Linux dnf Command

Linux Command Collection

dnf (Dandified YUM) is a new-generation RPM package manager for RPM-based Linux distributions (such as Fedora, RHEL 8+, CentOS 8+, etc.). It is a replacement for yum, providing faster dependency resolution, a more modern codebase, and better performance.

The main functions of dnf include:

  • Install, update, and delete packages from software repositories
  • Automatically resolve package dependencies
  • Query package information
  • Manage software repositories

dnf Basic Syntax

The basic syntax format of the dnf command is:

dnf [选项] <命令> [参数]

Where:

  • [Options]: optional arguments used to modify dnf behavior
  • <Command>: the main operation to perform (such as install, remove, etc.)
  • [Parameters]: additional information required by the command (usually the package name)

Common dnf Commands

Package Management

Examples

# Install package
dnf install

# Reinstall package
dnf reinstall

# Update package
dnf update

# Update all updatable packages
dnf update

# Remove package
dnf remove

# Remove unneeded dependencies
dnf autoremove

Query Operations

Examples

# Search for packages
dnf search

# List installed packages
dnf list installed

# List all available packages
dnf list available

# Show package information
dnf info

# View files provided by the package
dnf provides

Repository Management

Examples

# List all enabled repositories
dnf repolist

# List all repositories (including disabled)
dnf repolist all

# Enable repository
dnf config-manager --enable

# Disable repository
dnf config-manager --disable

# Add new repository
dnf config-manager --add-repo

System Upgrade

Examples

# Check for system upgrades
dnf check-update

# Perform system upgrade
dnf upgrade

# Upgrade to a new release
dnf system-upgrade

dnf Common Options

Option Description
-y Automatically answer "yes"
-q Quiet mode, reduce output
-v Verbose output
--refresh Refresh repository metadata before operation
--nogpgcheck Disable GPG signature checking
--skip-broken Skip problematic packages
--best Try to install the best available version

Practical Application Examples

Example 1: Install Development Tools Group

Examples

# Install development tools group (including gcc, make, etc.)
sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools" -y

Example 2: Find and Install Specific Software

Examples

# Search for packages containing nginx
dnf search nginx

# Install nginx
sudo dnf install nginx -y

# Start nginx service
sudo systemctl start nginx

Example 3: Clean Cache

Examples

# Clean downloaded package cache
sudo dnf clean packages

# Clean all caches (metadata and packages)
sudo dnf clean all

Example 4: View History

Examples

# List dnf operation history
dnf history

# View detailed information of a specific transaction
dnf history info

# Undo a specific transaction
dnf history undo

dnf Configuration File

The main configuration file of dnf is located at/etc/dnf/dnf.conf, common configuration items include:

Examples

[main]
gpgcheck=1 # Whether to check GPG signature
installonly_limit=3 # Number of kernel versions to keep
clean_requirements_on_remove=True # Clean up dependencies when removing
best=True # Always try to install the best version

You can view the current configuration with the following command:

dnf config-manager --dump

Comparison of dnf and yum

Feature dnf yum
Dependency resolution algorithm libsolv (faster) Custom (slower)
API Stable Unstable
Memory usage Lower Higher
Performance Faster Slower
Plugin system Compatible with yum plugins Native plugins
History More detailed Basic records

Common Problem Solving

1. Dependency Conflicts

Examples

# Try to automatically resolve dependency issues
sudo dnf --skip-broken install

# Or try to exclude a specific package
sudo dnf install  --exclude=

2. Repository Metadata Corruption

Examples

# Clean and rebuild repository cache
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf makecache

3. Package Version Locking

Examples

# Lock package to prevent updates
sudo dnf versionlock add

# List locked packages
sudo dnf versionlock list

# Remove lock
sudo dnf versionlock delete

Best Practices

  1. Update the system regularly：

    sudo dnf update -y

  2. Search before installing：

    dnf search &lt;keyword&gt;

  3. Check the impact of changes：

    sudo dnf update --assumeno

  4. Use group commands to manage related software：

    # 列出可用组
dnf group list

# 安装组
sudo dnf groupinstall "组名"

  5. Keep repositories clean：

    # 定期清理不需要的包
sudo dnf autoremove

Through this article, you should have mastered the basic usage and advanced techniques of the dnf command. As a package management tool for modern RPM systems, dnf provides powerful and efficient software management capabilities. It is recommended to try different commands and options in actual use to gradually become familiar with its various functions.

Linux Command Collection

Other Extensions