If you are running an CentOS6/RHEL 7 version

See “Install EPEL Repo on a CentOS and RHEL 7.x“.

If you are running an CentOS6/EL6 version, enter:

$ cd /tmp
$ wget https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-6.noarch.rpm
# rpm -ivh epel-release-latest-6.noarch.rpm

If you are running an CentOS 5/EL5 version, enter:

$ cd /tmp
$ wget https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-5.noarch.rpm
# rpm -ivh epel-release-latest-5.noarch.rpm

Install epel*.rpm file using yum command

You can use the yum command instead of rpm command:
# yum install epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm
Sample outputs:

Loaded plugins: product-id, rhnplugin, security, subscription-manager
This system is not registered to Red Hat Subscription Management. You can use subscription-manager to register.
This system is receiving updates from RHN Classic or RHN Satellite.
Setting up Install Process
Examining epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm: epel-release-6-8.noarch
Marking epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm to be installed
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package epel-release.noarch 0:6-8 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
 
Dependencies Resolved
 
================================================================================
 Package            Arch         Version   Repository                      Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 epel-release       noarch       6-8       /epel-release-6-8.noarch        22 k
 
Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install       1 Package(s)
 
Total size: 22 k
Installed size: 22 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Installing : epel-release-6-8.noarch                                      1/1 
  Verifying  : epel-release-6-8.noarch                                      1/1 
 
Installed:
  epel-release.noarch 0:6-8                                                     
 
Complete!

How do I list all enabled repos?

Type the following commands:
# yum repolist
OR
# yum -v repolist | less
Sample outputs:

How do I list all packages in EPEL repo?

Type the following command to list all packages from EPEL repo only:
# yum --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="epel" list available
To search packages in epel repo only, enter:
# yum --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="epel" search packageNameHere
# yum --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="epel" search nginx

How do I use EPEL repo?

Simply use the yum commands to search or install packages from EPEL repo:
# yum search nginx
# yum update
# yum --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="epel" install nginx
Sample outputs:

Loaded plugins: product-id, rhnplugin, subscription-manager
Updating certificate-based repositories.
epel/metalink                                                                                                                          |  13 kB     00:00     
epel                                                                                                                                   | 4.3 kB     00:00     
epel/primary_db                                                                                                                        | 4.1 MB     00:03     
Setting up Update Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package dkms.noarch 0:2.0.10-1 will be updated
---> Package dkms.noarch 0:2.1.0.1-1.el6 will be an update
---> Package iftop.x86_64 0:0.17-1.el6 will be updated
---> Package iftop.x86_64 0:1.0-0.1.pre2.el6 will be an update
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

==============================================================================================================================================================
 Package                            Arch                                Version                                       Repository                         Size
==============================================================================================================================================================
Updating:
 dkms                               noarch                              2.1.0.1-1.el6                                 epel                               99 k
 iftop                              x86_64                              1.0-0.1.pre2.el6                              epel                               44 k

Transaction Summary
==============================================================================================================================================================
Upgrade       2 Package(s)

Total download size: 144 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
(1/2): dkms-2.1.0.1-1.el6.noarch.rpm                                                                                                   |  99 kB     00:00     
(2/2): iftop-1.0-0.1.pre2.el6.x86_64.rpm                                                                                               |  44 kB     00:00     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                                                                                                         543 kB/s | 144 kB     00:00     
warning: rpmts_HdrFromFdno: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID 0608b895: NOKEY
Retrieving key from file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-6
Importing GPG key 0x0608B895:
 Userid : EPEL (6) 
 Package: epel-release-6-5.noarch (installed)
 From   : /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-6
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
Warning: RPMDB altered outside of yum.
  Updating   : dkms-2.1.0.1-1.el6.noarch                                                                                                                  1/4 
  Updating   : iftop-1.0-0.1.pre2.el6.x86_64                                                                                                              2/4 
  Cleanup    : dkms-2.0.10-1.noarch                                                                                                                       3/4 
  Cleanup    : iftop-0.17-1.el6.x86_64                                                                                                                    4/4 
Installed products updated.

Updated:
  dkms.noarch 0:2.1.0.1-1.el6                                                 iftop.x86_64 0:1.0-0.1.pre2.el6                                                

Complete!

Check out related media

This tutorial is also avilable in a quick video format that explains how to install EPEL repository on CentOS or RHEL 6.x server so that you can install additional packages directly using the yum command only.

See also

For more information see how to use “yum command to Update / Install Packages Under Red Hat Enterprise / CentOS Linux Version v5.x/v6.x and above” for more information.

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