---
name: "rpmdb"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "rpm-tools"
version: "6.0.1-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rpmdb"
---

# rpmdb(8)

RPM Database Tool

## NAME

rpmdb - RPM Database Tool

## SYNOPSIS

**rpmdb** \[options\] {**--initdb**\|**--rebuilddb**}

**rpmdb** \[options\] {**--verifydb**}

**rpmdb** \[options\] {**--exportdb**\|**--importdb**}

## DESCRIPTION

The **rpmdb** is used for **rpm** database maintenance operations.

## OPERATIONS

**--initdb**

Create a new database if one doesn't already exist. An existing database is not overwritten.

**--rebuilddb**

Rebuild database from the installed package headers. Rebuilding discards any unreadable (corrupt) headers from the database, but also compacts the database in case it has grown large over time.

Can also be used to convert between different **rpmdb** formats.

**--verifydb**

Perform a low-level integrity check on the database. Rarely useful, for system health **rpm --verify -a** is a far more meaningful operation.

**--exportdb**

Export the database in header-list format, suitable for transporting to another host or database type. The data is output to standard output.

**--importdb**

Imports a database from a header-list format as created by **--exportdb**. The data is read from standard input.

## OPTIONS

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md) for the options common to all **rpm** executables.

## CONFIGURATION

There are several configurables affecting the rpmdb operations, but in particular the following (see [**rpm-config**(5)](/rpm-config/5.md) for details):

- •

  **%\_dbpath**

- •

  **%\_db\_backend**

## EXIT STATUS

On success, 0 is returned, a nonzero failure code otherwise.

## EXAMPLES

**rpmdb --initdb --dbpath /tmp/testdb**

Initialize a new database in */tmp/testdb* directory.

**rpmdb --rebuilddb**

Rebuild the system rpmdb.

**rpmdb --verifydb --root /mnt**

Verify the system database of a system image mounted at */mnt*.

**rpmdb --exportdb \> /tmp/headers**

Export the system database to */tmp/headers* file.

**rpmdb --importdb --define "\_db\_backend ndb" --dbpath /tmp/newdb \< /tmp/headers**

Import contents of */tmp/headers* header list to a (new) **ndb**-format database in */tmp/newdb*.

## OPTIONS

See [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md) for the options common to all operations.

## SEE ALSO

[**popt**(3)](/popt/3.md), [**rpm**(8)](/rpm/8.md), [**rpm-common**(8)](/rpm-common/8.md)

**rpmdb --help** - as [**rpm**(8)](/rpm/8.md) supports customizing the options via popt aliases it's impossible to guarantee that what's described in the manual matches what's available.

**http://www.rpm.org/**