninstalling the packages.

--noorder: Don't reorder the packages for an install. The list of packages would normally be reordered to satisfy dependencies.

--noplugins: Do not load and execute plugins.

--noscripts

Disables execution of package scriptlets. Equivalent to

--nopre --nopost --nopreun --nopostun --nopretrans --noposttrans --nopreuntrans --nopostuntrans

--nopre --nopost --nopreun --nopostun --nopretrans --noposttrans --nopreuntrans --nopostuntrans: Don't execute the scriptlets of the named type.

--notriggers

Disable execution of package triggers. Equivalent to

--notriggerprein --notriggerin --notriggerun --notriggerpostun

--notriggerin --notriggerun --notriggerprein --notriggerpostun: Disable execution of the trigger scriptlets of the named type.

--percent: Print percentages as files are unpacked from the package archive. This is intended to make rpm easy to run from other tools.

--test: Don't really execute anything, just go through the motions. Useful in conjunction with the -vv option for debugging.

Options

--qf QUERYFMT, --queryformat QUERYFMT: Output format of each queried package, as described by rpm-queryformat(7). If omitted, uses the format defined by %_query_all_fmt in rpm-config(5).

There are three subsets of options for querying: package selection, file selection and information selection.

Options

-a, --all [SELECTOR ...]

Query all installed packages.

Optional SELECTOR's 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 installed FILE.

--filecaps: List filenames with POSIX1.e capabilities.

--fileclass: List filenames with their classes (libmagic classification).

--filecolor: List filenames with their colors (0 for noarch, 1 for 32bit, 2 for 64 bit).

--fileprovide: List filenames with their provides.

--filerequire: List filenames with their requires.

-g, --group GROUP: Query packages with the group of GROUP.

--noglob: Do not glob arguments when installing package files.

--nomanifest: Don't process non-package files as rpm-manifest(5) files.

-p, --package PACKAGE_FILE: Query an (uninstalled) package PACKAGE_FILE.

--path PATH: Query package(s) owning PATH, whether the file is installed or not. Multiple packages may own a PATH, but the file is only owned by the package installed last.

--querybynumber HDRNUM: Query the HDRNUM database entry directly; this is useful only for debugging.

--specfile SPECFILE: Obsolete, use rpmspec(1) instead.

--tid TID: Query package(s) that have a given TID transaction identifier. A UNIX timestamp 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.

Options

--changelog: Display change information for the package.

--changes: Display change information for the package with full timestamps.

--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.

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.

Options

The package and file selection options are the same as for package querying (including rpm-manifest(5) 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 --nomtime --nomode --nordev

Don't verify the corresponding file attribute.

--nouser --nogroup: Don't verify file user/group ownership. Note that only local passwd(5) and group(5) databases are consulted.

--nocaps: Don't verify file capabilities.

Output

--verify

The format of the output is a string of 9 result characters a possible attribute from the package, followed by the filename.

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:

Result	Description
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

Attribute	Description
a	%artifact - an implicit side-effect file (eg. build-id links)
c	%configuration file
d	%documentation file
g	%ghost file
l	%license file
m	%missingok - file missing is not a verify failure
n	%config(noreplace) - do not replace (a %config file)
r	%readme file
s	rpm-spec(5) file in a source package

Exit status

On success, 0 is returned, a nonzero failure code otherwise.

Examples

rpm -Uvh hello-2.0-1.noarch.rpm

Install or upgrade hello-2.0-1.noarch.rpm package with verbose output and progress meters. -Uvh is probably the most common of all the rpm operations.

rpm -Uvh --excludedocs --root /srv/test mydist-23.mft

Install packages described by the mydist-23.mft rpm-manifest(5) file into the alternative system root at /srv/test, excluding all documentation files.

rpm -Fvh *.rpm

Freshen installed packages from a local directory, with verbose output and progress meters.

rpm -i kernel-6.15.4-200.x86_64.rpm

Install kernel-6.15.4-200.x86_64.rpm package quietly. On some Linux distributions, different kernel versions are intended to be installed in parallel like this, without erasing older ones to ensure there's a bootable kernel in case of problems. It's one of the few cases where -i is the right thing to use.

rpm -evh --allmatches libhello

Erase all versions of package libhello on the system, with verbose output and progress meters. Typically there is only one version of a package installed at a time, but in some cases it's possible to have different versions or different architectures of a package installed in parallel, in which case --allmatches can be handy.

rpm -vh --reinstall hello-2.0-1.noarch.rpm

Reinstall previously installed hello-2.0-1.noarch.rpm package, with verbose output and progress labels. Useful if eg. the files of a package get corrupted or erased accidentally.

rpm -v --restore --all

Restore permissions of files in all installed packages to their packaged specifications, with verbose output.

rpm --verify --noconfig openssh-server

Verify the integrity of the installed openssh-server package, ignoring changes in configuration.

rpm -qa

List all installed packages, using the default formatting.

rpm -qlv --noartifact glibc

List the files of the glibc package in style similar to ls(1) command output with ls -l, omitting "artifact" files such as build-id's which are not usually the main interest.

rpm -q --qf "[%{filenames} %{filedigests}\n]" openssh-server

List filenames and their corresponding digests of installed openssh-server package.

rpm -qp --scripts --triggers --filetriggers myserver-1.0-1.x86_64.rpm

Show all scriptlets and triggers from the myserver-1.0-1.x86_64.rpm package file. Before installing unknown packages, at least do this!

rpm --target ppc64le --eval "%optflags"

Print the expansion of the %optflags macro for the ppc64le architecture.

Files

See rpm-common(8), rpm-config(5) and rpm-rpmrc(5).

Releases

18 releases since Debian 1.2 (Rex); the text changed 16 times.

1.2
1.3
2.0
2.1
2.2
3.0–3.1
4.0
5.0
6.0
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Arch

--allfiles since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --allmatches since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --artifactfiles since Debian 10 (Buster); --badreloc since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --changelog since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --changes since Debian 10 (Buster); --configfiles since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --conflicts since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); --deploops since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --docfiles since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --dupes since Debian 10 (Buster); --enhances since Debian 10 (Buster); --excludeartifacts since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --excludeconfigs since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --excludepath since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --file since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --filecaps since Debian 10 (Buster); --fileclass since Debian 10 (Buster); --filecolor since Debian 10 (Buster); --fileprovide since Debian 10 (Buster); --filerequire since Debian 10 (Buster); --filesbypkg since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --filetriggers since Debian 10 (Buster); --group since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --ignorearch since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --ignoreos since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --ignoresize since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --info since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --justdb since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --last since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --licensefiles since Debian 8 (Jessie); --list since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --noartifact since Debian 10 (Buster); --nocaps since Debian 10 (Buster); --noconfig since Debian 10 (Buster); --noconfigs since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --nocontexts since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --nodb since Debian 12 (Bookworm); --nodigest since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --nofiles since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --noghost since Debian 10 (Buster); --noglob since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --nogroup since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --nomanifest since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); --noorder since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --noplugins since Debian 10 (Buster); --nopost since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --noposttrans since Debian 9 (Stretch); --nopostun since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --nopostuntrans since Debian 13 (Trixie); --nopre since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --nopretrans since Debian 9 (Stretch); --nopreun since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --nopreuntrans since Debian 13 (Trixie); --nosignature since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --nosysusers since Debian 13 (Trixie); --notriggerin since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --notriggerpostun since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --notriggerprein since Debian 7 (Wheezy); --notriggers since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --notriggerun since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --nouser since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --noverify since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --obsoletes since Debian 7 (Wheezy); --package since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --path since Debian 12 (Bookworm); --prefix since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); --qf since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --querybynumber since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --queryformat since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --recommends since Debian 10 (Buster); --relocate since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --requires since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --specfile since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --state since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --suggests since Debian 10 (Buster); --supplements since Debian 10 (Buster); --tid since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --triggeredby since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --triggers since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --triggerscripts since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --whatconflicts since Debian 10 (Buster); --whatenhances since Debian 10 (Buster); --whatobsoletes since Debian 10 (Buster); --whatprovides since Debian 1.3 (Bo); --whatrecommends since Debian 10 (Buster); --whatrequires since Debian 1.3 (Bo); --whatsuggests since Debian 10 (Buster); --whatsupplements since Debian 10 (Buster); --xml since Debian 13 (Trixie); -A since Debian 11 (Bullseye); -L since Debian 8 (Jessie); -g since Debian 2.2 (Potato).

--aid until Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); --all until Debian 13 (Trixie); --buildarch until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --buildos until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --buildroot until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --clean until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --dbpath until Debian 13 (Trixie); --eval until Debian 13 (Trixie); --fileid until Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); --ftpport until Debian 10 (Buster); --ftpproxy until Debian 10 (Buster); --hdrid until Debian 13 (Trixie); --help until Debian 13 (Trixie); --httpport until Debian 13 (Trixie); --httpproxy until Debian 13 (Trixie); --keep-temps until Debian 2.1 (Slink); --load until Debian 13 (Trixie); --macros until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nobuild until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --nolinkto until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nomd5 until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --nomode until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nomtime until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nopgp until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --nordev until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nosize until Debian 13 (Trixie); --nosuggest until Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); --pipe until Debian 13 (Trixie); --pkgid until Debian 13 (Trixie); --quiet until Debian 13 (Trixie); --rcfile until Debian 13 (Trixie); --repackage until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --rmsource until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --rmspec until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --root until Debian 13 (Trixie); --short-circuit until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --sign until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --target until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --timecheck until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --undefine until Debian 13 (Trixie); --upgrade until Debian 1.3 (Bo); --verbose until Debian 13 (Trixie); --version until Debian 13 (Trixie); -? until Debian 13 (Trixie); -E until Debian 13 (Trixie); -F until Debian 1.2 (Rex); -P until Debian 1.2 (Rex); -U until Debian 1.3 (Bo); -a until Debian 13 (Trixie); -ba until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bb until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bc until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bi until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bl until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bp until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -bs until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -v until Debian 13 (Trixie); -vv until Debian 13 (Trixie); -whatprovides until Debian 1.2 (Rex); -whatrequires until Debian 1.2 (Rex).

Referred to by

Usage

Querying and verifying packages

Installing, upgrading and removing packages

Misc operations

Overview

Operations

Querying and verifying packages

Installing, upgrading and removing packages

Misc operations

Obsolete compatibility aliases

Arguments

Options

Options

Options

Options

Options

Options

Options

Options

Options

Output

Exit status

Examples

Files

Releases

See also

Mentioned on this page

Referred to by