yum package manager – disable frequent repository metadata updates

If you are a strong command line user, performing package search and installations using command line package manager yum you may have noticed a frequent metadata updates when using this tool:

Loaded plugins: langpacks, refresh-packagekit
google-chrome   
rpmfusion-free-updates     
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates     
updates/20/x86_64/metalink
updates
virtualbox 
updates/20/x86_64/primary_db 

Although, this behavior is intentional and provides many benefits in order to keep your software updated, it can also however be quite frustrating if you see and have to wait for this update to finish couple times a day. The default expiry time of system’s metadata is 90 minutes, and therefor every time 1,5 hour elapses your system will download new repository updates. For a production server this poses not obstacle or problem. However, for desktop systems this feature can be quite annoying.



The best way to deal with this, sometimes annoying feature is to prolong the update intervals. This can be done by editing yum’s configuration file /etc/yum.conf and set:

metadata_expire=7d

The above will set metadata update interval to 7 days. Another available options are “m” ( minute ) or “h” ( hour ). That is 60m means 60 minutes and 3h is equal to 3 hours. Please note that if you need to force metadata update you can do it anytime by command:

# yum-updatesd


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