DNF4(8)

🌸 NAME 🌸

dnf4 — DNF Command Reference. Yep bestie, this is the DNF manual page, and it's giving package-manager main character energy. 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

dnf [options] <command> [<args>...]

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

DNF is the next upcoming major version of YUM, a package manager for RPM-based Linux distributions. It roughly maintains CLI compatibility with YUM and defines a strict API for extensions and plugins. Iconic behavior, honestly.

Plugins can modify or extend features of DNF or provide additional CLI commands on top of those mentioned below. If you know the name of such a command (including commands mentioned below), you may find/install the package which provides it using the appropriate virtual provide in the form of dnf-command(<alias>), where <alias> is the name of the command; e.g. dnf install 'dnf-command(versionlock)' installs a versionlock plugin. This approach also applies to specifying dependencies of packages that require a particular DNF command. So smart, so slay. ✨

💖 Return values

• 0 — Operation was successful. We love a win. 🎀
• 1 — An error occurred, which was handled by dnf.
• 3 — An unknown unhandled error occurred during operation. 😭
• 100 — See check-update.
• 200 — There was a problem with acquiring or releasing of locks.

👑 Available commands

• alias
• autoremove
• check
• check-update
• clean
• deplist
• distro-sync
• downgrade
• group
• help
• history
• info
• install
• list
• makecache
• mark
• module
• provides
• reinstall
• remove
• repoinfo
• repolist
• repoquery
• repository-packages
• search
• shell
• swap
• updateinfo
• upgrade
• upgrade-minimal

🧚 Additional information

• Options
• Specifying Packages
• Specifying Provides
• Specifying File Provides
• Specifying Groups
• Specifying Transactions
• Metadata Synchronization
• Configuration Files Replacement Policy
• Files
• See Also

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🌈 OPTIONS 🌈

Bestie, here's the full options menu. No skips, no shortcuts, every flag is getting its moment. 🫶

• -4 — Resolve to IPv4 addresses only. IPv4 girlies only, no cap.
• -6 — Resolve to IPv6 addresses only.
• --advisory=<advisory>, --advisories=<advisory> — Include packages corresponding to the advisory ID, Eg. FEDORA-2201-123. Applicable for the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands. 🔥
• --allowerasing — Allow erasing of installed packages to resolve dependencies. This option could be used as an alternative to the yum swap command where packages to remove are not explicitly defined.
• --assumeno — Automatically answer no for all questions. Boundaries, we love them. 💅
• -b, --best — Try the best available package versions in transactions. Specifically during dnf upgrade, which by default skips over updates that can not be installed for dependency reasons, the switch forces DNF to only consider the latest packages. When running into packages with broken dependencies, DNF will fail giving a reason why the latest version can not be installed.

Note that the use of the newest available version is only guaranteed for the packages directly requested (e.g. as a command line arguments), and the solver may use older versions of dependencies to meet their requirements.

• --bugfix — Include packages that fix a bugfix issue. Applicable for the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands.
• --bz=<bugzilla>, --bzs=<bugzilla> — Include packages that fix a Bugzilla ID, Eg. 123123. Applicable for the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands.
• -C, --cacheonly — Run entirely from system cache, don't update the cache and use it even in case it is expired.

DNF uses a separate cache for each user under which it executes. The cache for the root user is called the system cache. This switch allows a regular user read-only access to the system cache, which usually is more fresh than the user's and thus they do not have to wait for metadata sync.

• --color=<color> — Control whether color is used in terminal output. Valid values are always, never and auto (default). Aesthetic settings matter. 🎨
• --comment=<comment> — Add a comment to the transaction history.
• -c <config file>, --config=<config file> — Configuration file location.
• --cve=<cves>, --cves=<cves> — Include packages that fix a CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) ID (http://cve.mitre.org/about/), Eg. CVE-2201-0123. Applicable for the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands.
• -d <debug level>, --debuglevel=<debug level> — Debugging output level. This is an integer value between 0 (no additional information strings) and 10 (shows all debugging information, even that not understandable to the user), default is 2. Deprecated, use -v instead. Deadass deprecated, so don't make it your whole personality.
• --debugsolver — Dump data aiding in dependency solver debugging into ./debugdata.
• --disableexcludes=[all|main|<repoid>], --disableexcludepkgs=[all|main|<repoid>] — Disable excludepkgs and includepkgs configuration options. Takes one of the following three options:
  • all, disables all excludepkgs and includepkgs configurations
  • main, disables excludepkgs and includepkgs defined in the [main] section
  • repoid, disables excludepkgs and includepkgs defined for the given repository

Note that the --exclude option appends to the [main] excludepkgs configuration and therefore is disabled when main or all is specified.

• --disable, --set-disabled — Disable specified repositories (automatically saves). The option has to be used together with the config-manager command (dnf-plugins-core).
• --disableplugin=<plugin names> — Disable the listed plugins specified by names or globs.
• --disablerepo=<repoid> — Temporarily disable active repositories for the purpose of the current dnf command. Accepts an id, a comma-separated list of ids, or a glob of ids. This option can be specified multiple times, but is mutually exclusive with --repo.
• --downloaddir=<path>, --destdir=<path> — Redirect downloaded packages to provided directory. The option has to be used together with the --downloadonly command line option, with the download, modulesync, reposync or system-upgrade commands (dnf-plugins-core).
• --downloadonly — Download the resolved package set without performing any rpm transaction (install/upgrade/erase).

Packages are removed after the next successful transaction. This applies also when used together with --destdir option as the directory is considered as a part of the DNF cache. To persist the packages, use the download command instead. Important bestie, don't let your downloads ghost you. 😭

• -e <error level>, --errorlevel=<error level> — Error output level. This is an integer value between 0 (no error output) and 10 (shows all error messages), default is 3. Deprecated, use -v instead.
• --enable, --set-enabled — Enable specified repositories (automatically saves). The option has to be used together with the config-manager command (dnf-plugins-core).
• --enableplugin=<plugin names> — Enable the listed plugins specified by names or globs.
• --enablerepo=<repoid> — Temporarily enable additional repositories for the purpose of the current dnf command. Accepts an id, a comma-separated list of ids, or a glob of ids. This option can be specified multiple times.
• --enhancement — Include enhancement relevant packages. Applicable for the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands.
• -x <package-file-spec>, --exclude=<package-file-spec> — Exclude packages specified by <package-file-spec> from the operation.
• --excludepkgs=<package-file-spec> — Deprecated option. It was replaced by the --exclude option. Old news, bestie.
• --forcearch=<arch> — Force the use of an architecture. Any architecture can be specified. However, use of an architecture not supported natively by your CPU will require emulation of some kind. This is usually through QEMU. The behavior of --forcearch can be configured by using the arch and ignorearch configuration options with values <arch> and True respectively.
• -h, --help, --help-cmd — Show the help. When in doubt, ask for help, periodt. 🫶
• --installroot=<path> — Specifies an alternative installroot, relative to where all packages will be installed. Think of this like doing chroot <root> dnf, except using --installroot allows dnf to work before the chroot is created. It requires absolute path.
  • cachedir, log files, releasever, and gpgkey are taken from or stored in the installroot. Gpgkeys are imported into the installroot from a path relative to the host which can be specified in the repository section of configuration files.
  • configuration file and reposdir are searched inside the installroot first. If they are not present, they are taken from the host system. Note: When a path is specified within a command line argument (--config=<config file> in case of configuration file and --setopt=reposdir=<reposdir> for reposdir) then this path is always relative to the host with no exceptions.
  • vars are taken from the host system or installroot according to reposdir. When reposdir path is specified within a command line argument, vars are taken from the installroot. When varsdir paths are specified within a command line argument (--setopt=varsdir=<reposdir>) then those paths are always relative to the host with no exceptions.
  • The pluginpath and pluginconfpath are relative to the host. Note: You may also want to use the command-line option --releasever=<release> when creating the installroot, otherwise the $releasever value is taken from the rpmdb within the installroot (and thus it is empty at the time of creation and the transaction will fail). If --releasever=/ is used, the releasever will be detected from the host (/) system. The new installroot path at the time of creation does not contain the repository, releasever and dnf.conf files.

Quick modular tea first 🫖 — if you're on a modular system and you're building an installroot, you're gonna wanna pass --setopt=module_platform_id=<module_platform_name:stream> on the command line too. Why? Because otherwise module_platform_id gets pulled from the /etc/os-release file inside the installroot — which is literally empty at the moment you create it 😭 — and then the modular dependency can be unsatisfied and module content can get excluded. Not the vibe. 💀

Installroot examples, aka the glow-up recipes ✨

dnf --installroot=<installroot> --releasever=<release> install system-release

Permanently sets the releasever of the system in <installroot> to <release>. Set it and forget it, bestie. 💅

dnf --installroot=<installroot> --setopt=reposdir=<path> --config /path/dnf.conf upgrade

Upgrades the packages inside the installroot, pulling from a repo described via --setopt, using config from /path/dnf.conf. Cute and contained. 🎀

---

• --newpackage — pulls in the newpackage-relevant packages too. Works with the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands. 🆕
• --noautoremove — turns off removal of dependencies that nobody's using anymore. It does this by setting the clean_requirements_on_remove configuration option to False. No surprise cleanups. 🙈
• --nobest — sets best option to False, so your transactions aren't locked to only the best candidates. Sometimes you want the other one, and that's valid. 💁‍♀️
• --nodocs — don't install documentation. This sets the rpm flag 'RPMTRANS_FLAG_NODOCS'. Save that disk space, queen. 💾
• --nogpgcheck — skips checking GPG signatures on packages (if RPM policy allows). ⚠️ Yes she's real and yes she's spicy — this is exactly what it says. Use with intention.
• --noplugins — disables all plugins. Every single one. Go off solo. 🦋
• --obsoletes — on an install/update this enables dnf's obsoletes processing logic. For more deets see the obsoletes option. Bonus: when you use it together with the repoquery command, it also shows the capabilities that the package obsoletes. Configuration Option: obsoletes
• -q, --quiet — with a non-interactive command, shows just the relevant content. It suppresses those little messages telling you about DNF's current state or actions. 🤫
• -R <minutes>, --randomwait=<minutes> — maximum command wait time. 🕰️
• --refresh — marks metadata as expired before running the command. Fresh metadata, fresh me. ✨
• --releasever=<release> — configures DNF as if the distro release were <release>. Heads up: this can affect cache paths, values in configuration files, and mirrorlist URLs. 👑
• --releasever_major=<major version> — overrides the releasever_major variable, which is normally auto-detected or taken from the part of $releasever before the first .. Important: this option does not affect the $releasever variable. 🫶
• --releasever_minor=<minor version> — overrides the releasever_minor variable, normally auto-detected or taken from the part of $releasever after the first .. Same deal: this option does not affect the $releasever variable. 🫶
• --repofrompath <repo>,<path/url> — adds a repository to the repos for this query. You can use it multiple times, stack 'em up. 🧚
  • The repository label is set by <repo>.
  • The path or url to the repo is set by <path/url>. It's the same kind of path as a baseurl, and it can also be enriched by the repo variables.
  • You can tweak the repo's configuration with --setopt=<repo>.<option>=<value>.
  • Want to see only packages from this repo? Combine it with the --repo=<repo> or --disablerepo="*" switches. Main character energy, exclusive guest list. 🔥
• --repo=<repoid>, --repoid=<repoid> — enables just specific repos by id or by a glob. Can be used multiple times, effects accumulate. It's basically a shortcut for --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo=<repoid>, and it is mutually exclusive with the --disablerepo option. Pick a lane, babe. 💅
• --rpmverbosity=<name> — RPM debug scriptlet output level. Sets the debug level to <name> for RPM scriptlets. For the available levels, go look at the rpmverbosity configuration option. 🔍
• --sec-severity=<severity>, --secseverity=<severity> — includes packages that fix an issue of the specified severity. Applies to the install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core) commands. 🛡️
• --security — includes packages that fix a security issue. Same crew of commands: install, repoquery, updateinfo, upgrade and offline-upgrade (dnf-plugins-core). 🔐
• --setopt=<option>=<value> — overrides a configuration option from the config file. To override options for a specific repo, use repoid.option for the <option>. Big nuance incoming: values for config options like excludepkgs, includepkgs, installonlypkgs and tsflags are appended to the original value, they do not override it. But if you specify an empty value (like --setopt=tsflags=) it clears the option. Full reset, periodt. 🧹
• --skip-broken — resolves depsolve problems by removing the packages causing problems from the transaction. It's an alias for the strict configuration option with value False. Extra: with the enable and disable module subcommands, it lets you perform an action even when modular dependencies are broken. 😮‍💨
• --showduplicates — shows duplicate packages in repos. Applies to the list and search commands. 👀
• --transient — only applicable on bootc (bootable containers) systems. Performs transactions using a transient overlay which will be lost on the next reboot. See also the persistence configuration option. 🫧
• -v, --verbose — verbose operation, shows debug messages. For the girlies who need to see everything. 🔬
• --version — shows the DNF version and exits. Bow. 👑
• -y, --assumeyes — automatically answers yes to all questions. No prompts, just send it. 🚀

List options are comma-separated. And command-line options override their respective settings from the configuration files. 💖

---

🌈 COMMANDS 🌈

For the full explanation of <package-spec>, <package-file-spec> and <package-name-spec>, see Specifying Packages.

For the explanation of <provide-spec>, see Specifying Provides.

For the explanation of <group-spec>, see Specifying Groups.

For the explanation of <module-spec>, see Specifying Modules.

For the explanation of <transaction-spec>, see Specifying Transactions.

🎀 Alias Command 🎀

Command: alias

This one lets you define and manage a list of aliases (in the <name=value> form) which you can then use as dnf commands to abbreviate longer command sequences. For examples of using the alias command, see Alias Examples. For examples of how alias processing works, see Alias Processing Examples.

To actually use an alias (name=value), the name has to be in the first "command" position (like the first argument that isn't an option). Then it gets replaced by its value, and the resulting sequence is searched for aliases again. The alias processing stops as soon as the first found command isn't the name of any alias. 🛑

If processing would result in an infinite recursion, the original arguments are used instead. No infinite loops on my watch. 🙅‍♀️

Also — just like in shell aliases — if the result starts with a \, the alias processing stops. 💅

All aliases live in configuration files in the /etc/dnf/aliases.d/ directory in the [aliases] section, and aliases you create with the alias command get written to the USER.conf file. If there's a conflict, USER.conf has the highest priority, and alphabetical ordering is used for the rest of the configuration files. 👑

Optional bonus: there's an enabled option in the [main] section defaulting to True. You can set it per-file in the respective file, or globally for all aliases in the ALIASES.conf file. 🎚️

dnf alias [options] [list] [<name>...]

Lists aliases with their final result. The [<alias>...] parameter narrows the result down to only those aliases that match it. 🔍

dnf alias [options] add <name=value>...

Creates new aliases. ✨

dnf alias [options] delete <name>...

Deletes aliases. Bye bestie. 👋

🦋 Alias Examples 🦋

• dnf alias list

Lists all the defined aliases. The full roster. 📋

• dnf alias add rm=remove

Adds a new command alias called rm which works the same as the remove command. Short and lethal. 💀

dnf alias add upgrade="\upgrade --skip-broken --disableexcludes=all --obsoletes"

Adds a new command alias called upgrade that works the same as the upgrade command, but with extra options. Note the original upgrade command is prefixed with a \ to prevent an infinite loop in alias processing. That backslash is doing so much work, honestly iconic. 🫶

💜 Alias Processing Examples 💜

Say you've got these defined — in=install and FORCE="--skip-broken --disableexcludes=all":

• dnf FORCE in gets replaced with dnf --skip-broken --disableexcludes=all install ✅
• dnf in FORCE gets replaced with dnf install FORCE — which will fail 😭 (because FORCE isn't in the first command position, bestie)

And if you've got just in=install:

• dnf in gets replaced with dnf install ✅
• dnf --repo updates in gets replaced with dnf --repo updates in — which will fail 😭 (the alias isn't first because --repo updates came before it)

🌸 Autoremove Command 🌸

Command: autoremove Aliases for explicit NEVRA matching: autoremove-n, autoremove-na, autoremove-nevra

dnf [options] autoremove

Removes all packages from the system that were originally installed as dependencies of user-installed packages, but which are no longer required by any such package. It's the cleanup crew you didn't know you needed. 🧹✨

dnf [options] autoremove <spec>...

This is an alias for the Remove Command command with clean_requirements_on_remove set to True. It removes the specified packages from the system along with any packages that depend on the packages being removed. Every <spec> can be either a <package-spec>, which specifies a package directly, or a @<group-spec>, which specifies an (environment) group containing it. It also removes any dependencies that are no longer needed. Two-for-one. 💅

There are also a few specific autoremove commands — autoremove-n, autoremove-na and autoremove-nevra — that let you specify an exact argument in the NEVRA (name-epoch:version-release.architecture) format. 🎯

Heads up: this command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization. 📡

⭐ Check Command ⭐

Command: check

dnf [options] check [--dependencies] [--duplicates] [--obsoleted] [--provides]

Checks the local packagedb and produces info on any problems it finds. You can limit which checks run by using the --dependencies, --duplicates, --obsoleted and --provides options — the default is to check everything. The full vibe check, every time. 🩺

🧚 Check-Update Command 🧚

Command: check-update Aliases: check-upgrade

• dnf [options] check-update [--changelogs] [<package-file-spec>...]

Okay so this one is the "do I even have anything to update?" vibe check — it's non-interactive, it just peeks. It checks whether updates for the packages you named are available, and if you don't name any <package-file-spec>, it checks whether literally any updates are out there for your whole system. 💅

The exit codes are the main character here, so pay attention bestie: DNF exits with 100 when there are updates available (and prints you the list), 0 when there aren't, and 1 if something goes wrong. If you tack on the --changelogs option, it also prints the changelog delta of the packages that are about to be updated. 🎀

Lowkey important note: just because a specific newer version shows up for an installed package (and gets reported by check-update) does not mean a follow-up dnf upgrade will install it. The difference is that dnf upgrade has restrictions to take into account (like package dependencies being satisfied). So don't come for her when the upgrade does something different, fr fr.

The output is affected by the autocheck_running_kernel configuration option. ⭐

🧼 Clean Command 🧼

Command: clean

This one does cleanup of the temporary files kept for repositories. And it's thorough — it includes any such data left behind from disabled or removed repositories, and data from different distribution release versions too. Very "cleaning out your closet and finding shirts from three eras ago" energy. 🦋

• dnf clean dbcache — Removes cache files generated from the repository metadata. Which forces DNF to regenerate the cache files the next time it's run. Slay, fresh start.
• dnf clean expire-cache — Marks the repository metadata expired. DNF will re-validate the cache for each repository the next time it's used.
• dnf clean metadata — Removes repository metadata. Those are the files DNF uses to figure out the remote availability of packages. Use this and DNF will download all the metadata the next time it runs. 😭
• dnf clean packages — Removes any cached packages from the system.
• dnf clean all — Does all of the above. The full send. ✨

🗂️ Deplist Command 🗂️

dnf [options] deplist [<select-options>] [<query-options>] [<package-spec>]

Deprecated alias for dnf repoquery --deplist. That's it, that's the whole thing — she's retired, but we still acknowledge her. 💀

🔄 Distro-Sync Command 🔄

Command: distro-sync Aliases: dsync Deprecated aliases: distrosync, distribution-synchronization

• dnf distro-sync [<package-spec>...] — As necessary, upgrades, downgrades or keeps selected installed packages so they match the latest version available from any enabled repository. If you don't give a package, all installed packages are considered. No cap, she'll touch everything. 👑

See also Configuration Files Replacement Policy.

📉 Downgrade Command 📉

Command: downgrade Aliases: dg

• dnf [options] downgrade <package-spec>... — Downgrades the specified packages to the highest installable package of all known lower versions, if possible. And when a version is given and it's lower than the version of the installed package, then it downgrades to that target version. Going backwards on purpose, iconic behaviour honestly. 🙈

🫶 Group Command 🫶

Command: group Aliases: grp Deprecated aliases: groups, grouplist, groupinstall, groupupdate, groupremove, grouperase, groupinfo

Groups are virtual collections of packages. DNF keeps track of the groups that you selected ("marked") as installed, and it can manipulate the packages that make them up with some very simple commands. Think of them like curated little bundles. 🎀

• dnf [options] group [summary] <group-spec> — Displays an overview of how many groups are installed and available. With a spec, it limits the output to the matching groups. And summary is the default groups subcommand, so you don't even have to type it.
• dnf [options] group info <group-spec> — Displays the package lists of a group. It shows which packages are installed or available from a repository when -v is used.
• dnf [options] group install [--with-optional] <group-spec>... — Marks the specified group installed and installs the packages it contains. Also includes optional packages of the group if --with-optional is specified. All Mandatory and Default packages will be installed whenever possible. Conditional packages get installed if they meet their requirement. And if the group is already (partially) installed, the command installs the missing packages from the group. Depending on the value of the obsoletes configuration option, group installation takes obsoletes into account. 💖
• dnf [options] group list <group-spec>... — Lists all matching groups, either among installed or available groups. If nothing is specified it lists all known groups. The --installed and --available options narrow down the requested list. Records are ordered by the display_order tag defined in the comps.xml file. Provides a list of all hidden groups by using the --hidden option. And it provides group IDs when the -v or --ids options are used. Obsessed with how many options this has tbh. ✨
• dnf [options] group remove <group-spec>... — Marks the group removed and removes those packages in the group from the system which do not belong to another installed group and were not installed explicitly by the user. Careful, she's picky about what she takes. 💅
• dnf [options] group upgrade <group-spec>... — Upgrades the packages from the group and upgrades the group itself. That second part comprises installing packages that were added to the group by the distribution, and removing packages that got removed from the group, as far as they were not installed explicitly by the user.

Groups can also be marked installed or removed without physically manipulating any packages:

• dnf [options] group mark install <group-spec>... — Marks the specified group installed. No packages will be installed by this command, but the group is then considered installed. It's giving "manifesting". 🦋
• dnf [options] group mark remove <group-spec>... — Marks the specified group removed. No packages will be removed by this command.

See also Configuration Files Replacement Policy.

❓ Help Command ❓

Command: help

• dnf help [<command>] — Displays the help text for all commands. If you give it a command name, then it only displays help for that particular command. Your personal cheat sheet, bestie. 🌸

📜 History Command 📜

Command: history Aliases: hist

The history command lets you view what has happened in past transactions and act according to that information (assuming the history_record configuration option is set). It's literally your receipts folder. 🧾

dnf history [list] [--reverse] [<spec>...]

The default history action is listing information about the given transactions in a table. Each <spec> can be either a <transaction-spec>, which specifies a transaction directly, or a <transaction-spec>..<transaction-spec>, which specifies a range of transactions, or a <package-name-spec>, which specifies a transaction by a package which it manipulated. When no transaction is specified, it lists all known transactions. 💜

Note that transient transactions (see --transient) will be listed even though they do not make persistent changes to files under /usr or to the RPM database.

The "Action(s)" column lists each type of action taken in the transaction. The possible values are:

• Install (I): a new package was installed on the system
• Downgrade (D): an older version of a package replaced the previously-installed version
• Obsolete (O): an obsolete package was replaced by a new package
• Upgrade (U): a newer version of the package replaced the previously-installed version
• Remove (E): a package was removed from the system
• Reinstall (R): a package was reinstalled with the same version
• Reason change (C): a package was kept in the system but its reason for being installed changed

The "Altered" column lists the number of actions taken in each transaction, possibly followed by one or two of the following symbols:

• >: The RPM database was changed, outside DNF, after the transaction
• <: The RPM database was changed, outside DNF, before the transaction
• *: The transaction aborted before completion
• #: The transaction completed, but with a non-zero status
• E: The transaction completed successfully, but had warning/error output
• --reverse — The order of history list output is printed in reverse order. Going backwards for the plot. 🔥

dnf history info [<spec>...]

Describe the given transactions. The meaning of <spec> is the same as in the History List Command. When no transaction is specified, it describes what happened during the latest transaction. Spilling the tea on what went down. ☕

dnf history redo <transaction-spec>|<package-file-spec>

Repeat the specified transaction. It uses the last transaction (with the highest ID) if more than one transaction for the given <package-file-spec> is found. If it's not possible to redo some operations due to the current state of RPMDB, it will not redo the transaction. No partial sends here. 💀

dnf history replay [--ignore-installed] [--ignore-extras] [--skip-unavailable] <filename>

Replay a transaction stored in the file <filename> by the History Store Command. The replay will perform the exact same operations on the packages as in the original transaction, and it will return with an error in case of any differences in installed packages or their versions. See also the Transaction JSON Format specification of the file format. It's giving "rewatching the episode to catch the details". 🎬

• --ignore-installed — Don't check for the installed packages being in the same state as those recorded in the transaction. E.g. in case there is an upgrade foo-1.0 -> foo-2.0 stored in the transaction, but there is foo-1.1 installed on the target system.
• --ignore-extras — Don't check for extra packages pulled into the transaction on the target system. E.g. the target system may not have some dependency, which was installed on the source system. The replay errors out on this by default, as the transaction would not be the same. Fair tbh. 😭
• --skip-unavailable — In case some packages stored in the transaction are not available on the target system, skip them instead of erroring out. Graceful queen behaviour. 👑

dnf history rollback <transaction-spec>|<package-file-spec>

Undo all transactions performed after the specified transaction. It uses the last transaction (with the highest ID) if more than one transaction for the given <package-file-spec> is found. If it's not possible to undo some transactions due to the current state of RPMDB, it will not undo any transaction. All or nothing, periodt. 💅

• dnf history store [--output <output-file>] <transaction-spec> — Store a transaction specified by <transaction-spec>. You can replay it later with the History Replay Command. ✨

Warning: The stored transaction format is considered unstable and may change at any time. It will work if the same version of dnf is used to store and replay (or between versions as long as it stays the same). 😭

• -o <output-file>, --output=<output-file> — Store the serialized transaction into <output-file>. Default is transaction.json. 🎀
• dnf history undo <transaction-spec>|<package-file-spec> — Perform the opposite operation to all operations performed in the specified transaction. Uses the last transaction (with the highest ID) if more than one transaction for the given <package-file-spec> is found. If it is not possible to undo some operations due to the current state of RPMDB, it will not undo the transaction. 💅
• dnf history userinstalled — Show all packages installed by user, installed from a group or a module profile, and packages installed outside of DNF. I.e. it lists packages that will stay on the system when Autoremove Command or Remove Command along with clean_requirements_on_remove configuration option set to True is executed. Note the same results can be accomplished with dnf repoquery --userinstalled, and the repoquery command is more powerful in formatting of the output. 🫶

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata, except for the redo, rollback, and undo subcommands. See also Metadata Synchronization and Configuration Files Replacement Policy. 🦋

💖 Info Command

• Command: info
• Aliases: if

dnf [options] info [<package-file-spec>...] — Lists description and summary information about installed and available packages. 🌸

The info command limits the displayed packages the same way as the list command. No cap.

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization. ✨

🎀 Install Command

• Command: install
• Aliases: in
• Aliases for explicit NEVRA matching: install-n, install-na, install-nevra
• Deprecated aliases: localinstall

dnf [options] install <spec>... — Makes sure that the given packages and their dependencies are installed on the system. Each <spec> can be either a <package-spec>, or a @<module-spec>, or a @<group-spec>. See Install Examples. If a given package or provide cannot be (and is not already) installed, the exit code will be non-zero. If the <spec> matches both a @<module-spec> and a @<group-spec>, only the module is installed. 💖

When a <package-spec> specifies the exact version of the package, DNF will install the desired version, no matter which version of the package is already installed. The former version of the package will be removed in the case of non-installonly package. 👑

On the other hand, if <package-spec> specifies only a name, DNF also takes into account packages obsoleting it when picking which package to install. This behaviour is specific to the install command. Note that this can lead to seemingly unexpected results if a package has multiple versions and some older version is being obsoleted. It creates a split in the upgrade-path and both ways are considered correct, the resulting package is picked simply by lexicographical order. 😭

There are also a few specific install commands install-n, install-na and install-nevra that allow the specification of an exact argument in the NEVRA format. As a consequence, <spec> will be not matched with provides and file provides. 🔥

See also Configuration Files Replacement Policy. 🌈

🌸 Install Examples

• dnf install tito — Install the tito package (tito is the package name). 🎀
• dnf install ~/Downloads/tito-0.6.2-1.fc22.noarch.rpm — Install a local rpm file tito-0.6.2-1.fc22.noarch.rpm from the ~/Downloads/ directory. 🦋
• dnf install tito-0.5.6-1.fc22 — Install the package with a specific version. If the package is already installed it will automatically try to downgrade or upgrade to the specific version. ✨
• dnf --best install tito — Install the latest available version of the package. If the package is already installed it will try to automatically upgrade to the latest version. If the latest version of the package cannot be installed, the installation will fail. 💅
• dnf install vim — DNF will automatically recognize that vim is not a package name, but will look up and install a package that provides vim with all the required dependencies. Note: Package name match has precedence over package provides match. 👑
• dnf install https://kojipkgs.fedoraproject.org//packages/tito/0.6.0/1.fc22/noarch/tito-0.6.0-1.fc22.noarch.rpm — Install a package directly from a URL. 🌈
• dnf install '@docker' — Install all default profiles of module 'docker' and their RPMs. Module streams get enabled accordingly. 🧚
• dnf install '@Web Server' — Install the 'Web Server' environmental group. 💜
• dnf install /usr/bin/rpmsign — Install a package that provides the /usr/bin/rpmsign file. ⭐
• dnf -y install tito --setopt=install_weak_deps=False — Install the tito package (tito is the package name) without weak deps. Weak deps are not required for core functionality of the package, but they enhance the original package (like extended documentation, plugins, additional functions, etc.). 🍓
• dnf install --advisory=FEDORA-2018-b7b99fe852 \* — Install all packages that belong to the "FEDORA-2018-b7b99fe852" advisory. 💀

💜 List Command

• Command: list
• Aliases: ls

Prints lists of packages depending on the packages’ relation to the system. A package is installed if it is present in the RPMDB, and it is available if it is not installed but is present in a repository that DNF knows about. 🌸

The list command also limits the displayed packages according to specific criteria, e.g. to only those that update an installed package (respecting the repository priority). The exclude option in the configuration file can influence the result, but if the --disableexcludes command line option is used, it ensures that all installed packages will be listed. 🫶

• dnf [options] list [--all] [<package-file-spec>...] — Lists all packages, present in the RPMDB, in a repository or both. ✨
• dnf [options] list --installed [<package-file-spec>...] — Lists installed packages. 💖
• dnf [options] list --available [<package-file-spec>...] — Lists available packages. 🎀
• dnf [options] list --extras [<package-file-spec>...] — Lists extras, that is packages installed on the system that are not available in any known repository. 🦋
• dnf [options] list --obsoletes [<package-file-spec>...] — List packages installed on the system that are obsoleted by packages in any known repository. 💅
• dnf [options] list --recent [<package-file-spec>...] — List packages recently added into the repositories. 🌈
• dnf [options] list --upgrades [<package-file-spec>...] — List upgrades available for the installed packages. ⭐
• dnf [options] list --autoremove — List packages which will be removed by the dnf autoremove command. 🔥

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization. 👑

🍓 Makecache Command

• Command: makecache
• Aliases: mc

dnf [options] makecache — Downloads and caches metadata for enabled repositories. Tries to avoid downloading whenever possible (e.g. when the local metadata hasn’t expired yet or when the metadata timestamp hasn’t changed). ✨

dnf [options] makecache --timer — Like plain makecache, but instructs DNF to be more resource-aware, meaning it will not do anything if running on battery power, it will terminate immediately if it’s too soon after the last successful makecache run (see dnf.conf(5), metadata_timer_sync), and if the first mirror in a repository mirrorlist fails, it will not try to synchronize the metadata from more mirrors for that repository. 🫶

🌸 Mark Command

• Command: mark

dnf mark install <package-spec>... — Marks the specified packages as installed by user. This can be useful if any package was installed as a dependency and is desired to stay on the system when Autoremove Command or Remove Command along with clean_requirements_on_remove configuration option set to True is executed. 💖

dnf mark remove <package-spec>... — Unmarks the specified packages as installed by user. Whenever you as a user don’t need a specific package you can mark it for removal. The package stays installed on the system but will be removed when Autoremove Command or Remove Command along with clean_requirements_on_remove configuration option set to True is executed. You should use this operation instead of Remove Command if you’re not sure whether the package is a requirement of other user installed packages on the system. 😭

dnf mark group <package-spec>... — Marks the specified packages as installed by group. This can be useful if any package was installed as a dependency or a user and is desired to be protected and handled as a group member like during group remove. 🎀

🧚 Module Command

• Command: module

Modularity overview is available at man page dnf.modularity(7). Module subcommands take <module-spec>... arguments that specify modules or profiles. 🌈

dnf [options] module install <module-spec>... — Install module profiles, including their packages. In case no profile was provided, all default profiles get installed. Module streams get enabled accordingly. ✨

This command cannot be used for switching module streams. Use the dnf module switch-to command for that. 💅

dnf [options] module update <module-spec>... — Update packages associated with an active module stream, optionally restricted to a profile. If the profile_name is provided, only the packages referenced by that profile will be updated. 🦋

dnf [options] module switch-to <module-spec>...

Okay so switch-to is the glow-up command 💅 — it switches to (or enables) a module stream, changes the versions of installed packages over to the ones the new stream provides, and yeets the packages from the old stream that aren't available anymore. It also updates installed profiles if they exist for the new stream. But bestie, listen: when a profile was provided, it installs that profile and does not update any already-installed profiles. Respect the boundaries ✋

Think of it as the stronger, extra version of dnf module enable — not just enabling modules, but also doing a distrosync to all modular packages in the enabled modules. Iconic behavior fr fr 👑

It can also serve as the stronger version of dnf module install, with one catch: you have to specify the profiles you want installed, because switch-to does not use default profiles. And it doesn't stop at installing profiles — it also makes a distrosync to all modular packages in the installed module. She does it all 💖

dnf [options] module remove <module-spec>...

Removes installed module profiles, including the packages that came in via the dnf module install command. It will not remove packages required by other installed module profiles or by other user-installed packages — no collateral damage here 🙈 In case no profile was provided, all installed profiles get removed. All of them. Periodt.

dnf [options] module remove --all <module-spec>...

Same deal — removes installed module profiles including the ones installed with dnf module install — but with --all it additionally removes all packages whose names are provided by the specified modules. What stays? Packages required by other installed module profiles, and packages whose names are also provided by any other module. Those are safe 🛡️

dnf [options] module enable <module-spec>...

Enables a module stream and makes the stream's RPMs available in the package set ✨

Modular dependencies get resolved, dependencies get checked, and they're recursively enabled too. If there's a modular dependency issue, the whole operation gets rejected — sorry babe 😭 To perform the action anyway, please use the --skip-broken option.

Heads up — this command cannot be used for switching module streams. That's what dnf module switch-to is for, iykyk.

dnf [options] module disable <module-name>...

Disables a module. All related module streams become unavailable. Consequently, all installed profiles get removed and the module RPMs become unavailable in the package set. Ripple effect, truly 💀 In case of a modular dependency issue the operation will be rejected. To perform the action anyway, please use the --skip-broken option.

dnf [options] module reset <module-name>...

Resets module state so it's no longer enabled or disabled — a clean slate 🧚 Consequently, all installed profiles get removed and only RPMs from the default stream are available in the package set. Fresh start energy 🌸

dnf [options] module provides <package-name-spec>...

Lists all modular packages matching <package-name-spec> from all modules (including disabled ones 🫶), along with the modules and streams they belong to. Receipts included 📋

dnf [options] module list [--all] [module_name...]

Lists all module streams, their profiles, and their states (enabled, disabled, default). The full rundown, bestie 💅

dnf [options] module list --enabled [module_name...]

Lists module streams that are enabled ✅

dnf [options] module list --disabled [module_name...]

Lists module streams that are disabled 🚫

dnf [options] module list --installed [module_name...]

List module streams with installed profiles 📦

dnf [options] module info <module-spec>...

Print detailed information about the given module stream. The deep dive 🔍

dnf [options] module info --profile <module-spec>...

Print detailed information about the given module profiles 🎀

dnf [options] module repoquery <module-spec>...

List all available packages belonging to the selected modules 🌈

dnf [options] module repoquery --available <module-spec>...

List all available packages belonging to the selected modules ✨

dnf [options] module repoquery --installed <module-spec>...

List all installed packages with the same name as packages belonging to the selected modules 👑

---

💖 Provides Command 💖

Command: provides Aliases: prov, whatprovides, wp

dnf [options] provides <provide-spec>

Finds the packages providing the given <provide-spec>. This is literally the moment when you know a filename and you're like "okay but what package (installed or not) provides this file??" — that's the whole vibe 🔎

The <provide-spec> gets gradually looked for at the following locations:

1. The <provide-spec> is matched with all file provides of any available package:

$ dnf provides /usr/bin/gzip
gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Filename    : /usr/bin/gzip

2. Then all provides of all available packages are searched:

$ dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)"
gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Provide     : gzip(x86-64) = 1.9-9.fc29

3. DNF assumes that the <provide-spec> is a system command, prepends it with /usr/bin/, /usr/sbin/ prefixes (one at a time) and does the file provides search again. For legacy reasons (packages that didn't do UsrMove) also /bin and /sbin prefixes are being searched:

$ dnf provides zless
gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Filename    : /usr/bin/zless

4. If this last step also fails, DNF returns Error: No Matches found. And that's it, that's the answer 😭

Ngl, this command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization.

---

🦋 Reinstall Command 🦋

Command: reinstall Aliases: rei

dnf [options] reinstall <package-spec>...

Installs the specified packages, and fails if some of the packages are either not installed or not available (i.e. there is no repository where to download the same RPM). It's a re-do, not a glow-up — the exact same RPM, no substitutions 🙅‍♀️

---

🔥 Remove Command 🔥

Command: remove Aliases: rm Aliases for explicit NEVRA matching: remove-n, remove-na, remove-nevra Deprecated aliases: erase, erase-n, erase-na, erase-nevra

dnf [options] remove <package-spec>...

Removes the specified packages from the system, along with any packages depending on the packages being removed. Consequences, bestie 😬 Each <spec> can be either a <package-spec>, which specifies a package directly, or a @<group-spec>, which specifies an (environment) group which contains it. And if clean_requirements_on_remove is enabled (which it is, by default), it also removes any dependencies that are no longer needed. Tidy queen 🧹

dnf [options] remove --duplicates

Removes older versions of duplicate packages. To ensure the integrity of the system it reinstalls the newest package. In some cases the command cannot resolve conflicts — in such cases the dnf shell command with remove --duplicates and upgrade dnf-shell sub-commands could help 🛠️

dnf [options] remove --oldinstallonly

Removes old installonly packages, keeping only the latest versions and the version of the running kernel. Only the essentials survive 👑

There are also a few specific remove commands remove-n, remove-na and remove-nevra that allow the specification of an exact argument in the NEVRA format. As a consequence, <spec> will be not matched with provides and file provides. Exact means exact, no vibes-based matching 💅

---

🍓 Remove Examples 🍓

dnf remove acpi tito

Remove the acpi and tito packages. Bye besties 👋

dnf remove $(dnf repoquery --extras --exclude=tito,acpi)

Remove packages not present in any repository, but don't remove the tito and acpi packages (they still might be removed if they depend on some of the removed packages). Sneaky but fair 🙈

dnf remove --duplicates

Remove older versions of duplicated packages — an equivalent of yum's package-cleanup --cleandups 💫

---

🌸 Repoinfo Command 🌸

Command: repoinfo

An alias for the repolist command that provides more detailed information, like dnf repolist -v. Same energy, more lore 📖

---

🎀 Repolist Command 🎀

Command: repolist

dnf [options] repolist [--enabled|--disabled|--all]

Depending on the exact command, lists enabled, disabled, or all known repositories. Lists all enabled repositories by default. Provides more detailed information when the -v option is used 🔍

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization.

---

⭐ Repoquery Command ⭐

Command: repoquery Aliases: rq Aliases for explicit NEVRA matching: repoquery-n, repoquery-na, repoquery-nevra

dnf [options] repoquery [<select-options>] [<query-options>]
[<package-file-spec>]

Searches available DNF repositories for selected packages and displays the requested information about them. It's the equivalent of rpm -q but for remote repositories — same interrogation, different victim 🕵️‍♀️

dnf [options] repoquery --groupmember <package-spec>...

List groups that contain <package-spec>. Find the friend group 👯‍♀️

dnf [options] repoquery --querytags

Provides the list of tags recognized by the --queryformat repoquery option. The whole vocabulary 🗂️

There are also a few specific repoquery commands repoquery-n, repoquery-na and repoquery-nevra that allow the specification of an exact argument in the NEVRA format (this does not affect arguments of options like --whatprovides <arg>, ...). As a consequence, <spec> will be not matched with file provides.

---

💜 Select Options 💜

Together with <package-file-spec>, these control what packages are displayed in the output. If <package-file-spec> is given, it limits the resulting set of packages to those matching the specification. All packages are considered if no <package-file-spec> is specified. No filter = everyone's invited 🎉

• <package-file-spec> — package specification in the NEVRA format (name[-[epoch:]version[-release]][.arch]) or a file provide. See Specifying Packages.
• -a, --all — query all packages (for rpmquery compatibility, also a shorthand for repoquery '*' or repoquery without arguments). Everyone, all at once 🌈
• --arch <arch>[,<arch>...], --archlist <arch>[,<arch>...] — limit the resulting set only to packages of selected architectures (default is all architectures). In some cases the result is affected by the basearch of the running system, so to run repoquery for an arch incompatible with your system, use the --forcearch=<arch> option to change the basearch. Mix and match comma-separated, bestie 🦋
• --duplicates — limits the resulting set to installed duplicate packages, aka more than one package version hanging around for the same name and architecture. The catch: installonly packages are excluded from this set, periodt.
• --unneeded — limits the resulting set to leaf packages that were installed as dependencies and are no longer needed. Basically this lists the packages that are going to get removed after you run the dnf autoremove command — it's the preview before the yeet 💅
• --available — limits the resulting set to available packages only. This one's the default, so if you never said anything, congrats, you already picked it ✨
• --disable-modular-filtering — kills the filtering of modular packages, so packages from inactive module streams get included in the result too.
• --extras — limits the resulting set to packages that aren't present in any of the available repositories.
• -f <file>, --file <file> — limits the resulting set to just the one package that owns <file>.
• --installed — installed packages only. Heads up tho: the exclude option in the configuration file might still influence the result. But if you also use the command line option --disableexcludes, that ensures all installed packages will be listed. 🫶
• --installonly — limits the resulting set to installed installonly packages.
• --latest-limit <number> — keeps only <number> of the latest packages for every package name and architecture. If <number> is negative, it skips <number> of the latest packages instead. And for a negative <number> you have to use the --latest-limit=<number> syntax — no shortcuts, bestie.
• --recent — limits the resulting set to packages that were recently edited.
• --repo <repoid> — limits the resulting set to only packages from the repository identified by <repoid>. You can use this multiple times and it stacks with accumulative effect — the way that it just keeps adding 🧚
• --unsatisfied — reports unsatisfied dependencies among installed packages, i.e. missing requires and existing conflicts.
• --upgrades — limits the resulting set to packages that provide an upgrade for some already installed package.
• --userinstalled — limits the resulting set to packages that were installed by the user. Same exclude situation as --installed: the exclude option in the configuration file might influence the result, but using the command line option --disableexcludes ensures all installed packages will be listed.
• --whatdepends <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that require, enhance, recommend, suggest or supplement any of <capabilities>.
• --whatconflicts <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that conflict with any of <capabilities>.
• --whatenhances <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that enhance any of <capabilities>. Want all the depending packages? Use --whatdepends.
• --whatobsoletes <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that obsolete any of <capabilities>.
• --whatprovides <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that provide any of <capabilities>.
• --whatrecommends <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that recommend any of <capabilities>. For every depending package, use --whatdepends.
• --whatrequires <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that require any of <capabilities>. Again: use --whatdepends if you want all the depending packages listed.
• --whatsuggests <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that suggest any of <capabilities>. --whatdepends is your bestie for the full list.
• --whatsupplements <capability>[,<capability>...] — limits the resulting set to only packages that supplement any of <capabilities>. Yep, --whatdepends for all the depending packages.
• --alldeps — this one is stackable with --whatrequires or --whatdepends only, bestie, don't try it anywhere else. It adds all packages requiring the package features to the result set (used as default).
• --exactdeps — also stackable with --whatrequires or --whatdepends only. Limits the resulting set to only packages that require <capability> specified by --whatrequires.
• --srpm — operate on the corresponding source RPM.

---

🌸 Query Options 🌸

These set what info is displayed about each package.

Real talk: the following are mutually exclusive, i.e. at most one can be specified at a time. And if you give no query option at all, the matching packages are displayed in the standard NEVRA notation. Easy 💖

• -i, --info — show detailed information about the package.
• -l, --list — show the list of files in the package.
• -s, --source — show the package source RPM name.
• --changelogs — print the package changelogs.
• --conflicts — display capabilities that the package conflicts with. Same as --qf "%{conflicts}.
• --depends — display capabilities that the package depends on, enhances, recommends, suggests or supplements.
• --enhances — display capabilities enhanced by the package. Same as --qf "%{enhances}"".
• --location — show a location where the package could be downloaded from.
• --obsoletes — display capabilities that the package obsoletes. Same as --qf "%{obsoletes}".
• --provides — display capabilities provided by the package. Same as --qf "%{provides}".
• --recommends — display capabilities recommended by the package. Same as --qf "%{recommends}".
• --requires — display capabilities that the package depends on. Same as --qf "%{requires}".
• --requires-pre — display capabilities that the package depends on for running a %pre script. Same as --qf "%{requires-pre}".
• --suggests — display capabilities suggested by the package. Same as --qf "%{suggests}".
• --supplements — display capabilities supplemented by the package. Same as --qf "%{supplements}".
• --tree — display a recursive tree of packages with capabilities specified by one of these supplementary options: --whatrequires, --requires, --conflicts, --enhances, --suggests, --provides, --supplements, --recommends. It's giving family tree but make it packages 🌳
• --deplist — produce a list of all direct dependencies and what packages provide those dependencies for the given packages. Ngl the result only shows the newest providers (and you can change that by using --verbose).
• --nvr — show found packages in the name-version-release format. Same as --qf "%{name}-%{version}-%{release}".
• --nevra — show found packages in the name-epoch:version-release.architecture format. Same as --qf "%{name}-%{epoch}:%{version}-%{release}.%{arch}" (this one's the default, iykyk).
• --envra — show found packages in the epoch:name-version-release.architecture format. Same as --qf "%{epoch}:%{name}-%{version}-%{release}.%{arch}"
• --qf <format>, --queryformat <format> — custom display format time ✨ <format> is the string that gets output for each matched package, and every occurrence of %{<tag>} inside it gets replaced by the corresponding attribute of the package. Wanna see the list of recognized tags? Run dnf repoquery --querytags.
• --recursive — query packages recursively. Has to be used with --whatrequires <REQ> (optionally with --alldeps, but not with --exactdeps) or with --requires <REQ> --resolve. Not negotiable, bestie.
• --resolve — resolve capabilities to originating package(s).

---

🦋 Repoquery Examples 🦋

dnf repoquery 'light*'

Display NEVRAs of all available packages matching light*

dnf repoquery-na 'light*.noarch'

Display NEVRAs of all available packages matching name light* and architecture noarch (accepts only arguments in the <name>.<arch> format)

dnf repoquery --requires lighttpd

Display requires of all lighttpd packages

dnf repoquery --requires python --resolve

Display packages providing the requires of python packages

dnf repoquery --source lighttpd

Display source rpm of lighttpd package

dnf repoquery --file /etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

Display package name that owns the given file

dnf repoquery --queryformat '%{name}.%{arch} : %{reponame}' lighttpd

Display name, architecture and the containing repository of all lighttpd packages

dnf repoquery --whatprovides webserver

Display all available packages providing "webserver"

dnf repoquery --whatprovides webserver --arch i686

Display all available packages providing "webserver" but only for "i686" architecture

dnf repoquery --duplicates

Display duplicate packages

dnf repoquery --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="*-source" --arch=src
--whatrequires <provide>

Display source packages that require a <provide> for a build

---

👑 Repository-Packages Command 👑

Command: repository-packages

Deprecated aliases: repo-pkgs, repo-packages, repository-pkgs

Okay so the repository-packages command lets you run commands on top of all the packages in the repository named <repoid>. But — and this is important — any dependency resolution takes into account packages from all enabled repositories. The <package-file-spec> and <package-spec> specifications further limit the candidates to only those packages matching at least one of them. Lowkey selective but valid 💅

The info subcommand lists description and summary information about packages depending on the packages' relation to the repository. The list subcommand just prints lists of those packages. Simple as that.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> check-update
[<package-file-spec>...]

Non-interactively checks if updates of the specified packages in the repository are available. DNF exit code will be 100 when there are updates available, and a list of the updates will be printed. 🎀

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info [--all]
[<package-file-spec>...]

List all related packages.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --installed
[<package-file-spec>...]

List packages installed from the repository.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --available
[<package-file-spec>...]

List packages available in the repository but not currently installed on the system.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --extras \
    [<package-file-specs>...]

okay so this one 💅 lists every package you installed from that repo that is not available in any repository anymore. Gone from the repos, still on your machine. Iconic abandonment issues fr.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --obsoletes \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Shows you the packages sitting in the repo that obsolete stuff you already have installed 🫶

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --recent \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists the packages that got added into the repo recently — fresh drops only ✨

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> info --upgrades \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists the packages in the repo that would upgrade what you already have installed. glow-up cataloguing 💅

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> install [<package-spec>...]

Installs the packages matching <package-spec> from that repo. And if you don't give a <package-spec> at all, it just installs every package from the repo. all of them. no cap, the whole thing 😭

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list [--all] \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists all related packages 🎀

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --installed \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists the packages you installed from that repo.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --available \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists what's available in the repo but not currently installed on your system — the "ooh what's that" list 🌸

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --extras \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists packages installed from the repo that aren't available in any repository anymore 🦋

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --obsoletes \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists packages in the repo that obsolete packages installed on your system.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --recent \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists packages recently added into the repo ⭐

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> list --upgrades \
    [<package-file-spec>...]

Lists packages in the repo that upgrade packages installed on your system 🔥

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> move-to [<package-spec>...]

Reinstalls all those packages that are available in the repository. just moving them over to this repo's side, love that for them 💖

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> reinstall [<package-spec>...]

Runs the reinstall-old subcommand first, and if that fails, it runs the move-to subcommand. fallback queen 👑

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> reinstall-old \
    [<package-spec>...]

Reinstalls all those packages that were installed from the repo and at the same time are available in the repo. both things. yes 💅

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> remove [<package-spec>...]

Removes every package installed from that repo, plus any packages depending on the ones being removed. And if clean_requirements_on_remove is enabled (it is, by default), it also removes any dependencies that are no longer needed. thorough. we love a clean sweep 🧚

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> remove-or-distro-sync \
    [<package-spec>...]

Selects every package installed from that repo. Then for the ones available in another repository, it upgrades / downgrades / keeps them so they match the latest version available there, and removes the rest along with any packages depending on the packages being removed. If clean_requirements_on_remove is enabled (default), it also removes any dependencies that are no longer needed. chaotic but it works 💀

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> remove-or-reinstall \
    [<package-spec>...]

Selects every package installed from that repo. Reinstalls the ones available in another repository, and removes the rest along with any packages depending on the packages being removed. If clean_requirements_on_remove is enabled (default), it also removes any dependencies that are no longer needed.

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> upgrade [<package-spec>...]

Updates all packages to the highest resolvable version available in the repository. And when versions are specified in the <package-spec>, it updates to those versions 🎀

dnf [options] repository-packages <repoid> upgrade-to \
    [<package-specs>...]

A deprecated alias for the upgrade subcommand. it's giving legacy, don't @ me 🙈

---

🌈 Search Command 🌈

Command: search Aliases: se

dnf [options] search [--all] <keywords>...

Searches package metadata for keywords. Keywords are matched as case-insensitive substrings, and globbing is supported ✨ By default it lists packages that match all the requested keys (that's an AND operation, bestie). Keys are searched in package names and summaries.

But if you use the --all option, it lists packages that match at least one of the keys (an OR operation). And on top of that, the keys are also searched in the package descriptions and URLs. The result is sorted from most relevant to least — main character first, obviously 👑

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization.

---

🦋 Shell Command 🦋

Command: shell Aliases: sh

dnf [options] shell [filename]

Opens an interactive shell so you can run a bunch of commands during a single execution of DNF. You can type these commands in manually or pass them to DNF from a file 📄 The commands are much the same as the normal DNF command line options, but there are a few extra ones, documented below 💅

• config [conf-option] [value]
  • Sets a configuration option to a requested value. If no value is given, it prints the current value.
• repo [list|enable|disable] [repo-id]
  • list: list repositories and their status
  • enable: enable repository
  • disable: disable repository
• transaction [list|reset|solve|run]
  • list: resolve and list the content of the transaction
  • reset: reset the transaction
  • run: resolve and run the transaction

⚠️ Note that all local packages must be used in the first shell transaction subcommand (e.g. install /tmp/nodejs-1-1.x86_64.rpm /tmp/acpi-1-1.noarch.rpm) otherwise an error will occur. Any disable, enable, and reset module operations (e.g. module enable nodejs) must also be performed before any other shell transaction subcommand is used. order matters, bestie, fr fr 😭

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💜 Swap Command 💜

Command: swap

dnf [options] swap <remove-spec> <install-spec>

Removes remove-spec and installs install-spec in one transaction 🫶 Each <spec> can be either a <package-spec>, which specifies a package directly, or a @<group-spec>, which specifies an (environment) group which contains it.

Automatic conflict solving is provided in DNF by the --allowerasing option — that gives you the functionality of the swap command automatically. so you don't even need swap if you're built different 💅

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⭐ Updateinfo Command ⭐

Command: updateinfo Aliases: upif Deprecated aliases: list-updateinfo, list-security, list-sec, info-updateinfo, info-security, info-sec, summary-updateinfo

dnf [options] updateinfo [--summary|--list|--info] [<availability>] \
    [<spec>...]

Displays information about update advisories 🎀

Depending on the output type, DNF shows just counts of advisory types (omitted or --summary), a list of advisories (--list), or detailed information (--info). The -v option extends the output ✨ When used with --info, the information gets even more detailed. When used with --list, an additional column with the date of the last advisory update is added.

<availability> specifies which advisories get taken into account:

• advisories about newer versions of installed packages (omitted or --available)
• advisories about equal and older versions of installed packages (--installed)
• advisories about newer versions of those installed packages for which a newer version is available (--updates)
• advisories about any versions of installed packages (--all)

Most of the time --available and --updates display the same output 👀 The outputs differ only in the cases when an advisory refers to a newer version but there is no enabled repository which contains any newer version.

Note that --available takes only the latest installed versions of packages into account. In the case of the kernel packages (when multiple versions could be installed simultaneously) packages of the currently running version of the kernel are also added. kernel stays special, always 💀

To print only advisories referencing a CVE or a bugzilla, use --with-cve or --with-bz. When these switches are used, the output of --list is also altered — the ID of the CVE or the bugzilla is printed instead of the one of the advisory 🔍

If given, and if neither ID, type (bugfix, enhancement, security/sec) nor a package name of an advisory matches <spec>, the advisory is not taken into account. The matching is case-sensitive, and in the case of advisory IDs and package names, globbing is supported.

Output of the --summary option is affected by the autocheck_running_kernel configuration option.

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👑 Upgrade Command 👑

Command: upgrade Aliases: up Deprecated aliases: update, upgrade-to, update-to, localupdate

dnf [options] upgrade

Updates each package to the latest version that is both available and resolvable. no cap, resolvable is doing a lot of heavy lifting there 💅

dnf [options] upgrade <package-spec>...

Updates each specified package to the latest available version, and updates dependencies as necessary. When versions are specified in the <package-spec>, it updates to those versions 🎀

dnf [options] upgrade @<spec>...

Alias for the dnf module update command.

If the main obsoletes configure option is true, or the --obsoletes flag is present, dnf will include package obsoletes in its calculations. For more information see obsoletes 🔥

See also Configuration Files Replacement Policy.

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🌸 Upgrade-Minimal Command 🌸

Command: upgrade-minimal Aliases: up-min Deprecated aliases: update-minimal

dnf [options] upgrade-minimal

Updates each package to the nearest available version that provides a bugfix, an enhancement, or a fix for a security issue (security). minimal effort, maximum safety, we stan 🧚

dnf [options] upgrade-minimal <package-spec>...

Updates each specified package to the nearest available version that provides a bugfix, an enhancement, or a fix for a security issue (security). Updates dependencies as necessary 💖

✨ SPECIFYING PACKAGES ✨

So like, a bunch of commands take a <package-spec> param that picks which package the operation is gonna hit. That <package-spec> argument gets matched against package NEVRAs, provides, and file provides. 💅

<package-file-spec> is basically the same vibe as <package-spec>, except no provides matching happens. So <package-file-spec> only gets matched against NEVRAs and file provides, periodt.

<package-name-spec> is even more picky — it's matched against NEVRAs only.

🎀 Globs 🎀

Package specification supports the exact same glob pattern matching that the shell does, and it matches against all three of the things we just mentioned (NEVRAs, provides, and file provides). Obsessed, honestly.

Here's the patterns you can use:

• * — matches any number of characters.
• ? — matches any single character.
• [] — matches any one of the enclosed characters. A pair of characters separated by a hyphen denotes a range expression; any character that falls between those two characters, inclusive, is matched. If the first character following the [ is a ! or a ^ then any character not enclosed is matched.

Heads up bestie 🫶 — curly brackets ({}) are not supported. You can still use them in shells that support them and let the shell do the expansion, but if quoted or escaped, dnf will not expand them. No cap.

💖 NEVRA Matching 💖

When matching against NEVRAs, partial matching is supported. DNF tries to match the spec against this list of NEVRA forms, in decreasing order of priority:

• name-[epoch:]version-release.arch
• name.arch
• name
• name-[epoch:]version-release
• name-[epoch:]version

Note that name can in general contain dashes (e.g. package-with-dashes). Iconic but mildly chaotic, we love her.

The first form that matches any packages is used, and the remaining forms are not tried. If none of the forms match any packages, an attempt is made to match the <package-spec> against full package NEVRAs. This only matters if globs are present in the <package-spec>.

<package-spec> matches NEVRAs the same way <package-name-spec> does, but if matching NEVRAs fails, it also attempts to match against provides and file provides of packages. She's thorough 💅.

You can specify globs as part of any of the five NEVRA components. You can also specify a glob pattern to match over multiple NEVRA components (in other words, to match across the NEVRA separators). But in that case you need to write the spec to match against full package NEVRAs, because it's literally not possible to split such a spec into NEVRA forms. 😭

🌸 Specifying NEVRA Matching Explicitly 🌸

Some commands (autoremove, install, remove and repoquery) also have aliases with suffixes -n, -na and -nevra that let you explicitly specify how to parse the arguments:

• Command install-n only matches against name.
• Command install-na only matches against name.arch.
• Command install-nevra only matches against name-[epoch:]version-release.arch.

---

💜 SPECIFYING PROVIDES 💜

<provide-spec> in command descriptions means the command operates on packages providing the given spec. This can either be an explicit provide, an implicit provide (i.e. the name of the package), or a file provide. The selection is case-sensitive and globbing is supported. Slay 🔥.

🦋 Specifying File Provides 🦋

If a spec starts with either / or */, it's considered as a potential file provide. That's the whole trick, iykyk.

---

🎀 SPECIFYING GROUPS 🎀

<group-spec> lets you select the (environment) groups a particular operation should work on. It's a case insensitive string (supporting globbing characters) that is matched against a group's ID, canonical name, and name translated into the current LC_MESSAGES locale (if possible). Multilingual queen 💅.

---

⭐ SPECIFYING MODULES ⭐

<module-spec> lets you select modules or profiles a particular operation should work on.

It's in the form of NAME:STREAM:VERSION:CONTEXT:ARCH/PROFILE and the supported partial forms are:

• NAME
• NAME:STREAM
• NAME:STREAM:VERSION
• NAME:STREAM:VERSION:CONTEXT
• all above combinations with ::ARCH (e.g. NAME::ARCH)
• NAME:STREAM:VERSION:CONTEXT:ARCH
• all above combinations with /PROFILE (e.g. NAME/PROFILE)

In case stream is not specified, the enabled or the default stream is used, in that order. In case profile is not specified, the system default profile or the default profile is used. Simple as that, bestie 💁‍♀️.

---

🌈 SPECIFYING TRANSACTIONS 🌈

<transaction-spec> can be in one of several forms. If it's an integer, it specifies a transaction ID. Specifying last is the same as specifying the ID of the most recent transaction. The last form is last-<offset>, where <offset> is a positive integer. It specifies the offset-th transaction preceding the most recent transaction. Time travel but make it package management ✨.

---

👑 PACKAGE FILTERING 👑

Package filtering filters packages out from the available package set, making them invisible to most dnf commands. They cannot be used in a transaction. Packages can be filtered out by either Exclude Filtering or Modular Filtering.

💅 Exclude Filtering 💅

Exclude Filtering is a mechanism used by a user or by a DNF plugin to modify the set of available packages. Exclude Filtering can be modified by either includepkgs or excludepkgs configuration options in configuration files. The --disableexcludes command line option can be used to override excludes from configuration files. In addition to user-configured excludes, plugins can also extend the set of excluded packages. To disable excludes from a DNF plugin you can use the --disableplugin command line option.

To disable all excludes for, like, the install command, you can use the following combination of command line options:

dnf --disableexcludes=all --disableplugin="*" install bash

🧚 Modular Filtering 🧚

Please see the modularity documentation for details on how Modular Filtering works.

With modularity, only RPM packages from active module streams are included in the available package set. RPM packages from inactive module streams, as well as non-modular packages with the same name or provides as a package from an active module stream, are filtered out. Modular filtering is not applied to packages added from the command line, installed packages, or packages from repositories with module_hotfixes=true in their .repo file.

Okay so listen 🙈 — disabling of modular filtering is not recommended, because it could cause the system to get into a broken state. Like, genuinely. To disable modular filtering for a particular repository, specify module_hotfixes=true in the .repo file or use --setopt=<repo_id>.module_hotfixes=true.

To discover the module which contains an excluded package use dnf module provides.

---

💀 METADATA SYNCHRONIZATION 💀

Correct operation of DNF depends on having access to up-to-date data from all enabled repositories, but contacting remote mirrors on every operation considerably slows it down and costs bandwidth for both the client and the repository provider. The metadata_expire (see dnf.conf(5)) repository configuration option is used by DNF to determine whether a particular local copy of repository data is due to be re-synced. It is crucial that the repository providers set the option well — namely to a value where it's guaranteed that if particular metadata was available in time T on the server, then all packages it references will still be available for download from the server in time T + metadata_expire.

To further reduce the bandwidth load, some of the commands where having up-to-date metadata is not critical (e.g. the list command) don't look at whether a repository is expired, and whenever any version of it is locally available to the user's account, it will be used. For non-root use, see also the --cacheonly switch. Note that in all situations the user can force synchronization of all enabled repositories with the --refresh switch. Refresh queen behavior 💅✨.

---

🍓 CONFIGURATION FILES REPLACEMENT POLICY 🍓

The updated packages could replace the old modified configuration files with the new ones or keep the older files. Neither of the files are actually replaced. To the conflicting ones, RPM gives an additional suffix to the origin name. Which file should maintain the true name after the transaction is not controlled by the package manager but is specified by each package itself, following packaging guideline. So like, don't blame dnf for that one 🫶.

---

🎀 FILES 🎀

Cache Files

/var/cache/dnf

Main Configuration

/etc/dnf/dnf.conf

Repository

/etc/yum.repos.d/

---

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• dnf.conf(5), DNF Configuration Reference
• dnf-PLUGIN(8) for documentation on DNF plugins.
• dnf.modularity(7), Modularity overview.
• dnf-transaction-json(5), Stored Transaction JSON Format Specification.
• DNF project homepage (https://github.com/rpm-software-management/dnf/)
• How to report a bug (https://github.com/rpm-software-management/dnf/wiki/Bug-Reporting)
• YUM project homepage (http://yum.baseurl.org/)

---

💖 AUTHOR 💖

See AUTHORS in DNF source distribution.

---

🌸 COPYRIGHT 🌸

2012-2020, Red Hat, Licensed under GPLv2+

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And that's a wrap bestie!! 🎉 This iconic little tome is version 4.23.0, dated Mar 19, 2025 — go forth and dnf responsibly, mwah 💋👑✨