# A01 ❯ Application Streams
ℹ️ This article is part of AlmaLinux System Series.
# 🌟 Introduction
This guide will introduce the fundamental concepts of AppStream modules and demonstrate their usage in an AlmaLinux environment. With the introduction of Application Streams in Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 8, user-space components can be delivered and updated more frequently than the core operating system packages. This feature enables greater customization of your AlmaLinux installation without compromising the platform's underlying stability or specific deployments.
# 🧠 Fundamental Concepts
# AppStream
The AppStream repository contains both modular and non-modular packages. Non-modular packages, which serve as general-purpose utilities, libraries, or dependencies, are not tied to any specific module. They can be installed and updated independently, offering users more flexibility and control over their software stack.
# AppStream Modularity
AppStream's modular design ensures the delivery of software packages as independent modules, each with its own release schedule and lifecycle. This approach facilitates the provision of new features and updates for applications without necessitating a complete operating system upgrade. By incorporating both modular and non-modular packages, AppStream provides users with a wide variety of software options while maintaining system stability, compatibility, and security. AppStream modules provide a cohesive and tested set of packages that work together and ensure that all necessary packages are installed and configured correctly.
# 📝 Key Takeaways
To use AppStream modules in your AlmaLinux environment, you need to understand the following fundamental concepts:
- Modules: A module is a set of RPM packages that represent a component and are usually installed together. A typical module includes packages with the application, application-specific dependency libraries, documentation, and helper utilities.
- Streams: A stream is a version of a module. A module can have multiple streams that represent different versions of the same component.
- Profiles: A profile is a set of streams for a module. Each profile represents a specific use case or workload.
# 📖 Version Specific Examples
# ➡️ Version independent calling (here installing) syntax is:
sudo dnf module install nginx:<stream>/<profile>
TIP
There is a substantially greater number of AppStream modules available for the AlmaLinux 8.x series compared to the 9.x series.
WARNING
Below we show list of modules available for each (major) AlmaLinux release.
# 🔖 AlmaLinux 8.7
# ➡️ List modules
dnf module list
Expected output:
Last metadata expiration check: 0:08:54 ago on Sun 16 Apr 2023 07:42:28 AM EDT.
AlmaLinux 8 - AppStream
Name Stream Profiles Summary
389-ds 1.4 389 Directory Server (base)
ant 1.10 [d] common [d] Java build tool
container-tools rhel8 [d][e] common [d] Most recent (rolling) versions of podman, buildah, skopeo, runc, conmon, runc, conmon, CRIU, Udica, etc as well as dependencies such as container-selinux built and tested together, and updated as frequently as every 12 weeks.
container-tools 1.0 common [d] Stable versions of podman 1.0, buildah 1.5, skopeo 0.1, runc, conmon, CRIU, Udica, etc as well as dependencies such as container-selinux built and tested together, and supported for 24 months.
container-tools 2.0 common [d] Stable versions of podman 1.6, buildah 1.11, skopeo 0.1, runc, conmon, etc as well as dependencies such as container-selinux built and tested together, and supported as documented on the Application Stream lifecycle page.
container-tools 3.0 common [d] Stable versions of podman 3.0, buildah 1.19, skopeo 1.2, runc, conmon, CRIU, Udica, etc as well as dependencies such as container-selinux built and tested together, and supported as documented on the Application Stream lifecycle page.
container-tools 4.0 common [d] Stable versions of podman 4.0, buildah 1.24, skopeo 1.6, runc, conmon, CRIU, Udica, etc as well as dependencies such as container-selinux built and tested together, and supported as documented on the Application Stream lifecycle page.
eclipse rhel8 java [d] An open, extensible IDE and application platform
freeradius 3.0 [d] server [d] High-performance and highly configurable free RADIUS server
gimp 2.8 [d] common [d], devel gimp module
go-toolset rhel8 [d] common [d] Go
httpd 2.4 [d] common [d], devel, minimal Apache HTTP Server
idm DL1 adtrust, client, common [d], dns, server The Red Hat Enterprise Linux Identity Management system module
idm client [d] common [d] RHEL IdM long term support client module
inkscape 0.92.3 [d] common [d] Vector-based drawing program using SVG
javapackages-runtime 201801 [d] common [d] Basic runtime utilities to support Java applications
jmc rhel8 [d] common [d], core Java Mission Control is a profiling and diagnostics tool for the Hotspot JVM
libselinux-python 2.8 common Python 2 bindings for libselinux
llvm-toolset rhel8 [d] common [d] LLVM
log4j 2 [d] common [d] Java logging library
mailman 2.1 [d] common [d] Electronic mail discussion and e-newsletter lists managing software
mariadb 10.3 [d] client, galera, server [d] MariaDB Module
mariadb 10.5 client, galera, server [d] MariaDB Module
maven 3.5 [d] common [d] Java project management and project comprehension tool
maven 3.6 common [d] Java project management and project comprehension tool
maven 3.8 common [d] Java project management and project comprehension tool
mercurial 4.8 [d] common [d] Mercurial -- a distributed SCM
mercurial 6.2 common [d] Mercurial -- a distributed SCM
mod_auth_openidc 2.3 [d] default [d] Apache module suporting OpenID Connect authentication
mysql 8.0 [d] client, server [d] MySQL Module
nginx 1.14 [d] common [d] nginx webserver
nginx 1.16 common [d] nginx webserver
nginx 1.18 common [d] nginx webserver
nginx 1.20 [e] common [d] [i] nginx webserver
nodejs 10 [d] common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs 12 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs 14 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs 16 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
parfait 0.5 common Parfait Module
perl 5.24 common [d], minimal Practical Extraction and Report Language
perl 5.26 [d][e] common [d], minimal Practical Extraction and Report Language
perl 5.30 common [d], minimal Practical Extraction and Report Language
perl 5.32 common [d], minimal Practical Extraction and Report Language
perl-App-cpanminus 1.7044 [d] common [d] Get, unpack, build and install CPAN modules
perl-DBD-MySQL 4.046 [d] common [d] A MySQL interface for Perl
perl-DBD-Pg 3.7 [d] common [d] A PostgreSQL interface for Perl
perl-DBD-SQLite 1.58 [d] common [d] SQLite DBI driver
perl-DBI 1.641 [d] common [d] A database access API for Perl
perl-FCGI 0.78 [d] common [d] FastCGI Perl bindings
perl-IO-Socket-SSL 2.066 [d][e] common [d] Perl library for transparent TLS
perl-YAML 1.24 [d] common [d] Perl parser for YAML
perl-libwww-perl 6.34 [d][e] common [d] A Perl interface to the World-Wide Web
php 7.2 [d] common [d], devel, minimal PHP scripting language
php 7.3 common [d], devel, minimal PHP scripting language
php 7.4 common [d], devel, minimal PHP scripting language
php 8.0 common [d], devel, minimal PHP scripting language
pki-core 10.6 PKI Core module for PKI 10.6 or later
pki-deps 10.6 PKI Dependencies module for PKI 10.6 or later
pmdk 1_fileformat_v6 Persistent Memory Development Kit (former NVML)
postgresql 9.6 client, server [d] PostgreSQL server and client module
postgresql 10 [d] client, server [d] PostgreSQL server and client module
postgresql 12 client, server [d] PostgreSQL server and client module
postgresql 13 client, server [d] PostgreSQL server and client module
python27 2.7 [d] common [d] Python programming language, version 2.7
python36 3.6 [d] build, common [d] Python programming language, version 3.6
python38 3.8 [d] build, common [d] Python programming language, version 3.8
python39 3.9 [d] build, common [d] Python programming language, version 3.9
redis 5 [d] common [d] Redis persistent key-value database
redis 6 common [d] Redis persistent key-value database
rhn-tools 1.0 [d] common [d] Red Hat Satellite 5 tools for RHEL
ruby 2.5 [d] common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
ruby 2.6 common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
ruby 2.7 common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
ruby 3.0 common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
ruby 3.1 common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
rust-toolset rhel8 [d] common [d] Rust
satellite-5-client 1.0 [d] common [d], gui Red Hat Satellite 5 client packages
scala 2.10 [d] common [d] A hybrid functional/object-oriented language for the JVM
squid 4 [d] common [d] Squid - Optimising Web Delivery
subversion 1.10 [d] common [d], server Apache Subversion
subversion 1.14 common [d], server Apache Subversion
swig 3.0 [d] common [d], complete Connects C/C++/Objective C to some high-level programming languages
swig 4.0 common [d], complete Connects C/C++/Objective C to some high-level programming languages
varnish 6 [d] common [d] Varnish HTTP cache
virt rhel [d][e] common [d] Virtualization module
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled
# 🔖 AlmaLinux 9.1
# ➡️ List modules
dnf module list
Expected output:
Last metadata expiration check: 13:03:40 ago on Sun 16 Apr 2023 12:31:58 AM CEST.
AlmaLinux 9 - AppStream
Name Stream Profiles Summary
maven 3.8 common [d] Java project management and project comprehension tool
nodejs 18 common [d], development, minimal, s2i Javascript runtime
php 8.1 common [d], devel, minimal PHP scripting language
ruby 3.1 common [d] An interpreter of object-oriented scripting language
Hint: [d]efault, [e]nabled, [x]disabled, [i]nstalled
# 📚 Further Reading and Next Steps
In-depth Resources:
- Introduction of Application Streams (RHEL 8) (opens new window)
- Application Streams Considerations (RHEL 9) (opens new window)
Related Resources:
- AlmaLinux Nginx Series ❯ A Beginner's Guide
- AlmaLinux Firewalld Series ❯ A Beginner's Guide