Enable EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) on RHEL/CentOS 8/7

EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) as the name suggests it is an extra package which are not in the default repository on CentOS and RedHat Linux. EPEL is a freely available additional packages repository for CentOS & RedHat Linux. Let’s see the steps below to enable and disable EPEL repository.

Prerequisites:
1. Running instance of CentOS/RHEL System
Also Read: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 Installation with Screenshots
Also Read: CentOS Linux 8 Installation with Screenshots for beginners
2. Internet to download xrdp package
3. Sudo or root privileges
Let’s Get Started!

Install EPEL (Extra Packages Enterprise Linux) repository for RHEL/CentOS8/7:

On RHEL/CentOS 7:

Execute following commands:
$ sudo yum install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm
On RHEL7, it is recommended to enable the below three (optional, extra and ha repositories) EPEL packages which may depend on packages.
$ sudo subscription-manager repos –enable “rhel-*-optional-rpms” –enable “rhel-*-extras-rpms”  –enable “rhel-ha-for-rhel-*-server-rpms”

On RHEL/CentOS 8:

Execute following commands:
$ sudo dnf install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm

On RHEL8, it is recommended to enable the below codeready-bulider repository, EPEL packages  may depend it.
$ sudo ARCH=$( /bin/arch )
$ sudo subscription-manager repos –enable “codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-${ARCH}-rpms”

On CentOS8, it is recommended to enable the below PowerTools repository.
$ sudo dnf config-manager –set-enabled PowerTools
EPEL Repository is install, run following command to update and index the system.
$ sudo dnf update


Search package using EPEL repositorySearch package using EPEL repository filter out the package name ‘openvpn‘
$ sudo dnf –disablerepo=”*” –enablerepo=”epel” list available | grep ‘openvpn’

Execute the following commands to verify the status of EPEL repository.
$ sudo dnf repolist epel -v
or 
$ sudo yum repolist epel -v

Once enable EPEL Repository, run following command to list repository.
$ dnf repository-packages epel list
Following command search specific package available on EPEL Repository.
Installing a ‘zabbix‘ package using EPEL repository.
$ sudo dnf –enablerepo=”epel” install zabbix
Note: If you do not specify –enablerepo=”epel”, it will search zabbix package on all available repository.
That’s it. In this post, we have seen how easily enable EPEL Repository in CentOS/RHEL 8/7. Please share it and contact us thru comment box below in case of any issue. Also see EPEL home page for more info. also Like Our Facebook Page. Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Warning: These packages are not officially supported by CentOS or RedHat.

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