Chapter 6. Updating RHEL 9 content

With DNF, you can check if your system has any pending updates. You can list packages that need updating and choose to update a single package, multiple packages, or all packages at once. If any of the packages you choose to update have dependencies, these dependencies are updated as well.

6.1. Checking for updates

To identify which packages installed on your system have available updates, you can list them.

Procedure

  • Check the available updates for installed packages: 

    # dnf check-update

    The output returns the list of packages and their dependencies that have an update available.

6.2. Updating packages

You can use DNF to update a single package, a package group, or all packages and their dependencies at once.

Important

When applying updates to the kernel, dnf always installs a new kernel regardless of whether you are using the dnf upgrade or dnf install command. Note that this only applies to packages identified by using the installonlypkgs DNF configuration option. Such packages include, for example, the kernel, kernel-core, and kernel-modules packages.

Procedure

  • Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to apply updates:

    • To update all packages and their dependencies, enter: 

      # dnf upgrade

    • To update a single package, enter: 

      # dnf upgrade <package_name>

    • To update packages only from a specific package group, enter: 

      # dnf group upgrade <group_name>
Important

If you upgraded the GRUB boot loader packages on a BIOS or IBM Power system, reinstall GRUB. See Reinstalling GRUB.

6.3. Updating security-related packages

You can use DNF to update security-related packages.

Procedure

  • Depending on your scenario, use one of the following options to apply updates:

    • To upgrade to the latest available packages that have security errata, enter: 

      # dnf upgrade --security

    • To upgrade to the last security errata packages, enter: 

      # dnf upgrade-minimal --security
Important

If you upgraded the GRUB boot loader packages on a BIOS or IBM Power system, reinstall GRUB. See Reinstalling GRUB.

Additional resources