Managing Software Modules with DNF command in Linux

DNF supports managing software modules, which provide a way to deliver a set of software packages and updates on different lifecycles and with varying stability.

To list available modules, use the following command:

# dnf module list

For example

# dnf module list
Last metadata expiration check: 0:33:31 ago on Mon Aug 14 17:10:38 2023.
AlmaLinux 9 - AppStream
Name       Stream  Profiles                           Summary
maven      3.8     common [d]                         Java project management and project comprehension tool
nginx      1.22    common [d]                         nginx webserver
nodejs     18      common [d], development, minimal,  Javascript runtime
                   s2i
php        8.1 [e] common [d], devel, minimal         PHP scripting language
postgresql 15      client, server                     PostgreSQL server and client module
ruby       3.1     common [d]                         An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language

AlmaLinux 9 - CRB
Name       Stream  Profiles                           Summary
swig       4.1     common [d], complete               Connects C/C++/Objective C to some high-level programming languag
                                                      es

Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled

This command will display a list of all available modules, including their names, stream versions, and descriptions. Modules often represent different software stacks, language versions, or application variants.

To enable a specific module stream, you can use the following command:

# sudo dnf module enable module-name:stream-version

For example, to enable the "php" module with stream version "8.1", you'd use:

# sudo dnf module enable php:8.1

To disable a module, use the following command:

# sudo dnf module disable module-name

For example, to disable the "php" module, use:

# sudo dnf module disable php

Disabling a module stops DNF from installing packages from that module.

Conclusion

With the ability to manage software modules, DNF provides a flexible way to handle different software stacks and updates on your RPM-based Linux distribution. By understanding how to list, enable, and disable modules, you can effectively manage the software packages that you need while maintaining system stability.

================================================================================== Was this article of use to you? Post your insightful thoughts or recommendations in the comments section if you don't find this article to be helpful or if you see any outdated information, a problem, or a typo to help this article better. ==================================================================================