Installing, removing, and updating packages is a typical activity on Linux. Most of the Linux distributions provides some kind of package manager utility. For example, apt-get, dpkg, rpm, yum, etc.
On some Linux distributions, yum is the default package manager.
Yum stands for Yellowdog Updater Modified.
This article explains 15 most frequently used yum commands with examples.
1. Install a package using yum install
To install a package, do ‘yum install packagename’. This will also identify the dependencies automatically and install them.
The following example installs postgresql package.
# yum install postgresql.x86_64 Resolving Dependencies Install 2 Package(s) Is this ok [y/N]: y Package(s) data still to download: 3.0 M (1/2): postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 2.8 MB 00:11 (2/2): postgresql-libs-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 203 kB 00:00 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Total 241 kB/s | 3.0 MB 00:12 Running Transaction Installing : postgresql-libs-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64 1/2 Installing : postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64 2/2 Complete!
By default ‘yum install’, will prompt you to accept or decline before installing the packages. If you want yum to install automatically without prompting, use -y option as shown below.
# yum -y install postgresql.x86_64
2. Uninstall a package using yum remove
To remove a package (along with all its dependencies), use ‘yum remove package’ as shown below.
# yum remove postgresql.x86_64 Resolving Dependencies ---> Package postgresql.x86_64 0:9.0.4-5.fc15 will be erased Is this ok [y/N]: y Running Transaction Erasing : postgresql-9.0.4-5.fc15.x86_64 1/1 Removed: postgresql.x86_64 0:9.0.4-5.fc15 Complete!
3. Upgrade an existing package using yum update
If you have a older version of a package, use ‘yum update package’ to upgrade it to the latest current version. This will also identify and install all required dependencies.
# yum update postgresql.x86_64
4. Search for a package to be installed using yum search
If you don’t know the exact package name to be installed, use ‘yum search keyword’, which will search all the packages that matches the ‘keyword’ and display it.
The following examples searches the yum repository for all the packages that matches the keyword ‘firefox’ and lists the available packages.
# yum search firefox Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit ============== N/S Matched: firefox ====================== firefox.x86_64 : Mozilla Firefox Web browser gnome-do-plugins-firefox.x86_64 : gnome-do-plugins for firefox mozilla-firetray-firefox.x86_64 : System tray extension for firefox mozilla-adblockplus.noarch : Adblocking extension for Mozilla Firefox mozilla-noscript.noarch : JavaScript white list extension for Mozilla Firefox Name and summary matches only, use "search all" for everything.
5. Display additional information about a package using yum info
Once you search for a package using yum search, you can use ‘yum info package’ to view additional information about the package.
The following examples displays additional information about the samba-common package.
# yum info samba-common.i686
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Available Packages
Name : samba-common
Arch : i686
Epoch : 1
Version : 3.5.11
Release : 71.fc15.1
Size : 9.9 M
Repo : updates
Summary : Files used by both Samba servers and clients
URL : http://www.samba.org/
License : GPLv3+ and LGPLv3+
Description : Samba-common provides files necessary for both the server and client
: packages of Samba.
6. View all available packages using yum list
The following command will list all the packages available in the yum database.
# yum list | less
7. List only the installed packages using yum list installed
To view all the packages that are installed on your system, execute the following yum command.
# yum list installed | less
8. Which package does a file belong to? – Use yum provides
Use ‘yum provides’ if you like to know which package a particular file belongs to. For example, if you like to know the name of the package that has the /etc/sysconfig/nfs file, do the following.
# yum provides /etc/sysconfig/nfs
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
1:nfs-utils-1.2.3-10.fc15.x86_64 : NFS utilities and supporting clients and
: daemons for the kernel NFS server
Repo : fedora
Matched from:
Filename : /etc/sysconfig/nfs
1:nfs-utils-1.2.4-1.fc15.x86_64 : NFS utilities and supporting clients and
: daemons for the kernel NFS server
Repo : updates
Matched from:
Filename : /etc/sysconfig/nfs
1:nfs-utils-1.2.4-1.fc15.x86_64 : NFS utilities and supporting clients and
: daemons for the kernel NFS server
Repo : installed
Matched from:
Other : Provides-match: /etc/sysconfig/nfs
9. List available software groups using yum grouplist
In yum, several related packages are grouped together in a specific group. Instead of searching and installing all the individual packages that belongs to a specific function, you can simply install the group, which will install all the packages that belongs to the group.
To view all the available software groups execute ‘yum grouplist’ as shown below. The output is listed in three groups–Installed Groups, Installed Language Groups and Available Groups.
# yum grouplist Installed Groups: Administration Tools Base Design Suite .... Installed Language Groups: Arabic Support [ar] Armenian Support [hy] Bengali Support [bn] .... Available Groups: Authoring and Publishing Books and Guides Clustering DNS Name Server Development Libraries Development Tools Directory Server Dogtag Certificate System ...
10. Install a specific software group using yum groupinstall
To install specific software group, use groupinstall option as shown below. In the following example, ‘DNS Name Server’ group contains bind and bind-chroot.
# yum groupinstall 'DNS Name Server' Dependencies Resolved Install 2 Package(s) Is this ok [y/N]: y Package(s) data still to download: 3.6 M (1/2): bind-9.8.0-9.P4.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 3.6 MB 00:15 (2/2): bind-chroot-9.8.0-9.P4.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 69 kB 00:00 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total 235 kB/s | 3.6 MB 00:15 Installed: bind-chroot.x86_64 32:9.8.0-9.P4.fc15 Dependency Installed: bind.x86_64 32:9.8.0-9.P4.fc15 Complete!
Note: You can also install MySQL database using yum groupinstall as we discussed earlier.
11. Upgrade an existing software group using groupupdate
If you’ve already installed a software group using yum groupinstall, and would like to upgrade it to the latest version, use ‘yum groupupdate’ as shown below.
# yum groupupdate 'Graphical Internet' Dependencies Resolved Upgrade 5 Package(s) Is this ok [y/N]: y Running Transaction Updating : evolution-data-server-3.0.2-1.fc15.x86_64 1/10 Updating : evolution-3.0.2-3.fc15.x86_64 2/10 Updating : evolution-NetworkManager-3.0.2-3.fc15.x86_64 3/10 Updating : evolution-help-3.0.2-3.fc15.noarch 4/10 Updating : empathy-3.0.2-3.fc15.x86_64 5/10 Cleanup : evolution-NetworkManager-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64 6/10 Cleanup : evolution-help-3.0.1-1.fc15.noarch 7/10 Cleanup : evolution-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64 8/10 Cleanup : empathy-3.0.1-3.fc15.x86_64 9/10 Cleanup : evolution-data-server-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64 10/10 Complete!
12. Uninstall a software group using yum groupremove
To delete an existing software group use ‘yum groupremove’ as shown below.
# yum groupremove 'DNS Name Server' Dependencies Resolved Remove 2 Package(s) Is this ok [y/N]: y Running Transaction Erasing : 32:bind-chroot-9.8.0-9.P4.fc15.x86_64 1/2 Erasing : 32:bind-9.8.0-9.P4.fc15.x86_64 2/2 Complete!
13. Display your current yum repositories
All yum commands goes against one or more yum repositories. To view all the yum repositories that are configured in your system, do ‘yum repolist’ as shown below.
The following will display only the enabled repositories.
# yum repolist repo id repo name status fedora Fedora 15 - x86_64 24,085 updates Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Updates 5,612
To display all the repositories (both enabled and disabled), use ‘yum repolist all’.
# yum repolist all repo id repo name status fedora Fedora 15 - x86_64 enabled: 24,085 fedora-debuginfo Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Debug disabled fedora-source Fedora 15 - Source disabled rawhide-debuginfo Fedora - Rawhide - Debug disabled rawhide-source Fedora - Rawhide - Source disabled updates Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Updates enabled: 5,612 updates-debuginfo Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Updates - Debug disabled updates-source Fedora 15 - Updates Source disabled updates-testing Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Test Updates disabled updates-testing-debuginfo Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Test Updates Debug disabled updates-testing-source Fedora 15 - Test Updates Source disabled
To view only the disabled repositories, use ‘yum repositories disabled’.
14. Install from a disabled repositories using yum –enablerepo
By default yum installs only from the enabled repositories. For some reason if you like to install a package from a disabled repositories, use –enablerepo option in the ‘yum install’ as shown below.
# yum --enablerepo=fedora-source install vim-X11.x86_64 Dependencies Resolved Install 1 Package(s) Is this ok [y/N]: y Running Transaction Installing : 2:vim-X11-7.3.138-1.fc15.x86_64 1/1 Complete!
15. Execute yum commands interactively using Yum Shell
Yum provides the interactive shell to run multiple commands as shown below.
# yum shell
Setting up Yum Shell
> info samba.x86_64
Available Packages
Name : samba
Arch : x86_64
Epoch : 1
Version : 3.5.11
Release : 71.fc15.1
Size : 4.6 M
Repo : updates
Summary : Server and Client software to interoperate with Windows machines
URL : http://www.samba.org/
License : GPLv3+ and LGPLv3+
Description :
: Samba is the suite of programs by which a lot of PC-related
: machines share files, printers, and other information (such as
: lists of available files and printers). The Windows NT, OS/2, and
: Linux operating systems support this natively, and add-on packages
: can enable the same thing for DOS, Windows, VMS, UNIX of all
: kinds, MVS, and more. This package provides an SMB/CIFS server
: that can be used to provide network services to SMB/CIFS clients.
: Samba uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocols and does NOT
: need the NetBEUI (Microsoft Raw NetBIOS frame) protocol.
>
Yum can also read commands from a text file and execute it one by one. This is very helpful when you have multiple systems. Instead of executing the same command on all the systems, create a text file with those commands, and use ‘yum shell’ to execute those commands as shown below.
# cat yum_cmd.txt
repolist
info nfs-utils-lib.x86_64
# yum shell yum_cmd.txt
repo id repo name status
fedora Fedora 15 - x86_64 24,085
updates Fedora 15 - x86_64 - Updates 5,612
Available Packages
Name : nfs-utils-lib
Arch : x86_64
Version : 1.1.5
Release : 5.fc15
Size : 61 k
Repo : fedora
Summary : Network File System Support Library
URL : http://www.citi.umich.edu/projects/nfsv4/linux/
License : BSD
Description : Support libraries that are needed by the commands and
: daemons the nfs-utils rpm.
Leaving Shell
My name is Ramesh Natarajan. I will be posting instruction guides, how-to, troubleshooting tips and tricks on Linux, database, hardware, security and web. My focus is to write articles that will either teach you or help you resolve a problem. Read more about
Comments on this entry are closed.
I am missing “yum localinstall …”
yum localinstall package-name.rpm
localinstall – Is used to install a set of local rpm files. If required the enabled repositories will be used to resolve dependencies.
This command is pretty useful if you don’t want to download the dependencies manually.
Very useful.. Thanks for your sharing.
You are doing really great job, could you please post how to resolve package dependencies.
Hi Balakrishnan, Thanks for this article. Good Job. I was actually looking for a good article on Yum.
Is there a way to TEST a yum install in advance without actually doing an install? Something similar to the way you’d do so with the rpm “–test” flag?
Nice article I didn’t knew some of them before I like yum over apt-get.
Hi Everybody,
I just started learning unix. I had question gor grep command.
I want to display 3rd Character of all lines from abc file.
good article…. few of them is new to me….. thanks…..
Missed:
yum reinstall package-name
Quite handy if you deleted a file by mistake
e.g.
rm /etc/init.d/httpd
yum reinstall httpd.i386
to answer rob roy’s question, yes you can pre-test a yum install.
first, you need the plugin.
yum install yum-downloadonly (on older versions of fedora/rhel)
OR
yum install yum-plugin-downloadonly (on newer versions of fedora/rhel)
that will allow you to add the “–downloadonly” option to yum install, for example:
yum –downloadonly install postgresql
after you answer Yes to download, it will just exit.
===
here are some other yum items:
yum check-update (to see which installed RPMs have updates/patches)
put this line in /etc/yum.conf to have old software repackaged into an RPM to allow for rollbacks:
tsflags=repackage
put this in /etc/yum.conf if you want to keep the RPMs after you’ve installed them (instead of having them deleted).
keepcache=1
thanks. -mike
Awesome examples !!
Very much helpfull
Hi all,
Please help me in resolving amy doubt.
If any one by mistake deletes YUM from server then the system will not allow me to reinstall using a DVD, please suggest me with valid options to resolve this.
shouldn’t “yum repositories disabled” be “yum repolist disabled” ??
Can you give an example of using “yum –setopt=SETOPTS”
What does it do\mean
man yum doesn’t say much extra:
–setopt=repoid.option=value
Can it allow me download updates for an i386 pc on a x86_64 pc?
how to install all the packages of a file by one command
Very good article.
Thanks a lot
yum autoremove
yum -y autoremove
yum downgrade
yum -y downgrade
and (just for fun) :: # yum -y install wine
Hi Ramesh…. there are two repos in list ..Im having one software with old and updated versions …if i do yum update , its gng to latest versions..i need older version also for few servers,….how can i do this ??
Very useful article, Thanks a lot!
I am getting this whole error when Im use yum command on oracle Linux 7
[root@orcl ~]# yum install binutils
Loaded plugins: langpacks
http://public-yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL7/UEKR3/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] curl#6 – “Could not resolve host: public-yum.oracle.com; Unknown error”
Trying other mirror.
One of the configured repositories failed (Latest Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux 7Server (x86_64)),
and yum doesn’t have enough cached data to continue. At this point the only
safe thing yum can do is fail. There are a few ways to work “fix” this:
1. Contact the upstream for the repository and get them to fix the problem.
2. Reconfigure the baseurl/etc. for the repository, to point to a working
upstream. This is most often useful if you are using a newer
distribution release than is supported by the repository (and the
packages for the previous distribution release still work).
3. Disable the repository, so yum won’t use it by default. Yum will then
just ignore the repository until you permanently enable it again or use
–enablerepo for temporary usage:
yum-config-manager –disable ol7_UEKR3
4. Configure the failing repository to be skipped, if it is unavailable.
Note that yum will try to contact the repo. when it runs most commands,
so will have to try and fail each time (and thus. yum will be be much
slower). If it is a very temporary problem though, this is often a nice
compromise:
yum-config-manager –save –setopt=ol7_UEKR3.skip_if_unavailable=true
failure: repodata/repomd.xml from ol7_UEKR3: [Errno 256] No more mirrors to try.
http://public-yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL7/UEKR3/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] curl#6 – “Could not resolve host: public-yum.oracle.com; Unknown error”
Please help me with this to solve it…
Thanks in Advance
Hi Ramesh
I want to install a group Package such as “Security Tools” in centos 7 via local repository .Is there any specific command to do this ?
Thanks in advance
How would i use yum to upgrade an OS to the next version