Introduction

Ok. So you've got a brand new Linux box. Now what?

How do you:

Keep your system updated?

Apply security fixes?

Install the latest cool package?

Introduction

In the old days you:

found out a patch was needed

searched for it

downloaded it

tried to install it

discovered you needed five other packages installed

hoped you didn't break something

Yes. The Red Hat Network (RHN)

Introduction

Is there a better way?

Yes. Package managment and software repositories

Package managers:

track the changes in a package

apply the updates

check for dependencies

The Red Hat Network (RHN) provides package management through a software repository and hardware database.

What is RHN?

Subscription Service (paid for all by several units at ISU)

A database and package repository maintained by Red Hat

For ISU, it is also a proxy server

What is RHN?

Web and command line/GUI interface for maintaining your system(s)

A daemon (service) running on your system

Source of initial distribution ISOs

How does it work?

You need the RHN client, yum, installed on your system

Inform your system that it should use the RHN, a proxy of RHN or a satellite of RHN. For ISU, that means pointing your system to our proxy server, cyclops.iastate.edu.

Do this by running the configuration GUI or modifying the configuration file /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date

How does it work?

Or let us do it for you:

# wget http://cyclops.iastate.edu/bootstrap.sh

# sh ./bootstrap.sh ––register <activation_key>

This registers your system with the RHN and instructs RHN to use our proxy server for downloading cached packages. It also uploads your system's profile to the RHN
Your activation key also subscribes the system to various channels.
We can customize the channels for you.

How does it work?

Now what? Why isn't it doing anything?

You need to tell it to do something:

Manually via yum or

Using the web interface at rhn.redhat.com

The Web Interface

Allows you to get information

All systems you have registered

All groups you maintain

Available channels

Available packages

Available errata and updates

The Web Interface

Allows you to schedule actions

Check for updates

Apply errata updates

Automate the updates

Download packages and ISOs

* You can act on multiple systems simultaneously *

Command Line Interface/GUI

Allows you to get information:

View available packages (all or just those not installed)

Get information about a particular package

Search for packages

Command Line Interface/GUI

Allows you to perform actions immediately:

Install new packages

Check for new updates

Apply updates

Remove packages

*Is most useful for managing single systems*

Putting It All Together

Exercise

Open a Terminal Window
(We'll need this for the command line interface)

Through the applications menu (the Red Hat)
Applications (Red Hat) -> Accessories -> Terminal

Right click on the desktop and choose Open Terminal

Exercise

Registering a System with RHN

# wget http://cyclops.iastate.edu/pub/bootstrap.sh

# sh ./bootstrap.sh ––register <activation_key>

Exercises

yum

Which packages have I not installed?

# yum list available

How do I see every package available?

# yum list all

Exercises

The Web Interface

Login to rhn.redhat.com with your RHN account ID (isu-NetID)

Where to change your password?
Click on Your Account on the left side of the page

How do you request that Red Hat notify you of new updates and the status of your systems?
Click on Your Preferences on the left side of the page

Exercises

The Web Interface

What Red Hat channels are available?
Click on Channels at the top of the page

What packages are available in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 for 32 bit x86 channel?
Click on IA-32
Click on Packages at the top of the next page

Find the ISOs
Click on Channels; Click on Download Software on the left side
Click on Red Hat Enterprise Linux v.5 for 32 bit x86

Exercise

Finding Information About Your System

Find your system
Click on Systems at the top of the page
Locate your system in the list
OR
Enter your system's name in the search box

Click on the system name.

Click some tabs at the top of the listing and explore your system

Exercise

Applying Errata

Find the Errata for your system
Under the system's name click on Software and then click on Errata

Schedule errata updates
Click the check box next to one or more errata
Click the Apply Errata button at the bottom of the page
Click the Confim button at the bottom of the next page

Exercise

Applying Errata

Force the system to check with the RHN (or wait four hours):

In a terminal window run

# rhn_check

Exercise

Automatic Errata Updates

Find your system

Click on the Details tab

Click on the Properties Tab

Click the check box next to Automatic application of relevant errata

Click the Update Properties button at the bottom of the page

Exercise

Subscribing to Channels

Find your system

Locate the ISL (Iowa State Linux) channel:
Click on the Software tab
Click on the Software Channels tab to show the channels available
for your system

Examine the contents of the channel:
Click on the Info link next to the name of the channel
Click on the Packages tab at the top of the page
Click on a package name
Click on the File List tab at the top of the page

Exercise

Subscribing to Channels

Find your system

Locate the ISL (Iowa State Linux) channel

Subscribe your system to that channel
Click the check box next to Iowa State Linux Server
Click the Change Subscriptions button at the bottom of the page

Exercise

Installing Packages

Install a package from the Iowa State Linux channel:
At a terminal window, enter:
# yum install isl-base

Working With Groups

Using one activation key, you can manage several systems

Systems become associated with a System Group

Errata for a System Group can be applied with one action

System Groups and collections of individual systems can be manipulated simultaneously as system sets with the System Set Manager

Exercise

Viewing Systems and System Groups

At the Red Hat Network web site click on the Systems tab at the top of the page

Click on the Systems link on the menu on the left side of the page

View only out-of-date, inactive or unentitled systems by using the links in the submenu on the left side of the page

Click on the System Groups link on the menu on the left side of the page

Exercise

Using the System Set Manager

Click on the System Groups link or the Systems link on the menu on the left side of the page

For groups:
Click the Use Group button to the right of a system group name

For individual systems:
Click the check box next to the system name, click Update List at the
bottom of the page and click the Manage button at the top right of
the page or click the System Set Manager link on the left side of the
page

Exercise

Using the System Set Manager

Apply errata updates to the system set:

Click the Errata tab at the top of the System Set Manager page

Click the check box next to the errata you wish to apply

Click the Apply Errata button at the bottom of the page

Do NOT schedule the update

Verify any updates later by choosing the system and clicking the Events tab at the top of the page

Other Packages

External APT/Yum Repositories

Red Hat doesn't have EVERYTHING

Sometimes you need to install other packages from other repositories.

APT is another method for installing and managing systems and dependencies.

We maintain a mirror of several repositories at
http://rh-mirror.linux.iastate.edu

Other Packages

Example: Dag Wieers Repository

yum can not only “talk” to RHN, it can talk to other yum repositories
Add a file to /etc/yum.repos.d called dag.repo with the lines:
name=Dag RPM Repository for Red Hat Enterprise Linux
baseurl=http://dag.linux.iastate.edu/dag/redhat/el5/en/$basearch/dag
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1

(We already did this when we ran bootstrap.sh)

RHN Alert Applet

Pup and Puplet

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 has a graphical (GUI) front-ends for yum

pup – Package UPdater

pirut – Package Install Remove and Update Tool

Windows users may like “reminders”:
puplet is an alert icon that pops into your tool bar when updates
are available. Clicking on the puplet icon starts up pup

Exercise

Pup and Pirut

Pup

In a terminal window, enter pup

Choose Applications (Red Hat) -> System Tools -> Software Updater

Pirut

In a terminal window, enter pirut

Choose Applications (Red Hat) -> Add/Remove Software

2005-01-19T11:05:17