Red Hat NETWORK - USER REFERENCE GUIDE 3.1 Product information sheet

Red Hat Network
User Reference Guide 3.1

ISBN: N/A
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© 2001 Red Hat, Inc.
RHNurg(EN)-3.1-Print-RHI (2001-09-05T14:52-0400)
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ii

Contents
Red Hat Network
Introduction................................................................................... v
Document Conventions.................................................................... v
MoretoCome.............................................................................. viii
Chapter 1 What is Red Hat Network? .................................... 9
1.1 Software Manager................................................................ 10
1.2 Automatic Notifications........................................................... 10
1.3 Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network .......................... 11
1.4 Before You Begin ................................................................. 11
Chapter 2 Red Hat Network Registration Client................... 13
2.1 Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration Client ........................ 13
2.2 Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client............................. 14
2.3 Registering a User Account ..................................................... 16
2.4 Registering a System Profile.................................................... 19
2.5 Finishing Registration............................................................ 22
2.6 Entitling Your System............................................................. 24
2.7 Text Mode RHN Registration Client............................................. 25
Chapter 3 Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool ......... 27
3.1 Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent ........................................ 27
3.2 General Settings.................................................................. 27
3.3 Retrieval/Installation Settings ................................................... 28
3.4 Package Exceptions Settings ................................................... 30
3.5 Command Line Version of Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool...... 31
Chapter 4 Red Hat Update Agent........................................... 33
4.1 Starting the Red Hat Update Agent ............................................ 33
4.2 Choosing a Channel ............................................................. 35
iii

4.3 Choosing Packages to Update.................................................. 36
4.4 Installing Updated Packages .................................................... 39
4.5 Update Agent Finished........................................................... 40
4.6 Command Line Version of Red Hat Update Agent............................ 41
4.7 Manual Package Installation..................................................... 45
4.8 Synchronizing Your System Profile ............................................. 46
4.9 LogFile............................................................................ 46
Chapter 5 Software Manager .................................................. 47
5.1 Logging into Software Manager................................................. 47
5.2 Introduction to the Web Interface ............................................... 48
5.3 YourRHN.......................................................................... 51
5.4 Systems ........................................................................... 53
5.5 Channels and Packages......................................................... 57
5.6 Errata.............................................................................. 60
5.7 Scheduled Actions................................................................ 62
Chapter 6 Red Hat Network Daemon..................................... 65
Chapter 7 Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2.67
Chapter 8 Frequently Asked Questions................................ 69
Glossary......................................................................................... 73
iv

Section 0.1:Document Conventions v
Introduction
Welcome to the Red Hat Network User Reference Guide 3.1.
The Red Hat Network User 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 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. All version of this manual
are available in HTML and PDF formats at http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/RHNetwork/. Once
you use Red Hat Network to update these applications, you can use the latest version of this manual.
This version of the manual covers version 2.7.0 of the Red Hat Update Agent and version 1.5.0 of the
Red Hat Network Registration Client.
For a more detailed, technical overview of Red Hat Network, please refer to the Red Hat Network
Technical Paper available at http://www.redhat.com/products/network/.
Document Conventions
When you read this manual, you will see that certain words are represented in different fonts, type-
faces, 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 in 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 (e.g., filenames). In these cases, they are considered
to be part of the command, so the entire phrase will be 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.
filename
Filenames, 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 Red Hat Linux
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 filesystems.

vi Introduction
The /usr/share/doc directory contains documentation for various programs.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.
application
This style should indicate to you that the program named is an end-user application (as opposed
to system software). For example:
Use Netscape Navigator 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 will
display 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 will restart the X Window System.
text found on a GUI interface
A title, word or phrase found on a GUI interface screen or window will be shown in this style.
When you see text shown in this style, it is being used to identify a particular GUI screen or an
element on a GUI screen (e.g., text associated with a checkbox or field). Examples:
On the GNOME Control Center screen, you can customize your GNOME window manager.
Selectthe RequirePasswordcheckbox if you wouldlikeyour screensavertorequire a password
before stopping.
top level of a menu on a GUI screen or window
When you see a word in this style, it 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 Settings on a GNOME terminal, you will see the following menu items: Preferences,
Reset Terminal,Reset and Clear, and Color selector.
If you need to type in a sequence of commands from a GUI menu, they will be shown like the
following example:
Click on Programs=>Applications=>Emacs to start the Emacs text editor.
button on a GUI screen or window
This style indicates that the text will be found on a clickable button on a GUI screen. For ex-
ample:

Section 0.1:Document Conventions vii
Click on the Back button to return to the Web page you last viewed.
computer output
When you see text in this style, it indicates text displayed by the computer on the command line.
You will see responses to commands you typed in, error messages and interactive prompts for
your input during scripts or programs shown this way. For example:
Use the ls to display the contents of a directory:
$ls
Desktop axhome logs paulwesterberg.gif
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,
will be shown in this style. Examples:
$
#
[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 will need to type in the text
command at the boot: prompt.
Another example, with the word root displayed as something the user needs to type in:
If you need to log in as root when you first log into your system, and you are using the graphical
login screen, at the Login prompt, type root. At the Password prompt, type in the root
password.
Additionally, we use several differentstrategies to drawyour attention to certain piecesof information.
In order of how critical the information is to your system, these items will be marked as a note, a
caution or a warning. For example:

viii Introduction
Note
Remember that Linux is case sensitive. In other words, a rose is not a ROSE
is not a rOsE.
CAUTION
Do not do routine tasks as root — use a regular user account unless you need
to use the root account to administer your system.
WARNING
If you choose not to partition manually, a server installation will remove
all existing partitions on all installed hard drives. Do not choose this
installation class unless you are sure you have no data you need to save.
More to Come
The Red Hat Network User Reference Guide is constantly expanding as new Red Hat Network features
and service plans are launched.
Send in Your Feedback
If you would like to make suggestions about the Red Hat Network User Reference Guide, please men-
tion this guide’s identifier:
RHNurg(EN)-3.1-Print-RHI (2001-09-05T14:52-0400)
You can send mail to:
[email protected]

What is Red Hat Network? 9
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 you are only able to find the source files that you have
to compile yourself?
Have you ever spenthours or even daysvisiting 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 Linux system or a network of Red
Hat Linux systems. All Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts (collective known
as Errata Alerts) can be downloaded directly from Red Hat. You can even have updates automatically
delivered directly to your system as soon as they are released.
The three main components of Red Hat Network are as follows:
• The Red Hat Network Registration Client
• The Red Hat Network user interface
• Red Hat Network Daemon
The Red Hat Network Registration Client allows you to create a unique RHN user name and pass-
word and probes the hardware and software on your system to create a System Profile. The System
Profile is sent to RHN and RHN returns a unique System ID to your system (see Chapter 2,
Red Hat
Network Registration Client for further information).
You can use either of the two Red Hat Network user interfaces:
• Software Manager Web interface available at http://rhn.redhat.com
• The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the Web interface and the Red Hat Update Agentallow you to view all Errata Alerts included 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.

10 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?
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 6, Red Hat Network Daemon
for further information).
Many Red Hat Network terms are used throughout this manual. As you read the Red Hat Network
User Reference Guide, refer to the Glossary as necessary for explanation of common terms.
1.1 Software Manager
The first subscription service offered through Red Hat Network is Software Manager. Additional
service offerings will be available in the near future. Registering a system with Red Hat Network is
free as well as one subscription to Software Manager. Additional subscription to Software Manager
can be purchased at http://rhn.redhat.com/purchase_info.pxt.
With each Software Manager subscription, you receive:
• Errata Alerts — learn when Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts are issued
for all the systems in your network through the Software Manager interface
• Automatic email notifications — receive an email notification when an Errata Alert is issued for
your system
• Scheduled Errata Updates — schedule delivery of Errata Updates with optional automatic instal-
lation
• Package installation — Schedule package installation on one or more systems with the click of a
button.
•Red Hat Update Agent — use the Red Hat Update Agent to download the lastest software
packages for your system with optional installation of packages
1.2 Automatic Notifications
During registration, you can configure Red Hat Network to send you email notifications of new and
updated software packages. Automated notifications of the latest updates:
• Reduce the time and effort required by system administrators to stay on top of the Red Hat errata
list
• Minimize security vulnerabilities in your network by providing the patches as soon as Red Hat
releases them
• Filter out package updates not relevant to your network
• Provide a reliable method of managing multiple systems with similar configurations

Section 1.4:Before You Begin 11
1.3 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 only accessible with the correct user
name and password.
2. A DigitalCertificate stored on theclient system inthe file /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
after registration is used to authenticate the system during each transaction between the client and
Red Hat Network.
3. All notifications and information messages are signed by Red Hat with an electronic signature us-
ing GPG. The rpm utility 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.
1.4 Before You Begin
Red Hat Network is available for Red Hat Linux 6.2 and higher. For instructions on configuring Red
Hat Linux 6.2 for Red Hat Network, refer to Chapter 7, Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux
6.2.
By default, all the software packages you need to use Red Hat Network are installed with Red Hat
Linux 7 and higher. However, if you chose not to install them during the installation process or per-
formed an upgrade from Red Hat Linux 6.2 or lower, you might not have the Red Hat Network
Registration Client or the Red Hat Update Agent installed. To verify that the Red Hat Network
Registration Client is installed, 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-1.5.0-1
The version number might differ slightly if you have a newer version installed.
If you do not have Red Hat Network Registration Client installed, the command will return

12 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?
package rhn_register is not installed
Perform this check for every package in Table 1–1, Red Hat Network Packages. If you do not want to
use the graphical versions, you do not have to install the two packages ending in gnome.
Table 1–1 Red Hat Network Packages
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
If the packagesare not installed, they can befound on the Red HatLinux 7 or higher CD-ROM #1 in the
RedHat/RPMS directory or downloaded from the Red Hat FTP site available at ftp://ftp.redhat.com
(or from a Red Hat FTP mirror available at http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html). Always check the
Red Hat errata page, available at http://www.redhat.com/errata/, for package updates. If you install
an older version of these packages, you can retreive the latest versions using Red Hat Network. The
first time that you request the RPM Updates for your system, they will be included.

Section 2.1:Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration Client 13
2 Red Hat Network Registration Client
Before you begin using Red Hat Network, you need to create a user name, password, and System
Profile. The Red Hat Network Registration Client will walk you through this process.
2.1 Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration
Client
WARNING
Mostusersdonotneedtoconfigurethe Red Hat Network Registration
Clientbeforeregistering their systems. Do not attempt to use this option
unless you are required to.
To start the configuration tool, use the command:
rhn_register --configure
You will be presented with a list of options and their current values:
0. enableProxyAuth No
1. noSSLServerURL http://www.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
2. enableProxy No
3. httpProxy
4. proxyUser
5. serverURL https://www.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
6. proxyPassword
7. debug No
Enter number of item to edit <return to exit, q to quit without saving>:
Enter the number of the item that you want to modify, and enter a new value for the option. When
you finish changing your configuration, press [Enter] to save your changes and exit. Press [q] and then
[Enter] to quit without saving your changes.
The most common options configured are numbers 1 and 2 to enable a proxy server. To enable
a proxy server, change the value for enableProxy to Yes and the value of httpProxy to
the name of the proxy server and port number in the format http://HOST:PORT. For example,
to use the proxy server http://squid.mysite.org on port 3128, you would change the value to
http://squid.mysite.org:3128.

14 Chapter 2:Red Hat Network Registration Client
If you require a proxy username and password, change the values of numbers 0, 4, and 6. Set en-
ableProxyAuth to Yes to enable username/password authentication for the proxy. Set prox-
yUser and proxyPassword to the appropriate username and password for the proxy.
2.2 Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client
You must be root to register a system with RHN. If you start the Red Hat Network Registration
Client as a standard user, you will be prompted to enter the root password before proceeding. To start
the Red Hat Network Registration Client in Red Hat Linux 6.2 or higher, use one of the following
methods:
1. On the GNOME desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs => System
=> Red Hat Network
2. On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => System => Red
Hat Network
3. Type the command rhn_register at a shell prompt (for example an xterm or gnome-terminal)
4. If you are not running the X Window System, type the command rhn_register at a virtual
console or remote terminal. Please refer to Section 2.7, Text Mode RHN Registration Client for
further details.
CAUTION
You must use Python 1.5.2-24 or later with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
support. If not, the information you transfer will not be encrypted. If you
have an earlier version of Python, you will see the message shown in Fig-
ure 2–1, Use Python 1.5.2-24 or later. To determine the version of Python
on your system, use the command rpm -q python. It is strongly recom-
mended you use Python 1.5.2-24 or later.

Section 2.2:Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client 15
Figure 2–1 Use Python 1.5.2-24 or later
The opening screen for the Red Hat Network Registration Client gives you a brief overview of the
services available and the steps required to register (see Figure 2–2, Welcome Screen). Click Next to
continue with the registration process. If you click Cancel, the registration process will end and no
information will be sent.
Figure 2–2 Welcome Screen
Red Hat is committed to protecting your privacy (see Figure 2–3, Red Hat Privacy Statement). The
information gathered during the Red Hat Network Registration process is used to create a System
Profile. The System Profile is essential if you wish to receive update notifications about your system.
If you have any questions about how your information is being used, please contact us at feed-
[email protected].

16 Chapter 2:Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2–3 Red Hat Privacy Statement
2.3 Registering a User Account
Before you can create a System Profile, you must create a user account. The only required information
in this section is a unique user name and password and a valid email address.
In the screen shown in Figure 2–6, Create a Unique User Name and Password, you must choose a user
name and password. Once logged into Red Hat Network, you can modify your preferences, view your
existing System Profile, or obtain the lastest Red Hat software packages. You must choose a unique
user name. If you enter one already in use, you will see an error message (see Figure 2–4, Error:
Username Already Exists).

Section 2.3:Registering a User Account 17
Figure 2–4 Error: Username Already Exists
Note
If you are already a member of redhat.com, you can use the same user name
and password. However, you will still need to continue with the registration
process to create your System Profile.
Your user name and password have the following restrictions:
• Must be at least four characters long
• Are case-insentitive
• Can not contain any spaces
• Can not contain any tabs
• Can not contain any line feeds
• Can not contain the characters &, +, %, or ’
If you have already registered your system and try to register it again, the dialog box shown in Figure
2–5, Warning: This System Already Registered will appear. If you continue, it will overwrite your ex-
isting systemid file (/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid) and you will create a different System
Profile. You will no longer be able to use your previous System Profile — be sure this is what you
want to do before you choose Yes.

18 Chapter 2:Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2–5 Warning: This System Already Registered
If you have already registered a machine and created a System Profile, you can add a new machine to
your account. Run the Red Hat Network Registration Client on the new machine you wish to add
and enter your existing Red Hat Network user name and password. The new machine will be added
to your existing account, and you can log into Red Hat Network with your user name and password
to view all your systems simultaneously.
Figure 2–6 Create a Unique User Name and Password

Section 2.4:Registering a System Profile 19
Most users can leave the Org Info section blank. If you have an existing organization account, enter
your organization’s ID and password in the provided text fields. If the values are valid, the system
will be added to the organization’s Red Hat Network account.
Click Next to continue.
2.4 Registering a System Profile
Now that you have a user account, you can create a System Profile that consists of hardware and
software information about your Red Hat Linux system. The software System Profile information is
used by Red Hat Network to determine what software update notifications you receive.
2.4.1 Hardware System Profile
After creating a user name and password for your Red Hat Network account, the Red Hat Network
Registration Client probes your system for the following information:
• Red Hat Linux version
• Hostname
• IP address
• CPU model
• CPU speed
• Amount of RAM
• PCI devices
• Disk sizes
• Mount points
The next step is choosing a profile name for your system as shown in Figure 2–7, System Profile -
Hardware. The default value is the hostname for the system. You may modify this to be a more
descriptive string such as Email Server for Support Team if you find it more helpful. Optionally,
you can enter a computer serial or identification number for the system.
If you do not wish to include information about your hardware or network in your System Profile,
deselect Include information about hardware and network (see Figure 2–7, System Profile - Hard-
ware).
Click Next to continue with the registration process.

20 Chapter 2:Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2–7 System Profile - Hardware
2.4.2 Software System Profile
The software System Profile consists of a list of RPM packages for which you wish to receive notifi-
cations. The Red Hat Network Registration Client shows you a list of all RPM packages listed in
the RPM database on your system and then allows you to customize the list by deselecting packages.
Gathering RPM Database Information
Only those packages you choose during this part of the registration will be included in in your System
Profile, and you will only receive notifications about the packages in your System Profile. Thus, if
you use an older version of a package and deselect it from the list, it will not be replaced with a newer
version. This RPM list can be modifed through the Red Hat Network web interface or by using the
Red Hat Update Agent. As shown in Figure 2–8, Registration Wizard , querying the RPM database
may take some time depending on your system.