What is a .rpm file?
RPM Package · Disk image · Red Hat · 1997
An RPM is a software package for Red Hat-based Linux systems such as Fedora, RHEL and openSUSE. Like a DEB it bundles a program with its metadata and install scripts, and you install it with the system's package manager rather than opening it by hand.
What is a .rpm file used for?
RPM is the packaging format of the Red Hat family. A .rpm holds the app's files plus information about its version, dependencies and any scripts to run during installation.
You install one with the package manager: dnf install ./file.rpm on Fedora, zypper on openSUSE, or the lower-level rpm -i command. The package manager resolves dependencies for you.
It is the counterpart to the DEB used by Debian and Ubuntu; the two are not interchangeable, though conversion tools exist.
What opens a .rpm file?
The .rpm format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- Not applicable (inspect with 7-Zip)
macOS
- Not applicable
Linux
- Software Center
- dnf
- zypper
- rpm
- Archive Manager (to inspect)
Web
- Not applicable
Open a .rpm file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .rpm. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Not applicable (inspect with 7-Zip).
- On Mac, use Not applicable.
- On Linux, try Software Center or dnf.
- Still stuck? Convert the .rpm to Not convertible, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .rpm file?
Almost always because no installed app understands RPM. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .rpm at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .rpm file
You can convert a .rpm file to Not convertible using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .rpm file signature (magic bytes)?
A .rpm file starts with the hex bytes ED AB EE DB. Programs identify RPM by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for RPM. For a full breakdown, see the RPM package file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED AB EE DB | 0 | - | RPM lead magic |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .rpm file?
An RPM is a software package for Red Hat-based Linux systems such as Fedora, RHEL and openSUSE. Like a DEB it bundles a program with its metadata and install scripts, and you install it with the system's package manager rather than opening it by hand.
How do I install an RPM file?
Use your package manager: sudo dnf install ./file.rpm on Fedora or RHEL, or sudo zypper install file.rpm on openSUSE. These resolve dependencies; the plain sudo rpm -i file.rpm does not.
What is the difference between RPM and DEB?
They do the same job for different Linux families: RPM for Fedora, RHEL and openSUSE; DEB for Debian and Ubuntu. Each is installed by its own package manager, and they are not directly interchangeable.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references. How sources are ranked and what is deliberately left out is set out in the methodology.