What does this yum package version mean?

Question

On Rocky Linux:

$ sudo yum list squid
Available Packages
squid.x86_64   7:4.15-3.module+el8.6.0+842+aea5c28d   

What does the 7: and the .module ... part of the version string mean? I can see the installed package is version 4.15, and I know the -3 is the build (although that might not be the right terminology). Any reference to yum/dnf version syntax docs also appreciated!

thanks

Answer 1

Use either yum info or dnf info as appropriate and the full breakdown is shown:

$ dnf info squid
...
Name         : squid
Epoch        : 7
Version      : 4.15
Release      : 3.module_el8.6.0+2741+01592ae8
Architecture : x86_64
Size         : 3.6 M
Source       : squid-4.15-3.module_el8.6.0+2741+01592ae8.src.rpm
Repository   : appstream

a somewhat simpler example would be:

dnf info xfsprogs.x86_64
Last metadata expiration check: 0:03:52 ago on Mon 23 May 2022 12:35:10 BST.
Installed Packages
Name         : xfsprogs
Version      : 5.0.0
Release      : 10.el8
Architecture : x86_64
Size         : 4.9 M
Source       : xfsprogs-5.0.0-10.el8.src.rpm
Repository   : @System

Note that the "epoch" has disappeared and the release string is simpler. You just picked on a particularly complex release string in your question.

Following the link that "lost" found, the epoch explanation is as follows:

The epoch is a more important version number than the major number. Normally it should be 0, in which case it is not reported, but may be any integer. Note that a version of 2.0-0 will never update a version of 1:1.9-9 because the epoch of "1:" is greater than the default assumed epoch of "0:". In the case of squid above, only epochs equal to or greater than 7 will ever be considered.