dnf Command in Linux: Install, Update, and Manage Packages

When you manage software on Fedora, RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or another RPM-based distribution, most package tasks go through dnf. You use it to install packages, apply updates, search repositories, clean caches, and inspect package history from the command line.

Most dnf commands require root privileges, so you need to run them with sudo .

This guide explains the most common dnf commands for day-to-day package management, including the newer DNF5 repository syntax used on current Fedora releases.

dnf Command Syntax #

The basic dnf syntax is:

dnf [OPTIONS] COMMAND [PACKAGE|PATTERN]

For commands that change the system, such as installing, removing, or upgrading packages, run dnf with sudo:

sudo dnf install package_name

On Fedora 41 and later, the dnf command is backed by DNF5. RHEL-family distributions may still use DNF4 behavior depending on the release, which matters most for repository management commands.

Checking for Updates #

Before installing or upgrading packages, check which packages have updates available:

dnf check-update

The command lists all packages with available updates and returns exit code 100 if updates are available, or 0 if the system is up to date. This makes it useful in scripts.

Upgrading Packages #

To upgrade all installed packages to their latest available versions, run:

sudo dnf upgrade

To refresh the repository metadata and upgrade in one step:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

To upgrade a single package:

sudo dnf upgrade package_name

To apply only security updates:

sudo dnf upgrade --security

Installing Packages #

To install a package, run:

sudo dnf install package_name

To skip the confirmation prompt, add the -y (--assumeyes) flag. This is common in scripts and automated setups where no interactive input is available:

sudo dnf install -y package_name

The same flag works with upgrade, remove, and other commands that ask for confirmation, for example sudo dnf upgrade -y.

To install multiple packages at once, specify them as a space-separated list:

sudo dnf install package1 package2

To install a local RPM file, provide the full path:

sudo dnf install /full/path/package.rpm

dnf automatically resolves and installs all required dependencies.

To reinstall a package (for example, to restore corrupted files):

sudo dnf reinstall package_name

Removing Packages #

To remove an installed package:

sudo dnf remove package_name

You can specify multiple packages separated by spaces:

sudo dnf remove package1 package2

The remove command also removes packages that depend on the one being removed.

Removing Unused Dependencies #

When a package is removed, its dependencies may no longer be needed by any other package. To remove these orphaned dependencies:

sudo dnf autoremove

Searching for Packages #

To search for a package by name or description:

dnf search package_name

The command searches both package names and summaries. To search only in package names:

dnf search --names-only package_name

Package Information #

To display detailed information about a package, including its version, repository, size, and description:

dnf info package_name

This works for both installed and available packages.

Finding Which Package Provides a File #

To find which package provides a specific file or command:

dnf provides /usr/bin/curl

This is useful when a command is missing and you need to know which package to install.

Listing Packages #

To list all installed packages:

dnf list installed

To list all available packages from enabled repositories:

dnf list available

To check whether a specific package is installed:

dnf list installed package_name

To list packages that have updates available:

dnf list updates

Package Groups #

DNF organizes related packages into groups. To list all available groups:

dnf group list

To install a group (for example, “Development Tools”):

sudo dnf group install "Development Tools"

To remove a group:

sudo dnf group remove "Development Tools"

Module Streams #

DNF modules allow you to install specific versions (streams) of software from repositories that provide modular content. They are common on RHEL and AppStream-based systems, but may not be available for every distribution or package. For example, a repository may let you choose between Node.js 18 and 20.

To list available modules:

dnf module list

To enable a specific module stream:

sudo dnf module enable nodejs:20

To install a module with its default profile:

sudo dnf module install nodejs:20

To reset a module to its default state:

sudo dnf module reset nodejs

Managing Repositories #

Use dnf repolist to inspect enabled repositories:

dnf repolist

To list all repositories, including disabled ones:

dnf repolist all

On Fedora releases that use DNF5, enable a repository with config-manager setopt:

sudo dnf config-manager setopt repo_id.enabled=1

Disable it by setting the same option to 0:

sudo dnf config-manager setopt repo_id.enabled=0

On DNF4-based systems, such as many current RHEL-family releases, install the plugin package if the subcommand is missing:

sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core

Then use the older enable and disable syntax:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled repo_id
sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled repo_id

To show detailed information about a repository:

dnf repoinfo repo_id

Cleaning the Cache #

DNF caches repository metadata and downloaded packages locally. To clear all cached data:

sudo dnf clean all

To rebuild the metadata cache:

sudo dnf makecache

Cleaning the cache is useful when you encounter stale metadata errors or want to free disk space.

Transaction History #

DNF records every transaction (install, upgrade, remove) in a history log. To view the transaction history:

dnf history

To see the details of a specific transaction:

dnf history info 25

To undo a transaction (revert the changes it made):

sudo dnf history undo 25

This is useful when an upgrade causes problems and you need to roll back.

Quick Reference #

For a printable quick reference, see the DNF cheatsheet .

Troubleshooting #

“Error: Failed to download metadata for repo”
The repository metadata is stale or the mirror is unreachable. Run sudo dnf clean all followed by sudo dnf makecache to refresh the cache. If the problem persists, check your network connection and the repository URL in /etc/yum.repos.d/.

“No match for argument: package_name”
The package does not exist in any enabled repository. Verify the package name with dnf search and check that the correct repository is enabled with dnf repolist.

Dependency conflict during upgrade
If a dependency conflict prevents an upgrade, review the error message carefully. You can retry with sudo dnf upgrade --allowerasing, but only after confirming which packages will be removed.

“Unknown argument –set-enabled” with config-manager
You are likely using DNF5. Use sudo dnf config-manager setopt repo_id.enabled=1 to enable the repository, or sudo dnf config-manager setopt repo_id.enabled=0 to disable it.

GPG key verification failed
The repository GPG key is not imported. DNF prompts you to accept the key during the first install from a new repository. If you need to import it manually, use sudo rpm --import KEY_URL.

Transaction undo fails
Not all transactions can be undone. If packages have been updated by later transactions, the undo may conflict. Check dnf history info ID for details and consider a manual rollback.

FAQ #

What is the difference between dnf and yum?
dnf is the successor to yum. It uses the same repository format and configuration files, but provides faster dependency resolution, better memory usage, and a more consistent command interface. On modern Fedora and RHEL systems, yum is a symlink to dnf.

Is dnf update the same as dnf upgrade?
Yes. dnf update is an alias for dnf upgrade. Both commands upgrade all installed packages to the latest available versions.

How do I install a specific version of a package?
Specify the version with a dash: sudo dnf install package_name-1.2.3. To list all available versions, use dnf --showduplicates list package_name.

How do I prevent a package from being upgraded?
Use the versionlock plugin: sudo dnf install 'dnf-command(versionlock)', then sudo dnf versionlock add package_name. To remove the lock later, use sudo dnf versionlock delete package_name.

What is the equivalent of apt autoremove in dnf?
The equivalent is sudo dnf autoremove. It removes packages that were installed as dependencies but are no longer required by any installed package.

Conclusion #

dnf handles the main package management workflow on RPM-based distributions: installing, upgrading, removing, searching, and troubleshooting packages. Keep the DNF cheatsheet handy for the commands you use most often, and run man dnf when you need the full command reference.

About the authors

Dejan Panovski

Dejan Panovski is the founder of Linuxize, an RHCSA-certified Linux system administrator and DevOps engineer based in Skopje, Macedonia. Author of 800+ Linux tutorials with 20+ years of experience turning complex Linux tasks into clear, reliable guides.

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