Red Hat NETWORK - USER REFERENCE GUIDE 1.3, NETWORK 1.3 User Reference Manual
Red Hat Network
User Reference Guide 1.3
ISBN: ISBN: N/A
Red Hat, Inc.
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© 2001 Red Hat, Inc.
RHNurg(EN)-1.3-Print-RHI (2001-01-29T10:47-0400)
Copyright © 2001 by Red Hat, Inc. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms and con-
ditions set forth in the Open Publication License, V1.0 or later (the latest version is presently available
at http://www.opencontent.org/openpub/).
Distribution of substantively modified versions of this document is prohibited without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
Distribution of the work or derivative of the work in any standard (paper) book form for commercial
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Red Hat, Red Hat Network, the Red Hat "Shadow Man" logo, RPM, Maximum RPM, the RPM logo,
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ii
Contents
Red Hat Network
Introduction.............. ..................... ..................... ..................... ...... v
Document Conventions.................................................................... v
More to Come .............................................................................. viii
Chapter 1 What is Red Hat Network?. ..................... .............. 11
1.1 Automatic Notifications........................................................... 12
1.2 Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network .......................... 12
1.3 Before You Begin ................................................................. 13
Chapter 2 Registration............. ..................... ..................... ...... 15
2.1 Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client............................. 15
2.2 Registering a User Account ..................................................... 17
2.3 Registering a System Profile .................................................... 21
2.4 Finishing Registration ............................................................ 25
2.5 Text Mode RHN Registration Client............................................. 27
Chapter 3 Red Hat Update Agent Configuration............ ...... 29
3.1 Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent ........................................ 29
3.2 General Settings.................................................................. 29
3.3 Retrieval/Installation Settings ................................................... 30
3.4 Package Exceptions Settings ................................................... 32
Chapter 4 Red Hat Update Agent..... ..................... ................. 35
4.1 Starting the Red Hat Update Agent ............................................ 35
4.2 Choosing Packages to Update.................................................. 37
4.3 Installing Updated Packages.................................................... 40
4.4 Update Agent Finished........................................................... 41
4.5 Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent................................. 42
4.6 Syncronizing Your System Profile............................................... 45
iii
Chapter 5 Red Hat Network Web Application................... .... 47
5.1 Logging into Red Hat Network Web Application .............................. 47
5.2 Viewing Your Notifications ....................................................... 47
5.3 Adding a System Profile ......................................................... 48
5.4 Viewing Your Network Group.................................................... 50
5.5 Viewing Individual System Pages............................................... 51
5.6 Downloading Updated Packages ............................................... 52
5.7 Customizing Preferences........................................................ 52
5.8 Searching Errata.................................................................. 54
5.9 Viewing Online Help.............................................................. 55
5.10 Navigation......................................................................... 55
Chapter 6 Red Hat Network Daemon.... ..................... ............ 59
Chapter 7 Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2.61
Chapter 8 Frequently Asked Questions..... ..................... ...... 63
iv
Section 0.1:Document Conventions v
Introduction
Welcome to the Red Hat Network User Reference Guide 1.3.
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 at http://www.redhat.com/support/manuals/. Once you use Red Hat Network to update
these applications, you can use the latest version of this manual.
For a more detailed, technical overview of Red Hat Network, please refer to the Red Hat Network
Whitepaper and the Red Hat Network Technical Paper available at http://www.redhat.com/products/network/.
Document Conventions
When you read this manual, you’ll see that 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 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.
The /usr/share/doc directory contains documentation for various programs.
vi Introduction
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.
Select the
Require Password checkbox if you’d like your screensaver to require 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 levelof a pull-down 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’ll 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’ll 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 example:
Click on the
Back button to return to the Web page you last viewed.
Section 0.1:Document Conventions vii
computer output
When you see text in this style, it indicates text displayed by the computer on the command line.
You’ll see responses to commands you typed in, error messages and interactive promptings 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 and windows are 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.
glossary entry
A word that appears in the glossary will be shown in the body of the document in this style. For
example:
The lpd daemon handles printing requests.
viii Introduction
In this case, the style of the word daemon should indicate to you that a definition of the term is
available in the glossary.
Additionally, we use severaldifferentstrategies to draw your attention to certain pieces of information.
In order of how critical the information is to your system, these items will be marked as a tip, a note,
important, a 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.
CAUTION
Don’t 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-class installation will
remove all existing partitions on all installed hard drives. Don’t choose
this installation class unless you’re sure you have no data you need to
save.
More to Come
The Red Hat Network User Reference Guide is constantly expanding as newRed Hat Network features
and service plans are launched.
Send in Your Feedback
If you’d like to make suggestions about the Red Hat Network User Reference Guide, please mention
this guide’s identifier:
RHNurg(EN)-1.3-Print-RHI (2001-01-29T10:47-0400)
You can send mail to:
Section 0.2:More to Come ix
rhn-feedback@redhat.com
x Introduction
What is Red Hat Network? 11
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?
Haveyou 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?
Haveyou everspent 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.
Launched in September 2000 with Red Hat Linux 7.0, Red Hat Network is an Internet solution for
managing a Red Hat Linux system or a network of Red Hat Linux systems. All security patches, bug
fixes, and software package enhancements can be downloaded directly from Red Hat using the Red
Hat Update Agent standalone application or through a Web browser using the Red Hat Network
Web Application.
The three main components of Red Hat Network are as follows:
• The Red Hat Network Registration Client
• The Red Hat Network user interface
• The Red Hat Network Daemon
The Red Hat Network Registration Client allows you to create a unique RHN user name and password 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, Registra-
tion for further information).
You can use either of the two Red Hat Network user interfaces:
• The Red Hat Network Web Application
• The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the Red Hat Network Web Application and the Red Hat Update Agent allow you to view
all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements included in the Red Hat errata list. Only
packages relevant to your system are shown. The Red Hat Network Web Application and Red Hat
12 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?
Update Agent can also be configuredto verify packages once downloaded. Red Hat Update Agent
allows for a few basic configuration options such as choosing to ignore update notifications for certain
packages. The Red Hat Network Web Application includes more features such as viewing up to
five systems simultaneously, viewing package details before downloading them, and adding a system
to your group without using the Red Hat Network Registration Client.
Red Hat Update Agent is a standalone application that runs locally on your system. All the software
dependencies it requires are shipped with Red Hat Linux 7. The Red Hat Network WebApplication
runs inside a SSL-enabled Web browser such as Netscape and does not have software dependencies.
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).
1.1 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
1.2 Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat
Network
Red Hat Network provides significant benefits to your network including security and quality assurance. 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. The Red Hat Network Web Application is only accessible with the correct user name and password.
2. A DigitalCertificatestored 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.
Section 1.3:Before You Begin 13
3. All notifications and information messages are signed by Red Hat with an electronic signature using 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 Teambefore they are added
to the Red Hat errata list and Red Hat Network.
1.3 Before You Begin
Red Hat Network is available for Red Hat Linux 6.2. Refer to Chapter 7, Using Red Hat Network with
Red Hat Linux 6.2 for details on installing the necessary packages.
By default, all the software packages you need to use Red Hat Network are installed with Red Hat
Linux 7. However, if you chose not to install them during the installation process or performed an
upgrade to Red Hat Linux 7, 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-1.0-7
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
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
14 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?
Package Name Description
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
Ifthe packages are not installed, they can be found on theRed Hat Linux 7 CD1 in theRedHat/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.
Section 2.1:Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client 15
2 Registration
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 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
=> RHN Registration
2. On the KDE desktop, go to the
Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => System => RHN
Registration
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 2.5, 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 Figure 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 recommended you use Python 1.5.2-24 or later.
16 Chapter 2:Registration
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
Section 2.2:Registering a User Account 17
Red Hat is committed to protecting your privacy (see Figure 2–3, Red Hat Privacy Statement. The informationgathered during the Red Hat NetworkRegistrationprocess 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 feedback@red-
hat.com.
Figure 2–3 Red Hat Privacy Statement
2.2 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.
2.2.1 Required User Account Information
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 to 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,
18 Chapter 2:Registration
Error: Username AlreadyExists) until you havesuccessfully chosen a unique user name and password
combination.
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 and wish to update your System Profile, you can run the Red Hat
Network Registration Client again and enter your existing user name and password. If you choose
to do this, the dialog box shown in Figure 2–5, Warning: This System Already Registered will appear.
Click
Yes to start the Red Hat Network Registration Client and update your System Profile.
Section 2.2:Registering a User Account 19
Use your existing user name and password. If you do not, a new user account
will be created, and the new user account you create will not have the same
support Service Plan for which you have already registered.
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 System Profile. 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 System Profile, and you can log into the Red Hat Network Web Application
with your user name and password to view all your systems simultaneously.
Currently, you are allowed to add up to five machines. Once again, it is important to use your existing
user name and password combination when registering an additional system. If you do not you will
not have the same Service Plan for which you registered and you will not be able to login with one
user name to view all your systems.
20 Chapter 2:Registration
Figure 2–6 Create a Unique User Name and Password
2.2.2 Optional User Account Information
You can also choose whether to receive email notifications about updates relevant to your system by
selecting the box next titled
I want to receive email notification for updates to my System Profiles.
When selected, the
Email address:
text area will no longer be shaded and you can enter the email
address where notifications will be sent. The email address can be changed at any time.
If you purchased Red Hat Linux 7, Deluxe Workstation,or Professional Server,enteryour Registration
Number to activate your Free Support Services Trial.
Click
Next to continue creating a User Account.
After successfully creating a user name and password, you are prompted for your contact information.
This information is optional. If you would like to receive information about special offers from Red
Hat’s partners or receive the Red Hat e-Newsletter, please fill out the relevant information (see Figure
2–7, Optional User Account Information).
Section 2.3:Registering a System Profile 21
Figure 2–7 Optional User Account Information
2.3 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.
2.3.1 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
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