Installing RPM packages

Red Hat has simplified the installation of software in Linux by creating the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM). A package, or RPM file, will install a given application and create the necessary directories to run it. For example, you can either download the source code for Apache (a Web Server), uncompress, compile, and install it in your machine, or you can use the apache RPM file that comes with the distribution, or yet download the latest RPM version from the Red Hat ftp site, and just install the RPM file. It saves time and potential compiling errors.

• Using RPMs in the shell prompt

  You will install packages that came with the distribution in the CD-ROMs, or that you downloaded from an FTP site (I suggest you create a downloads directory to place new files there).

  If you are installing from the CD-ROM:

  1. mount the CD-ROM
     
  2. change to the RPMS directory in the CD-ROM: cd /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS
     
  3. if you know the name of the package type ls  packagename*  (e.g. ls wu-ftp*) to find the full package name
     
  4. if you don't then type  ls  and look for it. I rather suggest you read the packages list and find its name there and do as in item 3 above.
     
  5. type   rpm  -ivh  filename.rpm to install a new package, or
  6. type  rpm  -Uvh  filename.rpm to upgrade an installed package
     In both cases you can use the mouse to highlight the full package name you found in 3 above, left click in the place to enter the filename.rpm and click the middle button to paste the full package name, instead of typing it.
     Note: to uninstall a package use  rpm  -e  packagename

• Using the GnoRPM tool

  In Red Hat 6.0 you may wish to use a graphical tool like the GnoRPM tool. You can use it in any desktop (KDE, GNOME, AnotherLevel,etc). Mount the CD-ROM,open a shell window and type gnorpm . For more details in using the tool please read the Red Hat chapter on GnoRPM.