RPM 6.1 is out, arriving about a year after RPM 6.0. It’s a major update to the package manager behind Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and their relatives. The headline change is a new release model inspired by the Linux kernel. Full details are in the release notes. Here’s what’s new.
The new release model borrows from how the Linux kernel ships. The aim is more predictable, structured releases over time. RPM’s maintainers spell out the specifics in the release notes.
Installs should also be quicker. RPM 6.1 closes file descriptors more efficiently on modern systems. That requires Linux kernel 5.11 or later and glibc 2.34 or later. The change trims installation time by about 26 percent.
User and group handling gets attention too. RPM 6.1 restores NSS-based user and group lookups by default. RPM 4.19 had disabled them somewhat eagerly. The release also lets the system runtime environment supply users and groups.
Packagers gain new tools as well. There are fresh %define options for expansion at definition and global context. A new macro modifier syntax supports literal and one-shot macros. RPM 6.1 also ships new man pages.
Signing improves in a couple of ways. rpmsign(1) can now sign files with PKCS11 tokens. The keystore locking mechanism uses a separate lock instead of the transaction lock.
Several command-line tools were refined. rpmuncompress(1) now honors rpm-common(8) options and supports CAR files. It and rpm-setup-autosign(1) moved to the standard $PATH. Symlinks stay in /usr/lib/rpm for backward compatibility. And rpmbuild(1) now understands the k build stage for the %check scriptlet.
The release fixes several issues too. The syslog plugin no longer shows misleading operation names or duplicate messages. It also works better with the systemd journal. rpm --undefine and Lua’s rpm.undefine() no longer bypass sanity checks. Build and verification error handling improves. And RPM 6.1 clears Clang compilation errors and warnings, alongside various API and Lua tweaks.
RPM 6.1 is available now as a source tarball on GitHub. It will become the default package manager in upcoming RHEL releases and derivatives. That includes openSUSE and Fedora Linux 45.
FAQ
What’s the big change in RPM 6.1? A new release model inspired by the Linux kernel, aimed at more predictable releases.
See also: Mastering the Linux Command Line — Your Complete Free Training Guide
How much faster are installs? About 26 percent, thanks to more efficient file-descriptor handling.
What do I need for that speedup? Linux kernel 5.11 or later and glibc 2.34 or later.
What changed with users and groups? NSS-based lookups are on by default again, after RPM 4.19 disabled them. The system runtime can also supply users and groups.
Does it help package maintainers? Yes. You get new %define options, a macro modifier syntax for literal and one-shot macros, PKCS11 signing, and new man pages.
When will I get it? It’s set to ship as the default in upcoming RHEL, openSUSE, and Fedora Linux 45.
Where are the full details? In the RPM 6.1.0 release notes.
