Which command is used to verify the integrity of an installed package and its files against the package database?

• A. rpm -Q packagename
• B. rpm -V packagename
• C. rpm -i packagename
• D. rpm -K packagename

Answer: (B)

Verifying installed package contents against the RPM database is what rpm -V packagename does. It performs a file-by-file check of every file installed by the package, comparing information stored in the RPM database with what’s currently on disk. Specifically it checks attributes like size, checksum, permissions, owner, group, and modification time. If any discrepancy is found, the system reports it, indicating that a file may have changed, been corrupted, or tampered with since installation. This is the exact method for ensuring the installed package matches what the package database expects.

Other options serve different purposes: one queries the package database to see if a package is installed or to get metadata, but does not verify file integrity; another installs a package from a file, not verify installed files; and another checks the cryptographic signature of a package file, which is about the package file itself, not the installed system files.