install and uninstall rpm packages under Linux

Install a given rpm package. –force overwrites the package if it is already installed

rpm -i --force myrpm.rpm 

List installed rpm packages (-qa: query all)

rpm -qa

Find the exact name of an installed rpm package

rpm -qa | grep java

Uninstall the Java package in one step by using a subcommand.

rpm -e `rpm -qa | grep $PKG`

uninstall package without using scripts. This is useful if the package won’t uninstall when trying to uninstall it normally. Afterwards the package is not listed anymore by rpm -qa

rpm -e mypackage --noscripts

execute subcommand in UNIX with `command`

A subcommand can be exceuted when enclosing it in single backticks (`):
Examples:

mv a `echo b`

List all packages (-qa) containing the name under $PKG and deinstall it (-e option) if only one is returned.

rpm -e `rpm -qa | grep $PKG`