Originally an Acronym for RedHat Package Manager, it is now a RecursiveAcronym for RPM Package Manager (you get that with geeks).

It is a Package format invented by RedHat, and also used by SuSe?, Mandrake, Connectiva, etc.

It is also the name of the PackageManagementTool written by RedHat to use this format. There are now frontends that wrap RPM to solve what has become known as RPM Hell (or dependency hell). See AptForRpm and FreshRpms.

if you need source or binary RPMs for a wide range of distros, check out RPMFind.

but remember, it can be a BadIdea to force it unless you know what you're doing ;)

Also the Acronym for Revolutions Per Minute, the standard measure of how fast the media spins in HardDisks.