Difference between YUM and Up2date

YUM vs Up2date

YUM refers to Yellow dog Updater Modified. YUM is an open source and free command line utility for package management . This command line is only compatible with the Linux operating system as it has a RPM facility integrated in its build. The concept behind the development of YUM is to find out the various dependencies that are needed when installation of a small package is needed. This utility is invaluable especially in making it easy to manage various machines without the need of updating each machine with an RPM command. With YUM, all packages are stored in the root directory referred to as /var/cache/yum/.

Up2date on the other hand is a command tool that is commonly used by most of the Linux operating systems such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS or even Fedora Core in the package manager. Up2date comes with an excellent dependency resolution feature. If you need to find the directory location for Up2date, you will find it in /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources. The location specified is the location whereby Up2date will scout for various packages present as well as download and install newer updates that are needed by the Linux operating system. In reference to the use of the Red Hat Package manager, Up2date is the front end utility.

Differences and Similarities

The first comparison that comes is that these two commands is that they both function to check and update RPMs in the operating system. The big difference that is noted however is seen when the specific commands that are used. Yum uses # yum update while Up2date uses # Up2date – U. When checking for updates that are specific to the RPM or package, YUM and Up2date will employ the same commands as shown earlier.

When it comes to the installation of a specific package, YUM will use #yum install for the installation while Up2date makes use of # Up2date – i. In instances where a given package ought to be removed, the use of #yum remove will be employed in YUM while Up2date will use # rpm – e for the removal of a given package and its dependent packages. To show the available installed packages that run in the system and its sources, Yum employs # yum list available while up2date makes use of # up2date – show available.

Updates are a common feature in any program line that allows for newer and more efficient versions of the program to be updated.  YUM will make use of a command line # yum group update while Up2date makes use of #up2date – u @ for updates. Installation of the default packages group will make use of #Yum groupinstall while up2date uses # up2date-i @.

If interested in knowing of the specific packages that are available, use of # yum grouplist for YUM or # up2date – show-groups will give the desired end result.  To install a package based on specific architecture, the use of the command line # yum install for YUM and use of # up2date – arch=i386.mysql should be employed. To know of all packages that are not available through subscribed channels or even a repository, # yum list extras is used by YUM while # up2date – show-orphans is used in up2date.

Summary

YUM refers to Yellow dog Updater Modified a package management and open source command line.

YUM makes it easy to update multiple machines without the need of updating RPM in each machine

Up2date a command tool that is a great package manager

The two perform similar functions which are instituted by different commands.

Both command lines run in the Linux environment  

The location of Uptodate directory is in in /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources

Root directory for YUM is /var/cache/yum/

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