Master Linux Package Management: yum, apt, dpkg, rpm, and Source Compilation

YUM (RPM‑based distributions)

sudo yum clean all && sudo yum makecache

– Refresh repository metadata. sudo yum install <package_name>[-<version>] – Install a package (optional version). sudo yum upgrade <package_name> – Upgrade a specific package. sudo yum update – Upgrade all installed packages. sudo yum remove <package_name> – Uninstall a package. sudo yum downgrade <package_name>-<version> – Downgrade to a specific version. yum search <keyword> – Search the repositories. yum list installed [<package_name>] – List installed packages (filter optional). yum list <package_name> --showduplicates – Show all available versions of a package.

sudo yum versionlock add <package_name>[-<version>]

– Lock a package to a specific version. sudo yum versionlock delete <package_name> – Remove a version lock. sudo yum versionlock clear – Remove all version locks. yum versionlock list – List currently locked packages.

Tip: Install the version‑lock plugin with sudo yum install yum-plugin-versionlock before using the version‑lock commands.

APT / APT‑GET (Debian‑based distributions)

sudo apt edit-sources [<source_file>]

– Edit the repository source list. sudo apt update or sudo apt‑get update – Refresh package indexes. sudo apt install <package_name>[=<version>] – Install a package (optional exact version). sudo apt upgrade <package_name> – Upgrade a specific package. sudo apt remove <package_name> – Uninstall a package. sudo apt purge <package_name> – Remove a package and its configuration files. apt list [<package_name>] -i – List installed packages (filter optional). apt‑cache search <keyword> --names-only – Search package names. apt‑cache show <package_name> – Display detailed package information. sudo apt‑get -f install – Fix broken dependencies. sudo apt‑get autoremove – Remove automatically installed packages that are no longer needed. apt‑cache policy <package_name> – Show the candidate version and all available versions. apt list <package_name> -a – List all available versions. apt‑cache madison <package_name> – Alternate view of all versions. sudo apt‑mark hold <package_name> – Prevent a package from being upgraded. sudo apt‑mark unhold <package_name> – Release a hold. apt‑mark showhold – Show all held packages.

Low‑level package tools (dpkg / rpm)

sudo dpkg -i <file.deb> [--force-depends]

– Install a .deb file (optional force). sudo dpkg -r <package_name> – Remove a package, leaving configuration files. sudo dpkg -P <package_name> – Purge a package (remove configuration files as well). dpkg -l <package_name> – List package status information. sudo dpkg‑query -W "<pattern>" – Query installed packages matching a pattern. dpkg -s <package_name> – Show detailed status of a package. dpkg -L <package_name> – List files installed by the package. dpkg -S <file_path> – Find which installed package owns a file. sudo rpm -ivh <file.rpm> – Install an RPM package. sudo rpm -Uvh <file.rpm> – Upgrade (or install) an RPM package. sudo rpm -e [--nodeps] <package_name> – Erase an RPM package, optionally ignoring dependencies. rpm -qa <package_name> – Query all installed RPM packages (filter optional). rpm -qi <package_name> – Show detailed information about an RPM package. rpm -ql <package_name> – List files belonging to an RPM package. rpm -qf <file_path> – Identify the RPM package that provides a given file.

Compiling and installing from source (nginx example)

Download the source archive and extract it:

wget https://nginx.org/download/nginx-1.24.0.tar.gz
tar -xzvf nginx-1.24.0.tar.gz
cd nginx-1.24.0

Install build dependencies (example for CentOS/RHEL): sudo yum install pcre-devel zlib-devel Configure, compile, and install:

./configure --prefix=/usr/local/nginx   # set installation prefix; add other flags as needed
make
sudo make install

Verify the installation and test start/stop:

/usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -v          # show version
sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -s stop  # stop a running instance

Optional: create a symbolic link so the binary is in the standard PATH:

sudo ln -s /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx /usr/sbin/nginx
nginx -v

Uninstall manually if needed (most source packages do not provide an uninstall target):

sudo rm -f /usr/sbin/nginx
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/nginx
# If the Makefile defines an uninstall target, you can also run:
# sudo make uninstall

When installing from source you must manage dependencies yourself and clean up files manually.

Conclusion

Convenience: APT/apt‑get provides the most automated dependency handling, followed by YUM. Direct use of dpkg/rpm or source compilation requires manual dependency resolution.

Customizability: Building from source offers the highest degree of customization (configure flags, module selection). dpkg/rpm provide moderate flexibility, while APT/apt‑get installs pre‑built binaries with default options.

Required privileges: Source compilation can be performed with a regular user for the build step, but installation (e.g., make install) typically needs root. dpkg/rpm and APT/apt‑get require root for installation, removal, and upgrades.

Reference: https://www.cnblogs.com/librarookie/p/18617956