DNF5 Configuration Reference<a class="headerlink" href="#dnf5-configuration-reference" title="Link to this heading">

If enabled, DNF5 allows downgrading packages while resolving dependencies.

Default: True.

allow_vendor_change

If disabled DNF5 will stick to vendor when upgrading or downgrading rpms.

Default: True.

Warning

This option is currently not supported for downgrade and distro-sync commands

assumeno

If enabled DNF5 will assume No where it would normally prompt for confirmation from user input

Default: False.

assumeyes

If enabled DNF5 will assume Yes where it would normally prompt for confirmation from user input (see also defaultyes).

Default: False.

best

If True, instructs the solver to either use a package with the highest available version or fail. If False, do not fail if the latest version cannot be installed and go with the lower version.

Default: True.

Note

This option in particular can be set in your configuration file by your distribution.

cachedir

Path to a directory used by various DNF5 subsystems for storing cache data including repositories metadata and downloaded packages. Has a reasonable root-writable default depending on the distribution. DNF5 needs to be able to create files and directories at this location.

Regular user default: ~/.cache/libdnf5.

For superuser the value is overwritten by system_cachedir option.

cacheonly

Can be all, metadata, none.

If set to all DNF5 will run entirely from system cache, will not update the cache and will use the system cache even if it is expired.

If set to metadata DNF5 will cache metadata only.

Default: none.

Note

API Notes: Must be set before repository objects are created. Plugins must set this in the pre_config hook. Later changes are ignored.

check_config_file_age

If enabled DNF5 should automatically expire metadata of repos, which are older than their corresponding configuration file (usually the dnf.conf file and the foo.repo file).

Default: True.

Note

Expire of metadata is also affected by metadata age. See also

metadata_expire.

clean_requirements_on_remove

If enabled, DNF5 will remove dependencies that are no longer used during dnf remove. A package only qualifies for removal via clean_requirements_on_remove if it was installed through DNF5 but not on explicit user request, i.e. it was pulled in as a dependency.

installonlypkgs are never automatically removed.

Default: True.

debugdir

Location where libsolv debug files will be created when enabled by debug_solver.

Default ./debugdata.

debug_solver

If enabled, libsolv debug files will be created when solving the transaction. The debug files are created in the debugdir directory.

Default: False.

defaultyes

If enabled, the default answer to user confirmation prompts will be Yes. Not to be confused with assumeyes which will not prompt at all.

Default: False.

destdir

Redirect downloaded packages to provided directory.

Default: <package repository cachedir>/packages

exclude_from_weak

Prevent installing packages as weak dependencies (recommends or supplements). The packages can be specified by a name or a glob and separated by a comma.

Defaults to [].

exclude_from_weak_autodetect

If enabled, DNF5 will autodetect unmet weak dependencies (recommends or supplements) of packages installed on the system. Providers of these weak dependencies will not be installed by dnf as weak dependencies any more (they will still be installed if pulled in as a regular dependency).

Defaults to true.

group_package_types

List of the following: optional, default, mandatory or conditional.

Tells DNF5 which type of packages in groups will be installed when ‘group install <group-spec>’ or ‘install @<group-spec>’ is called.

Default: default, mandatory, conditional.

ignorearch

If enabled, RPM will allow attempts to install packages incompatible with the CPU’s architecture.

Default: False.

installonlypkgs

List of provide names of packages that should only ever be installed, never upgraded. Kernels in particular fall into this category. These packages are never removed by dnf autoremove even if they were installed as dependencies (see clean_requirements_on_remove for auto removal details). This option append the list values to the default installonlypkgs list used by DNF5. The number of kept package versions is regulated by installonly_limit.

installonly_limit

Number of installonly packages allowed to be installed concurrently.

1 is explicitly not allowed since it complicates kernel upgrades due to protection of the running kernel from removal.

Minimum is 2.

0 means unlimited number of installonly packages.

Default: 3.

installroot

The root of the filesystem for all packaging operations. It requires an absolute path. See also –installroot commandline option.

Default: /.

install_weak_deps

If enabled, when a new package is about to be installed, all packages linked by weak dependency relation (Recommends or Supplements flags) with this package will be pulled into the transaction.

Default: True.

keepcache

If enabled, keeps downloaded packages in the cache. If disabled cache will persist until the next successful transaction even if no packages have been installed.

Default: False.

logdir

Directory where the log files will be stored.

Regular user default: ~/.local/state.

Superuser default: /var/log.

log_rotate

Log files are rotated log_rotate times before being removed. If log_rotate is 0, the rotation is not performed.

Default: 4.

log_size

storage size

Log files are rotated when they grow bigger than log_size bytes. If log_size is 0, the rotation is not performed.

The size applies for individual log files, not the sum of all log files. See also log_rotate.

Default: 1M.

module_platform_id

Set this to $name:$stream to override PLATFORM_ID detected from /etc/os-release. It is necessary to perform a system upgrade and switch to a new platform.

Default: empty.

module_stream_switch

If enabled, allows switching enabled streams of a module.

Default: False.

multilib_policy

Controls how multilib packages are treated during install operations.

Can either be best for the depsolver to prefer packages which best match the system’s architecture, or all to install packages for all available architectures.

Default: best.

obsoletes

If enabled, DNF5 uses obsoletes processing logic, which means it checks whether any dependencies of given package are no longer required and removes them.

Useful when doing distribution level upgrades.

It has effect during install/upgrade processes.

Command-line option: –obsoletes

Default: True.

optional_metadata_types

List of the following: comps, filelists, other, presto, updateinfo

Defines which types of metadata are to be loaded in addition to primary and modules, which are loaded always as they are essential. Note that the list can be extended by individual DNF commands during runtime.

Default: comps,updateinfo

persistdir

Directory where DNF5 stores its persistent data between runs.

Default: /var/lib/dnf.

pluginconfpath

List of directories that are searched for libdnf5 plugin configurations to load.

All configuration files found in these directories, that are named same as a plugin, are parsed.

Default: /etc/dnf/libdnf5-plugins.

pluginpath

List of directories that are searched for libdnf5 plugins to load. Plugins found in any of the directories in this configuration option are used.

Default: a Python version-specific path.

plugins

If enabled, libdnf5 plugins are enabled.

Default: True.

protected_packages

This append list option contains names of packages that DNF5 should never completely remove.

They are protected via Obsoletes as well as user/plugin removals.

Default: dnf5,glob:/etc/dnf/protected.d/*.conf.

Note

Any packages which should be protected can do so by including a file in /etc/dnf/protected.d with their package name in it.

DNF5 will protect also the package corresponding to the running version of the kernel. See also protect_running_kernel option.

protect_running_kernel

Controls whether the package corresponding to the running version of kernel is protected from removal.

Default: True.

Note

YUM compatibility option

recent

Sets the time period in days used for the --recent option in the repoquery, info and list commands.

Default: 7

reposdir

Repository configuration files locations.

The behavior of reposdir could differ when it is used along with --installroot option.

Default: [/etc/yum.repos.d, /etc/distro.repos.d, /usr/share/dnf5/repos.d]

skip_broken

If enabled, DNF5 will skip uninstallable packages instead of failing while resolving dependencies.

Default: False.

skip_unavailable

If enabled, DNF5 will skip unavailable packages instead of failing while preparing rpm transactions.

Default: False.

system_cachedir

string

For superuser overwrites the cachedir option value.

Allows to differentiate user and superuser cachedir.

Default: /var/cache/libdnf5.

system_state_dir

System state files location. See dnf5-system-state(7), system state for details.

Default: /usr/lib/sysimage/libdnf5.

transaction_history_dir

string

History database location.

By default it has the same value as system_state_dir.

tsflags

List of strings adding extra flags for the RPM transaction.

tsflag value	RPM Transaction Flag
`noscripts`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NOSCRIPTS`
`test`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_TEST`
`notriggers`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NOTRIGGERS`
`nodocs`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NODOCS`
`justdb`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_JUSTDB`
`nocontexts`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NOCONTEXTS`
`nocaps`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NOCAPS`
`nocrypto`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_NOFILEDIGEST`
`deploops`	`RPMTRANS_FLAG_DEPLOOPS`

The nocrypto option will also set the _RPMVSF_NOSIGNATURES and _RPMVSF_NODIGESTS VS flags.

The test option provides a transaction check without performing the transaction. It includes downloading of packages, gpg keys check (including permanent import of additional keys if necessary), and rpm check to prevent file conflicts.

The nocaps is supported with rpm-4.14 or later. When nocaps is used but rpm doesn’t support it, DNF5 only reports it as an invalid tsflag.

Default: empty.

use_host_config

Use configuration files and variable definitions from the host system rather than the installroot. See dnf5-installroot(7) for more info.

Default: False.

varsdir

List of directories where variables definition files are looked for.

See variable files in Configuration reference.

Default: /etc/dnf/vars.

zchunk

If enabled, repository metadata are compressed using the zchunk format (if available).

Default: True.

[main] Options - Colors

color_list_available_upgrade

Color of available packages that are newer than installed packages. The option is used during list operations.

Default: bold,blue.

color_list_available_downgrade

Color of available packages that are older than installed packages. The option is used during list operations.

Default: dim,magenta.

color_list_available_reinstall

Color of available packages that are identical to installed versions and are available for reinstalls. The option is used during list operations.

Default: bold,green.

color_list_available_install

Color of packages that are available for installation and none of their versions in installed. The option is used during list operations.

Default: bold,cyan.

color_update_installed

Color of removed packages. This option is used during displaying transactions.

Default: dim,red.

color_update_label

Color of local packages that are installed from the @commandline repository. This option is used during displaying transactions.

Default: dim,green.

color_update_remote

Color of packages that are installed/upgraded/downgraded from remote repositories. This option is used during displaying transactions.

Default: bold,green.

color_search_match

Color of patterns matched in search output.

Default: bold,magenta.

Repo Options

baseurl

List of URLs for the repository.

Default [].

URLs are tried in the listed order (equivalent to yum’s “failovermethod=priority” behaviour).

cost

The relative cost of accessing this repository, defaulting to 1000. This value is compared when the priorities of two repositories are the same. The repository with the lowest cost is picked. It is useful to make the library prefer on-disk repositories to remote ones.

enabled

Include this repository as a package source.

Default: True.

gpgkey

URLs of a GPG key files that can be used for signing metadata and packages of this repository. If a file can not be verified using the already imported keys, import of keys from this option is attempted and the keys are then used for verification.

Default: []

metalink

URL of a metalink for the repository.

Default: None.

mirrorlist

URL of a mirrorlist for the repository.

Default: None.

name

A human-readable name of the repository. Defaults to the ID of the repository.

priority

The priority value of this repository. If there is more than one candidate package for a particular operation, the one from a repo with the lowest priority value is picked, possibly despite being less convenient otherwise (e.g. by being a lower version).

Default: 99

type

Type of repository metadata. Supported values are: rpm-md. Aliases for rpm-md: rpm, repomd, rpmmd, yum, YUM.

Default: empty.

Source and debuginfo repository names

For a given repository with an identifier in the form “<ID>-rpms”, its corresponding source repository is expected to have an identifier in the form “<ID>-source-rpms” and debuginfo repository an identifier in the form “<ID>-debug-rpms”. Otherwise (if the repository identifier doesn’t have the “-rpms” suffix), the source repository is expected to have an identifier in the form “<ID>-source” and debuginfo repository an identifier in the form “<ID>-debuginfo”.

For example, for repository “fedora”, the source repository is “fedora-source” and debuginfo repository is “fedora-debuginfo”. For repository “fedora-rpms”, the source repository is “fedora-source-rpms” and debuginfo repository is “fedora-debug-rpms”.

Repo Variables

Right side of every repo option can be enriched by the following variables:

$arch

Refers to the system’s CPU architecture e.g, aarch64, i586, i686 and x86_64.

$basearch

Refers to the base architecture of the system. For example, i686 and i586 machines both have a base architecture of i386, and AMD64 and Intel64 machines have a base architecture of x86_64.

$releasever

Refers to the release version of operating system which DNF5 derives from information available in RPMDB.

In addition to these hard coded variables, user-defined ones can also be used. They can be defined either via variable files, or by using special environmental variables. The names of these variables must be prefixed with DNF_VAR_ and they can only consist of alphanumeric characters and underscores:

$ DNF_VAR_MY_VARIABLE=value

To use such variable in your repository configuration remove the prefix. E.g.:

[myrepo]
baseurl=https://example.site/pub/fedora/$MY_VARIABLE/releases/$releasever

Note that it is not possible to override the arch and basearch variables using either variable files or environmental variables.

Although users are encouraged to use named variables, the numbered environmental variables DNF0 - DNF9 are still supported:

$ DNF1=value

[myrepo]
baseurl=https://example.site/pub/fedora/$DNF1/releases/$releasever

Options for both [main] and Repo

Some options can be applied in either the main section, per repository, or in a combination. The value provided in the main section is used for all repositories as the default value, which repositories can then override in their configuration.

bandwidth

storage size

Total bandwidth available for downloading. Meaningful when used with the throttle option.

Default: 0.

build_cache

If enabled, DNF5 will save libsolv cache generated from downloaded metadata to cachedir. These solv files are loaded during subsequent runs which significantly speeds up DNF5.

Default: True.

countme

When enabled, one (and only one) HTTP GET request for the metalink file will be selected at random every week to carry a special URL flag.

This flag allows the repository provider to estimate the number of systems consuming the repository, by counting such requests over a week’s time. This method is more accurate than just counting unique IP addresses (which is subject to both overcounting and undercounting due to short DHCP leases and NAT, respectively).

This is not an out-of-band HTTP request made for this purpose alone. Only requests initiated by DNF during normal operation, such as to check for metadata updates, can get this flag.

The flag is a simple “countme=N” parameter appended to the metalink URL where N is an integer representing the age “bucket” this system belongs to. Four buckets are defined, based on how many full weeks have passed since the installation of a system:

bucket	system age
1	first week
2	first month (2 - 4 weeks)
3	first 6 months (5 - 24 weeks)
4	more than 6 months (> 24 weeks)

This number is meant to help distinguish short-lived (throwaway) machines from long-term installs and get a better picture of how systems are used over time.

To determine a system’s installation time (“epoch”), the machine-id(5) file’s modification time is used as the single source of truth. This file is semantically tied to the system’s lifetime as it’s typically populated at installation time or during the first boot by an installer tool or init system (such as systemd(1)), respectively, and remains unchanged.

If the file is empty or missing (such as in containers), the time of the very first request made using the expanded metalink URL (i.e. with any repository variables such as $releasever substituted) that carried the flag is declared as the epoch.

If no metalink URL is defined for this repository but a mirrorlist URL is, the latter is used for this purpose instead.

Default: False.

deltarpm

If enabled, DNF5 will save bandwidth by downloading much smaller delta RPM files, rebuilding them to RPM locally. However, this is quite CPU and I/O intensive.

Default: False.

deltarpm_percentage

When the relative size of delta vs pkg is larger than this, delta is not used. (Deltas must be at least 25% smaller than the pkg). Use 0 to turn off delta rpm processing. Local repositories (with file:// baseurl) have delta rpms turned off by default.

Default: 75

disable_excludes

Used to disable packages filtering. It can include a list of repository IDs (globs allowed) for which repository-specific excludes are ignored. If it contains the special value main, excludes from the main configuration files are bypassed. If it contains the special value *, no excludes filtering is applied at all.

enablegroups

If enabled, DNF5 will allow the use of package groups.

Default: True.

excludepkgs

Exclude packages of this repository, specified by a name or a glob and separated by a comma, from all operations.

Can be disabled using disable_excludes config option.

Default: [].

fastestmirror

If enabled, a metric is used to find the fastest available mirror. This overrides the order provided by the mirrorlist/metalink file itself. This file is often dynamically generated by the server to provide the best download speeds and enabling fastestmirror overrides this.

Default: False.

gpgcheck

Whether to perform GPG signature check on packages found in this repository.

The default is False.

Doesn’t apply for packages passed directly as arguments, as they are not in any repository, see localpkg_gpgcheck.

includepkgs

Include packages of this repository, specified by a name or a glob and separated by a comma, in all operations.

Inverse of excludepkgs, DNF5 will exclude any package in the repository that doesn’t match this list.

This works in conjunction with excludepkgs and doesn’t override it, so if you ‘excludepkgs=*.i386’ and ‘includepkgs=python*’ then only packages starting with python that do not have an i386 arch will be seen by DNF5 in this repo.

Can be disabled using disable_excludes config option.

Default: [].

ip_resolve

ip address

Determines how DNF5 resolves host names. Set this to 4, IPv4, 6, IPv6 to resolve to IPv4 or IPv6 addresses only.

Default: whatever.

localpkg_gpgcheck

If enabled, DNF5 will perform a GPG signature check on local packages (packages in a file, not in a repository).

Default: False.

max_parallel_downloads