Installing

RPM packages typically have file names like foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm. The file name includes the package name (foo), version (1.0), release (1), and architecture (i386). To install a package, log in as root and type the following command at a shell prompt:

rpm -ivh foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm

Alternatively, the following command can also be used:

rpm -Uvh foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm

If the installation is successful, the following output is displayed:

Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
   1:foo                    ########################################### [100%]

As you can see, RPM prints out the name of the package and then prints a succession of hash marks as a progress meter while the package is installed.

The signature of a package is checked automatically when installing or upgrading a package. The signature confirms that the package was signed by an authorized party. For example, if the verification of the signature fails, an error message such as the following is displayed:

error: V3 DSA signature: BAD, key ID 0352860f

If it is a new, header-only, signature, an error message such as the following is displayed:

error: Header V3 DSA signature: BAD, key ID 0352860f

If you do not have the appropriate key installed to verify the signature, the message contains the word NOKEY such as:

warning: V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 0352860f

Refer to "Checking a Package's Signature" for more information on checking a package's signature.

If you are installing a kernel package, you should use rpm -ivh instead. Refer to Manually Upgrading the Kernel for details.

Package Already Installed

If a package of the same name and version is already installed, the following output is displayed:

Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
package foo-1.0-1 is already installed

However, if you want to install the package anyway, you can use the --replacepkgs option, which tells RPM to ignore the error:

rpm -ivh --replacepkgs foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm

This option is helpful if files installed from the RPM were deleted or if you want the original configuration files from the RPM to be installed.

Conflicting Files

If you attempt to install a package that contains a file which has already been installed by another package, the following is displayed:

Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
file /usr/bin/foo from install of foo-1.0-1 conflicts with file from package bar-2.0.20

To make RPM ignore this error, use the --replacefiles option:

rpm -ivh --replacefiles foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm

Unresolved Dependency

RPM packages may sometimes depend on other packages, which means that they require other packages to be installed to run properly. If you try to install a package which has an unresolved dependency, output similar to the following is displayed:

error: Failed dependencies:
        bar.so.2 is needed by foo-1.0-1
Suggested resolutions:
 bar-2.0.20-3.i386.rpm

If you are installing a package from the Community Enterprise Linux CD-ROM set, it usually suggest the package(s) needed to resolve the dependency. Find the suggested package(s) on the Community Enterprise Linux CD-ROMs or from CentOS Network , and add it to the command:

rpm -ivh foo-1.0-1.i386.rpm bar-2.0.20-3.i386.rpm

If installation of both packages is successful, output similar to the following is displayed:

Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
   1:foo                    ########################################### [ 50%]
   2:bar                    ########################################### [100%]

If it does not suggest a package to resolve the dependency, you can try the -q --whatprovides option combination to determine which package contains the required file.

rpm -q --whatprovides bar.so.2

To force the installation anyway (which is not recommended since the package may not run correctly), use the --nodeps option.