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.

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