Installing RPM Software
In This Chapter
Where to Get Commonly Used RPMs Getting RPMs Using Web-Based FTP Getting RPMs Using Command-Line Anonymous FTP Getting RPMs Usingwget Automatic Updates withyum How to Install RPMs Manually How to Install Source RPMs RPM Installation Errors How to List Installed RPMs Listing Files Associated with RPMs Uninstalling RPMs Which RPMs Start at Boot Time? Installing Software UsingtarFiles Conclusion
You'll frequently need to install additional software on your Linux server that you didn't think you'd need when you first installed the operating system. This could be because of new business requirements for additional packages or the need to install new administrative tools to make your job easier.
Fedora Linux software is primarily available in Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) files. Regular RPM package files are used for installations in which the kernel, or master program, hasn't been customized in any way. This is the usual scenario for most departmental servers. Source RPMs are used when the kernel has been customized to add or drop support selectively for various devices or features for the sake of performance or functionality. The procedure for installing source RPMs involves recompiling source code to fit the needs of these kernel customizations. This makes life easier for the software developer who wrote the package as he or she now has only to create a single package to support all types of customizations. Both package types use standardized commands for installing the software contained inside, making RPMs relatively easy to use.
Software developers who want to use a universally recognizable file format across all flavors of Linux also will make their products available as TAR packages. TAR packages are generally more difficult to work with than RPM packages because the archived files within them may or may not need to be compiled and the commands to install the software may vary from package to package. Instructions are usually contained within a file inside the TAR package to help guide the installation.
This chapter focuses on the RPM format, which is the format of choice for Fedora Linux software, but also devotes a small section on TAR packages near the end because they are still very important.
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