Introduction
In this lab, we will explore the yum package manager, a powerful tool for managing software packages on Red Hat-based Linux distributions. We will learn how to install, update, and remove packages using yum, as well as search for available packages and check for updates.
First, we will introduce the yum package manager, its key features, and check the current version installed on our system. Then, we will demonstrate how to install new packages, update existing ones, and remove packages using various yum commands. This lab provides practical examples and step-by-step guidance to help you become proficient in managing packages on your Linux system.
Introduction to yum Package Manager
In this step, we will explore the yum package manager, which is a powerful tool for managing software packages on Red Hat-based Linux distributions, including CentOS, Fedora, and RHEL.
First, let's check the current version of yum installed on our system:
yum --version
Example output:
4.4.2
The yum package manager provides several key features:
- Installing Packages: You can use yum to install new software packages on your system.
- Updating Packages: yum can be used to update installed packages to their latest versions.
- Removing Packages: Packages can be removed using the yum command.
- Searching for Packages: You can search for available packages using yum.
- Checking for Package Updates: yum can check for and notify you of available package updates.
Now, let's try some basic yum commands to get a better understanding of how it works.
Installing Packages Using yum
In this step, we will learn how to install new packages using the yum package manager.
First, let's search for a package we want to install. For example, we'll search for the "tree" package:
yum search tree
Example output:
Loaded plugins: amazon-id, rhui-lb, search-disabled-repos
============================== N/S Matched: tree ===============================
tree.x86_64 : Display a directory tree, in color
The output shows that the "tree" package is available. Now, let's install it:
sudo yum install -y tree
Example output:
Loaded plugins: amazon-id, rhui-lb, search-disabled-repos
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package tree.x86_64 0:1.8.0-10.el8 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Dependencies Resolved
=============================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=============================================================================
Installing:
tree x86_64 1.8.0-10.el8 AppStream 55 k
Transaction Summary
=============================================================================
Install 1 Package
Total download size: 55 k
Installed size: 94 k
Downloading Packages:
tree-1.8.0-10.el8.x86_64.rpm 55 kB/s | 55 kB 00:01
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
Preparing : 1/1
Installing : tree-1.8.0-10.el8.x86_64 1/1
Verifying : tree-1.8.0-10.el8.x86_64 1/1
Installed:
tree-1.8.0-10.el8.x86_64
Complete!
The yum install command downloads and installs the specified package, along with any required dependencies.
Let's verify that the "tree" package is now installed:
tree --version
Example output:
tree v1.8.0 (c) 1996 - 2018 by Steve Baker, Thomas Moore, Francesc Rocher, Florian Sesser, Kyosuke Tokoro
Great! We have successfully installed the "tree" package using yum.
Updating and Removing Packages with yum
In this step, we will learn how to update and remove packages using the yum package manager.
First, let's check for any available updates for the packages installed on our system:
sudo yum check-update
Example output:
Loaded plugins: amazon-id, rhui-lb, search-disabled-repos
There are no packages to update
The output shows that there are no available updates for the installed packages.
Now, let's update a specific package. We'll use the "tree" package as an example:
sudo yum update tree
Example output:
Loaded plugins: amazon-id, rhui-lb, search-disabled-repos
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package tree.x86_64 0:1.8.0-10.el8 will be updated
---> Package tree.x86_64 0:1.8.0-12.el8 will be an update
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Dependencies Resolved
=============================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=============================================================================
Updating:
tree x86_64 1.8.0-12.el8 AppStream 55 k
Transaction Summary
=============================================================================
Upgrade 1 Package
Total download size: 55 k
Downloading Packages:
tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64.rpm 55 kB/s | 55 kB 00:01
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
Preparing : 1/1
Updating : tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64 1/1
Cleanup : tree-1.8.0-10.el8.x86_64 1/1
Verifying : tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64 1/1
Updated:
tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64
Complete!
The yum update command updates the specified package to the latest available version.
Finally, let's remove the "tree" package:
sudo yum remove tree
Example output:
Loaded plugins: amazon-id, rhui-lb, search-disabled-repos
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package tree.x86_64 0:1.8.0-12.el8 will be erased
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Dependencies Resolved
=============================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=============================================================================
Removing:
tree x86_64 1.8.0-12.el8 @AppStream 55 k
Transaction Summary
=============================================================================
Remove 1 Package
Installed size: 94 k
Downloading Packages:
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
Preparing : 1/1
Erasing : tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64 1/1
Verifying : tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64 1/1
Removed:
tree-1.8.0-12.el8.x86_64
Complete!
The yum remove command removes the specified package from the system.
Summary
In this lab, we explored the yum package manager, a powerful tool for managing software packages on Red Hat-based Linux distributions. We learned how to check the current version of yum installed on our system, and the key features of the yum package manager, including installing, updating, and removing packages, as well as searching for and checking for available package updates. We then practiced installing a new package, the "tree" package, using the yum command.
