Source configuration may be placed in your local $HOME/.poldekrc or global /etc/poldek/source.conf. Whatever you choose, put there something like:

[source]
_fcurl = http://download.fedora.redhat.com # macro, just for short
name   = fc4                               # name 
type   = metadata                          # use xml metadata indexes
url    = %{_fcurl}/pub/fedora/linux/core/4/i386/os/

[source]
name = home
path = $HOME/rpm/RPMS

Fedora Core 4 index is ready, we must create one for $HOME/rpm/RPMS:

$ poldek -n home --makeidx
  

As result several files with package data will be created under $HOME/rpm/RPMS.

 
$ poldek -n home --makeidx
Creating pndir index of /home/me/rpm/RPMS (type=dir)...
Loading [dir]home...
200..400..600..800..1000..1200..1400..1600..1652
Writing /home/me/rpm/RPMS/packages.ndir.gz...
  

Remember to call this command after every change of $HOME/rpm/RPMS's content.

poldek provides two commands: poldek with rpm-like command line interface and ipoldek with interactive mode command interface. Invoking syntax is:

$ poldek [OPTION...] [PACKAGE...]
$ ipoldek [OPTION...] [COMMAND] [COMMAND_OPTION...] [PACKAGE...]

For example to install or upgrade Apache HTTP server:

$ poldek -uv apache 
$ ipoldek install apache

Selection of particular repositories may be done by -n option:

$ ipoldek -n fc4 ls foo\*
$ poldek -n home -uv foo-3.1-2
$ ipoldek -n home -s http://foo.bar/RPMS/ install foo-3.1\*

Most used poldek command options are compliant with rpm: --install (-i), --upgrade (-u,-U), --erase (-e), etc. Their ipoldek equivalents are: install -IN (--install), install (--upgrade) and uninstall (--erase). Notice that ipoldek install command it more general -- equivalent of --install is install -IN.

Extensive help is available for all commands, for poldek by using the --help switch, for ipoldek by using the help command and --help switch for individual commands:

$ poldek --help
$ ipoldek help
$ ipoldek install --help

ipoldek provides comfortable shell-like mode which puts you into a readline interface. To enter it, execute ipoldek without any command:

$ ipoldek -n ac
Loading [pdir]ac...
10998 packages read
Loading [rpmdbcache]/var/lib/rpm...
1751 packages loaded

Welcome to the poldek shell mode. Type "help" for help with commands.

poldek:/all-avail>

Once you are on poldek's command line, type 'help' and the rest should be, more or less, self-explanatory.

poldek:/all-avail>help

ls        [OPTION...] [PACKAGE...]             List packages
search    [OPTION...] PATTERN [PACKAGE...]     Search packages
get       [OPTION...] PACKAGE...               Download packages
desc      [OPTION...] PACKAGE...               Display packages info
install   [OPTION...] PACKAGE...               Install packages
uninstall [OPTION...] PACKAGE...               Uninstall packages
cd        [PATH]                               Change current package directory
pwd                                            Print name of current directory
help                                           Display this help
alias                                          Print defined command aliases
reload                                         Reload installed packages
quit                                           Exit poldek

Type COMMAND -? for details.
poldek:/all-avail>