Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Managing software with the DNF tool

Managing content in the RPM repositories by using the DNF software management
tool

Last Updated: 2024-05-01

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool
Managing content in the RPM repositories by using the DNF software management tool
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Abstract
Find, install, and utilize content distributed through the RPM repositories by using the DNF tool.
Learn how to work with packages, modules, streams, and profiles.
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents
. . . . . . . . . .OPEN
MAKING . . . . . . SOURCE
. . . . . . . . . .MORE
. . . . . . .INCLUSIVE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . FEEDBACK
PROVIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . ON
. . . .RED
. . . . .HAT
. . . . .DOCUMENTATION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . 1.. .SOFTWARE
CHAPTER . . . . . . . . . . . . MANAGEMENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOOLS
. . . . . . . .IN
. . RED
. . . . . HAT
. . . . . ENTERPRISE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .LINUX
. . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . . . . . . .

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 2.
. . DISTRIBUTION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OF
. . . .CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . .IN
. . RHEL
. . . . . . .9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.1. REPOSITORIES 7
2.2. APPLICATION STREAMS 7
2.3. MODULES 8
2.4. MODULE STREAMS 8
2.5. MODULE PROFILES 9

. . . . . . . . . . . 3.
CHAPTER . . CONFIGURING
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DNF
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
..............
3.1. VIEWING THE CURRENT DNF CONFIGURATIONS 10
3.2. SETTING DNF MAIN OPTIONS 10
3.3. MANAGING DNF PLUG-INS 10
3.4. ENABLING AND DISABLING DNF PLUG-INS 10

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 4.
. . .SEARCHING
. . . . . . . . . . . . .FOR
. . . . .RHEL
. . . . . .9. .CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
..............
4.1. SEARCHING FOR SOFTWARE PACKAGES 12
4.2. LISTING SOFTWARE PACKAGES 12
4.3. LISTING REPOSITORIES 13
4.4. DISPLAYING PACKAGE INFORMATION 13
4.5. LISTING PACKAGE GROUPS AND PACKAGES THEY PROVIDE 14
4.6. LISTING AVAILABLE MODULES AND THEIR CONTENTS 15
4.7. SPECIFYING GLOBAL EXPRESSIONS IN DNF INPUT 16
4.8. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 17

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 5.
. . INSTALLING
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .RHEL
. . . . . . 9. .CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
..............
5.1. INSTALLING PACKAGES 18
5.2. INSTALLING PACKAGE GROUPS 18
5.3. INSTALLING MODULAR CONTENT 19
5.4. DEFINING CUSTOM DEFAULT MODULE STREAMS AND PROFILES 20
5.5. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 21

. . . . . . . . . . . 6.
CHAPTER . . .UPDATING
. . . . . . . . . . . RHEL
. . . . . . .9. CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
..............
6.1. CHECKING FOR UPDATES 22
6.2. UPDATING PACKAGES 22
6.3. UPDATING SECURITY-RELATED PACKAGES 23

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 7.
. . AUTOMATING
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SOFTWARE
. . . . . . . . . . . . UPDATES
. . . . . . . . . . .IN
. . .RHEL
. . . . . .9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
..............
7.1. INSTALLING DNF AUTOMATIC 24
7.2. DNF AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION FILE 24
7.3. ENABLING DNF AUTOMATIC 25
7.4. OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEMD TIMER UNITS INCLUDED IN THE DNF-AUTOMATIC PACKAGE 26

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 8.
. . .REMOVING
. . . . . . . . . . . .RHEL
. . . . . .9. .CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
..............
8.1. REMOVING INSTALLED PACKAGES 28
8.2. REMOVING PACKAGE GROUPS 28
8.3. REMOVING INSTALLED MODULAR CONTENT 28
8.3.1. Removing packages from an installed profile 28
8.3.2. Removing all packages from a module stream 30
8.4. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 32

1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 9.
. . .HANDLING
. . . . . . . . . . . .PACKAGE
. . . . . . . . . . .MANAGEMENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HISTORY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
..............
9.1. LISTING TRANSACTIONS 33
9.2. REVERTING DNF TRANSACTIONS 34
9.2.1. Reverting a single DNF transaction 34
9.2.2. Reverting multiple DNF transactions 35

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 10.
. . . MANAGING
. . . . . . . . . . . . .CUSTOM
. . . . . . . . . .SOFTWARE
. . . . . . . . . . . . REPOSITORIES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
..............
10.1. DNF REPOSITORY OPTIONS 36
10.2. ADDING A DNF REPOSITORY 36
10.3. ENABLING A DNF REPOSITORY 37
10.4. DISABLING A DNF REPOSITORY 37

.CHAPTER
. . . . . . . . . . 11.
. . .MANAGING
. . . . . . . . . . . . VERSIONS
. . . . . . . . . . . .OF
. . . APPLICATION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STREAM
. . . . . . . . . .CONTENT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
..............
11.1. MODULAR DEPENDENCIES AND STREAM CHANGES 38
11.2. INTERACTION OF MODULAR AND NON-MODULAR DEPENDENCIES 38
11.3. RESETTING MODULE STREAMS 38
11.4. DISABLING ALL STREAMS OF A MODULE 39
11.5. SWITCHING TO A LATER STREAM 39

.APPENDIX
. . . . . . . . . . .A.
. . DNF
. . . . . .COMMANDS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
..............
A.1. COMMANDS FOR LISTING CONTENT IN RHEL 9 41
A.2. COMMANDS FOR INSTALLING CONTENT IN RHEL 9 42
A.3. COMMANDS FOR REMOVING CONTENT IN RHEL 9 43

2
Table of Contents

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

MAKING OPEN SOURCE MORE INCLUSIVE

Red Hat is committed to replacing problematic language in our code, documentation, and web
properties. We are beginning with these four terms: master, slave, blacklist, and whitelist. Because of the
enormity of this endeavor, these changes will be implemented gradually over several upcoming releases.
For more details, see our CTO Chris Wright’s message .

4
 PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON RED HAT DOCUMENTATION

PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON RED HAT DOCUMENTATION

We appreciate your feedback on our documentation. Let us know how we can improve it.

Submitting feedback through Jira (account required)

1. Log in to the Jira website.

2. Click Create in the top navigation bar

3. Enter a descriptive title in the Summary field.

4. Enter your suggestion for improvement in the Description field. Include links to the relevant
parts of the documentation.

5. Click Create at the bottom of the dialogue.

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 1. SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT TOOLS IN RED HAT

ENTERPRISE LINUX 9
In Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9, use the DNF utility to manage software. For compatibility
reasons with previous major RHEL versions, you can still use the yum command. However, in RHEL 9,
yum is an alias for dnf which provides a certain level of compatibility with yum.

NOTE

Although RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 are based on DNF, they are compatible with YUM used in
RHEL 7.

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 CHAPTER 2. DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT IN RHEL 9

CHAPTER 2. DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT IN RHEL 9

In the following sections, learn how the software is distributed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.

2.1. REPOSITORIES
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) distributes content through different repositories, for example:

BaseOS
Content in the BaseOS repository consists of the core set of the underlying operating system
functionality that provides the foundation for all installations. This content is available in the RPM
format and is subject to support terms similar to those in earlier releases of RHEL.
AppStream
Content in the AppStream repository includes additional user-space applications, runtime
languages, and databases in support of the varied workloads and use cases.

IMPORTANT

Both the BaseOS and AppStream content sets are required by RHEL and are available in
all RHEL subscriptions.

CodeReady Linux Builder

The CodeReady Linux Builder repository is available with all RHEL subscriptions. It provides
additional packages for use by developers. Red Hat does not support packages included in the
CodeReady Linux Builder repository.

Additional resources

Package manifest

2.2. APPLICATION STREAMS

Red Hat provides multiple versions of user-space components as Application Streams, and they are
updated more frequently than the core operating system packages. This provides more flexibility to
customize Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) without impacting the underlying stability of the platform
or specific deployments.

Application Streams are available in the following formats:

RPM format

Modules, which are an extension to the RPM format

Software Collections

RHEL 9 improves Application Streams experience by providing initial Application Stream versions as
RPMs, which you can install by using the dnf install command.

Starting with RHEL 9.1, Red Hat provides additional Application Stream versions as modules with a
shorter life cycle.

IMPORTANT
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

IMPORTANT

Each Application Stream has its own life cycle, and it can be the same or shorter than the
life cycle of RHEL 9. See Red Hat Enterprise Linux Application Streams Life Cycle .

Always determine which version of an Application Stream you want to install, and make
sure to review the RHEL Application Stream life cycle first.

Additional resources

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: Application Compatibility Guide

Package manifest

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Application Streams Life Cycle

2.3. MODULES
A module is a set of RPM packages that represent a component. A typical module contains the following
package types:

Packages with an application

Packages with the application-specific dependency libraries

Packages with documentation for the application

Packages with helper utilities

2.4. MODULE STREAMS

Module streams are filters that can be imagined as virtual repositories in the AppStream physical
repository. Module streams versions of the AppStream components. Each of the streams receives
updates independently, and they can depend on other module streams.

Module streams can be active or inactive. Active streams give the system access to the RPM packages
within the particular module stream, allowing the installation of the respective component version.

A stream is active in the following cases:

If an administrator explicitly enables it.

If the stream is a dependency of an enabled module.

If the stream is the default stream. Each module can have a default stream but in Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 9, no default streams are defined. If required, you can configure default
streams as described in Defining custom default module streams and profiles .

Only one stream of a particular module can be active at a given point in time. Therefore, only packages
from a particular stream are available.

Prior to selecting a particular stream for a runtime user application or a developer application, consider
the following:

Required functionality and which component versions support that functionality

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 CHAPTER 2. DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT IN RHEL 9

Compatibility with your application or use case

The life cycle of the Application Stream and your update plan

For a list of all available modules and streams, see the Package manifest. For per-component changes,
see the Release Notes.

Additional resources

Modular dependencies and stream changes

2.5. MODULE PROFILES

A module profile is a list of recommended packages to be installed together for a particular use case
such as for a server, client, development, minimal install, or other. These package lists can contain
packages outside the module stream, usually from the BaseOS repository or the dependencies of the
stream.

Installing packages by using a profile is a one-time action provided for the user’s convenience. It is also
possible to install packages by using multiple profiles of the same module stream without any further
preparatory steps.

Each module stream can have any number of profiles, including none. For any given module stream,
some of its profiles can be marked as default and are then used for profile installation actions if you did
not explicitly specify a profile. However, the existence of a default profile for a module stream is not
required.

Example 2.1. nodejs module profiles

The nodejs module, which provides the Node.js runtime environment, offers the following profiles
for installation:

# dnf module list nodejs

Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

In this example, the following profiles are available:

common: The production-ready packages. This is the default profile ( [d]).

development: The production-ready packages, including the Node.js development headers.

minimal: The smallest set of packages that provides the Node.js runtime environment.

s2i: Packages necessary for creating Node.js Source-to-Image (S2I) Linux containers.

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 3. CONFIGURING DNF

The configuration of DNF and related utilities is stored in the [main] section of the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf
file.

3.1. VIEWING THE CURRENT DNF CONFIGURATIONS

The [main] section in the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file contains only the settings that have been explicitly set.
However, you can display all settings of the [main] section, including the ones that have not been set
and which, therefore, use their default values.

Procedure

Display the global DNF configuration:

# dnf config-manager --dump

Additional resources

dnf.conf(5) man page

3.2. SETTING DNF MAIN OPTIONS

The /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file contains one [main] section. The key-value pairs in this section affect how
DNF operates and treats repositories.

Procedure

1. Edit the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file.

2. Update the [main] section according to your requirements.

3. Save the changes.

Additional resources

The [main] OPTIONS and OPTIONS FOR BOTH [main] AND REPO sections in the
dnf.conf(5) man page.

3.3. MANAGING DNF PLUG-INS

Every installed plug-in can have its own configuration file in the /etc/dnf/plugins/ directory. Name plug-
in configuration files in this directory <plug-in_name>.conf. By default, plug-ins are typically enabled.
To disable a plug-in in one of these configuration files, add the following to the file:

[main]
enabled=False

3.4. ENABLING AND DISABLING DNF PLUG-INS

In the DNF tool, plug-ins are loaded by default. However, you can influence which plug-ins DNF loads.

10
 CHAPTER 3. CONFIGURING DNF


WARNING

Disable all plug-ins only for diagnosing a potential problem. DNF requires certain
plug-ins, such as product-id and subscription-manager, and disabling them
causes Red Hat Enterprise Linux to not be able to install or update software from
the Content Delivery Network (CDN).

Procedure

Use one of the following methods to influence how DNF uses plug-ins:

To enable or disable loading of DNF plug-ins globally, add the plugins parameter to the
[main] section of the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file.

Set plugins=1 (default) to enable loading of all DNF plug-ins.

Set plugins=0 to disable loading of all DNF plug-ins.

To disable a particular plug-in, add enabled=False to the [main] section in the

/etc/dnf/plugins/<plug-in_name>.conf file.

To disable all DNF plug-ins for a particular command, append the --noplugins option to the
command. For example, to disable DNF plug-ins for a single update command, enter:

# dnf --noplugins update

To disable certain DNF plug-ins for a single command, append the --disableplugin=plugin-
name option to the command. For example, to disable a certain DNF plug-in for a single
update command, enter:

# dnf update --disableplugin=<plugin_name>

To enable certain DNF plug-ins for a single command, append the --enableplugin=plugin-
name option to the command. For example, to enable a certain DNF plug-in for a single
update command, enter:

# dnf update --enableplugin=<plugin_name>

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 4. SEARCHING FOR RHEL 9 CONTENT

In the following sections, learn how to locate and examine content in the AppStream and BaseOS
repositories in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 by using DNF.

4.1. SEARCHING FOR SOFTWARE PACKAGES

To identify which package provides the software you require, you can use DNF to search the
repositories.

Procedure

Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to search the repository:

To search for a term in the name or summary of packages, enter:

$ dnf search <term>

To search for a term in the name, summary, or description of packages, enter:

$ dnf search --all <term>

Note that searching additionally in the description by using the --all option is slower than a
normal search operation.

To search for a package name and list the package name and its version in the output,
enter:

$ dnf repoquery <package_name>

To search for which package provides a file, specify the file name or the path to the file:

$ dnf provides <file_name>

4.2. LISTING SOFTWARE PACKAGES

You can use DNF to display a list of packages and their versions that are available in the repositories. If
required, you can filter this list and, for example, only list packages for which updates are available.

Procedure

List the latest versions of all available packages, including architectures, version numbers, and
the repository they where installed from:

$ dnf list --all

...
zlib.x86_64 1.2.11-39.el9 @rhel-9-for-x86_64-baseos-rpms
zlib.i686 1.2.11-39.el9 rhel-9-for-x86_64-baseos-rpms
zlib-devel.i686 2.11-39.el9 rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms
zlib-devel.x86_64 1.2.11-39.el9 rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms
...

The @ sign in front of a repository indicates that the package in this line is currently installed.

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 CHAPTER 4. SEARCHING FOR RHEL 9 CONTENT

Alternatively, to display all available packages, including version numbers and architectures,
enter:

$ dnf repoquery
...
zlib-0:1.2.11-35.el9_1.i686
zlib-0:1.2.11-35.el9_1.x86_64
zlib-0:1.2.11-39.el9.i686
zlib-0:1.2.11-39.el9.x86_64
zlib-devel-0:1.2.11-39.el9.i686
zlib-devel-0:1.2.11-39.el9.x86_64
...

Optionally, you can filter the output by using other options instead of --all, for example:

Use --installed to list only installed packages.

Use --available to list all available packages.

Use --upgrades to list packages for which newer versions are available.

NOTE

You can filter the results by appending global expressions as arguments. For
more details, see Specifying global expressions in DNF input .

4.3. LISTING REPOSITORIES

To get an overview of repositories that are enabled and disabled on your system, you can list them.

Procedure

1. List all enabled repositories on your system:

$ dnf repolist

To display only certain repositories, append one of the following options to the command:

Append --disabled to list only disabled repositories.

Append --all to list both enabled and disabled repositories.

2. Optional: List additional information about the repositories:

$ dnf repoinfo <repository_name>

NOTE

You can filter the results by using global expressions. For details, see Specifying
global expressions in DNF input.

4.4. DISPLAYING PACKAGE INFORMATION

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

You can query DNF repositories to display further details about a package, such as the following:

Version

Release

Architecture

Package size

Description

Procedure

Display information about one or more available packages:

$ dnf info <package_name>

This command displays the information for the currently installed package and, if available, its
newer versions that are in the repository. Alternatively, use the following command to display
the information for all packages with the specified name in the repository:

$ dnf repoquery --info <package_name>

NOTE

You can filter the results by appending global expressions as arguments. For
details, see Specifying global expressions in DNF input .

4.5. LISTING PACKAGE GROUPS AND PACKAGES THEY PROVIDE

Package groups bundle multiple packages, and you can use package groups to install all packages
assigned to a group in a single step. However, before the installation, you must identify the name of the
required package group.

Procedure

1. List both installed and available groups:

$ dnf group list

Note that you can filter the results by appending the --installed and --available option to the
dnf group list command. By using the --hidden option, you can display hidden groups in the
output.

2. List mandatory, optional, and default packages contained in a particular group:

$ dnf group info "<group_name>"

NOTE

You can filter the results by appending global expressions as arguments. For
more details, see Specifying global expressions in DNF input .

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 CHAPTER 4. SEARCHING FOR RHEL 9 CONTENT

3. Optional: View the number of installed and available groups:

$ dnf group summary

4.6. LISTING AVAILABLE MODULES AND THEIR CONTENTS

By searching for modules and displaying information about them with DNF, you can identify which
modules are available in the repositories and select the appropriate stream before you install a module.

Procedure

1. List the module information in one of the following ways:

List all available modules:

$ dnf module list

Name Stream Profiles Summary
...
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
postgresql 15 client, server PostgreSQL server and client module
...
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

Use the dnf module list <module_name> command to list the same information but only
for a specific module.

Search for which module provides a certain package:

$ dnf module provides <package_name>

For example, to display which module and profiles provide the npm package, enter:

# dnf module provides npm

npm-1:8.19.2-1.18.10.0.3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697.x86_64
Module : nodejs:18:9010020221009220316:rhel9:x86_64
Profiles : common development s2i
Repo : rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms
Summary : Javascript runtime
...

2. Use one of these methods to list module details:

List all details about a module, including a description, list of all profiles, and a list of all
packages the module provides:

$ dnf module info <module_name>

For example, to display details about the nodejs package, enter:

$ dnf module info nodejs

Name : nodejs
Stream : 18
Version : 9010020221009220316
Context : rhel9

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

Architecture : x86_64
Profiles : common [d], development, minimal, s2i
Default profiles : common
Repo : rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms
Summary : Javascript runtime
Description : Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime...
Requires : platform:[el9]
Artifacts : nodejs-1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697.src
: nodejs-1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697.x86_64
: npm-1:8.19.2-1.18.10.0.3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697.x86_64
...

List which packages each module profile installs:

$ dnf module info --profile <module_name>

For example, to display this information for the nodejs module, enter:

$ dnf module info --profile nodejs

Name : nodejs:18:9010020221009220316:rhel9:x86_64
common : nodejs
: npm
development : nodejs
: nodejs-devel
: npm
minimal : nodejs
s2i : nodejs
: nodejs-nodemon
: npm
...

Additional resources

Modules

Module streams

Module profiles

4.7. SPECIFYING GLOBAL EXPRESSIONS IN DNF INPUT

You can filter the results of dnf commands by appending one or more global expressions as arguments.

Procedure

Use one of the following methods if you use global expressions in dnf commands:

Enclose the entire global expression in single or double quotation marks:

# dnf provides "*/<file_name>"

Note that you must precede <file_name> either by / for an absolute path or */ to use a
wildcard if the full path is unknown.

16
 CHAPTER 4. SEARCHING FOR RHEL 9 CONTENT

Escape the wildcard characters by preceding them with a backslash (\) character:

# dnf provides \*/<file_name>

4.8. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Commands for listing content in RHEL 9

17
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 5. INSTALLING RHEL 9 CONTENT

In the following sections, learn how to install content in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 by using DNF.

5.1. INSTALLING PACKAGES

If a software is not part of the default installation, you can manually install it. DNF automatically resolves
and installs dependencies.

Prerequisites

Optional: You know the name of the package you want to install .

If the package you want to install is provided by a module stream, the respective module stream
is enabled.

Procedure

Use one of the following methods to install packages:

To install packages from the repositories, enter:

# dnf install <package_name_1> <package_name_2> ...

If you install packages on a system that supports multiple architectures, such as i686 and
x86_64, you can specify the architecture of the package by appending it to the package
name:

# dnf install <package_name>.<architecture>

To install a package if you only know the path to the file the package provides but not the
package name, you can use this path to install the corresponding package:

# dnf install <path_to_file>

To install a local RPM file, enter:

# dnf install <path_to_RPM_file>

If the package has dependencies, specify the paths to these RPM files as well. Otherwise,
DNF downloads the dependencies from the repositories or fails if they are not available in
the repositories.

Additional resources

Installing modular content

5.2. INSTALLING PACKAGE GROUPS

Package groups bundle multiple packages, and you can use package groups to install all packages
assigned to a group in a single step.

18
 CHAPTER 5. INSTALLING RHEL 9 CONTENT

Prerequisites

You know the name or ID of the group you want to install .

Procedure

Install a package group:

# dnf group install <group_name_or_ID>

5.3. INSTALLING MODULAR CONTENT

For certain software, Red Hat provides modules. You can use modules to install a specific version
(stream) and set of packages (profiles).

Procedure

1. List modules that provide the package you want to install:

# dnf module list <module_name>

For example, to list the details about the nodejs module, enter:

# dnf module list nodejs

Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs ... common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime

Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

2. Install a module:

# dnf module install <module_name>:<stream>/<profile>

If a default profile for a stream is defined, you can omit /<profile> in the command to install this
default profile of the stream.

NOTE

In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, no default module streams are predefined.

However, if you specify the stream during the module installation as shown, you
do not have to manually enable the stream in advance.

For example, to install the default profile (common) from stream 18 of the nodejs module,
enter:

# dnf module install nodejs:18

===========================================================================
==========================
Package Architecture Version Repository Size
===========================================================================
==========================
Installing group/module packages:

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

nodejs x86_64 ... rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms 12 M

npm x86_64 ... rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms 2.5 M
Installing weak dependencies:
nodejs-docs noarch .. rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms 7.6 M
nodejs-full-i18n x86_64 .. rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms 8.4 M
Installing module profiles:
nodejs/common
Enabling module streams:
nodejs 18

Verification

Verify that the correct module stream is enabled ([e]) and the required profile was installed ( [i]):

# dnf module list nodejs

Updating Subscription Management repositories.
Last metadata expiration check: 0:33:24 ago on Mon 24 Jul 2023 04:59:01 PM CEST.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 for x86_64 - AppStream (RPMs)
Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 [e] common [d] [i], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
...

Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

Additional resources

Modules

Module streams

Module profiles

5.4. DEFINING CUSTOM DEFAULT MODULE STREAMS AND PROFILES

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 does not define default streams in the AppStream repository. However, you
can configure a default module stream and default module profile. In this case, you can omit this
information when you install the default stream and profile of a module.

Procedure

1. Use the dnf module list <module_name> command to display the available streams and their
profiles, for example:

# dnf module list nodejs

Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime

In this example, nodejs:18 is not set as the default stream, and the default profile in this stream
is common.

2. Create a YAML file in the /etc/dnf/modules.defaults.d/ directory to define the default stream
and profile for a module.

For example, create the /etc/dnf/modules.defaults.d/nodejs.yaml file with the following

20
 CHAPTER 5. INSTALLING RHEL 9 CONTENT

For example, create the /etc/dnf/modules.defaults.d/nodejs.yaml file with the following

content to define 18 as the default stream and minimal as the default profile for the nodejs
module:

document: modulemd-defaults
version: 1
data:
module: nodejs
stream: "18"
profiles:
'18': [minimal]

Verification

Use the dnf module list <module_name> command to verify the new default stream and
profile settings, for example:

# dnf module list nodejs

Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 [d] common, development, minimal [d], s2i Javascript runtime

Additional resources

Modules

Module streams

Module profiles

5.5. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Commands for installing content in RHEL 9

21
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 6. UPDATING RHEL 9 CONTENT

With DNF, you can check if your system has any pending updates. You can list packages that need
updating and choose to update a single package, multiple packages, or all packages at once. If any of the
packages you choose to update have dependencies, these dependencies are updated as well.

6.1. CHECKING FOR UPDATES

To identify which packages installed on your system have available updates, you can list them.

Procedure

Check the available updates for installed packages:

# dnf check-update

The output returns the list of packages and their dependencies that have an update available.

6.2. UPDATING PACKAGES

You can use DNF to update a single package, a package group, or all packages and their dependencies
at once.

IMPORTANT

When applying updates to the kernel, dnf always installs a new kernel regardless of
whether you are using the dnf upgrade or dnf install command. Note that this only
applies to packages identified by using the installonlypkgs DNF configuration option.
Such packages include, for example, the kernel, kernel-core, and kernel-modules
packages.

Procedure

Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to apply updates:

To update all packages and their dependencies, enter:

# dnf upgrade

To update a single package, enter:

# dnf upgrade <package_name>

To update packages only from a specific package group, enter:

# dnf group upgrade <group_name>

IMPORTANT

If you upgraded the GRUB boot loader packages on a BIOS or IBM Power system,
reinstall GRUB. See Reinstalling GRUB.

22
 CHAPTER 6. UPDATING RHEL 9 CONTENT

6.3. UPDATING SECURITY-RELATED PACKAGES

You can use DNF to update security-related packages.

Procedure

Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to apply updates:

To upgrade to the latest available packages that have security errata, enter:

# dnf upgrade --security

To upgrade to the last security errata packages, enter:

# dnf upgrade-minimal --security

IMPORTANT

If you upgraded the GRUB boot loader packages on a BIOS or IBM Power system,
reinstall GRUB. See Reinstalling GRUB.

Additional resources

Managing and monitoring security updates

23
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 7. AUTOMATING SOFTWARE UPDATES IN RHEL 9

DNF Automatic is an alternative command-line interface to DNF that is suited for automatic and
regular execution by using systemd timers, cron jobs, and other such tools.

DNF Automatic synchronizes package metadata as needed, checks for updates available, and then
performs one of the following actions depending on how you configure the tool:

Exit

Download updated packages

Download and apply the updates

The outcome of the operation is then reported by a selected mechanism, such as the standard output or
email.

7.1. INSTALLING DNF AUTOMATIC

To check and download package updates automatically and regularly, you can use the DNF Automatic
tool that is provided by the dnf-automatic package.

Procedure

Install the dnf-automatic package:

# dnf install dnf-automatic

Verification

Verify the successful installation by confirming the presence of the dnf-automatic package:

# rpm -qi dnf-automatic

7.2. DNF AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION FILE

By default, DNF Automatic uses /etc/dnf/automatic.conf as its configuration file to define its behavior.

The configuration file is separated into the following topical sections:

[commands]
Sets the mode of operation of DNF Automatic.


WARNING

Settings of the operation mode from the [commands] section are

overridden by settings used by a systemd timer unit for all timer units except
dnf-automatic.timer.

24
 CHAPTER 7. AUTOMATING SOFTWARE UPDATES IN RHEL 9

[emitters]
Defines how the results of DNF Automatic are reported.

[command]
Defines the command emitter configuration.

[command_email]
Provides the email emitter configuration for an external command used to send email.

[email]
Provides the email emitter configuration.

[base]
Overrides settings from the main configuration file of DNF.

With the default settings of the /etc/dnf/automatic.conf file, DNF Automatic checks for available
updates, downloads them, and reports the results to standard output.

Additional resources

dnf-automatic(8) man page on your system

Overview of the systemd timer units included in the dnf-automatic package

7.3. ENABLING DNF AUTOMATIC

To run DNF Automatic once, you must start a systemd timer unit. However, if you want to run DNF
Automatic periodically, you must enable the timer unit. You can use one of the timer units provided in
the dnf-automatic package, or you can create a drop-in file for the timer unit to adjust the execution
time.

Prerequisites

You specified the behavior of DNF Automatic by modifying the /etc/dnf/automatic.conf

configuration file.

Procedure

To enable and execute a systemd timer unit immediately, enter:

# systemctl enable --now <timer_name>

If you want to only enable the timer without executing it immediately, omit the --now option.

You can use the following timers:

dnf-automatic-download.timer: Downloads available updates.

dnf-automatic-install.timer: Downloads and installs available updates.

dnf-automatic-notifyonly.timer: Reports available updates.

dnf-automatic.timer: Downloads, downloads and installs, or reports available updates.

Verification

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

Verify that the timer is enabled:

# systemctl status <systemd timer unit>

Optional: Check when each of the timers on your system ran the last time:

# systemctl list-timers --all

Additional resources

dnf-automatic(8) man page

Overview of the systemd timer units included in the dnf-automatic package

7.4. OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEMD TIMER UNITS INCLUDED IN THE

DNF-AUTOMATIC PACKAGE
The systemd timer units take precedence and override the settings in the /etc/dnf/automatic.conf
configuration file when downloading and applying updates.

For example if you set download_updates = yes in the /etc/dnf/automatic.conf configuration file, but
you have activated the dnf-automatic-notifyonly.timer unit, the packages will not be downloaded.

Table 7.1. systemd timers included in thednf-automatic package

Timer unit Function Overrides the apply_updates

and download_updates
settings in the [commands]
section of the
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf file?

dnf-automatic- Downloads packages to cache Yes

download.timer and makes them available for
updating.

This timer unit does not install the

updated packages. To perform
the installation, you must run the
dnf update command.

dnf-automatic-install.timer Downloads and installs updated Yes

packages.

dnf-automatic- Downloads only repository data to Yes

notifyonly.timer keep the repository cache up-to-
date and notifies you about
available updates.

This timer unit does not download

or install the updated packages.

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 CHAPTER 7. AUTOMATING SOFTWARE UPDATES IN RHEL 9

Timer unit Function Overrides the apply_updates

and download_updates
settings in the [commands]
section of the
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf file?

dnf-automatic.timer The behavior of this timer when No

downloading and applying
updates is specified by the
settings in the
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
configuration file.

This timer downloads packages,

but does not install them.

27
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 8. REMOVING RHEL 9 CONTENT

In the following sections, learn how to remove content in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 by using DNF.

8.1. REMOVING INSTALLED PACKAGES

You can use DNF to remove a single package or multiple packages installed on your system. If any of the
packages you choose to remove have unused dependencies, DNF uninstalls these dependencies as well.

Procedure

Remove particular packages:

# dnf remove <package_name_1> <package_name_2> ...

8.2. REMOVING PACKAGE GROUPS

Package groups bundle multiple packages. You can use package groups to remove all packages
assigned to a group in a single step.

Procedure

Remove package groups by the group name or group ID:

# dnf group remove <group_name> <group_id>

8.3. REMOVING INSTALLED MODULAR CONTENT

When removing installed modular content, you can remove packages from either a selected profile or
the whole stream.

IMPORTANT

DNF tries to remove all packages with a name corresponding to the packages installed
with a profile or a stream, including their dependent packages. Always check the list of
packages to be removed before you proceed, especially if you have enabled custom
repositories on your system.

8.3.1. Removing packages from an installed profile

When you remove packages installed with a profile, all packages with a name corresponding to the
packages installed by the profile are removed. This includes their dependencies, with the exception of
packages required by a different profile.

To remove all packages from a selected stream, complete the steps in Removing all packages from a
module stream.

Prerequisites

The selected profile is installed by using the dnf module install <module-
name:stream/profile> command or as a default profile by using the dnf install <module-
name:stream command>.

28
 CHAPTER 8. REMOVING RHEL 9 CONTENT

Procedure

Uninstall packages that belong to the selected profile:

# dnf module remove <module-name:stream/profile>

For example, to remove packages and their dependencies from the development profile of the
nodejs:18 module stream, enter:

# dnf module remove nodejs:18/development

(...)
Dependencies resolved.
========================================================================

Package Architecture Version

Repository Size
========================================================================

Removing:
nodejs-devel x86_64 1:18.7.0-1.module+el9.1.0+16284+4fdefb2f
@rhel-AppStream 950 k
Removing unused dependencies:
brotli x86_64 1.0.9-6.el9
@rhel-AppStream 754 k
brotli-devel x86_64 1.0.9-6.el9
@rhel-AppStream 55 k
...
Disabling module profiles:
nodejs/development

Transaction Summary
========================================================================

Remove 26 Packages

Freed space: 8.3 M

Is this ok [y/N]: y


WARNING

Check the list of packages under Removing: and Removing unused

dependencies: before you proceed with the removal transaction. This
transaction removes requested packages, unused dependencies, and
dependent packages, which might result in the system failure.

Alternatively, uninstall packages from all installed profiles within a stream:

# dnf module remove module-name:stream

NOTE
29
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

NOTE

These operations will not remove packages from the stream that do not belong
to any of the profiles.

Verification

Verify that the correct profile was removed:

$ dnf module info nodejs

...
Name : nodejs
Stream : 18 [e] [a]
Version : 9010020221009220316
Context : rhel9
Architecture : x86_64
Profiles : common [d] [i], development, minimal [i], s2i [i]
Default profiles : common
Repo : rhel-AppStream
Summary : Javascript runtime
...
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled, [a]ctive

All profiles except development are currently installed ( [i]).

Additional resources

Modular dependencies and stream changes

8.3.2. Removing all packages from a module stream

When you remove packages installed with a module stream, all packages with a name corresponding to
the packages installed by the stream are removed. This includes their dependencies, with the exception
of packages required by other modules.

To remove only packages from a selected profile, complete the steps in Removing packages from an
installed profile.

Prerequisites

The module stream is enabled and at least some packages from the stream have been installed.

Procedure

1. Remove all packages from a selected stream:

# dnf module remove --all <module_name:stream>

For example, to remove all packages from the nodejs:18 module stream, enter:

# dnf module remove --all nodejs:18

(...)
Dependencies resolved.
===========================================================================

30
 CHAPTER 8. REMOVING RHEL 9 CONTENT

========
Package Architecture Version
Repository Size
===========================================================================
========
Removing:
nodejs x86_64 1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697
@rhel-AppStream 43 M
nodejs-devel x86_64 1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697
@rhel-AppStream 953 k
nodejs-docs noarch 1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697
@rhel-AppStream 78 M
nodejs-full-i18n x86_64 1:18.10.0-3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697
@rhel-AppStream 29 M
nodejs-nodemon noarch 2.0.15-1.module+el9.1.0+15718+e52ec601
@rhel-AppStream 2.0 M
nodejs-packaging noarch 2021.06-4.module+el9.1.0+15718+e52ec601
@rhel-AppStream 41 k
npm x86_64 1:8.19.2-1.18.10.0.3.module+el9.1.0+16866+0fab0697
@rhel-AppStream 6.9 M
Removing unused dependencies:
brotli x86_64 1.0.9-6.el9
@rhel-AppStream 754 k
brotli-devel x86_64 1.0.9-6.el9
@rhel-AppStream 55 k
...
Disabling module profiles:
nodejs/common
nodejs/development
nodejs/minimal
nodejs/s2i

Transaction Summary
===========================================================================
========
Remove 31 Packages

Freed space: 167 M

Is this ok [y/N]: y


WARNING

Check the list of packages under Removing: and Removing unused

dependencies: before you proceed with the removal transaction. This
transaction removes requested packages, unused dependencies, and
dependent packages, which might result in the system failure.

2. Optional: Reset or disable the stream by entering one of the following commands:

31
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

# dnf module reset <module_name>

# dnf module disable <module_name>

Verification

Verify that all packages from the selected module stream were removed:

$ dnf module info nodejs

...
Name : nodejs
Stream : 18 [e] [a]
Version : 9010020221009220316
Context : rhel9
Architecture : x86_64
Profiles : common [d], development, minimal, s2i
Default profiles : common
...
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled, [a]ctive

Additional resources

Modular dependencies and stream changes

Resetting module streams

Disabling all streams of a module

8.4. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Commands for removing content in RHEL 9

32
 CHAPTER 9. HANDLING PACKAGE MANAGEMENT HISTORY

CHAPTER 9. HANDLING PACKAGE MANAGEMENT HISTORY

With the dnf history command, you can review the following information:

Timeline of DNF transactions.

Dates and times the transactions occurred.

Number of packages affected by the transactions.

Whether the transactions succeeded or were aborted.

If the RPM database was changed between the transactions.

You can also use the dnf history command to undo the transactions.

9.1. LISTING TRANSACTIONS

You can use DNF to perform the following tasks:

List the latest transactions.

List the latest operations for a selected package.

Display details of a particular transaction.

Procedure

Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to display transaction information:

To display a list of all the latest DNF transactions, enter:

# dnf history

The output contains the following information:

The Action(s) column displays which type of action was performed during a transaction,
for example, Install (I), Upgrade (U), Remove ( E), and other actions.

The Altered column displays the number of actions performed during the transaction.
The number of actions can also be followed by the result of the transaction.
For more information about the values of the Action(s) and Altered columns, see the
dnf(8) man page.

To display a list of all the latest operations for a selected package, enter:

# dnf history list <package_name>

To display details of a particular transaction, enter:

# dnf history info <transaction_id>

NOTE
33
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

NOTE

You can filter the results by appending global expressions as arguments. For more details,
see Specifying global expressions in dnf input .

Additional resources

dnf(8) man page

9.2. REVERTING DNF TRANSACTIONS

Reverting a DNF transaction can be useful if you want to undo operations performed during the
transaction. For example, if you installed several packages by using the dnf install command, you can
uninstall these packages at once by reverting an installation transaction.

You can revert DNF transactions the following ways:

Revert a single DNF transaction by using the dnf history undo command.

Revert all DNF transactions performed between the specified transaction and the last
transaction by using the dnf history rollback command.

IMPORTANT

Downgrading RHEL system packages to an older version by using the dnf history undo
and dnf history rollback command is not supported. This concerns especially the
selinux, selinux-policy-*, kernel, and glibc packages, and dependencies of glibc such as
gcc. Therefore, downgrading a system to a minor version (for example, from RHEL 9.1 to
RHEL 9.0) is not recommended because it might leave the system in an incorrect state.

9.2.1. Reverting a single DNF transaction

You can revert steps performed within a single transaction by using the dnf history undo command:

If the transaction installed a new package, dnf history undo uninstalls the package.

If the transaction uninstalled a package, dnf history undo reinstalls the package.

The dnf history undo command also attempts to downgrade all updated packages to their
previous versions if the older packages are still available.

NOTE

If an older package version is not available, the downgrade by using the dnf
history undo command fails.

Procedure

1. Identify the ID of a transaction you want to revert:

# dnf history
ID | Command line | Date and time | Action(s) | Altered
--------------------------------------------------------------------

34
 CHAPTER 9. HANDLING PACKAGE MANAGEMENT HISTORY

13 | install zip | 2022-11-03 10:49 | Install | 1

12 | install unzip | 2022-11-03 10:49 | Install | 1

2. Optional: Verify that this is the transaction you want to revert by displaying its details:

# dnf history info <transaction_id>

3. Revert the transaction:

# dnf history undo <transaction_id>

For example, if you want to uninstall the previously installed unzip package, enter:

# dnf history undo 12

9.2.2. Reverting multiple DNF transactions

You can revert all DNF transactions performed between a specified transaction and the last transaction
by using the dnf history rollback command. Note that the transaction specified by the transaction ID
remains unchanged.

Procedure

1. Identify the transaction ID of the state you want to revert to:

# dnf history
ID | Command line | Date and time | Action(s) | Altered
------------------------------------------------------------------
14 | install wget | 2022-11-03 10:49 | Install | 1
13 | install unzip | 2022-11-03 10:49 | Install | 1
12 | install vim-X11 | 2022-11-03 10:20 | Install | 171 EE

2. Revert specified transactions:

# dnf history rollback <transaction_id>

For example, to revert to the state before the wget and unzip packages were installed, enter:

# dnf history rollback 12

Alternatively, to revert all transactions in the transaction history, use the transaction ID 1:

# dnf history rollback 1

35
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 10. MANAGING CUSTOM SOFTWARE

REPOSITORIES
You can configure a repository in the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file or in a .repo file in the /etc/yum.repos.d/
directory.

IMPORTANT

Define your repositories in the .repo file instead of /etc/dnf/dnf.conf.

The /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file contains the [main] section and can contain one or more repository sections
([<repository-ID>]) that you can use to set repository-specific options. The values you define in
individual repository sections of the /etc/dnf/dnf.conf file override values set in the [main] section.

10.1. DNF REPOSITORY OPTIONS

The /etc/dnf/dnf.conf configuration file contains repository sections with a unique repository ID in
brackets ([]). You can use such sections to define individual DNF repositories.

IMPORTANT

Repository IDs in [] must be unique.

For a complete list of available repository ID options, see the [<repository-ID>] OPTIONS section of
the dnf.conf(5) man page.

10.2. ADDING A DNF REPOSITORY

You can add a DNF repository to your system by using the dnf config-manager --add-repo command.

Procedure

1. Add a repository to your system:

# dnf config-manager --add-repo <repository_URL>

Note that repositories added by this command are enabled by default.

2. Review and, optionally, update the repository settings that the previous command has created
in the /etc/yum.repos.d/<repository_URL>.repo file:

# cat /etc/yum.repos.d/<repository_URL>.repo

36
 CHAPTER 10. MANAGING CUSTOM SOFTWARE REPOSITORIES


WARNING

Obtaining and installing software packages from unverified or untrusted sources

other than Red Hat certificate-based Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a
potential security risk, and can lead to security, stability, compatibility, and
maintainability issues.

10.3. ENABLING A DNF REPOSITORY

You can enable a DNF repository added to your system by using the dnf config-manager command.

Procedure

Enable a repository:

# dnf config-manager --enable <repository_id>

10.4. DISABLING A DNF REPOSITORY

You can disable a DNF repository added to your system by using the dnf config-manager command.

Procedure

Disable a repository:

# dnf config-manager --disable <repository_id>

37
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

CHAPTER 11. MANAGING VERSIONS OF APPLICATION

STREAM CONTENT
Content in the AppStream repository can be available in multiple versions, corresponding to module
streams.

11.1. MODULAR DEPENDENCIES AND STREAM CHANGES

Traditionally, packages providing content depend on further packages, and usually specify the desired
dependency versions. For packages contained in modules, this mechanism applies as well, but the
grouping of packages and their particular versions into modules and streams provides further
constraints. Additionally, module streams can declare dependencies on streams of other modules,
independent of the packages contained and provided by them.

After any operations with packages or modules, the whole dependency tree of all underlying installed
packages must satisfy all the conditions that the packages declare. Additionally, all module stream
dependencies must be satisfied. For example, disabling a module stream can require disabling other
module streams. No packages will be removed automatically.

Note that the following actions can cause subsequent automatic operations:

Enabling a module stream can result in enabling further module streams.

Installing a module stream profile or installing packages from a stream can result in enabling
further module streams and installing further packages.

Removing a package can result in removing further packages. If these packages were provided
by modules, the module streams remain enabled in preparation for further installation, even if
no packages from these streams are installed any more. This mirrors the behavior of an unused
DNF repository.

11.2. INTERACTION OF MODULAR AND NON-MODULAR

DEPENDENCIES
Modular dependencies are an additional layer on top of regular RPM dependencies. Modular
dependencies behave similarly to hypothetical dependencies between repositories. This means that
installing different packages requires resolution of both the RPM dependencies and the modular
dependencies.

The system will always retain the module and stream choices, unless explicitly instructed to change
them. A modular package will receive updates contained in the currently enabled stream of the module
that provides this package, but will not upgrade to a version contained in a different stream.

11.3. RESETTING MODULE STREAMS

Resetting a module is an action that returns this module to its initial state - neither enabled nor disabled.
If the module has a configured default stream, this stream becomes active as a result of resetting the
module.

Resetting the module is useful, for example, if you want to only extract the RPM content from the
module without keeping the module enabled. You can use the dnf module reset command after
enabling the module and extracting its contents to reset this module to its initial state.

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 CHAPTER 11. MANAGING VERSIONS OF APPLICATION STREAM CONTENT

Procedure

Reset the module state:

# dnf module reset <module-name>

The module is returned to the initial state. Information about an enabled stream and installed
profiles is erased but no installed content is removed.

11.4. DISABLING ALL STREAMS OF A MODULE

Modules that have a default stream will always have one stream active. If you want to make the content
from all module streams of the module inaccessible, you can disable the whole module.

Prerequisites

You understand the concept of an active module stream.

Procedure

Disable the module:

# dnf module disable <module-name>

The dnf command asks for confirmation and then disables the module with all its streams. All of
the module streams become inactive. No installed content is removed.

11.5. SWITCHING TO A LATER STREAM

When you switch to a later module stream, all respective packages are replaced with their later versions.

IMPORTANT

Back up your data and follow migration instructions specific to the component.

Prerequisites

The system is fully updated.

Procedure

1. Switch the installed component to the new version and select the module (component) and
stream (version):

# dnf module switch-to <module:stream>

For example, to switch from the nodejs:18 module stream to the nodejs:20 stream, enter:

# dnf module switch-to nodejs:20

...
Dependencies resolved.
===========================================================================
=============

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

Package Arch Version Repository Size

===========================================================================
=============
Upgrading:
nodejs x86_64 1:20.5.1-1.module+el9.3.0+19646+9a702805 rhel-AppStream 14 M
nodejs-docs noarch 1:20.5.1-1.module+el9.3.0+19646+9a702805 rhel-AppStream 8.0 M
nodejs-full-i18n x86_64 1:20.5.1-1.module+el9.3.0+19646+9a702805 rhel-AppStream 8.5 M
npm x86_64 1:9.8.0-1.20.5.1.1.module+el9.3.0+19646+9a702805
rhel-AppStream 2.6 M
Switching module streams:
nodejs 18 -> 20

You can also switch from non-modular content to a module stream. For example, to switch from
non-modular PHP 8.0 to modular PHP 8.1, enter:

# dnf module switch-to php:8.1

...
Dependencies resolved.
===========================================================================
=============
Package Arch Version Repository Size
===========================================================================
=============
Upgrading:
php-common x86_64 8.1.14-1.module+el9.2.0+17911+b059dfc2 rhel-AppStream 687 k
Enabling module streams:
php 8.1

2. Optional: Switch the installed component to the new version and select also the profile to be
installed or updated:

# dnf module switch-to <module:stream/profile>

Verification

Verify that the installed component was switched to the new version ([e]):

$ dnf module list nodejs

...
rhel-AppStream
Name Stream Profiles Summary
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs 20 [e] common [d] [i], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime

Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

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 APPENDIX A. DNF COMMANDS LIST

APPENDIX A. DNF COMMANDS LIST

In the following sections, examine DNF commands for listing, installing, and removing content in
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.

A.1. COMMANDS FOR LISTING CONTENT IN RHEL 9

The following are the commonly used DNF commands for finding content and its details in Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 9:

Command Description

dnf search term Search for a package by using term related to the
package.

dnf repoquery package Search for enabled DNF repositories for a selected
package and its version.

dnf list List information about all installed and available

packages.

dnf list --installed List all packages installed on your system.

dnf repoquery --installed

dnf list --available List all packages in all enabled repositories that are
available to install.
dnf repoquery

dnf repolist List all enabled repositories on your system.

dnf repolist --disabled List all disabled repositories on your system.

dnf repolist --all List both enabled and disabled repositories.

dnf repoinfo List additional information about the repositories.

dnf info package_name Display details of an available package.

dnf repoquery --info package_name

dnf repoquery --info --installed Display details of a package installed on your system.
package_name

dnf module list List modules and their current status.

dnf module info module_name Display details of a module.

dnf module list module_name Display the current status of a module.

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

Command Description

dnf module info --profile module_name Display packages associated with available profiles of
a selected module.

dnf module info --profile Display packages associated with available profiles of
module_name:stream a module by using a specified stream.

dnf module provides package Determine which modules, streams, and profiles
provide a package.

Note that if the package is available outside any

modules, the output of this command is empty.

dnf group summary View the number of installed and available groups.

dnf group list List all installed and available groups.

dnf group info group_name List mandatory and optional packages included in a
particular group.

A.2. COMMANDS FOR INSTALLING CONTENT IN RHEL 9

The following are the commonly used DNF commands for installing content in Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 9:

Command Description

dnf install package_name Install a package.

If the package is provided by a module stream, dnf

resolves the required module stream and enables it
automatically while installing this package. This also
happens recursively for all package dependencies. If
more module streams satisfy the requirement, the
default ones are used.

dnf install package_name_1 Install multiple packages and their dependencies

package_name_2 simultaneously.

dnf install package_name.arch Specify the architecture of the package by

appending it to the package name when installing
packages on a multilib system (AMD64, Intel 64
machine).

dnf install /usr/sbin/binary_file Install a binary by using the path to the binary as an
argument.

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 APPENDIX A. DNF COMMANDS LIST

Command Description

dnf install /path/ Install a previously downloaded package from a local

directory.

dnf install package_url Install a remote package by using a package URL.

dnf module enable module_name:stream Enable a module by using a specific stream.

Note that running this command does not install any

RPM packages.

dnf module install module_name:stream Install a default profile from a specific module
stream.
dnf install @module_name:stream
Note that running this command also enables the
specified stream.

dnf module install Install a selected profile by using a specific stream.

module_name:stream/profile

dnf install @module_name:stream/profile

dnf group install group_name Install a package group by a group name.

dnf group install group_ID Install a package group by the groupID.

A.3. COMMANDS FOR REMOVING CONTENT IN RHEL 9

The following are the commonly used DNF commands for removing content in Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 9:

Command Description

dnf remove package_name Remove a particular package and all dependent

packages.

dnf remove package_name_1 Remove multiple packages and their unused

package_name_2 dependencies simultaneously.

dnf group remove group_name Remove a package group by the group name.

dnf group remove group_ID Remove a package group by the groupID.

dnf module remove --all Remove all packages from the specified stream.
module_name:stream
Note that running this command can remove critical
packages from your system.

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Managing software with the DNF tool

Command Description

dnf module remove Remove packages from an installed profile.

module_name:stream/profile

dnf module remove module_name:stream Remove packages from all installed profiles within
the specified stream.

dnf module reset module_name Reset a module to the initial state.

Note that running this command does not remove

packages from the specified module.

dnf module disable module_name Disable a module and all its streams.

Note that running this command does not remove

packages from the specified module.

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