---
id: rpm
version: "0.4.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# rpm — Shim RPM module for use in virtualenvs.

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 230.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

rpm is a shim module that bridges the gap between system-installed RPM Python bindings and Python virtualenvs. RPM's official Python bindings are tied to the system RPM installation and are not packaged on PyPI, making them inaccessible inside isolated environments. This shim allows you to import and use those system bindings from within a virtualenv without modifying the system installation.

The package is designed specifically for Linux systems running RPM-based distributions. It has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel. The shim works by making the system's rpm module available to the virtualenv's Python interpreter, enabling workflows that need both isolation and access to system package management APIs.

Use it for:

- Build tools or CI/CD scripts running in virtualenvs that need to query or manipulate system RPM packages
- Container image builders or deployment tools that must inspect installed RPM packages from within an isolated Python environment
- Package management utilities that need to integrate system RPM operations with Python code running in a venv

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides access to system RPM Python bindings inside a virtualenv by shimming the system-installed rpm module, making it importable in isolated Python environments.

Yes, if you need RPM bindings in a virtualenv on a Linux system with system RPM installed. The shim is lightweight, has no dependencies, and solves a specific problem that has no other workaround. However, maintenance is aging (last release 493 days ago), so verify compatibility with your specific RPM and Python versions before relying on it in production.

## Install

pip install rpm
uv add rpm
poetry add rpm

## Installing rpm

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is aging—last release was 493 days ago and the repository has minimal activity (3 stars), though it remains unarchived and the last commit is recent.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

# On host system with rpm bindings installed:
$ pip install rpm

# In virtualenv:
$ python -c "import rpm; print(rpm.__version__)"

System must have RPM Python bindings installed (python3-rpm or equivalent) outside the virtualenv; the shim only makes them accessible within the virtualenv, it does not provide the bindings themselves.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the shim works correctly with all system RPM versions and Python versions listed in classifiers
- Whether virtualenv isolation is preserved when using the shim
- Current test coverage and whether the package is actively tested against modern RPM releases

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 230.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

rpm bindings virtualenv, system rpm in venv, rpm module shim, virtualenv rpm access, rpm python bindings wrapper, rpm-packaging, virtualenv-bridge

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/rpm) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/rpm/)