RPM File Extension

What is the .RPM file type?

The .rpm extension is most frequently encountered in the GNU/Linux world, and its primary association belongs to the RPM Software Package (RPM) file type and format. RPM recursively stands for RPM Package Manager, often also referred to as Red Hat Package Manager. In GNU/Linux OS'es, the correct way to install software is to use centrally managed packages. RPM is one of the standard ways to handle software distribution, and it is adopted in a number of GNU/Linux distributions (Fedora, SuSe, ALT Linux, etc.).

An .rpm file is a software package intended for RPM-compliant GNU/Linux distributions, containing the actual files along with installation instructions (scripts). It is a compressed binary archive that can use several archive formats (cpio, star) and compression methods (gzip, LZMA, bzip2). RPM packages use GPG digital signatures and checksums for integrity verification.

RPM packages are handled by the RPM package manager (rpm) and its many derivatives and front-ends, and can be limitedly converted into other package formats (.deb). Outside GNU/Linux, .rpm files can be opened—and their contents extracted—with several archive managers.

Quite differently, the .rpm extension is also associated with the RealAudio File (RPM) file format/type. A proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks, RealAudio was quite popular for streamed audio content in the past. Currently, its popularity has greatly diminished due to the advent of other streaming formats.

An RealAudio .rpm file is a text-based pointer file used primarily to embed RealAudio (and generally, RealMedia) content into HTML web pages. An .rpm file contains a complete URL to the actual media file, playable directly within the web page it is embedded into via a RealAudio (RealMedia) plugin.

Software to open or convert RPM files

7-Zip

 

7-Zip by Igor Pavlov

 

PotPlayer by Kakao Corp.

 

5KPlayer by DearMob, Inc.

 

IZArc by Ivan Zahariev

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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