YUM Command Reference

YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) is a package manager for RPM-based Linux distributions like CentOS, RHEL, and Fedora. It simplifies the process of installing, updating, and managing software packages.

Syntax

yum [options] <subcommand> [arguments]

Common Subcommands

Subcommand	Description	Common Options/Arguments
`install`	Installs one or more packages	`<package_name>`, `--nogpgcheck`
`update`	Updates packages	`[<package_name>]`, `-y`
`upgrade`	Updates packages and handles obsoletes	`[<package_name>]`
`remove`	Removes one or more packages	`<package_name>`
`list`	Lists packages	`installed`, `available`, `updates`, `<package_name>`
`info`	Displays package information	`<package_name>`
`search`	Searches packages by keyword	`<keyword>`
`provides`	Finds which package provides a file	`<file_name>`
`repolist`	Lists repositories	`all`, `enabled`, `disabled`
`clean`	Cleans cached data	`all`, `packages`, `metadata`
`groupinstall`	Installs a group of packages	`"<group_name>"`
`groupremove`	Removes a group of packages	`"<group_name>"`
`grouplist`	Lists available package groups	`hidden`, `groups`
`groupinfo`	Displays information about a package group	`"<group_name>"`
`history`	Displays transaction history	`list`, `info`, `undo`, `redo`, `rollback`
`check-update`	Checks for available package updates	None
`makecache`	Downloads and caches repository data	None
`downgrade`	Downgrades a package to an earlier version	`<package_name>`
`deplist`	Displays dependencies of a package	`<package_name>`
`reinstall`	Reinstalls a package	`<package_name>`
`distrosync`	Synchronizes installed packages to the latest versions	None

Viewing YUM Version

To see the version of YUM installed:

yum --version

Managing Repositories

List Enabled Repositories

Lists all currently enabled repositories:

yum repolist

List All Repositories

Lists all repositories configured on your system, including both enabled and disabled ones:

yum repolist all

Enable a Repository

You can enable a repository by:

Manually editing the repository file in /etc/yum.repos.d/ and setting enabled=1.
Using the command:
```
yum config-manager --enable <repo-id>
```

Listing Packages

List All Packages

Shows all packages (installed and available):

yum list

List Installed Packages Only

yum list installed

List Available Packages Only

yum list available

List Recently Added Packages

yum list recent

List Extras

Lists installed packages that are not available from any enabled repository (orphaned or manually installed packages):

yum list extras

Checking for Updates

Check for Available Updates

Checks for available updates for installed packages without installing them:

yum check-update

Updating Packages

Update All Packages

Updates existing packages without changing or replacing any packages:

yum update

Does not replace or remove obsolete packages.

Update a Specific Package

Updates a specified package only:

yum update <package-name>

Upgrade Packages

Performs all actions of yum update and also handles obsolete packages by replacing them with their updated counterparts:

yum upgrade

Upgrade a Specific Package

yum upgrade <package-name>

Searching and Getting Information

Search for Packages

Searches for packages related to a specified string in all enabled YUM repositories:

yum search <string>

Get Information About a Package

Provides all information about a package:

yum info <package-name>

Installing and Removing Packages

Install Packages

Installs one or more packages:

yum install <package-name>

Example:
```
yum install nmap
```
To install multiple packages matching a pattern:
```
yum install bash*
```

Remove Packages

Uninstalls a package:

yum remove <package-name>

Note: Do not use wildcards when removing packages, as it may remove necessary dependencies leading to system instability.

Finding Which Package Provides a File

Searches for packages that provide a file or capability matching the specified keyword:

yum provides <string>

Example:
```
yum provides ifconfig
```

Downgrading, Reinstalling, and Checking Dependencies

Downgrade a Package

Reverts or downgrades an installed package to an earlier version:

yum downgrade <package-name>

Automatically handles dependencies, ensuring required packages are also downgraded if necessary.

Reinstall a Package

Reinstalls a package:

yum reinstall <package-name>

Display Dependencies of a Package

Shows dependencies of a package and providers of it:

yum deplist <package-name>

Cleaning YUM Cache

Clean All Cache

Clears the YUM cache:

yum clean all

Removes:
- Package Cache (/var/cache/yum/): Removes all cached .rpm packages.
- Metadata Cache (/var/cache/yum/*): Clears repository metadata to force re-download.
- Headers and XML Data (/var/lib/yum/): Removes old repository data and repomd.xml files.

Generate Cache

Rebuilds the YUM cache:

yum makecache

Cache location: /var/cache/dnf (depending on system configuration).
If issues persist, manually remove files from the cache directory and regenerate the cache:
```
rm -rf /var/cache/dnf/*
yum makecache
```

Viewing YUM Transaction History

Displays the transaction history of YUM (installations, updates, removals):

yum history

Synchronizing Packages

Synchronizes installed packages to match the latest available versions in the repository, updating, downgrading, or reinstalling packages as needed:

yum distrosync

Using Package Groups

A group in YUM is a collection of related software packages bundled together for easier management.

List All Groups

Lists all package groups (installed and available):

yum grouplist

Install a Package Group

Installs a group of packages:

yum groupinstall "<group-name>"

Example:
```
yum groupinstall "Development Tools"
```
Important groups:
- Minimal Install
- Server with GUI
- Development Tools
- Security Tools
- System Tools
- GNOME Desktop Environment

Remove a Package Group

Removes a group of packages:

yum groupremove "<group-name>"

Get Information About a Package Group

Shows group info, including the packages it contains:

yum groupinfo "<group-name>"

Files

YUM-Commands-and-Groups.md

Latest commit

History