-*- mode: indented-text; mode: auto-fill -*-
file: RPM-quickref.txt
Time-stamp: <2002-08-09 13:21:46 roel>

Note that rpm options are sometimes awkwardly position-dependent:
rpm -qi has nothing to do with rpm -i, so what would -q -i do?

Information about installed packages is stored in a local RPM
database, usually in /var/lib/rpm. If you installed the whole of the
RPM database during RedHat installation, info about uninstalled
packages will be there too.

Most essential
--------------

* What packages have I installed?

  rpm -qa

* What files are in installed package foobar?

  rpm -ql foobar

* What files are in package file foobar-1.2.3.rpm?

  rpm -qlp foobar-1.2.3.rpm

* To which package belongs file /lib/libyadda3.so.1.2.3 ?

  rpm -qf /lib/libyadda3.so.1.2.3

* What the heck is package 'fudge' supposed to do? When did I install
  it?

  rpm -qi fudge
  # Or, to query fudge-1.2.3.rpm:
  rpm -qip fudge-1.2.3.rpm

* Is package fnups still complete and untampered with, as far as the
  local rpm database knows?

  rpm --verify fnups

* Is package fnups still ok, as compared to its native package file?
  (use this if you suspect damage to the local rpm database)

  rpm --verify -f fnups-1.2.3.rpm

* is file /etc/fnupsrc still unchanged?

  rpm --verify -f /etc/fnupsrc

* Where the heck is the documentation of package gnopeless-mess?

  rpm -ql --docfiles gnopeless-mess


Slightly hairier dependency checking
------------------------------------

* What packages need package libeverything?

  rpm -q --whatrequires libeverything
  # Note: doesn't seem to work with -f

* That's not enough. Some other packages may need only a single file
  or capability from libeverything. So I'm still not sure if I can
  throw it away.

  I've got to ponder on this. I think you need to frobnicate a
  pipeline or script for this, doing cut, sort,uniq or such.

* What packages or capabilities are needed by libeverything?

  rpm -q --requires libeverything
  # Perhaps more useful with a package file:
  rpm -qp --requires libeverything-1.2.3.rpm