Which utility is primarily used for packaging software in RHEL-based systems?

The utility primarily used for packaging software in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)-based systems is the RPM Package Manager, commonly referred to as "rpm." It is specifically designed to install, uninstall, and manage software packages in RHEL and its derivatives, such as CentOS and Fedora.

When using RPM, users can create and manipulate package files with the .rpm extension, which contain compiled software along with metadata about the package, including dependencies and installation instructions. RPM allows for precise control over what is installed and can maintain the integrity of the software installed on the system, ensuring that all dependencies are met during installation.

Other utilities, while important in the overall package management process, serve different roles. For example, "dpkg" is used in Debian-based systems, not RHEL-based ones. "apt-get" is also specific to Debian-derived distributions and is a front-end for the Advanced Package Tool (APT) that handles dependency resolution, not directly associated with RHEL. "yum," which stands for Yellowdog Updater, Modified, is a higher-level tool that manages packages by utilizing RPM as its backend for package management and can automatically handle dependencies. However, it still fundamentally relies on RPM for the package format itself.

Understanding these functionalities and