Red Hat NETWORK 3.3 - PROVISIONING User manual

Red Hat Network 3.3
Provisioning Reference Guide

Red Hat Network 3.3: Provisioning Reference Guide
Copyright © 2003, 2004 by Red Hat, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... i
1. Document Conventions.......................................................................................................... i
2. More to Come ...................................................................................................................... iv
2.1. Send in Your Feedback ......................................................................................... iv
1. What is Red Hat Network? ............................................................................................................ 1
1.1. Demo.................................................................................................................................. 2
1.2. Update................................................................................................................................ 2
1.3. Management....................................................................................................................... 2
1.4. Provisioning ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Errata Notifications and Scheduled Package Installations................................................. 4
1.6. Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network.......................................................... 4
1.7. Before You Begin............................................................................................................... 4
2. Red Hat Update Agent.................................................................................................................... 7
2.1. Starting the Red Hat Update Agent ................................................................................. 7
2.2. Registration ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.2.1. Registering a User Account .............................................................................. 11
2.2.2. Registering a System Profile............................................................................. 14
2.3. Setup and Use .................................................................................................................. 18
2.3.1. Choosing a Channel .......................................................................................... 19
2.3.2. Choosing Packages to Update........................................................................... 19
2.3.3. Installing Updated Packages ............................................................................. 24
2.3.4. Update Agent Finished ..................................................................................... 25
2.3.5. Command Line Version .................................................................................... 26
2.4. Configuration ................................................................................................................... 30
2.4.1. Using the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool.................................. 30
2.4.2. Command Line Version .................................................................................... 33
2.5. Registering with Activation Keys .................................................................................... 34
3. Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool ................................................................................... 37
3.1. Configuring the Applet .................................................................................................... 37
3.2. Notification Icons............................................................................................................. 38
3.3. Viewing Updates .............................................................................................................. 39
3.4. Applying Updates ............................................................................................................ 39
3.5. Launching the RHN Website ........................................................................................... 39
4. Red Hat Network Website............................................................................................................ 41
4.1. Logging into the RHN Website........................................................................................ 41
4.2. Introduction to the Website.............................................................................................. 41
4.2.1. Errata Alert Icons.............................................................................................. 43
4.2.2. Quick Search..................................................................................................... 43
4.2.3. Systems Selected............................................................................................... 43
4.2.4. List Navigation.................................................................................................. 43
4.3. Your RHN ........................................................................................................................ 43
4.3.1. Your Account .................................................................................................... 45
4.3.2. Your Preferences ............................................................................................... 46
4.3.3. Buy Now ........................................................................................................... 46
4.3.4. Purchase History ............................................................................................... 46
4.3.5. Help................................................................................................................... 46
4.4. Systems ............................................................................................................................ 47
4.4.1. Overview........................................................................................................... 48
4.4.2. Systems ............................................................................................................. 48
4.4.3. System Groups.................................................................................................. 56
4.4.4. System Set Manager ......................................................................................... 58
4.4.5. System Entitlements ......................................................................................... 61

4.4.6. Advanced Search............................................................................................... 62
4.4.7. Activation Keys................................................................................................. 62
4.4.8. Stored Profiles................................................................................................... 63
4.4.9. Custom System Info.......................................................................................... 63
4.4.10. Kickstart.......................................................................................................... 63
4.5. Errata................................................................................................................................ 68
4.5.1. Relevant Errata.................................................................................................. 69
4.5.2. All Errata........................................................................................................... 69
4.5.3. Advanced Search............................................................................................... 70
4.6. Channels........................................................................................................................... 71
4.6.1. Software Channels ............................................................................................ 71
4.6.2. Channel Entitlements ........................................................................................ 73
4.6.3. Easy ISOs.......................................................................................................... 73
4.6.4. Package Search ................................................................................................. 74
4.6.5. Software Packages ............................................................................................ 74
4.6.6. Manage Config Channels.................................................................................. 76
4.7. Schedule........................................................................................................................... 78
4.7.1. Pending Actions ................................................................................................ 78
4.7.2. Failed Actions ................................................................................................... 79
4.7.3. Completed Actions............................................................................................ 79
4.7.4. Archived Actions .............................................................................................. 79
4.7.5. Actions List....................................................................................................... 79
4.8. Users ................................................................................................................................ 80
4.8.1. User List............................................................................................................ 80
5. Red Hat Network Daemon ........................................................................................................... 83
5.1. Configuring ...................................................................................................................... 83
5.2. Viewing Status ................................................................................................................. 83
5.3. Disabling.......................................................................................................................... 83
5.4. Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................... 83
6. Red Hat Network Registration Client......................................................................................... 85
6.1. Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration Client................................................ 85
6.2. Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client ...................................................... 87
6.3. Registering a User Account ............................................................................................. 89
6.4. Registering a System Profile............................................................................................ 91
6.4.1. Hardware System Profile .................................................................................. 91
6.4.2. Software System Profile.................................................................................... 92
6.5. Finishing Registration...................................................................................................... 94
6.6. Entitling Your System...................................................................................................... 96
6.7. Text Mode RHN Registration Client ............................................................................... 96
A. Command Line Config Management Tools ............................................................................... 99
A.1. Red Hat Network Configuration Client ...................................................................... 99
A.1.1. Listing Config Files.......................................................................................... 99
A.1.2. Getting a Config File........................................................................................ 99
A.1.3. Viewing Config Channels ................................................................................ 99
A.1.4. Differentiating between Config Files............................................................. 100
A.1.5. Verifying Config Files.................................................................................... 100
A.2. Red Hat Network Configuration Manager............................................................... 100
A.2.1. Creating a Config Channel............................................................................. 101
A.2.2. Adding Files to a Config Channel.................................................................. 101
A.2.3. Differentiating between Latest Config Files .................................................. 102
A.2.4. Differentiating between Various Versions...................................................... 102
A.2.5. Downloading All Files in a Channel.............................................................. 103
A.2.6. Getting the Contents of a File ........................................................................ 103
A.2.7. Listing All Files in a Channel ........................................................................ 103

A.2.8. Listing All Config Channels .......................................................................... 103
A.2.9. Removing a File from a Channel ................................................................... 104
A.2.10. Deleting a Config Channel........................................................................... 104
A.2.11. Determining the Number of File Revisions ................................................. 104
A.2.12. Updating a File in a Channel........................................................................ 104
A.2.13. Uploading Multiple Files at Once................................................................ 105
B. RHN API Access......................................................................................................................... 107
B.1. Using the auth Class and Getting the Session ............................................................... 107
B.2. Obtaining the system_id................................................................................................ 107
B.3. Determining the sid ....................................................................................................... 107
B.4. Viewing the cid.............................................................................................................. 107
B.5. Getting the sgid ............................................................................................................. 108
B.6. Sample API Script......................................................................................................... 108
Glossary ........................................................................................................................................... 111
Index................................................................................................................................................. 117

Introduction
Welcome to the Red Hat Network 3.3 Provisioning Reference Guide.
The Red Hat Network Provisioning Reference Guide will guide you through registering your system
for Red Hat Network and using its many features. Depending on which version of Red Hat Enterprise
Linux you have installed, the Red Hat Network Registration Client and the Red Hat Update Agent
might be different than the ones described in this manual as new features are added. Once you use
Red Hat Network to update these applications, you can use the latest version of this manual.
All versions of this manual are available in HTML and PDF formats at
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/RHNetwork/.
This version of the manual covers version 3.0.7 of the Red Hat Update Agent and version 2.8.27-34
of the Red Hat Network Registration Client.
Warning
Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 will need to use the separate Red Hat Network
Registration Client before starting the Red Hat Update Agent. Refer to Chapter 6 Red Hat Network
Registration Client for instructions. Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 can go directly to
the Red Hat Update Agent, which has registration functionality built in. Refer to Chapter 2 Red Hat
Update Agent for instructions.
For an overview of Red Hat Network offerings, please review the descriptions available at
http://www.redhat.com/software/rhn/ .
1. Document Conventions
When you read this manual, certain words are represented in different fonts, typefaces, sizes, and
weights. This highlighting is systematic; different words are represented in the same style to indicate
their inclusion in a specific category. The types of words that are represented this way include the
following:
command
Linux commands (and other operating system commands, when used) are represented this way.
This style should indicate to you that you can type the word or phrase on the command line
and press [Enter] to invoke a command. Sometimes a command contains words that would be
displayed in a different style on their own (such as file names). In these cases, they are considered
to be part of the command, so the entire phrase is displayed as a command. For example:
Use the cat testfile command to view the contents of a file, named testfile, in the current
working directory.
file name
File names, directory names, paths, and RPM package names are represented this way. This style
should indicate that a particular file or directory exists by that name on your system. Examples:
The .bashrc file in your home directory contains bash shell definitions and aliases for your own
use.
The /etc/fstab file contains information about different system devices and file systems.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.

ii Introduction
application
This style indicates that the program is an end-user application (as opposed to system software).
For example:
Use Mozilla to browse the Web.
[key]
A key on the keyboard is shown in this style. For example:
To use [Tab] completion, type in a character and then press the [Tab] key. Your terminal displays
the list of files in the directory that start with that letter.
[key]-[combination]
A combination of keystrokes is represented in this way. For example:
The [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Backspace] key combination exits your graphical session and return you to the
graphical login screen or the console.
text found on a GUI interface
A title, word, or phrase found on a GUI interface screen or window is shown in this style. Text
shown in this style is being used to identify a particular GUI screen or an element on a GUI
screen (such as text associated with a checkbox or field). Example:
Select the Require Password checkbox if you would like your screensaver to require a password
before stopping.
top level of a menu on a GUI screen or window
A word in this style indicates that the word is the top level of a pulldown menu. If you click on
the word on the GUI screen, the rest of the menu should appear. For example:
Under File on a GNOME terminal, the New Tab option allows you to open multiple shell
prompts in the same window.
If you need to type in a sequence of commands from a GUI menu, they are shown like the
following example:
Go to Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programming => Emacs to start the Emacs text
editor.
button on a GUI screen or window
This style indicates that the text can be found on a clickable button on a GUI screen. For example:
Click on the Back button to return to the webpage you last viewed.
computer output
Text in this style indicates text displayed to a shell prompt such as error messages and responses
to commands. For example:
The ls command displays the contents of a directory. For example:
Desktop about.html logs paulwesterberg.png
Mail backupfiles mail reports
The output returned in response to the command (in this case, the contents of the directory) is
shown in this style.
prompt
A prompt, which is a computer’s way of signifying that it is ready for you to input something, is
shown in this style. Examples:

Introduction iii
$
#
[stephen@maturin stephen]$
leopard login:
user input
Text that the user has to type, either on the command line, or into a text box on a GUI screen, is
displayed in this style. In the following example, text is displayed in this style:
To boot your system into the text based installation program, you must type in the text com-
mand at the boot: prompt.
replaceable
Text used for examples which is meant to be replaced with data provided by the user is displayed
in this style. In the following example,

version-number

is displayed in this style:
The directory for the kernel source is /usr/src/  version-number  /, where

version-number

is the version of the kernel installed on this system.
Additionally, we use several different strategies to draw your attention to certain pieces of informa-
tion. In order of how critical the information is to your system, these items are marked as note, tip,
important, caution, or a warning. For example:
Note
Remember that Linux is case sensitive. In other words, a rose is not a ROSE is not a rOsE.
Tip
The directory /usr/share/doc/ contains additional documentation for packages installed on your
system.
Important
If you modify the DHCP configuration file, the changes will not take effect until you restart the DHCP
daemon.
Caution
Do not perform routine tasks as root — use a regular user account unless you need to use the root
account for system administration tasks.

iv Introduction
Warning
Be careful to remove only the necessary partitions. Removing other partitions could result in data
loss or a corrupted system environment.
2. More to Come
The Red Hat Network Provisioning Reference Guide is constantly expanding as new Red Hat Network
features and service plans are launched.
2.1. Send in Your Feedback
If you would like to make suggestions about the Red Hat Network Provisioning Reference Guide,
please mention this guide’s identifier:
RHNpro(EN)-3.3-Print-RHI (2004-04-29T17:23)
You can send mail to:
<[email protected]>

Chapter 1.
What is Red Hat Network?
Have you ever read about a new version of a software package and wanted to install it but could not
find it?
Have you ever tried to find an RPM through an Internet search engine or an RPM Repository and been
linked to a site that you have never heard of?
Have you ever tried to find an RPM but instead found only the source files that you had to compile
yourself?
Have you ever spent hours or even days visiting different websites to see if you have the latest packages
installed on your system, only to have to do it again in a few months?
Those days are over with Red Hat Network (RHN). RHN provides the solution to all your system
software management needs.
Red Hat Network is an Internet solution for managing a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system or a network
of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems. All Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts
(collectively known as Errata Alerts) can be downloaded directly from Red Hat. You can even have
updates scheduled to be delivered directly to your system as soon as they are released.
The main components of Red Hat Network are as follows:
•The Red Hat Update Agent
•The Red Hat Network Website
•Red Hat Network Daemon
•The Red Hat Network Registration Client - for systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1
only.
The Red Hat Update Agent provides your initial connection to the Red Hat Network. Once regis-
tered, it enables channel subscription, package installs, and management of System Profiles. Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3 systems will even use the Red Hat Update Agent to be registered to RHN. See
Chapter 2 Red Hat Update Agent for further information.
You can use either of the two Red Hat Network user interfaces:
•https://rhn.redhat.com
•The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the website and the Red Hat Update Agent allow you to view Errata Alerts from in the Red
Hat Errata list. Only packages relevant to your system are shown. Red Hat Network can also be
configured to verify packages once downloaded, ignore update notifications for certain packages, and
view package details before downloading them.
The Red Hat Network Daemon (rhnsd) runs in the background as a service and probes the Red Hat
Network for notifications and updates at set time intervals (see Chapter 5 Red Hat Network Daemon
for further information). This daemon is necessary if you want to schedule updates or other actions
through the website.
The Red Hat Network Registration Client allows you to register your Red Hat Enterprise Linux
2.1 systems with RHN. (Newer versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux have registration functionality
built into the Red Hat Update Agent.) Registration involves creating a unique RHN username and

2 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
password, probing the hardware on your system to create a Hardware Profile, and probing the software
packages installed on your system to create a Package Profile. This information is sent to RHN, and
RHN returns a unique System ID to your system. See Chapter 6 Red Hat Network Registration Client
for more information.
Many Red Hat Network terms are used throughout this manual. As you read the Red Hat Network
Provisioning Reference Guide, refer to the Glossary as necessary for an explanation of common terms.
Tip
For a comparison chart of RHN service levels, refer to https://rhn.redhat.com/preview/.
1.1. Demo
The RHN Demo service level is the complimentary service level. All users receive one free subscrip-
tion to RHN Demo. All that is required is the completion of a brief survey once every 60 days.
With each Demo subscription, you receive:
•Errata Notifications — Be the first to know about Red Hat’s patches. Subscribe to email errata
notification through Red Hat Network.
•Errata Updates — Immediately bring individual systems up-to-date with the click of a button.
•Search Packages — Search through the full repository of RPMs available to Red Hat Network
users.
•Search Errata — Search through the collection of all errata ever released through Red Hat Network.
1.2. Update
The RHN Update service is ideal for a user with one Red Hat Enterprise Linux system or a small num-
ber of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems to keep updated. Subscription to Update can be purchased
at http://rhn.redhat.com/purchase_info.pxt.
With each Update subscription, you receive the essential functionality provided to Demo users, plus:
•Easy ISOs — For customers who have purchased subscriptions to Red Hat Network, ISO images
are available for immediate download. Beat the rush to the FTP servers by downloading directly
from Red Hat Network.
•Priority Access during periods of high load — When Red Hat releases a large errata, users with
Priority Access can be guaranteed that they will be able to access the updated packages immediately.
•RHN Support Access — All paying customers of Red Hat Network receive web based support for
their RHN questions.
•Errata Notification, Multiple Systems — Subscriptions for multiple systems means Errata notifi-
cation for Errata to all of those systems. Note that only one email is distributed per each Errata,
regardless of the number of systems affected.
•Errata Updates, Multiple Systems — Get quick updates for multiple systems with an easy button
click for each system.

Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network? 3
1.3. Management
In addition to the features offered in the RHN Demo and Update subscription levels, the RHN Manage-
ment subscription service allows you to manage your network of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems,
users, and system groups through its System Set Manager interface.
RHN Management is based upon the concept of an organization. Each Management-level Red Hat
customer has the ability to establish users who have administration privileges to system groups. An
Organization Administrator has overall control over each Red Hat Network organization with the
ability to add and remove systems and users. When users other than the Organization Administrator
log into the Red Hat Network website, they see only the systems they have permission to administer.
To create an account that can be used to entitle systems to RHN Management, go to
https://rhn.redhat.com/ and click on the Create Account link under the Sign In fields. On the Sign
Up for Red Hat Network page, click Create a new corporate account. After creating a corporate
account, you may add users within your organization to it.
The Red Hat Network features available to you depend on the subscription level for each Red Hat
Enterprise Linux system. With each Management subscription, you receive the functionality provided
to Demo and Update users, plus:
•Package Profile Comparison — Compare the package set on a system with the package sets of
similar systems with one click.
•Search Systems — Search through systems based on a number of criteria: packages, networking
information, even hardware asset tags.
•System Grouping — Web servers, database servers, workstations and other workload-focused sys-
tems may be grouped so that each set can be administered in common ways.
•Multiple Administrators — Administrators may be given rights to particular system groups, easing
the burden of system management over very large organizations.
•System Set Manager — You may now apply actions to sets of systems instead of single systems.
Work with members of a predefined system group, or work with an ad-hoc collection of systems.
Install a single package to each, subscribe them all to a new channel, or apply all errata to them
with a single action.
•Massive Scalability — Figuring out a list of outdated packages for a thousand systems would take
days for a dedicated sysadmin. Red Hat Network Management service can do it for you in seconds.
1.4. Provisioning
As the highest service level, RHN Provisioning encompasses all of the features offered in the RHN
Demo, Update, and Management subscription levels. It is designed to allow you to deploy and manage
your network of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems, users, and system groups.
Like, Management, Provisioning is based upon an organization. But it takes this concept a step fur-
ther by enabling customers with Provisioning entitlements to kickstart, reconfigure, track, and revert
systems on the fly.
In addition to all of the features mentioned in lower service levels, Provisioning provides:
•Kickstarting — Systems with Provisioning entitlements may be re-installed through RHN with a
whole host of options established in kickstart profiles. Options include everything from the type of
bootloader and time zone to packages included/excluded and IP address ranges allowed. Even GPG
and SSL keys can be pre-configured.
•Client Configuration — Customers may use RHN to manage the configuration files on
Provisioning-entitled systems. Users can upload files to RHN’s central configuration manager,

4 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
verify local configuration files against those stored by RHN, and deploy files from RHN. Further,
custom configuration channels can be created to help manage this process.
•Snapshot Rollbacks — Provisioning-level users have the ability to revert the package profile, con-
figuration files, and RHN settings of systems. This is possible because snapshots are captured when-
ever an action takes place on a system. These snapshots identify groups, channels, packages, and
configuration files.
•Custom System Information — Provisioning customers may identify any type of information they
choose about their systems. This differs from the more rigorous System Profile information and the
completely arbitrary Notes in that it allows you to develop specific keys of your choosing and then
assign searchable values for that key to each Provisioning-entitled system. For instance, this feature
would allow you to identify the cubicle in which each system is located.
1.5. Errata Notifications and Scheduled Package Installations
You can configure Red Hat Network to send you email notifications of new and updated software
packages as soon as the packages are available through RHN. You receive one email per Errata,
regardless of the number of your systems affected. You can also schedule package installs or package
updates. The benefits include:
•Reduced time and effort required by system administrators to stay on top of the Red Hat Errata list
•Minimized security vulnerabilities in your network by providing the patches as soon as Red Hat
releases them
•Filtered list of package updates (packages not relevant to your network are not included)
•Reliable method of managing multiple systems with similar configurations
1.6. Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network
Red Hat Network provides significant benefits to your network including security and quality assur-
ance. All transactions made between you and Red Hat Network are encrypted, and all RPM packages
are signed with Red Hat’s GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) signature to ensure authenticity.
Red Hat Network incorporates the following security measures:
1. Your System Profile available at http://rhn.redhat.com is accessible only with an RHN-verified
username and password.
2. A Digital Certificate is written to the client system after registration and is used to authenticate
the system during each transaction between the client and Red Hat Network. The file is only
readable by the root user on the client system.
3. All notifications and information messages are signed by Red Hat with an electronic signature
using GPG. RPM can be used to verify the authenticity of the package before it is installed.
4. All transactions are encrypted using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection.
5. All packages are tested and verified by the Red Hat Quality Assurance Team before they are
added to the Red Hat Errata list and Red Hat Network.
Tip
Refer to https://rhn.redhat.com/help/faq/ for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network? 5
1.7. Before You Begin
By default, all the software packages you need to use Red Hat Network are installed with Red Hat
distributions. However, if you chose not to install them during the installation process, you will need
to obtain the Red Hat Update Agent (up2date) and possibly the Red Hat Network Registration
Client (rhn_register). In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, registration functionality is built into the
Red Hat Update Agent, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 users will need the Red Hat Network
Registration Client.
Warning
The SSL certificate packaged with older versions of the Red Hat Update Agent and the Red Hat
Network Registration Client reached its end of life August 28, 2003. Users attempting to connect
using this certificate will receive SSL connection or certificate verification errors. You may view and
obtain the versions of these applications containing new certificates at the RHN Client Software page.
In the RHN website, click Help at the top-right corner, Get RHN Software in the left navigation bar,
and scroll down to examine the packages and versions.
To determine the versions of the client applications installed, run the rpm -q command followed by
the package name. For instance, for the Red Hat Network Registration Client, type the following
command:
rpm -q rhn_register
If the Red Hat Network Registration Client is installed, it will return something similar to:
rhn_register-2.9.3-1
The version number might differ slightly.
If you do not have the Red Hat Network Registration Client installed, the command will return:
package rhn_register is not installed
Perform this check for every package in Table 1-1 relevant to your system. Remember, only Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 2.1 users need the separate Red Hat Network Registration Client. If you prefer to
use the command line versions, you do not have to install the two packages ending in gnome.
Package Name Description
rhn_register Provides the Red Hat Network Registration Client program and the
text mode interface
rhn_register-gnome Provides the GNOME interface (graphical version) for the Red Hat
Network Registration Client; runs if the X Window System is available
up2date Provides the Red Hat Update Agent command line version and the Red
Hat Network Daemon
up2date-gnome Provides the GNOME interface (graphical version) for the Red Hat
Update Agent; runs if the X Window System is available
Table 1-1. Red Hat Network Packages

6 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?

Chapter 2.
Red Hat Update Agent
The Red Hat Update Agent is your connection to the Red Hat Network. It enables you to register
your systems, create System Profiles, and alter the settings by which your organization and RHN
interact. Once registered, your systems can use the Red Hat Update Agent to retrieve the latest
software packages from Red Hat. This tool will allow you to always have the most up-to-date Red Hat
Linux systems with all security patches, bug fixes, and software package enhancements.
Remember, this tool must be run on the system you wish to update. You cannot use the Red Hat
Update Agent on the system if it is not entitled to an RHN service offering.
Warning
Only systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 can use the Red Hat Update Agent to register
with RHN. Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 will need to use the separate Red Hat
Network Registration Client before starting the Red Hat Update Agent. Refer to Chapter 6 Red
Hat Network Registration Client for instructions. Then return to this chapter for instructions on
using the Red Hat Update Agent.
Important
You must use Red Hat Update Agent Version 2.5.4 or higher to upgrade your kernel automatically.
It will install the updated kernel and configure LILO or GRUB to boot the new kernel the next time
the system is rebooted. To ensure you are running the latest version, execute the command up2date
up2date. If you do not have the latest version installed, this command will update it.
2.1. Starting the Red Hat Update Agent
If you are not running the X Window System or prefer the command line version of the Red Hat
Update Agent, skip to Section 2.3.5 Command Line Version.
You must be root to run the Red Hat Update Agent. If you start it as a standard user, you will be
prompted to enter the root password before proceeding. The Red Hat Update Agent can be started
using one of the following methods:
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3:
•On the GNOME and KDE desktops, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => System Tools
=> Red Hat Network.
•At a shell prompt (for example, an xterm or gnome-terminal), type the command up2date.
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1:
•On the GNOME desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs => System
=> Update Agent.
•On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Update Agent.
•At a shell prompt (for example, an xterm or gnome-terminal), type the command up2date.

8 Chapter 2. Red Hat Update Agent
If you choose the last option and start the application from a shell prompt, you can specify the options
in Table 2-1 to the Red Hat Update Agent. To view these options, type the command up2date
--help.
For example, use the following command to specify the directory in which to download the updated
packages (temporarily overriding your saved configuration):
up2date --tmpdir=/tmp/up2date
Argument Description
--configure Configure Red Hat Update Agent options. Refer to Section 2.4
Configuration for detailed instructions.
-d,--download Download packages only; do not install them. This argument
temporarily overrides the configuration option Do not install
packages after retrieval. Use this option if you prefer to install
the packages manually.
-f,--force Force package installation. This option temporarily overrides the
file, package, and configuration skip lists.
-i,--install Install packages after they are downloaded. This argument
temporarily overrides the configuration option Do not install
packages after retrieval.
-k,--packagedir Specify a colon separated path of directories to look for packages
before trying to download them.
--nosig Do not use GPG to check package signatures. This option
temporarily overrides the saved configuration option.
--tmpdir=directory Temporarily override the configured package directory. The
default location is /var/spool/up2date. This option is useful
if you do not have enough space in the configured location.
--justdb Only add packages to the database and do not install them.
--dbpath=dir Specify an alternate RPM database to use temporarily.
Table 2-1. Graphical Update Agent Options
The first time you run the Red Hat Update Agent, two dialog boxes will appear that you will not see
in subsequent startups: Configure Proxy Server and Install GPG Key.
As shown in Figure 2-1, the first dialog box to appear will prompt you for HTTP Proxy Server informa-
tion. This is useful if your network connection requires you to use a proxy server to make HTTP con-
nections. To use this feature, select the Enable HTTP Proxy checkbox and type your proxy server in
the text field with the format http://HOST:PORT, such as http://squid.mysite.org:3128.
Additionally, if your proxy server requires a username and password, select the Use Authentication
checkbox and enter your username and password in the respective text fields.
An HTTP Proxy Server is not required by Red Hat Network. If you do not want to use this feature,
click the OK button without making any selections. Note that the Red Hat Network Server dropdown
menu at the top of the dialog box is only useful to RHN Proxy and Satellite customers. These cus-
tomers should refer to the RHN Client Configuration Guide for registration steps. Also note this dialox
box is actually the General tab of the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool. Refer to Section
2.4 Configuration for detailed instructions.

Chapter 2. Red Hat Update Agent 9
Figure 2-1. Configure Proxy Server
The second dialog box to appear will prompt you to install the Red Hat GPG key, as shown in Figure
2-2. This key is used to verify the packages you download for security purposes. Click Yes to install
the key, and you will not see this message again.
Figure 2-2. Install GPG Key
2.2. Registration
Before you begin using Red Hat Network, you need to create a username, password, and System
Profile. Upon launch, the Red Hat Update Agent senses whether these tasks have been accomplished.
If not, it guides you through the registration process. If you ever need to force the Red Hat Update
Agent into registration mode, say to re-register an existing system, you may do so by issuing the
following command at a shell prompt:
up2date --register

10 Chapter 2. Red Hat Update Agent
Note
In addition to the steps described here, the Red Hat Update Agent also provides a utility aimed at
batch processing the registration of systems called Activation Keys. Refer to Section 2.5 Registering
with Activation Keys for a full description.
After installing the Red Hat GPG key, the screen in Figure 2-3 will appear. It appears every time you
start the Red Hat Update Agent. Click Forward to continue.
Figure 2-3. Welcome Screen
After clicking through the Welcome Screen, the Red Hat Privacy Statement appears. (See Figure 2-
4). Red Hat is committed to protecting your privacy. The information gathered during the Red Hat
Network registration process is used to create a System Profile, which is essential to receiving update
notifications about your system. If after reading the statement you have any questions about how your
information is being used, please contact us at <[email protected]>. When satisfied, click
Forward.