RPMDB(8)
2025-04-15
NAME
rpmdb - RPM Database Tool
SYNOPSIS
rpmdb [options] {--initdb|--rebuilddb}
rpmdb [options] {--verifydb}
rpmdb [options] {--exportdb|--importdb}
DESCRIPTION
The rpmdb is used for rpm database maintenance operations.
OPERATIONS
--initdb
Create a new database if one doesn't already exist. An existing database is not overwritten.
--rebuilddb
Rebuild database from the installed package headers. Rebuilding discards any unreadable (corrupt) headers from the database, but also compacts the database in case it has grown large over time.
Can also be used to convert between different rpmdb formats.
--verifydb
Perform a low-level integrity check on the database. Rarely useful, for system health rpm --verify -a is a far more meaningful operation.
--exportdb
Export the database in header-list format, suitable for transporting to another host or database type. The data is output to standard output.
--importdb
Imports a database from a header-list format as created by --exportdb. The data is reaad from standard input.
OPTIONS
See rpm-common(8) for the options common to all rpm executables.
CONFIGURATION
There are several configurables affecting the rpmdb operations, but in particular the following (see rpm-config(5) for details):
- %_dbpath
- %_db_backend
EXIT STATUS
On success, 0 is returned, a non-zero failure code otherwise.
EXAMPLES
rpmdb --initdb --dbpath /tmp/testdb
Initialize a new database in /tmp/testdb directory.
rpmdb --rebuilddb
Rebuild the system rpmdb.
rpmdb --verifydb --root /mnt
Verify the system database of a system image mounted at /mnt.
rpmdb --exportdb > /tmp/headers
Export the system database to /tmp/headers file.
rpmdb --importdb --define "_db_backend ndb" --dbpath /tmp/newdb < /tmp/headers
Import contents of /tmp/headers header list to a (new) ndb-format database in /tmp/newdb.
OPTIONS
See rpm-common(8) for the options common to all operations.
SEE ALSO
popt(3), rpm(8), rpm-common(8)
rpmdb --help - as rpm(8) supports customizing the options via popt aliases it's impossible to guarantee that what's described in the manual matches what's available.