RPM packages have a file of names like foo-1.0-2.i386.rpm, which include the
package name (foo), version (1.0), release (2), and architecture (i386).

To display package information before installing the program, use the command:
# rpm -qpi foo-2.3-8.i386.rpm

To install a RPM package, use the command:
# rpm -ivh foo-1.0-2.i386.rpm

To upgrade a RPM package, use the command:
# rpm -Uvh foo-1.0-2.i386.rpm

With this command, RPM automatically uninstalls the old version of foo package and installs the
new one. Always use rpm -Uvh to install packages, since it works fine even when there are no
previous versions of the package installed.

To uninstall a RPM package, use the command:
# rpm -e foo
Notice the use of the package name “foo�?, not the name of the original package file “foo-
1.0-2.i386.rpm�?.

# rpm -q foo
foo-2.3-8
This command will print the package name, version, and release number of installed package
foo. Use this command to verify that a package is or is not installed on your system.

To display package information, use the command:
# rpm -qi foo

To display package information before installing the program, use the command:
# rpm -qpi foo-2.3-8.i386.rpm

To list files in a installed RPM package, use the command:
# rpm -ql foo

To know which files is part of which package, use the command:
# rpm -qf /etc/passwd

To remove all the unneeded packages together, use the following commands:
# rpm -e –nodeps anacron apmd at dhcpcd dosfstools eject hotplug ipchains ksymoops kudzu lokkit mailcap pciutils pump raidtools redhat-logos redhat-release setserial kbdconfig mouseconfig timeconfig authconfig ntsysv setuptool

Once you have installed all the software that you need on your Linux server with the RPM
command, it’s a good idea to move it to a safe place like a floppy disk or other safe place of your choice. With this method if someone accesses your server and has the intention to install nasty software with the RPM command, he wouldn’t be able to. Of course, if in the future you want to install or upgrade new software via RPM, all you have to do is to replace the RPM binary to its original directory again.

To move the RPM binary on the floppy disk, use the command:
[root@deep /]# mount /dev/fd0H1440 /mnt/floppy/
[root@deep /]# mv /bin/rpm /mnt/floppy/
[root@deep /]# umount /mnt/floppy/

One more thing you can do is change the default permission of the “rpm�? command from 755 to 700. With this modification, non-root users can’t use the “rpm�? program to query, install etc; in case you forget to move it to a safe place after installation of new programs.