Package Management & Software Installation Flashcards

What is the purpose of a GPG key in the context of YUM/DNF repositories?

Answer: To verify the authenticity and integrity of downloaded packages

GPG keys allow the package manager to verify that packages come from the claimed publisher and haven't been tampered with.

Which command installs a .deb package file directly using dpkg?

Answer: dpkg -i package.deb

dpkg -i (install) installs a .deb package file directly, bypassing the apt repository system.

What is the role of 'createrepo' command on RPM-based systems?

Answer: Creates repository metadata from a directory of RPM files

createrepo generates the repodata/ directory with XML metadata that makes a directory of RPMs usable as a YUM/DNF repository.

Which file would you edit to disable a specific YUM/DNF repository temporarily?

Answer: The .repo file in /etc/yum.repos.d/ and set enabled=0

Setting 'enabled=0' in the repository's .repo file disables it without removing the configuration.

What does 'dpkg -l' output?

Answer: A table listing all packages with their status, version, and description

dpkg -l lists all packages known to dpkg with their status codes (ii=installed, rc=removed with config files remaining, etc.).

When using 'dnf install', what does the '--downloadonly' flag do?

Answer: Downloads packages and dependencies without installing them

The --downloadonly flag fetches the RPM files to the dnf cache but does not install them on the system.

What is 'Flatpak' and how does it differ from traditional package management?

Answer: A sandboxed application distribution system that bundles dependencies, independent of the host OS

Flatpak distributes self-contained applications in sandboxes with bundled dependencies, allowing the same package to run on any Linux distribution.