YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified) is a powerful package manager used in RPM-based Linux distributions like CentOS, AlmaLinux, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It allows users to install, update, remove, and manage software packages from repositories with simple commands.

In this short guide, we’ll walk you through the essential YUM commands for managing packages on your Linux server 

Installing Packages

To install a new package, use:

sudo yum install [package-name]

Example:

sudo yum install httpd

This will install Apache HTTP Server and its dependencies.

Updating System Packages

To update all installed packages on your server:

sudo yum update

This checks for updates from enabled repositories and installs them.

You can also update a specific package:

sudo yum update [package-name]

Removing Packages

To uninstall a package:

sudo yum remove [package-name]

This removes the package and any dependencies no longer needed.

Searching for Packages

To search for a package by name or keyword:

yum search [keyword]

Example:

yum search php

This helps you find packages related to PHP.

Getting Package Information

To see details like version, description, and size:

yum info [package-name]

List Installed Packages

To list all installed packages:

yum list installed

You can filter results by name:

yum list installed | grep nginx

Managing Repositories

To view all enabled repositories:

yum repolist

To disable or enable repos, edit the .repo files in /etc/yum.repos.d/.

Clear YUM Cache

If you run into issues or want to free up space:

yum clean all

This clears cached metadata and packages.

Final Thoughts

YUM is a flexible and reliable tool for managing software on RPM-based Linux systems. With just a few commands, you can keep your server packages up to date, secure, and well-maintained.