About RPM

The RedHat package manager has a verify flag, -V, which can be used to check file integrity similarly to a tripwire type of program. If used for a tripwire, keep backup copies of the rpm database, as it can be rebuilt with a simple rpm command.

Sample rpm comands:

Verify integrity of all packages on the system:
rpm -Va

Verify the integrity of a single file:
rpm -Vf /bin/login

What package does a file belong to?
rpm -qf /bin/login

List the files in a package:
rpm -ql util-linux-2.11n-12

The Midnight Commander, mc, is a good program to know about when dealing with rpm's as it can show the contents of and extract individual files from .rpm files fairly easily.

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