This article helps you to understand, how to enable or configure the EPEL repository.
About EPEL
EPEL stands for Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux. This repository is maintained by a group of Fedora community members. It is a free and open-source repository. It is not only for Enterprise Linux but also supports for Redhat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Oracle Linux, and Scientific Linux.
How to enable EPEL repository in RHEL/CentOS 7
RHEL/CentOS 7:-
To execute the below commands please switch to the root user.
Step1:-
[root@localhost ~]# wget http://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm [root@localhost ~]# rpm -ivh epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm Preparing... ################################# [100%] Updating / installing... 1:epel-release-7-11 ################################# [100%]
Step2:-
[root@localhost ~]# yum install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm
This rpm can be downloaded from the Fedora official page. https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL
RHEL/CentOS 6:-
[root@localhost ~]# wget https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-6.noarch.rpm [root@localhost ~]# rpm -ivh epel-release-latest-6.noarch.rpm
Once you completed the installation you can confirm it with the help of below command.
[root@localhost ~]# yum repolist Loaded plugins: fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: centos.excellmedia.net * epel: del-repos.extreme-ix.org * extras: centos.excellmedia.net * updates: centos.excellmedia.net repo id repo name status base/7/x86_64 CentOS-7 - Base 9,911 epel/x86_64 Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux 7 - x86_64 12,672 extras/7/x86_64 CentOS-7 - Extras 402 updates/7/x86_64 CentOS-7 - Updates 1,333 repolist: 24,318
How to remove the EPEL repository?
If you want to remove the installed repository run below commands.
[root@localhost ~]# rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/epel.repo epel-release-7-11.noarch [root@localhost ~]# yum remove epel-release [root@localhost ~]# yum clean all
It’s really useful those who are working on CentOS as some of the latest rpms are available only in EPEL repository and it will not be enabled by default as like yum repository in RedHat(eg: chrony rpm is available in EPEL repository which mandatory for ec2 instances).
I prefer to use “rpm -e –nodeps” to remove the rpms from the server as it will not throw any error even if the dependent rpms are still exist.