---
name: "dnf5-forcearch"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "dnf5"
version: "5.4.6.0-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dnf5-forcearch"
---

# dnf5-forcearch(7)

Forcearch Parameter

## NAME

dnf5-forcearch - Forcearch Parameter

## DESCRIPTION

The **--forcearch=\<arch\>** parameter overrides the system architecture detected by DNF 5. It allows querying repositories for packages not compatible with your host system and installing them. Any architecture can be specified, but using a package with an architecture not supported natively by your CPU will require emulation of some kind, e.g. using qemu-user-static.

**--forcearch** is supported by the following commands: **distro-sync**, **download**, **group**,  **info**, **install**, **list**, **makecache**, **repo**, **repoquery**, **search**, and **swap**.

## EXAMPLES

- **dnf5 install --forcearch=aarch64 my-example-package**

  Installs the version of **my-example-package** for the AArch64 architecture, regardless of the architecture of the host system.

- **dnf5 download --forcearch=s390x hello**

  Downloads the **hello** package for the s390x architecture.

- **dnf5 repoquery --forcearch=aarch64 --arch=aarch64**

  Query all packages available for the AArch64 architecture. If your system has a different native architecture, then both **--arch** and **--forcearch** are necessary here. **--arch** will filter for only packages with the **aarch64** architecture, and **--forcearch** sets the "arch" and "basearch" substitution variables to ensure the correct repositories are queried.

## SEE ALSO

```
Tutorial to override the system architecture for C++ API users <#tutorial-session-force-arch-label>
Tutorial to override the system architecture for Python API users <#tutorial-bindings-python3-session-force-arch-label>
```

## Author

See AUTHORS.md in dnf5 source distribution.

## Copyright

Contributors to the dnf5 project.