What file name extension does the CentOS Linux distribution use for its packages?

The CentOS Linux distribution uses the .rpm file extension for its packages, which stands for RPM Package Manager. This packaging format is utilized by several Linux distributions, particularly those that are Red Hat-based, such as CentOS and Fedora. RPM packages are binary files that contain compiled software and metadata necessary for the package manager to correctly install, update, and manage software on the system.

The RPM format allows for powerful features like dependency management, which helps ensure that all required libraries and other packages are present during installation. Additionally, RPM provides tools for verifying package integrity and querying package contents.

Other options such as .tar are generic archive files that can hold multiple files and directories but do not provide the extensive management capabilities of RPM. The .deb extension is specific to Debian-based distributions, such as Ubuntu, and .pkg is more commonly associated with BSD systems or macOS, not CentOS. Thus, .rpm is the definitive file extension used for packages in CentOS.