rpm-vercmp

What it is and what it does

rpm-vercmp is a pure-Python implementation of the RPM Package Manager's version comparison algorithm. It provides a single function to compare two version strings and return their ordering, matching the behavior of RPM's C library without requiring that library to be installed. This is useful on systems where RPM is not available or where the C library does not support the Python interpreter in use.

The package has no runtime dependencies and implements the comparison logic entirely in Python. However, it has been abandoned since its initial release in October 2018, with no updates to support newer Python versions or address any potential issues discovered since then.

Use it for:

• Compare RPM package versions on non-RPM-based systems where rpm-python is unavailable.
• Sort a list of RPM version strings using the official RPM comparison rules without installing system packages.
• Validate or parse version strings in build tools or package managers that need RPM-compatible version ordering.
• Test or verify RPM version comparison logic in pure Python environments without C library dependencies.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Compares RPM package version strings using the same algorithm as the RPM Package Manager, without requiring the C library.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2018-10-30) and declares support only for Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.4, 3.6, and 3.7, all end-of-life versions. While it has no known vulnerabilities and no runtime dependencies, the lack of maintenance means it has not been tested or updated for modern Python versions. Use only if locked into one of the declared Python versions with no alternative.

Install

rpm-vercmp on PyPI

pip install rpm-vercmp

uv add rpm-vercmp

poetry add rpm-vercmp

Installing rpm-vercmp

Before you install

High install friction: the package has been abandoned since its only release on 2018-10-30, with no maintenance activity or updates. Declared support for Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.4, 3.6, and 3.7 is likely outdated for modern environments.

License in practice

Licensed under Apache Software License (permissive), which allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart

import rpm_vercmp
assert rpm_vercmp.vercmp("1.0", "1.0") == 0
assert rpm_vercmp.vercmp("1.0", "1.1") == -1

Verify before relying

• Whether the package works on Python versions released after 3.7 despite being last released in 2018.
• Whether the pure-Python implementation correctly handles all edge cases in RPM's version comparison algorithm.
• Current compatibility with non-RPM-based systems where the C library is unavailable.

Package facts

Evidence: rpm_vercmp-0.1.2.tar.gz

Tags

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