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These 20 DNF commands cover package installation and removal, updates, repository discovery, cache maintenance, and transaction recovery. The examples below use DNF4-compatible syntax; check your distribution’s installed dnf --help or dnf5 --help and manual because available commands, defaults, and syntax can vary.
DNF manages packages on RPM-based distributions. In the examples, <package> means a package name, <term> a search phrase, <repo-id> a repository identifier, and <transaction-id> an ID shown by dnf history. Replace each placeholder with a real value; do not type the angle brackets.
Before running DNF commands: identify your version
DNF4 and DNF5 are not identical in every detail. Fedora Linux 41 made DNF5 the default for new installs and system upgrades, but DNF4 may remain installed. Other distributions can ship different versions, plugins, and defaults. The DNF5 documentation describes it as “the new version of DNF, a package manager for RPM-based Linux distributions.” See the DNF5 Package Management Utility documentation and its DNF4-to-DNF5 CLI changes when checking syntax.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe commands below use DNF4-style examples. Before confirming any operation that changes packages, read the proposed transaction: dependency resolution can add, remove, upgrade, or downgrade packages beyond the one named. Repository configuration also affects what DNF can install; the global configuration is typically /etc/dnf/dnf.conf, with repository files under /etc/yum.repos.d, though distributions can override settings. See the DNF configuration reference.
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Install, remove, and update packages
1. Install a package
dnf install <package>
Installs the named package and any required dependencies from enabled repositories. Review the transaction summary and confirm that the package is coming from an expected repository before accepting.
2. Remove a package
dnf remove <package>
Removes the package. Packages that depend on it may also be removed, and under the default clean_requirements_on_remove behavior DNF may remove dependencies that are no longer needed. Inspect every proposed removal before proceeding; the setting and behavior can vary by system. See the DNF configuration reference.
3. Upgrade packages
dnf upgrade
Updates installed packages to the latest versions DNF can resolve from enabled repositories. Because this can change multiple packages, review the transaction and repository sources before confirming. Repository choice matters: Fedora’s DNF FAQ cautions that installing Rawhide packages on a stable Fedora release can produce less-tested package combinations.
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dnf check-update
Checks whether enabled repositories offer updates without applying them. An exit code indicating that updates are available is not necessarily an execution failure; account for that behavior when using the command in scripts.
5. Apply security-filtered updates or inspect advisories
dnf updateinfo
Displays advisory information where supported and available. To request security-filtered updates, use dnf upgrade --security on versions that support it. This filtering depends on advisory metadata from repositories and on command support in the installed DNF generation; it is not a guarantee of a complete security audit. Consult your distribution’s documentation and the DNF5 command reference for version-specific support.
Find packages and inspect repositories
6. List enabled repositories
dnf repolist
Shows enabled repositories. To include disabled repositories in the listing, run dnf repolist --all. Use this before installing or upgrading if you need to verify which package sources are active.
7. Search package names and descriptions
dnf search <term>
Searches package names and descriptions for the supplied term. Use a distinctive word or phrase, then inspect likely matches with dnf info before choosing one.
8. Read package information
dnf info <package>
Displays package summary and description information, helping you distinguish similarly named packages before installation. The exact fields shown can depend on the DNF version and repository metadata.
9. List installed packages
dnf list --installed
Lists installed packages. DNF list modes can also show available or all packages; consult the installed version’s help for the precise modes and output available on your distribution.
10. Find which package provides a file or capability
dnf provides <file-or-capability>
Searches package metadata for a package that provides a command, file, or capability. For example, query a full file path when you need to identify which package supplies it.
11. Query packages in enabled repositories
dnf repoquery <package>
Queries repository-side package information for enabled repositories. It is useful when you want to inspect what repositories offer rather than query only the RPMs already installed on the system.
Refresh or clear cached data
12. Refresh repository metadata
dnf makecache
Creates or refreshes the local metadata cache for enabled repositories. Use it when repository metadata may be stale; repositories may require network access for the refresh to complete.
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13. Clear selected cache data
dnf clean <metadata|packages|all>
Removes the selected cached metadata, downloaded packages, or both, according to the argument and DNF version. Cleaning the cache does not remove the installed package set.
Review package transactions and recover carefully
14. List recorded transactions
dnf history
Lists package transactions recorded by DNF. What you can review depends on what was recorded and retained, so history may not provide a complete record of every change on a system.
15. Inspect a transaction
dnf history info <transaction-id>
Shows details for a recorded transaction. Use it to understand what changed before attempting a corrective action.
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16. Attempt to undo a transaction
dnf history undo <transaction-id>
Attempts an inverse operation for the selected recorded transaction. It is not a guaranteed rollback: the undo can be impossible if the current RPM database state, available packages, or dependencies prevent DNF from resolving it.
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Clean up or align installed packages
17. Remove unneeded dependency packages
dnf autoremove
Proposes removing packages that were installed as dependencies and are no longer needed. Check the full transaction carefully to make sure it will not remove software your system still relies on.
18. Synchronize packages with enabled repositories
dnf distro-sync
Synchronizes installed package versions with versions available in enabled repositories. It can upgrade or downgrade packages, so review the proposed changes and repository set before confirming.
19. Reinstall a package
dnf reinstall <package>
Reinstalls a package when it is installed and the same package is available from a configured repository. If the package is unavailable from enabled sources, DNF cannot reinstall it using this command.
20. Downgrade a package
dnf downgrade <package>
Moves a package to an older version available from configured repositories when dependency resolution permits. The desired version must be available, and related package constraints can prevent the downgrade.
Keep DNF4 and DNF5 history in context
Fedora Linux 41 made DNF5 the default for new installs and system upgrades. DNF4 and DNF5 can share an RPM database, but they use different state files and do not share transaction histories concurrently. Package install reasons may also appear as user-installed when viewed across versions. Avoid switching between the tools as though their history and state were identical; see the DNF5 migration and CLI changes documentation for details.
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