9 Managing Software with Command
Line Tools
This chapter describes Zypper and RPM, two command line tools for managing soft-
ware. For a denition of the terminology used in this context (for example, repository,
patch, or update) refer to Section 5.1, “Denition of Terms” (page 79).
9.1 Using Zypper
Zypper is a command line package manager for installing, updating and removing
packages as well as for managing repositories. It is especially useful for accomplishing
remote software management tasks or managing software from shell scripts.
9.1.1 General Usage
The general syntax of Zypper is:
zypper [global-options]
command
[command-options][arguments] ...
The components enclosed in brackets are not required. The simplest way to execute
Zypper is to type its name, followed by a command. For example, to apply all needed
patches to the system type:
zypper patch
Additionally, you can choose from one or more global options by typing them just
before the command. For example, --non-interactive means running the command
without asking anything (automatically applying the default answers):
zypper --non-interactive patch
To use the options specic to a particular command, type them right after the com-
mand. For example, --auto-agree-with-licenses means applying all needed patches
to the system without asking to conrm any licenses (they will automatically be ac-
cepted):
zypper patch --auto-agree-with-licenses
Some commands require one or more arguments. When using the install command,
for example, you need to specify which package(s) to install:
zypper install mplayer
Managing Software with Command Line Tools 111
