Identify the component of a Linux distribution that a file belongs to

Discovering which package installed a specific file on your Linux system is invaluable when you need to restore default configurations after unintended edits. In this guide, we’ll explore DNF-based commands to:

• Find the package providing a file or command
• List all files in a package
• Filter package file listings

Table of Common DNF Queries

1. Find Which Package Owns a File

Suppose you’ve modified /etc/anacrontab and want to revert it to the distribution’s original version. Use:

$ dnf provides /etc/anacrontab
cronie-anacron-1.5.2-4.el8.x86_64 : Utility for running regular jobs
Repo        : baseos
Matched from:
Filename    : /etc/anacrontab

cronie-anacron-1.5.2-6.el8.x86_64 : Utility for running regular jobs
Repo        : @system
Matched from:
Filename    : /etc/anacrontab

The output shows cronie-anacron as the provider. To restore:

$ sudo rm /etc/anacrontab
$ sudo dnf install --refresh cronie-anacron

After reinstalling, the original /etc/anacrontab is back in place.

2. Discover Which Package Supplies a Command

Want the docker CLI but unsure which package includes it? Run:

$ dnf provides docker
podman-docker-3.1.0-0.13.module_el8.5.0+733+9bb5dffa.noarch : Emulate Docker CLI
Repo        : appstream
Matched from:
Provide     : docker = 3.1.0-0.13.module_el8.5.0+733+9bb5dffa

podman-docker-3.3.0-0.17.module_el8.5.0+874+6db8bee3.noarch : Emulate Docker CLI
Repo        : appstream
Matched from:
Provide     : docker = 3.3.0-0.17.module_el8.5.0+874+6db8bee3

Here, podman-docker emulates the Docker CLI, so install it to use docker.

3. List All Files in a Package

To inspect every file a package ships—even if it isn’t installed locally—use:

$ dnf repoquery --list nginx
/etc/logrotate.d/nginx
/etc/nginx/fastcgi.conf
/etc/nginx/fastcgi.conf.default
...
/usr/lib/.build-id

This complete list helps you identify configuration files, binaries, libraries, and other assets.

4. Filter the File Listing

Narrow down to specific file types (e.g., configuration files) by piping to grep:

$ dnf repoquery --list nginx | grep '\.conf'
/etc/nginx/fastcgi.conf
/etc/nginx/fastcgi.conf.default
/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
/etc/nginx/nginx.conf.default

Use any regex pattern to quickly locate files of interest.

Further Reading

• DNF Command Reference
• Fedora Package Management
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Subscription Guide

Practice these commands to become confident in managing package-owned files and restoring default configurations on your DNF-based Linux system.