Master Linux Package Managers: dpkg, apt, rpm, yum & dnf Commands Explained

Package management systems not only install software but also provide tools to update installed packages, ensuring that code is reviewed and versions are approved by maintainers.

dpkg

Ubuntu, Debian

dpkg

is the low‑level utility used by Debian‑based systems to install, create, and manage software packages.

Command line usage

# dpkg [options] [command]
$ dpkg --help
# Options
-i   install a package
-r   remove a package
-P   purge package and its config files
-L   list files belonging to a package
-l   list installed packages
--unpack   unpack a .deb file
-c   list files in a package
--configure   configure a package
# Parameters
.deb   the Debian package file

# Install a package
$ dpkg -i package.deb

# Remove a package
$ dpkg -r package

# Purge a package
$ dpkg -P package

# List files of a package
$ dpkg -L package

# Show installed packages
$ dpkg -l

# Unpack a .deb file
$ dpkg --unpack package.deb

# Search for a file in packages
$ dpkg -S keyword

# List all installed packages
$ dpkg -l

# List contents of a .deb file
$ dpkg -c package.deb

# Configure a package
$ dpkg --configure package

# Query installed packages
$ sudo dpkg-query -l
$ sudo dpkg-query -l | less
$ sudo dpkg-query -l | grep tmux

apt

Ubuntu, Debian

apt-get

is the high‑level package manager for Debian‑based distributions. It works with .deb packages, similar to Windows installers.

Command line usage

# apt-get [options] command
$ apt --help
# Options
-c   specify configuration file
# Parameters
command   operation on APT packages
package   target package name

# Update all installed packages
$ apt-get upgrade

# Full distribution upgrade
$ apt-get dist-upgrade

# Refresh package lists
$ apt-get update

# Install a new package
$ apt-get install packagename

# Remove a package but keep config files
$ apt-get remove packagename

# Purge a package and its config files
$ apt-get --purge remove packagename

# Clean downloaded package files
$ apt-get autoclean apt

# Remove all cached package files
$ apt-get clean

# List installed packages
$ sudo apt list --installed
$ sudo apt list --installed | less
$ sudo apt list --installed | grep tmux

rpm

RHEL, CentOS

rpm

is the Red Hat Package Manager used by RPM‑based distributions. It follows the GPL and is widely adopted.

Command line usage

# rpm [OPTION...]
$ rpm --help
# Options
-a   query all packages
-c   list configuration files (requires -l)
-d   list documentation files (requires -l)
-e   erase a package
-f   query package owning a file
-h   display hash marks while installing
-i   install a package
-l   list files in a package
-p   query a package file
-q   query mode
-R   display package dependencies
-s   show file status (requires -l)
-U   upgrade a package
-v   verbose output
-vv  very verbose output
# Parameter
package   the RPM file to act upon

# Install a package
$ rpm -ivh your-package.rpm

# Force install
$ rpm --force -ivh your-package.rpm

# Remove a package
$ rpm -e proftpd-1.2.8

# List all installed packages
$ rpm -qa
$ rpm -qa | grep sql

# List files installed by a package
$ rpm -ql your-package.rpm

# Find which package provides a file
$ rpm -qf `which program`

# Show detailed info about a package
$ rpm -qif `which program`

# List files of a package
$ rpm -qlf `which program`

yum

CentOS 6, CentOS 7

yum

is a front‑end to rpm used on Fedora, Red Hat and SUSE. It resolves dependencies automatically and can download packages from configured repositories.

Command line usage

# yum [options] COMMAND
$ yum --help
# Options
-h   show help
-y   assume yes to all prompts
-c   specify config file
-q   quiet mode
-v   verbose mode
-d   debug level (0‑10)
-e   error level (0‑10)
-R   max wait time for a command
-C   run entirely from cache
# Parameters
install        install an rpm package
update         update an rpm package
check-update   check for available updates
remove         delete a package
list           display package information
search         search package information
info           show package description
clean          clean cached data
shell          enter yum shell
resolvedep     show package dependencies
localinstall   install a local rpm file
localupdate    update a local rpm file
deplist        list all dependencies

# Install a package
$ yum install package1

# Install a group
$ yum groupinstall group1

# Update all packages
$ yum update

# Update a specific package
$ yum update package1

# Check for updates
$ yum check-update

# Upgrade a package
$ yum upgrade package1

# List installed packages
$ yum list installed | grep mysql

# Show package info
$ yum info package1

# Remove a package
$ yum remove package1

# Clean cached packages
$ yum clean packages
$ yum clean headers
$ yum clean oldheaders

dnf

RHEL 8, CentOS 8

dnf

replaces yum in newer RPM‑based systems. It uses libsolv for dependency resolution and is written in Python.

Command line usage

# dnf [options] command
$ dnf --help
# Common commands
install          install a package
update           update packages
upgrade          upgrade packages
check-update     check for updates
remove/erase     delete a package
autoremove      remove orphaned packages
clean all        clean all cached data
repolist         list enabled repositories
repolist all     list all repositories
list             list packages
list installed   list installed packages
list available   list installable packages
search           search packages
provides         find which package provides a file
info             show package details
grouplist        list package groups
groupinstall     install a group
groupupdate      update a group
groupremove      remove a group
reinstall        reinstall a package
downgrade        downgrade a package
history          show command history
help             show help for a command

# Install a package
$ dnf install nano

# Upgrade a package
$ dnf update systemd

# Upgrade all packages
$ dnf upgrade

# Check for updates
$ dnf check-update

# Remove a package
$ dnf remove nano

# Clean all caches
$ dnf clean all

# List enabled repositories
$ dnf repolist

# List all repositories
$ dnf repolist all

# List all RPM packages
$ dnf list

# List installed RPM packages
$ dnf list installed

# Search for a package
$ dnf search nano

# Show package info
$ dnf info nano

# Install a group
$ dnf groupinstall 'Educational Software'

# Update a group
$ dnf groupupdate 'Educational Software'

# Remove a group
$ dnf groupremove 'Educational Software'

# Reinstall a package
$ dnf reinstall nano

# Downgrade a package
$ dnf downgrade acpid

# View command history
$ dnf history