YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) – Definition & Detailed Explanation – Operating Systems Glossary Terms

What is YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified)?

YUM, which stands for Yellowdog Updater, Modified, is a package management tool that is commonly used in Linux operating systems. It was originally developed for the Yellow Dog Linux distribution but has since been adopted by many other Linux distributions. YUM is designed to simplify the process of installing, updating, and removing software packages on a Linux system.

How does YUM work?

YUM works by connecting to online repositories that contain software packages for the Linux distribution. These repositories are maintained by the distribution’s developers and contain a wide range of software packages that users can install on their systems. When a user wants to install a new package using YUM, the tool will download the package from the repository and install it on the system. YUM also keeps track of dependencies between packages, ensuring that all required dependencies are installed along with the package being installed.

What are the benefits of using YUM?

There are several benefits to using YUM as a package management tool. One of the main benefits is that it simplifies the process of installing and updating software packages on a Linux system. YUM handles dependencies automatically, so users do not have to worry about manually installing required packages. Additionally, YUM provides a centralized way to manage software packages, making it easy to keep track of installed packages and update them when new versions are available.

How to use YUM in operating systems?

Using YUM in operating systems is relatively straightforward. To install a new package using YUM, users can simply open a terminal window and use the “yum install” command followed by the name of the package they want to install. YUM will then download the package from the repository and install it on the system. To update all installed packages, users can use the “yum update” command. YUM also provides commands for removing packages, searching for packages, and managing repositories.

What are some common YUM commands?

There are several common YUM commands that users can use to manage software packages on their Linux systems. Some of the most commonly used commands include:
– yum install [package]: Installs a new package on the system.
– yum update: Updates all installed packages to their latest versions.
– yum remove [package]: Removes a package from the system.
– yum search [keyword]: Searches for packages containing the specified keyword.
– yum list: Lists all installed packages on the system.

How does YUM compare to other package management tools?

YUM is not the only package management tool available for Linux systems. Other popular package management tools include APT (Advanced Package Tool) used in Debian-based distributions and Zypper used in openSUSE. While these tools have similar functionality to YUM, there are some key differences. YUM uses RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) packages, while APT uses .deb packages. Additionally, YUM is specifically designed for Red Hat-based distributions, while APT and Zypper are used in other distributions. Overall, YUM is a powerful and user-friendly package management tool that is widely used in the Linux community.