Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Step By Step Guide
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# 12.2. Error Messages During Installation of RPMs

How do I install an RPM from a CD or the Internet? I keep getting an error message when I use RPM.

If you are getting an error message similar to `failed to open /var/lib/rpm/packages.rpm`, it is because you do not have proper permission to install RPM files.

When you install software, you are often required to make system-wide changes which only root can make, such as creating new directories outside of your home directory or making changes to your system configuration. If you are using your normal user account, you do not have permission to make such changes by default.

You need to be the root user to install RPM files. At a shell prompt, switch to the root user by running the following command:

    su -

After entering the root password when prompted, you should then be able to install the RPM file without further errors. For more information about using RPM and Package Management Tool, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux System Administration Guide on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Documentation CD or online at http://www.redhat.com/docs/.

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