Fedora 27 Is Hoping For A Unified Database For DNF

While the DNF 2.0 package manager is found with this week's Fedora 26 release, DNF developers aren't done with changes to the package manager for Fedora.

With the Fedora 27 cycle they are hoping to accomplish a unified database for DNF in handling package management. Currently, DNF makes use of obsolete Yum databases and related to that PackageKit is also using the Yum databases in a "very hacky way" while the goal is to provide a new, unified package database.

Called the SWDB or "Unified Software database for DNF and PackageKit", they hope this SQLite-driven database can replace yumdb, history.sqlite, and groups.json as the existing multiple databases used during the package management process on Fedora.

The hope is this new unified database will be faster, use less disk space, offer better DNF/PackageKit integration, better database integration, and other benefits.

More details on the unified database plans for DNF via this Fedora Wiki change page as well as more details on this GSoC 2017 page.