Resolving IBM Repository Paths for YUM installer
Overview
In 2022, IBM i migrated from a single repository to a multi-repository setup for installing and upgrading open source packages. IBM i stores the paths for these repositories in files under /QOpenSys/etc/yum/repos.d/. Originally ibm.repo was the only file used, but IBM has since moved to using ibmi-base and ibmi-release files as well, to point at the different repositories relevant to installing and updating open source packages.
The Three Repository Files
ibm.repo - Points to the
repo/path, which is now outdated;ibmi-base.repo - Should point to
repo-base-7.3, which is the new base going forward (it was released during 7.3);ibmi-release.repo - Is based on your current OS version and picks up updates that follow
repo-base-7.3.
IBM i checks the repository paths from any file that contains enabled=1, in top-down order. That order can be seen with the following command:
yum repolist -vExample output:
-bash-5.2$ yum repolist -v
Config time: 0.008
Yum Version: 3.4.3
Setting up Package Sacks
pkgsack time: 0.002
Repo-id : ibmi-base
Repo-name : IBM i base
Repo-revision: 1749593573
Repo-updated : Tue Jun 10 18:13:19 2025
Repo-pkgs : 657
Repo-size : 2.1 G
Repo-baseurl : https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/ibmi/products/pase/rpms/repo-base-7.3/
Repo-expire : 21600 second(s) (last: Fri Jun 13 19:53:45 2025)
Repo-excluded: 316
Repo-filename: ///QOpenSys/etc/yum/repos.d/ibmi-base.repo
Repo-id : ibmi-release
Repo-name : IBM i 7.5
Repo-revision: 1712153157
Repo-updated : Wed Apr 3 10:05:58 2024
Repo-pkgs : 1
Repo-size : 8.0 k
Repo-baseurl : https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/ibmi/products/pase/rpms/repo-7.5/
Repo-expire : 21600 second(s) (last: Fri Jun 13 19:53:47 2025)
Repo-excluded: 1
Repo-filename: ///QOpenSys/etc/yum/repos.d/ibmi-release.repo
repolist: 658Problem
Sometimes the ibmi-base.repo file does not get updated to set its baseurl to …repo-base-7.3/. If an IBM i does not have a current version of Node.js and this path is not set up correctly, the yum install process looks in the wrong repository for Node.js and the install fails.
Solution
Open the repository directory so the file can be edited:
wrklnk '/QOpenSys/etc/yum/repos.d/'Set the
baseurlin ibmi-base.repo to the correct IBM repository. The file should look like this:ibmi-base.repo
[ibmi-base] name=IBM i base baseurl=https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/ibmi/products/pase/rpms/repo-base-7.3/ enabled=1 gpgcheck=0 skip_if_unavailable=1Clear and rebuild the yum cache, then install the Node.js version you need:
yum clean all yum makecache yum install nodejs22
Substitute the Node.js version required by the Profound.js release you are installing (see Installing Node.js for IBM i).