yum is for CentOS and Redhat.
apt-get is for Debian and Ubuntu.
In the same way, zypper is for SUSE Linux.
Zypper is a command line tool for package management in OpenSUSE and SUSE Enterprise Linux platforms.
On a high-level, you can manage two different things using zypper command:
- Manage Packages: Zypper is used to install, remove, update and query the software packages of local or remote media.
- Manage Repositories: Zypper also has the ability to work with repositories. You can add, remove, enable or disable repositories from command line. It also has the ability to prioritize your repositories during installation process.
I. Manage Packages using Zypper
1. Install a Package using zypper
To install a package using zypper command, use the following syntax:
zypper install <package Name>
For example, to install the Mozilla firefox and all its dependencies, execute the following:
# zypper install MozillaFirefox Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... Resolving package dependencies... The following NEW packages are going to be installed: MozillaFirefox MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED The following packages are not supported by their vendor: MozillaFirefox MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED 2 new packages to install. Overall download size: 964.0 KiB. After the operation, additional 3.4 MiB will be used. Continue? [y/n/?] (y): y Retrieving package MozillaFirefox-3.6.16-0.2.1.x86_64 (1/2), 949.0 KiB (3.4 MiB unpacked) Retrieving: MozillaFirefox-3.6.16-0.2.1.x86_64.rpm [done] Installing: MozillaFirefox-3.6.16-0.2.1 [done] Retrieving package MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED-3.5-1.1.5.x86_64 (2/2), 15.0 KiB (34.0 KiB unpacked) Retrieving: MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED-3.5-1.1.5.x86_64.rpm [done] Installing: MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED-3.5-1.1.5 [done]
2. Install Source Package
To install source package in a repository, use the source-install option as shown below.
# zypper source-install apache2-mod_nss Reading installed packages... Loading repository data... Resolving package dependencies... Retrieving package mozilla-nss-devel-3.12.8-1.2.1.x86_64 (2/3), 473.0 KiB (2.6 MiB unpacked) Retrieving: mozilla-nss-devel-3.12.8-1.2.1.x86_64.rpm [done] Installing: mozilla-nss-devel-3.12.8-1.2.1 [done] Retrieving: apache2-mod_nss-1.0.8-17.5.src.rpm [done]
3. Update a Package
Once a package is installed, you can upgrade it to a new version when it becomes available using the update command as shown below.
The following will upgrade only MozillaFirefox package.
zypper update MozillaFirefox
The following will upgrade all the packages on your system to the latest version.
zypper update
You can also view all the available updates using the list-updates option as shown below.
zypper list-updates
4. System Wide Full Distribution Upgrade
To perform a full distribution upgrade on the system, use the dup option along with zypper as shown below:
# zypper dup Warning: You are about to do a distribution upgrade with all enabled repositories. Make sure these repositories are compatible before you continue. See 'man zypper' for more information about this command. Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... Computing distribution upgrade... The following NEW packages are going to be installed: drbd-xen libsoftokn3-32bit mozilla-nspr-32bit mozilla-nss-32bit mozilla-nss-certs-32bit suseRegister xen yast2-registration yast2-registration-branding-SLE The following packages are going to be upgraded: libfreebl3-32bit libnsssharedhelper0 libnsssharedhelper0-32bit The following packages are going to change vendor: libfreebl3-32bit SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany -> openSUSE Build Service libnsssharedhelper0 SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany -> openSUSE Build Service libnsssharedhelper0-32bit SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany -> openSUSE Build Service
5. Delete a Package
To remove a package, use the remove option as shown below. This will also remove all the depedencies.
# zypper remove MozillaFirefox Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... Resolving package dependencies... The following packages are going to be REMOVED: MozillaFirefox MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED 2 packages to remove. After the operation, 3.4 MiB will be freed. Continue? [y/n/?] (y): y Removing MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED-3.5-1.1.5 [done] Removing MozillaFirefox-3.6.16-0.2.1 [done]
6. Search for a Specific Package
To search for a package from a repository use the following command. You can also use wild card in the keyword.
In this example, it will search for all packages that starts with the keyword “usb”.
# zypper search usb* Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... S | Name | Summary | Type --+----------------+----------------------------------------------------------------+-------- | usb_modeswitch | A mode switching tool for controlling multiple-device USB gear | package i | usbutils | Tools and libraries for USB devices | package
7. View Details about a Package
To display information about a specific package, use the info option with zypper as shown below:
# zypper info usbutils Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... Information for package usbutils: Repository: @System Name: usbutils Version: 0.73-38.19 Arch: x86_64 Vendor: SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany Support Level: unknown Installed: Yes Status: up-to-date Installed Size: 461.0 KiB Summary: Tools and libraries for USB devices Description: This package contains a utility for inspecting devices connected to USB ports. It requires kernel version 2.3.99-pre7 or newer, or the USB backport which was introduced in 2.2.18 (supporting the /proc/bus/usb interface).
8. Install Patches using Zypper
You can also use zypper to install patches on your system.
First, view all available patches using patches option as shown below:
zypper patches
Next, you can install a specific patch from the above output using the patch option as shown below.
zypper patch <patch name>
9. Lock a Specific Package
Package lock prevents the changes to the package on the system. Once this lock is set, you cannot remove, upgrade the package.
The following example shows how to setup the package locks and remove it when needed.
Add a package lock to ypbind package using “al” option. al stands for “Add Lock”
# zypper al ypbind Specified lock has been successfully added.
To view all the packages that are locked, use the “ll” option. ll stands for “List Locks”. The following output indicates that “ypbind” package is currently locked, and you cannot remove or upgrade this package.
# zypper ll # | Name | Type | Repository --+--------+---------+----------- 1 | ypbind | package | (any)
10. Remove Lock from a Package
Remove the package lock from ypbind package using “rl” option. rl stands for “Remove Lock”
# zypper rl ypbind Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... 1 lock has been successfully removed.
As you see below, currently no packages are locked.
# zypper ll There are no package locks defined.
II. Manage Repositories using Zypper
11. Add a Repository using Zypper
The general syntax to add a repository using http URI is as follows:
zypper addrepo <options> <URI> <alias>
For example, to add a repository using the URI do the following:
# zypper addrepo --check --refresh --name "Mozilla-repo" http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/mozilla/SLE_11/ "Mozillarepo" Adding repository 'Mozilla-repo' [done] Repository 'Mozilla-repo' successfully added Enabled: Yes Autorefresh: Yes URI: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/mozilla/SLE_11/
12. Create a Local Repository
You can also create a local repository from a local directory on your server that has all the rpm files using the following syntax:
zypper addrepo <Path_to_dir> <Repo Name>
For example, to add a repository called myrepo with the local directory that has all the rpms use the below command:
# zypper addrepo /var/stormgt/dsminst mylocalrepo Adding repository 'mylocalrepo' [done] Repository 'mylocalrepo' successfully added Enabled: Yes Autorefresh: No URI: dir:///var/stormgt/dsminst # zypper search --repo mylocalrepo Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... S | Name | Summary | Type --+-------------+-----------------------------------------+-------- i | TIVsm-API | the API | package i | TIVsm-API64 | the API | package i | TIVsm-BA | the Backup Archive Client | package i | gskcrypt32 | IBM GSKit Cryptography Runtime | package i | gskcrypt64 | IBM GSKit Cryptography Runtime | package i | gskssl32 | IBM GSKit SSL Runtime With Acme Toolkit | package i | gskssl64 | IBM GSKit SSL Runtime With Acme Toolkit | package
You can also add the NFS or FTP location to the repositories using the above command.
13. View Repositories
Your can view all the repositories using the following zypper command:
# zypper lr # | Alias | Name | Enabled | Refresh --+--------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+---------+-------- 1 | Mozillarepo | Mozilla-repo | Yes | Yes 2 | SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-11-SP1 11.1.1-1.152 | SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-11-SP1 11.1.1-1.152 | Yes | Yes
To display the complete URI for the repo, use the following:
# zypper lr --uri # | Alias | Name | Enabled | Refresh | URI --+--------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+---------+---------+---------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Mozillarepo | Mozilla-repo | Yes | Yes | http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/mozilla/SLE_11/ 2 | SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-11-SP1 11.1.1-1.152 | SUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-11-SP1 11.1.1-1.152 | Yes | Yes | http://19.106.65.64/FUSELinux/600RC0
14. Search Packages Inside Repository
To list all the packages from the specific repository, use the following command:
# zypper search --repo Mozillarepo Loading repository data... Reading installed packages... S | Name | Summary | Type --+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------- i | MozillaFirefox | Mozilla Firefox Web Browser | package i | MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED | SLED branding of MozillaFirefox | package | MozillaFirefox-branding-openSUSE | openSUSE branding of MozillaFirefox | package | MozillaFirefox-branding-openSUSE | openSUSE branding of MozillaFirefox | srcpackage
15. Rename a Repository
To rename any repository, use the renamerepo option.
In this example, the repo name “mylocalrepo” has been renamed to “LOCALRPM-Repo”
# zypper renamerepo mylocalrepo LOCALRPM-Repo Repository 'mylocalrepo' renamed to 'LOCALRPM-Repo'.
16. Delete a Repository
To delete a repository use the removerepo option as shown below.
# zypper removerepo LOCALRPM-Repo Removing repository 'mylocalrepo' [done] Repository 'mylocalrepo' has been removed.
17. Backup a Repository
You can backup the repository file that contains the list of repositories using the export option as shown below. This will store the repository list in the backup.repo file.
# zypper lr --export /var/tmp/backup.repo Repositories have been successfully exported to /var/tmp/backup.repo.
18. Add Repositories from a Backup
If you have a previously exported repository file, you can use that to add new repositories using addrepo command as shown below.
zypper addrepo /var/tmp/backup.rep
19. Disable or Enable a Repository
To disable the repository use the modify repo option with -d flag as shown below. This will disable the Mozilla repository.
# zypper modifyrepo -d Mozillarepo Repository 'Mozillarepo' has been successfully disabled.
To enable the repository that was previously disabled, use the -e flag along with modifyrepo option as shown below.
# zypper modifyrepo -e Mozillarepo Repository 'Mozillarepo' has been successfully enabled.
20. Refresh a Repository
It is very important to refresh a repository, when it becomes out of date. You can either do a manual refresh as shown in the below example or set to refresh automatically when needed.
# zypper refresh Mozillarepo Repository 'Mozilla-repo' is up to date. Specified repositories have been refreshed.
To set auto refresh option for a specific repository, please use the command as shown in below example:
# zypper modifyrepo --refresh mylocalrepo Autorefresh has been enabled for repository 'mylocalrepo'.
My name is Ramesh Natarajan. I will be posting instruction guides, how-to, troubleshooting tips and tricks on Linux, database, hardware, security and web. My focus is to write articles that will either teach you or help you resolve a problem. Read more about
Comments on this entry are closed.
Excellent…. Very nice article.
Very nice article. Thank you for sharing
Very Good Article.
Hi Ramesh Natarajan,
Each and every article looks great to learn.
Do we have any article on how to write scripts also ?
I’m interested to learn how to write scripts.
Can you guide me.
Thanks
Arun
Thanks for the wonderful article. When I try to install python-devel, I get the below error. Can you tell me how I should resolve this.
/home/Installs/ODBC_14.10 # zypper in python-devel
Loading repository data…
Reading installed packages…
‘python-devel’ not found.
Resolving package dependencies…
Nothing to do.
Hi,
I have small doubt that, how to configure zapped configuration…. Is it similar to YUM in Rhel.. Please let me… Thank you….
Hi,
very nice article man !
However it’s openSUSE not OpenSUSE ; ).
Regards,
Hi, Can u help me to install R 3.2.3 in opensuse platform
regards
Thanks mate, just what I needed.
Good job.