1. Linux Operations and Administration
Chapter Nine
Installing Software Packages

2. Objectives Manage software packages with the RPM utility
Handle RPM software dependencies
Install, upgrade, and remove software at the command line
Add remote software repositories in openSUSE
Work with software packages in YaST Software Manager

3. Working with RPM Software Packages
Software packages for Linux and UNIX used to be available in compressed tar archives called tarballs or in cpio (copy in/out) format
Problems
These formats had no features for upgrading or uninstalling software
Installation was tedious
Package management utilities developed to address these shortcomings

4. Working with RPM Software Packages (cont’d.)
RPM Package Manager (RPM)
Used to install and manage software packages
Software package
An archive of related files, such as configuration, data, and documentation files, constituting a software application
Has a label containing metadata
Metadata is descriptive information, such as name, version, size, and description of its contents

5. Working with RPM Software Packages (cont’d.)
RPM utility
Open-source software licensed under the GPL
Many Linux distributions, including openSUSE, have it installed already
Can be used on many OSs, such as OS/2, Solaris, AIX, Sun OS, IRIX, UNIX, and several Linux distributions

6. Working with RPM Software Packages (cont’d.)
Used to build, install, query, verify, update, and uninstall software packages in Linux
Can also be used to package a software application in source code or binary form
RPM package
Contains an archive of:
Files
Package details: such as name, version, and description

7. Working with RPM Software Packages (cont’d.)
Packages built with RPM have some advantages:
Upgrading
Uninstalling
Verification
Querying

8. The RPM Utility rpm command can be used in one of the following modes:
Querying
Can be done by any user
Installing, upgrading, and removing
Can be done only by the root user

9. The RPM Utility (cont’d.)
You might have to specify:
Package name
Source RPM name
Package file
Table 9-1
Describes common options used with this command

10. The RPM Utility (cont’d.)
Table 9-1 Common rpm options

11. Querying Packages Querying with rpm command -q option
Gives package details from the RPM database
-q option
Used to run a query
Used to determine version and release information for software packages

12. Installing Packages
RPM packages have an .rpm extension and filenaming conventions
Example:
OpenOffice_org-writer i586.rpm
Name
Describes the software
“OpenOffice_org-writer” in the example

13. Installing Packages (cont’d.)
Version
Indicates the package’s version number
in the example
Release
Software release number
1.2.3 in the example
Architecture
Specifies the architecture (the type of hardware the package is meant to run on)
i586 in the example

14. Installing Packages (cont’d.)
Example
F-Spot package (version , release for i586 hardware) installed with -i, -v, and -h options
Second and third lines show some of command’s output

15. Installing Packages (cont’d.)
Functions performed by RPM utility during installation:
Dependency checks
Preinstallation tasks
Conflicts
Unpacking
Postinstallation tasks
Storage

16. Upgrading Packages Upgrading packages with the RPM utility
Similar to installing them, but you use the -U option
Syntax example:
rpm -U install-options package–filename
Example where a software package is upgraded

17. Upgrading Packages (cont’d.)
Smart update
RPM retains previous version’s configuration file
–U option also works well when no previous version of the package is on the system
It simply installs the package instead of performing an upgrade

18. Upgrading Packages (cont’d.)
-F (freshen) option
Also used to upgrade software packages
Can be used with a group of packages
Especially useful if you have downloaded several packages and want to upgrade only the ones already installed

19. Upgrading Packages (cont’d.)
Example showing use of -F option when a previous version doesn’t exist:
Package wasn’t installed because no older version was in place

20. Upgrading Packages (cont’d.)
Example showing use of -F option to upgrade an existing package:
Command to upgrade only the packages for which an older version is already installed: # rpm –Fvh *.rpm

21. Uninstalling Packages
RPM makes uninstalling packages fast and easy
Use -e option in this format: rpm -e package–name
You don’t have to specify package’s full name
Example: rpm -q f-spot f-spot i586 rpm -e f-spot

22. Uninstalling Packages (cont’d.)
Activity 9-1: Using the RPM Utility
Download an RPM package and install, delete, and upgrade it

23. RPM Dependencies RPM dependencies feature
Determines whether a software package depends on another application to run
Indicates what capabilities an installed package provides to other applications

24. RPM Dependencies (cont’d.)
RPM dependencies feature useful in:
Trying to delete a package that’s providing capabilities to another application
Installing a software package that requires the capabilities of another application

25. RPM Dependencies (cont’d.)
RPM “dependency loop”
Solution: a front-end package manager
Provides a user interface to make package management more user friendly
Table 9-2
Describes a few widely used front-end package managers

26. RPM Dependencies (cont’d.)
Table 9-2 Front-end package managers

27. Working with Software Packages in OpenSUSE
After openSUSE is installed:
Software packages are installed
Repositories used to install or update packages are installed
Repository
A storage location for software packages
Usually a Web server, but can also be on the local system

28. Working with Software Packages in OpenSUSE (cont’d.)
Software in openSUSE is indexed
You can search for software by using patterns
Patterns are collections of packages that define a type of function
Such as server packages

29. The yast Command Can be used to configure: Table 9-3 Hardware
Network connections and clients
Services
General system options
Such as language, partitioning, and boot loaders
Table 9-3
Describes some common options used with yast command

30. The yast Command (cont’d.)
Table 9-3 Common yast options

31. The yast Command (cont’d.)
Activity 9-2: Using the yast Command
Use the yast command to install and remove a package

32. Software Repositories
openSUSE Configured Software Repositories tool
Another resource for working with software packages
To open:
Use yast --gtk command as the root user
Click Software Repositories icon

33. Software Repositories (cont’d.)
Figure 9-1 The Configured Software Repositories tool
© Cengage Learning 2013

34. Software Repositories (cont’d.)
If yast command is used to install software that can’t be located in one of the repositories:
Error similar to Figure 9-2 is shown
To prevent this problem:
Use Configured Software Repositories tool to add software repositories

35. Software Repositories (cont’d.)
Figure 9-2 An install error
© Cengage Learning 2013

36. Software Repositories (cont’d.)
Three types of software repositories for version 11.2 that are available automatically:
OSS (Open Source Software)
NON-OSS (Not Open Source Software)
Update (official security and bug-fix updates)

37. Software Repositories (cont’d.)
Table 9-4
Describes some common repositories that are available for download
Activity 9-3: Using a Third-Party Software Repository
Add a third-party software repository to your list of trusted repositories

38. YaST Software Manager
OpenSUSE has a graphical utility for installing, updating, and removing software
To open Software Manager
On a KDE machine
Click the Kickoff Application Launcher button
Click the Applications tab
Click System
Click YaST

39. YaST Software Manager (cont’d.)
Another method to open Software Manager
Issue yast --gtk command (logged in as root)
Click Software Management icon
Buttons at the top of Software Manager window
Available
Displays packages that can be installed based on existing repositories
Upgrades
Displays packages for which newer versions are available

40. YaST Software Manager (cont’d.)
Figure 9-3 YaST Software Manager
© Cengage Learning 2013

41. YaST Software Manager (cont’d.)
Installed
Displays all packages installed on your system
All
Displays the combined results of the Available, Upgrades, and Installed lists

42. YaST Software Manager (cont’d.)
Filter list box has the following selections:
Groups
Displays software packages by category, such as Admin Tools or Education
Patterns
Lists packages grouped by function, such as Base Technologies or Graphical Environments
Languages
Contains all language package files
Repositories
Filters packages based on the repository to which they belong

43. YaST Software Manager (cont’d.)
Search field
You can enter the name of a software package to see the RPM name and a summary of its attributes
Activity 9-4: Working with the YaST Software Manager
Use the YaST Software Manager to install, upgrade, and remove packages

44. Summary RPM Package Manager (RPM) Software package
A utility used to install and manage software packages
Software package
An archive of related files constituting a software application
RPM packages have several advantages over traditional packages
rpm command is used to query the RPM database and install, remove, and upgrade packages

45. Summary (cont’d.) RPM dependencies feature Software repositories
Determines whether a package relies on another application to run
Software repositories
Storage locations for software packages
YaST Software Manager
An easy-to-use GUI package manager
yast command
Used to install, update, and uninstall software packages along with their dependencies