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1.2.2. Package-oriented focus

Like its predecessors, RPM is intended to operate on a package level. Rather than operating on a single-file basis (as when you manually install software using Unix command-line tools like mv and cp) or on an entire system basis (as with many PC operating systems, which provide the ability to upgrade entire releases but not to upgrade individual components), RPM provides software that can manage hundreds or thousands of packages.
Each package is a discrete bundle of related files and associated documentation and configuration information; typically, each package is a separate application. By focusing on the package as the managed unit, RPM makes installation and deletion of applications extremely straightforward.