Top 30 Most Commonly Used YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) Commands

yum (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) is a powerful package management tool used primarily on Red Hat-based Linux distributions such as CentOS, Fedora, and RHEL. It simplifies software management by handling dependencies automatically, allowing users to install, update, and remove packages efficiently.

Basic Syntax

The general syntax of the yum command is:

yum [options] [command] [package_name]

1. Show the installed YUM version
2. List enabled repositories
3. List all repositories (enabled and disabled)
4. Show available packages
5. Show all installed and available packages
6. Show installed packages
7. Show recently installed packages
8. Verify YUM functionality
9. Check for available package updates
10. Update all installed packages
11. Update a specific package
12. Search for a package
13. Install a package (e.g., nmap)
14. Remove a package (e.g., nmap)
15. Install a package along with related dependencies
16. Remove a package and its dependencies (Not recommended)
17. Find which repository provides a specific package
18. Upgrade a package
19. Downgrade a package
20. Reinstall a package
21. Clear YUM cache and metadata
22. Rebuild repository cache
23. View YUM transaction history
24. Synchronize installed packages with the latest available versions
25. List available package groups
26. Display details of a specific package group (e.g., Development Tools)
27. Install a package group (e.g., Development Tools)
28. Remove a package group
29. Mark a group for automatic updates (e.g., Security Tools)
30. Unmark a group to prevent automatic updates

1. Show the installed YUM version

yum version

This command displays the current version of YUM installed on the system.

2. List enabled repositories

yum repolist

Shows a list of repositories that are currently enabled.

3. List all repositories (enabled and disabled)

yum repolist all

Displays all repositories available on the system, including those that are disabled.

4. Show available packages

yum list available

Lists all packages that are available for installation.

5. Show all installed and available packages

yum list all

Displays both installed and available packages in the repositories.

6. Show installed packages

yum list installed

Lists all packages that are currently installed on the system.

7. Show recently installed packages

yum list recent

Displays a list of packages that were recently installed.

8. Verify YUM functionality

yum check

Checks for inconsistencies, dependency issues, and problems with installed packages.

9. Check for available package updates

yum check-update

Lists available updates for installed packages.

10. Update all installed packages

yum update

Updates all installed packages to the latest versions available in the repositories.

11. Update a specific package

yum update package_name

Updates a single package.

12. Search for a package

yum search package_name

Searches the YUM repositories for a specific package.

13. Install a package (e.g., nmap)

yum install nmap

Installs the specified package along with its dependencies.

14. Remove a package (e.g., nmap)

yum remove nmap

Uninstalls the package from the system.

15. Install a package along with related dependencies

yum install nmap*

Installs nmap and any related packages.

16. Remove a package and its dependencies (Not recommended)

yum remove nmap*

This command removes nmap and related packages, which may break dependencies.

17. Find which repository provides a specific package

yum provides nmap

Displays the repository that contains the package.

18. Upgrade a package

yum upgrade nmap

Upgrades a specific package to its latest version.

19. Downgrade a package

yum downgrade nmap

Reverts a package to its previous version.

20. Reinstall a package

yum reinstall nmap

Reinstalls the package, useful if files are corrupted or missing.

21. Clear YUM cache and metadata

yum clean all

Clears all cached data, including downloaded packages and metadata.

22. Rebuild repository cache

yum makecache

Updates metadata cache for all repositories.

23. View YUM transaction history

yum history

Lists past transactions, including installations, updates, and removals.

24. Synchronize installed packages with the latest available versions

yum distro-sync

Ensures all installed packages match the versions in the current repositories.

25. List available package groups

yum groups list

Shows all available groups of software packages.

26. Display details of a specific package group (e.g., Development Tools)

yum groups info "Development Tools"

Provides information about the specified group.

27. Install a package group (e.g., Development Tools)

yum groups install "Development Tools"

Installs all packages in the specified group.

28. Remove a package group

yum groups remove "Development Tools"

Uninstalls the entire package group.

29. Mark a group for automatic updates (e.g., Security Tools)

yum groups mark install "Security Tools"

Ensures that packages in the group are updated automatically.

30. Unmark a group to prevent automatic updates

yum groups mark remove "Security Tools"

Stops automatic updates for the group.

Conclusion

YUM is a highly efficient package manager that simplifies software management on Red Hat-based distributions. Whether you are searching for a package, installing software, updating the system, or managing repositories, YUM provides robust tools to handle these tasks effortlessly.

By mastering these commands, Linux users can maintain a stable, secure, and up-to-date system.