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rpmquery – Query Package Information from the RPM Database

The rpmquery command is used to query package information from the RPM database. It can be used to obtain detailed information about installed packages, such as the version number, architecture, dependencies, and more. This command is particularly useful for system administrators who need to manage packages on their Linux systems.

Overview

The rpmquery command has several options that allow you to query package information in different ways. The basic syntax of the command is as follows:

rpmquery [options] [package(s)]

Here are some examples of how to use the rpmquery command:

  • To display information about a specific package, use the package name as an argument: 
    rpmquery firefox
  • To display information about multiple packages, specify them as arguments: 
    rpmquery firefox kernel
  • To display the version number of a package, use the -q option: 
    rpmquery -q firefox
  • To display the dependencies of a package, use the --requires option: 
    rpmquery --requires firefox
  • To display the files that are included in a package, use the --list option: 
    rpmquery --list firefox
  • To display the architecture of a package, use the --queryformat option: 
    rpmquery --queryformat '%{ARCH}\n' firefox

In addition to these options, rpmquery has several other options that allow you to filter and sort package information.

Options

Here is a table of the available options for the rpmquery command:

Option Description
-a, --all Display information about all installed packages
-f, --file Display the package that owns a specific file
-i, --info Display detailed information about a package
-l, --list Display the files that are included in a package
-p, --package Display information about an uninstalled package
-q, --queryformat Display package information in a specific format
-R, --requires Display the dependencies of a package
-s, --state Display the state of a package (installed, not installed, etc.)
-c, --configfiles Display the configuration files that are included in a package
-d, --docfiles Display the documentation files that are included in a package
-h, --hash Display the hash value of a package
-V, --verify Verify the integrity of a package

Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some tips for troubleshooting common issues with the rpmquery command:

  • If you receive an error message that says “package not found,” make sure that you have spelled the package name correctly and that it is installed on your system.
  • If you receive an error message that says “invalid option,” make sure that you have used the correct syntax for the rpmquery command and that you have not misspelled any options.
  • If you are having trouble using the --queryformat option to display package information in a specific format, refer to the RPM documentation for guidance.

Notes

  • The rpmquery command is part of the RPM package manager, which is used by many Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Fedora, and others.
  • The RPM database is a collection of metadata about installed packages, including their names, version numbers, dependencies, and more.
  • The rpmquery command can be used in scripts and other automated processes to obtain package information programmatically.

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