Page 89 - DCAP106_OPERATING_SYSTEM_TOOLS

Operating System Tools

Notes 4.4 Summary

z z RPM, the Red Hat Package Manager, is a powerful package manager that you can use to
install, update and remove packages.
z z RPM maintains a database of installed packages and their files, so you can invoke powerful
queries and verifications on your system.
z z The install mode, as its name suggests, is used to install RPM packages onto your system.
z z RPM accounts for every system or application file on your system.
z z Gnome-RPM (which is also referred to as gnorpm) is a graphical front end to the RPM
package management system.
z z If a program is not packaged, it will usually come as a compressed archive. The archive
may contain source code, precompiled binaries, and/or scripts.

z z Most developers provide README or INSTALL files in the program archive. These are
text files that include instructions on compiling and installing the program.

z z When a package is installed, the installer checks whether the other files the program will
need are present. Each installer handles missing files differently.

4.5 Keywords

apt: apt is a system for installing packages.
Binary RPM Package: One kind of RPM package which is used to encapsulate software to be
installed.

GnoRPM: It is a graphical front end to the RPM package management system.
Install mode: The install mode, as its name suggests, is used to install RPM packages onto your
system.

Makefile: It is a script which will compile the program automatically.
README or INSTALL files: These are text files that include instructions on compiling and
installing the program.
RPM Package Manager: It is a powerful command line driven package management system
capable of installing, uninstalling, verifying, querying, and updating computer software
packages.
Source RPM Package: One kind of RPM package which contains the source code and recipe
necessary to produce binary packages.

4.6 Review Questions

1. Explain the concept of RPM Package Manager.

2. “The Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) is an open packaging system”. Comment.
3. Explain the benefits of Red Hat Package Manager (RPM).
4. What is GnoRPM? Describe the working of GnoRPM.
5. Explain how to start Gnome-RPM from an Xterm window.
6. Describe the several parts to the Gnome-RPM interface.

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