How to yum uninstall
If you are using a Linux distribution based on the Red Hat package manager, commonly known as the Yum package manager, you may come across situations where you need to uninstall packages. Uninstalling packages using Yum is a straightforward process that can be done through the command line.
Yum stands for “Yellowdog Updater, Modified” and is used primarily in Red Hat-based operating systems to manage software packages. It simplifies the process of installing, updating, and removing software on the system.
When it comes to uninstalling packages, Yum provides a simple command that allows you to remove unwanted packages and their associated dependencies. This ensures that no unnecessary files or dependencies are left behind on your system, freeing up disk space and ensuring efficient system performance.
In this article, we will walk you through the steps to uninstall packages using Yum on a Linux distribution based on the Red Hat package manager, helping you effectively manage the software on your system.
Removing packages with yum
yum is a command-line package manager that is commonly used in Red Hat and CentOS based Linux distributions. It allows you to install, update, and remove software packages from the command-line interface. When you no longer need a specific package on your system, you can easily remove it using the yum uninstall command.
To remove a package with yum, you need to know the name of the package. You can search for the package to be removed using the yum search command followed by the package name. Once you have identified the package, you can proceed with the removal process.
Here’s how you can remove a package with yum:
- Open a terminal or command-line interface.
- Log in as the root user or use the sudo command to execute commands with administrative privileges.
- Use the following command to remove the package:
sudo yum remove package-name
Replace package-name with the name of the package to be removed. Press Enter to execute the command.
After you confirm the removal, yum will uninstall the specified package and remove any dependencies that are no longer necessary. It will also update the system to reflect the changes made.
It’s important to note that removing a package with yum will permanently delete it from your system. Therefore, make sure to verify the package name and any potential consequences before executing the removal command.
Additionally, if you ever need to reinstall a previously removed package, you can use the yum install command followed by the package name to install it again.
With the straightforward process provided by yum, you can easily remove packages from your Linux system, keeping it clean and efficient.
Step 1: Check installed packages
Before uninstalling any package using yum, it’s important to first check the list of installed packages. This will help you identify the package that you want to uninstall.
Follow these steps to check the installed packages:
- Open your terminal.
- Execute the command “yum list installed”.
- The command will display a list of all the installed packages on your system.
You can scroll through the list or use the search function to find a specific package.
Once you have identified the package that you want to uninstall, you can proceed to the next step to uninstall it using yum.
Step 2: Search for the package
The next step in uninstalling a package using the yum package manager is to search for the package that you want to remove. It is important to know the exact name of the package in order to successfully uninstall it.
To search for the package, open a terminal and type the following command:
yum search <package_name>Replace <package_name> with the actual name of the package that you want to remove. Press Enter to execute the command.
The terminal will display a list of packages that match the search criteria. This list will include the name, description, and version of each package. Take note of the name and version of the package that you want to uninstall.
If you are unsure of the exact name of the package, you can use wildcards to search for packages. For example, if you want to remove all versions of a certain package, you can use the following command:
yum search <package_name>*This will search for all packages that have names starting with <package_name> followed by any characters.
Note that the search results may include multiple packages with similar names. Make sure to select the correct package before proceeding with the uninstallation process.
Step 3: Uninstall the package
To uninstall a package using yum, use the yum remove command followed by the name of the package you want to remove. This command removes both the package and any associated dependencies that are no longer required.
For example, if you want to uninstall the package named example-1.0, you would run the following command:
yum remove example-1.0
After you run the command, yum will display a list of the packages it will remove, including the package you specified and any dependencies. Type y and press Enter to confirm the removal and proceed with the uninstallation process.
Removing Specific Versions
If multiple versions of a package are installed on your system, you can specify the version of the package you want to uninstall by using the package-version format. For example:
yum remove example-1.0-1
This command will remove the specific version 1.0-1 of the package named example.
Removing Unused Dependencies
If you want to remove only the package you specified and keep any dependencies that are still required by other packages, you can use the autoremove option. This will remove the specified package and all of its installed dependencies that are no longer needed.
To use this option, run the following command:
yum remove example-1.0 --autoremove
With the –autoremove option, yum will check for other packages that no longer need the specified package and remove them as well.
Remember that when you uninstall a package, any data or configuration files associated with that package may still remain on your system. If you want to completely remove all traces of the package, refer to the package documentation or check its installation directory for any remaining files that you may need to manually remove.
Step 4: Confirm the removal
Once you have selected the package you want to uninstall using the yum remove command, you will be prompted to confirm the removal. Yum will display a list of the packages that will be removed as well as the space they are taking up on your system. This allows you to review the packages and ensure that you are removing the correct ones.
Note: Take caution when reviewing the list of packages, as removing important dependencies could cause issues with other installed software.
After reviewing the list, you can confirm the removal process by typing ‘y‘ for ‘yes’ and pressing Enter. This will initiate the uninstallation process, removing the selected package(s) from your system.
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