To install .rpm packages on your Mandriva system that you have downloaded, you use the rpm command. The rpm command will install the requested package(s) but will not install any dependencies they may require. There are many options that can be used with the rpm command. I'll start with a couple examples using the most common options, to give you an idea on the syntax used, and then list all the options. Keep in mind that rpm is a root command and needs to be run as the root user.
The most common use of rpm is installing a single package. An example of this is as follows:
rpm -Uvh xchat-2.6.8-1mdv2007.0.rpm
The above command will install the xchat-2.6.8 rpm that you downloaded manually, but will not install any dependencies that it may require.
You can also install multiple packages at a time by using the following command:
rpm -Uvh xchat-2.6.8-1mdv2007.0.rpm xclock-1.0.2-4mdv2007.0.rpm
The above command would install those 2 packages but will '''not' install any dependencies that they may require.
Below is a list of all the flags/options you can use with rpm:
Query options (with -q or --query):
-c, --configfiles list all configuration files
-d, --docfiles list all documentation files
--dump dump basic file information
-l, --list list files in package
--queryformat=QUERYFORMAT use the following query format
-s, --state display the states of the listed files
-a, --all query/verify all packages
-f, --file query/verify package(s) owning file
-g, --group query/verify package(s) in group
-p, --package query/verify a package file
-W, --ftswalk query/verify package(s) from TOP file tree
walk
--pkgid query/verify package(s) with package
identifier
--hdrid query/verify package(s) with header
identifier
--fileid query/verify package(s) with file identifier
--specfile query a spec file
--triggeredby query the package(s) triggered by the
package
--whatrequires query/verify the package(s) which require a
dependency
--whatprovides query/verify the package(s) which provide a
dependency
--nomanifest do not process non-package files as
manifests
Verify options (with -V or --verify):
--nofdigests don't verify file digests
--nofiles don't verify files in package
--nodeps don't verify package dependencies
--noscript don't execute verify script(s)
-a, --all query/verify all packages
-f, --file query/verify package(s) owning file
-g, --group query/verify package(s) in group
-p, --package query/verify a package file
-W, --ftswalk query/verify package(s) from TOP file tree
walk
--pkgid query/verify package(s) with package
identifier
--hdrid query/verify package(s) with header
identifier
--fileid query/verify package(s) with file identifier
--specfile query a spec file
--triggeredby query the package(s) triggered by the
package
--whatrequires query/verify the package(s) which require a
dependency
--whatprovides query/verify the package(s) which provide a
dependency
--nomanifest do not process non-package files as
manifests
File tree walk options (with --ftswalk):
--comfollow FTS_COMFOLLOW: follow command line symlinks --logical FTS_LOGICAL: logical walk --nochdir FTS_NOCHDIR: don't change directories --nostat FTS_NOSTAT: don't get stat info --physical FTS_PHYSICAL: physical walk --seedot FTS_SEEDOT: return dot and dot-dot --xdev FTS_XDEV: don't cross devices --whiteout FTS_WHITEOUT: return whiteout information
Signature options:
--addsign sign package(s) (identical to --resign) -K, --checksig verify package signature(s) --delsign delete package signatures --import import an armored public key --resign sign package(s) (identical to --addsign) --nodigest don't verify package digest(s) --nosignature don't verify package signature(s)
Database options:
--initdb initialize database
--rebuilddb rebuild database inverted lists from
installed package headers
Install/Upgrade/Erase options:
--aid add suggested packages to transaction
--allfiles install all files, even configurations
which might otherwise be skipped
--allmatches remove all packages which match <package>
(normally an error is generated if
<package> specified multiple packages)
--badreloc relocate files in non-relocatable package
-e, --erase=<package>+ erase (uninstall) package
--excludedocs do not install documentation
--excludepath=<path> skip files with leading component <path>
--fileconflicts detect file conflicts between packages
--force short hand for --replacepkgs --replacefiles
-F, --freshen=<packagefile>+ upgrade package(s) if already installed
-h, --hash print hash marks as package installs (good
with -v)
--ignorearch don't verify package architecture
--ignoreos don't verify package operating system
--ignoresize don't check disk space before installing
-i, --install install package(s)
--justdb update the database, but do not modify the
filesystem
--nodeps do not verify package dependencies
--nofdigests don't verify file digests
--nocontexts don't install file security contexts
--noorder do not reorder package installation to
satisfy dependencies
--nosuggest do not suggest missing dependency
resolution(s)
--noscripts do not execute package scriptlet(s)
--notriggers do not execute any scriptlet(s) triggered
by this package
--oldpackage upgrade to an old version of the package
(--force on upgrades does this
automatically)
--percent print percentages as package installs
--prefix=<dir> relocate the package to <dir>, if
relocatable
--relocate=<old>=<new> relocate files from path <old> to <new>
--repackage save erased package files by repackaging
--replacefiles ignore file conflicts between packages
--replacepkgs reinstall if the package is already present
--test don't install, but tell if it would work or
not
-U, --upgrade=<packagefile>+ upgrade package(s)
Common options for all rpm modes and executables:
-D, --define='MACRO EXPR' define MACRO with value EXPR
-E, --eval='EXPR' print macro expansion of EXPR
--macros=<FILE:...> read <FILE:...> instead of default file(s)
--nodigest don't verify package digest(s)
--nosignature don't verify package signature(s)
--rcfile=<FILE:...> read <FILE:...> instead of default file(s)
-r, --root=ROOT use ROOT as top level directory (default:
"/")
--querytags display known query tags
--showrc display final rpmrc and macro configuration
--quiet provide less detailed output
-v, --verbose provide more detailed output
--version print the version of rpm being used
Options implemented via popt alias/exec:
--scripts list install/erase scriptlets from
package(s)
--setperms set permissions of files in a package
--setugids set user/group ownership of files in a
package
--conflicts list capabilities this package conflicts
with
--obsoletes list other packages removed by installing
this package
--provides list capabilities that this package provides
--requires list capabilities required by package(s)
--suggests list enhancements suggested by package(s)
--enhances list enhancements suggested by package(s)
--info list descriptive information from package(s)
--changelog list change logs for this package
--xml list metadata in xml
--yaml list metadata in yaml
--triggers list trigger scriptlets from package(s)
--last list package(s) by install time, most
recent first
--dupes list duplicated packages
--filesbypkg list all files from each package
--fileclass list file names with classes
--filecolor list file names with colors
--filecontext list file names with security context from
header
--fscontext list file names with security context from
file system
--recontext list file names with security context from
policy RE
--fileprovide list file names with provides
--filerequire list file names with requires
--vendorprovides find package name that contains a provided
capability (needs rpmdb-vendor package
installed)
--vendorrequires find package name that contains a required
capability (needs rpmdb-vendor package
installed)
--autorollback Failed transactions will be rolled back
automatically
--buildpolicy=<policy> set buildroot <policy> (e.g. compress man
pages)
--with=<option> enable configure <option> for build
--without=<option> disable configure <option> for build
--scripts list install/erase scriptlets from
package(s)
Help options:
-?, --help Show this help message --usage Display brief usage message