RPM package file signature
Magic number at the start of the file
RPM packages begin with the four magic bytes ED AB EE DB, followed by the format version and a lead structure. The payload inside is usually a cpio archive compressed with xz or zstd.
What this magic number means
A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes ED AB EE DB, it is a RPM package file.
Formats that use the ED AB EE DB signature
These file types in our database carry this signature:
How to check a file's signature
You can read the first bytes of any file yourself. The magic bytes are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.
Linux & macOS
- xxd -l 16 example.rpm
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.rpm
- file example.rpm
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.rpm -Count 16
Python
- open("example.rpm","rb").read(4).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RPM package file signature?
RPM package files start with the hex bytes ED AB EE DB. This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.
How do I check a file's magic number?
Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.rpm on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.rpm -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the RPM package signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine RPM package file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really RPM package, whatever its name says.