Red Hat NETWORK -, NETWORK 1.3 User Reference Manual

Red Hat Network

User Reference Guide 1.3

ISBN: ISBN: N/A

Red Hat, Inc.

2600 Meridian Parkway
Durham, NC 27713 USA
[phone] (Voice)
[phone] (FAX)
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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
purposes is prohibited unless prior permission is obtained from the copyright holder.

Red Hat, Red Hat Network, the Red Hat "Shadow Man" logo, RPM, Maximum RPM, the RPM logo,
Linux Library, PowerTools, Linux Undercover, RHmember, RHmember More, Rough Cuts, Rawhide
and all Red Hat-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.
in the United States and other countries.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Motif and UNIX are registered trademarks of The Open Group.
Compaq and the names of Compaq products referenced herein are either trademarks and/or service

marks or registered trademarks and/or service marks of Compaq.
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other countries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other trademarks and copyrights referred to are the property of their respective owners.
Printed in Canada, Ireland, and Japan

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

[e-mail]

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

22 Chapter 2:Registration

• Amount of RAM

• PCI devices

• Disk sizes

• Mount points
The next step is choosing a profile name for your system as shown in Figure 2–8, System Profile -

Hardware. This name is used to identify the system in the Red Hat Network Web Application. 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.

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 2–8, System Profile - Hard-

ware).

Click

Next to continue with the registration process.

Figure 2–8 System Profile - Hardware

Section 2.3:Registering a System Profile 23

2.3.2 Software System Profile

The software System Profile consists of a list of RPM packages for which you wish to receive notifi­cations. 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 later by running the Red Hat Network Registration Client
again, by using the Red HatNetwork Web Application, or by using the Red Hat Update Agent.As
shownin Figure 2–9, RegistrationWizard, querying the RPM database may take some time depending
on your system.

Figure 2–9 Registration Wizard

Once the RPM package list is built, the list will be displayed as shown in Figure 2–10, RPM Package
Information. Deselecting Include RPM Packages installed on this system in my System Profile

will omit this information from your System Profile.

24 Chapter 2:Registration

Figure 2–10 RPM Package Information

Choosing Which RPM Packages to Exclude from the System Profile

By default, all RPM packages in your RPM database are included in your System Profile to be updated
by Red HatNetwork. Toexcludeapackage, uncheck the package from the list by clicking theX beside
the package name. For example, Figure 2–11, Choose which RPM Packages to Exclude from System
Profile shows that the

procmail, procps, and psgml packages have been omitted from the package

list.
Choose which packages to exclude from the system profile, and click

Next to continue with the regis-

tration process.

Section 2.4:Finishing Registration 25

Figure 2–11 Choose which RPM Packages to Exclude from System Profile

2.4 Finishing Registration

As seen in Figure 2–12, Finished Collecting Information forSystem Profile, the last step of registration
is to confirm that you want to send your System Profile to the Red Hat Network. If you choose

Cancel

at this point, no information will be sent. Clicking Next will send your profile.

26 Chapter 2:Registration

Figure 2–12 Finished Collecting Information for System Profile

Figure 2–13, Send System Profile to Red Hat Network shows the progress bar you will see while your
profile is being sent. This process may take some time depending on your connection speed.

Figure 2–13 Send System Profile to Red Hat Network

You will know your System Profile has been successfully sent when you see the Registration Finished
screen (Figure 2–14, Registration Finished). Click Finish to exit the Red Hat Network Registration
Client.

After completing registration, visit http://www.redhat.com/networkto verify your System Profile and
make any changes.

Section 2.5:Text Mode RHN Registration Client 27

Figure 2–14 Registration Finished

2.5 Text Mode RHN Registration Client

The screens for the Text Mode Red Hat Network Registration Client are almost identical to the
screens for the graphical version of Red Hat Network Registration Client. Some of the text in the
text mode version is more concise due to lack of space in the interface. However, there is an equal
number of screens and fields in both versions. Thus, if you are using the text mode version, you can
still follow the instructions that begin in Section 2.1, Starting the Red Hat Network RegistrationClient.

28 Chapter 2:Registration

Figure 2–15 Text Mode Welcome Screen

Section 3.2:General Settings 29

3 Red Hat Update Agent Configuration

Before using the Red Hat Update Agent, you should configure the settings. This can be done with
the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool.

3.1 Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent

You must be root to run the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool. If you start the Red Hat
UpdateAgent Configuration Toolas a standard user,you will beprompted to enter the root password

before proceeding. The Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool can be started using one of the
following methods:

• On the GNOME desktop, go to the

Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs => System

=> RHN Configuration (or Update Agent Configuration for older versions of Red Hat Update
Agent)

• On the KDE desktop, go to the

Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => RHN Configu-

ration

(or Update Agent Configuration for older versions of Red Hat Update Agent)

• Type the command up2date-config at a shell prompt (for example, an xterm or a gnome­terminal)

3.2 General Settings

The General tab allows you to enable an HTTP Proxy Server. If your network connection requires
you to use an HTTP Proxy Server to make HTTP connections, select the

Enable HTTP Proxy option

and type your Proxy server in the text field.

30 Chapter 3:Red Hat Update Agent Configuration

Figure 3–1 General Settings

3.3 Retrieval/Installation Settings

The Retrieval/Installation tab allows you to customize your software package retrieval and package
installation preferences.

Note

Even if you set the Red Hat Update Agent to install the packages automati­cally, it will only download the RPM packages required for new versions of
the kernel. New kernels are not installed automatically.

Section 3.3:Retrieval/Installation Settings 31

Figure 3–2 Retrieval/Installation Settings

The following retrieval options can be selected (see Figure 3–2, Retrieval/Installation Settings):

•

Do not install packages after retrieval — download selected RPM packages to desired directory

and ignore the installation preferences

•

Display all packagesavailable, not only those installed on system — ignore Software System

Profile preferences and show all new RPM packages available

•

Do not display packages when local configuration file has been modified

— if the configu­ration file has been modified for a package such as Apache and Squid, do not display them in the
list of available packages

•

Retrieve source RPM along with binary package

— download both the source (*.src.rpm) and

the binary (*.[architecture].rpm) files

The following installation options are configurable (see Figure 3–2, Retrieval/Installation Settings):

•

After installation, keep binary packages on disk — save binary packages in desired directory

instead of deleting them after installing them

•

Use GPG to verify package integrity — before installing the packages, verify Red Hat’s GPG

signature

32 Chapter 3:Red Hat Update Agent Configuration

The following additional options are configurable from this tab:

•

Overrideversion stored in System Profile— override the Red Hat Linux version in your System

Profile

•

Package storage directory — change the directory where packages are downloaded

3.4 Package Exceptions Settings

The Package Exceptions tab allows you to define which packages to exclude from the list of updated
RPM packages according to the package name or file name (see Figure 3–3, Package Exceptions Set-
tings).

To define a set of packages to be excluded according to the package name, click the

Add button next

to the Package Names to Skip section and enter a character string including wild cards (*). A wild
card (*) at the end of the character string means all packages beginning with the character string will
be excluded from the list. A wild card (*) at the beginning of the character string means any packages
that end with the character string will be excluded from the list.

Forexample, if the string kernel* in the

PackageNames to Skip section, the Red Hat Update Agent

will not display any packages beginning with kernel.
To exclude packages by file name, follow the same rules except click the

Add button next to the File

Names to Skip

section.

Section 3.4:Package Exceptions Settings 33

Figure 3–3 Package Exceptions Settings

34 Chapter 3:Red Hat Update Agent Configuration

Section 4.1:Starting the Red Hat Update Agent 35

4 Red Hat Update Agent

After configuring the settings for the Red Hat Update Agent using the instructions in Chapter 3,
Red Hat Update Agent Configuration, you can use the Red Hat Update Agent to retrieve the latest
software packages from Red Hat. Using this tool will allow you to always have the most up-to-date
Red Hat Linux system with all security patches, bug fixes, and software package enhancements.

If you are not running the X Windows System or prefer the command-line version of Red Hat Update
Agent, skip to Section 4.5, Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent.

4.1 Starting the Red Hat Update Agent

You must be root to run the Red Hat Update Agent. If you start the Red Hat Update Agent 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:

• On the GNOME desktop, go to the

Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs => System

=> RHN Update Agent

• On the KDE desktop, go to the

Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => RHN Update

Agent

• Type the command up2date at a shell prompt (for example, an xterm or gnome-terminal)

If you choose the last option and start the application from a shell prompt, you can specify options to
the graphical version of Red Hat Update Agent.

Table 4–1 Graphical Update Agent Options

Argument Description

-a, --allpackages Show/make available all packages related to your release of Red
Hat Linux, not just those installed on your system.

-d, --download Download packages only, do not install them. This argument
will override the configuraton option

Do not install packages

after retrieval.

-i, --install Install packages after they are downloaded. This argument will
override the configuraton option

Do not install packages after

retrieval.

--nosig Do not use GPG to check package signatures.

36 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Argument Description

-r, --register Register as an anonymous user with Red Hat Network. You can
register as a full user later by running rhn_register.

--tmpdir=directory Override the configured package directory. The default location
is /var/spool/up2date.

The first time you run the Red Hat Update Agent, the dialog window in Figure 4–1, Install GPG
Key will prompt you to install the Red Hat GPG key. This is used to verify the RPM packages you
download for security purposes. Click

Yes to install the key, and you will not see this message again.

Figure 4–1 Install GPG Key

After installing the Red Hat GPG key, the screen in Figure 4–2, Welcome Screen will appear. It appears
every time you start the Red Hat Update Agent. Click Next to continue.

Section 4.2:Choosing Packages to Update 37

Figure 4–2 Welcome Screen

4.2 Choosing Packages to Update

Afterclicking Next on the WelcomeScreen,the dialog box in Figure 4–3, Retrieve Update Information
will appear. This means that a connection to Red Hat Network is being established and that your
customized list of updates is being retreived. This might take some time, depending on the speed of
your connection and the number of packages you have installed.

Figure 4–3 Retrieve Update Information

While you see this dialog box, Red Hat Update Agent uses your unique Digital Certificate
(/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid) to determine if there are any updated packages available

38 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

for your system. If there are no updated packages available for your system, the dialog box in Figure
4–4, No new packages needed appears. Click

Ok to exit Red Hat Update Agent.

Figure 4–4 No new packages needed

If your system is not up-to-date, your customized list of available updated packages is displayed as
shown in Figure 4–5, List of Available Updates.

Figure 4–5 List of Available Updates

By default, no packages are selected for download. If you highlight each package, the package de­scription is displayed in the

Package Information section at the bottom of the screen. To select the

package for download (and installation if you chose that option), click the checkbox as shown in Fig­ure 4–6, Choose Updates to Retrieve. You can select all the packages listed by clicking the button
next to

Select all packages. Click Next when you are finished selecting packages.

Section 4.2:Choosing Packages to Update 39

Figure 4–6 Choose Updates to Retrieve

Red Hat Update Agent shows the progress of each package retrieval as shown in Figure 4–7, Re-
trieval Finished. When they have all been retrieved, the message

All finished. is displayed at the

bottom of the screen. Click

Next to continue. If you did not chose to install the packages automati-

cally, skip the next section and go to Section 4.4, Update Agent Finished.

40 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Figure 4–7 Retrieval Finished

4.3 Installing Updated Packages

If you chose to have all the packages installed automatically (see Chapter 3, Red Hat Update Agent
Configuration), the selected packages are installed. The progress of installing each package, as well

as the total progress, is displayed.
When the packages have been installed, as seen in Figure 4–8, Installation Finished, click

Next to

continue.

Section 4.4:Update Agent Finished 41

Figure 4–8 Installation Finished

4.4 Update Agent Finished

When the Red Hat Update Agent has finished downloading the desired packages (and installing
them if you chose the install option), you will see the screen in Figure 4–9, Update Agent Finished.
Click

Finish to exit the Red Hat Update Agent.

42 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Figure 4–9 Update Agent Finished

4.5 Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent

If you are not running X, you can still run the Red Hat Update Agent from a virtual console or
remote terminal. The command line version of the Red Hat Update Agent accepts the following
arguments:

Table 4–2 Update Agent Command Line Arguments

Argument Description

-a, --allpackages Show/make available all packages related to your release of Red
Hat Linux, not just those installed on your system.

--configure Graphically configure Red Hat Update Agent options through
the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool.

Section 4.5:Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent 43

Argument Description

-d, --download Download packages only, do not install them. This argument
will override the configuraton option

Do not install packages

after retrieval.

-i, --install Install packages after they are downloaded. This argument will
override the configuraton option

Do not install packages after

retrieval.

-l, --list List packages available for retrieval/installation.

--nosig Do not use GPG to check package signatures.

-p, --packages Update the packages list associated with your System Profile
on Red Hat Network. Use this argument to keep your System
Profile current if you have installed, updated, or removed
packages from your system without using the Red Hat Update
Agent. Your RPM package list will be updated on the Red Hat
Network servers.

-r, --register Register as an anonymous user with Red Hat Network. You can
register as a full user later by running rhn_register.

--tmpdir=directory Override the configured package directory. The default location
is /var/spool/up2date.

-u, --update Download all packages relevant to my system and install if
preferences set through up2date-config has

Do not install

packages after retrieval

unchecked.

packagename Only download packagename and install if preferences set

through up2date-config has

Do not install packages after

retrieval

unchecked.

-v, --version Show program version information.

-h, --help Show list of available command line arguments.

4.5.1 Installing the Red Hat GPG key

The first time you run the graphical version of Red Hat Update Agent, it prompts you to install
the Red Hat GPG key. This key is required to authenticate the packages downloaded from Red Hat
Network. If you do not have X installed, you need to install the Red Hat GPG key manually. If you
do not have it installed, you will see the following message:

44 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Your GPG keyring does not contain the Red Hat, Inc. public key.
Without it, you will be unable to verify that packages Update Agent downloads
are securely signed by Red Hat.

Your Update Agent options specify that you want to use GPG. Aborting.

To install the Red Hat GPG key, use the following steps:

Note

GPG keys must be installed for each user. To install the key to use with Red
Hat Network, import the key while logged in as root.

1. Cut and paste the following into a file and save it as redhat2.asc or download it from
http://www.redhat.com/about/contact/.

Type bits/keyID Date User ID
pub 1024D/DB42A60E 1999-09-23 Red Hat Software, Inc. ([e-mail])
sub 2048g/961630A2 1999-09-23

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----­Version: GnuPG v1.0.0 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org
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Section 4.6:Syncronizing Your System Profile 45

4XFtOd04NMgWI63uqZc4zkRa+kwEZtmbz3tHSdRCCE+Y7YVP6IUf/w6YPQFQriWY
FiA6fD10eB+BlIUqIw80VgjsBKmCwvKkn4jg8kibXgj4/TzQSx77uYokw1EqQ2wk
OZoaEtcubsNMquuLCMWijYhGBBgRAgAGBQI36lRyAAoJECGRgM3bQqYOhyYAnj7h
VDY/FJAGqmtZpwVp9IlitW5tAJ4xQApr/jNFZCTksnI+4O1765F7tA==
=3AHZ

-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

2. At the shell prompt, import the key with the following command:

gpg --import redhat2.asc

The resulting message tells you that the key was processed. Tocheck that the key was added, type
gpg --list-keys. You will see the key you just downloaded from Red Hat, as well as your
own keys.

4.6 Syncronizing Your System Profile

If you configured the Red Hat Update Agent to install the latest packages automatically, then your
System Profile stored by Red Hat Network will be updated automatically also. However, if you only
download the latest RPM packages using the Red Hat Update Agent or the Red Hat Network Web
Application and upgrade or install the packages yourself, your System Profile will not be updated
automatically. If you remove packages, you need to update your RPM package list in your System
Profile.

To syncronize the RPM package list on your local system and on Red Hat Network run the command

up2date -p

After running this command, your System Profile on Red Hat Network as viewed from the Red Hat
Network Web Application will reflect the latest software versions installed on your system.

46 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Section 5.2:Viewing Your Notifications 47

5 Red Hat Network Web Application

You can use the Red Hat Network Web Application to manage up to five Red Hat Linux systems
simultaneously. The Red Hat Network Web Application runs in a Web browser such as Netscape,
differing from the Red Hat Update Agent which runs as a standalone application.

Red Hat Network Web Application features include:

1. The Red Hat Network Web Application can download a list of selected packages with one

mouse click. After browsing the individual systems in your network and choosing which pack­ages to install on each of them, you can go to your

Download List page and download packages

for your systems at one time. This allows you to choose your updates without waiting for each
package to download for each system. It also allows you to download each package once instead
of downloading the same package multiple times for various systems.

2. The

Search Errata tab allows you to generate custom reports detailing the health and security of

your Network Group.

3. System administrators can quickly determine if their systems require updating and what type of
updates are available by viewing the System Overview page.

4. The Red Hat Network Web Application will only display errata relevant to your network.

5.1 Logging into Red Hat Network Web Application

If you have not registered a system yet or do not have a redhat.com account, create a new account by
clicking the

Sign Up button on the left side of the page.

If you registeredyour system with Red Hat Network through the Red Hat Network RegistrationClient,
use the same username/password combination to log into the Red Hat Network Web Application.

After creating a new account or using your existing redhat.com account, enter your username and
password on www.redhat.com/network/ and click the

Log In button.

5.2 Viewing Your Notifications

After logging into the Red Hat Network WebApplication, click on the Main button on the top naviga­tion bar. Depending on your preferences, this page displays all security alerts, bug fixes, and package
enhancements (referred to as errata) for all registered systems in your network group (see Figure 5–1,
Main Page).

Click the

View All button to view the details for the errata related to your network group. You can also

view the errata page for your network by clicking the

Your Network button on the top navigation bar

and then the

Errata tab.

48 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

Figure 5–1 Main Page

5.3 Adding a System Profile

Chapter 2, Registration discusses registering your system using the Red Hat Network Registration
Client. The Red Hat Network Registration Client steps you through the process and allows you to
customize your system profile. You can also register a system using the Red Hat Network Web Ap­plication and the Red Hat Network Daemon. The Red Hat Network WebApplication only allows you
to define a system name, choose your system architecture, and choose whether or not to include hard­ware and software information in your system profile. After saving a Digital Certificate from the Red
Hat Network Web Application, the Red Hat Network Daemon initiates a connection from the client
to Red Hat Network to send the desired information to the servers. After this information is sent, the
system appears in your network group. You can then login to the Red Hat Network Web Application
to customize your perferences such as receiving email notifications and excluding packages from your
system profile.

Section 5.3:Adding a System Profile 49

Note

For more control over the registration process and your system profile, use
the Red Hat Network Registration Client to register a new system (see Chap­ter 2, Registration).

To register a system through the Red Hat Network Web Application use the following steps:

1. Login to the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the

Main button on the top navigation bar

and click the

Add System link.

2. Enter a system name, choose your architecture (currently only i386, i586, and i686 are available),
and choose whether to include hardware and software information in your system profile.

3. Click the

Download Digital Certificate button. This will take you to a second Add System Profile

page.

4. Next, you will receive a prompt to download the file named systemid. Save this file in your
home directory or somewhere you can find it easily. If you are not prompted to save the file, click
the Save button under step 2 and save it as the filename systemid.

5. Open a shell prompt (for example an xterm or gnome-terminal) and log in as root. Copy the sys-
temid file that you downloaded in the previous step to /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid.

6. No hardware or software information is gathered through the Red Hat Network Web Application.
The Red Hat Network Daemon on the client side must initiate a connect to Red Hat Network and
send this information. For this to happen, make sure the Red Hat Network Daemon is running
by typing the command /sbin/service rhnsd status. If you see the message rhnsd
(pid 958) is running... (the pid will vary depending on your system), skip to the next
step. If you see the message rhnsd is stopped, you will need to start the daemon. As root,
open a shell prompt and type the command /sbin/service rhnsd start.

7. Click the

Finish button.

8. The newly registered system will not appear in your network group immediately. The next time
the daemon connects to Red Hat Network, it will send the information necessary to generate a
system profile, and the system will appear in your account. This can take up to thirty minutes (or
longer if you increased the time interval for your Red Hat Network Daemon).

50 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

5.4 Viewing Your Network Group

After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the Your Network button on the top
navigation bar.

Figure 5–2 Systems Overview Tab

As shown in Figure 5–2, Systems Overview Tab, clicking on Your Network shows the status of your
entire network so you can quickly determine the health and security of each system. This page shows
you an overview of the systems in your network and errata for every system in your network.

In the

Systems Overview tab, each row represents a system in your network group. Currently, you

can register up to five systems. To add a new system, click the

Add New System link on the first

available row (see Section 5.3, Adding a System Profile).
Visual alerts provide a quick summary of the types of errata that are available for each system. De-

pending on your notification preference settings, individual systems may be flagged with

bug fix,

security alert,or package enhancement icons. Click on the individual system name to view

the detailed profile information and specific notifications (see Section 5.5, Viewing Individual System
P ages). The New Packages column displays the total number or errata reports availablefor the system.

Section 5.5:Viewing Individual System Pages 51

To change the sorting order of the Systems Overview list, click on the column header names. A bold
column header indicates the current sort order.

Click on the

Errata tab to view the errata for every system in Your Network Group. If an errata has

been issued on any package in your system profile, you can view it here. The status column alerts you
to errata reports you have not yet viewed. Clicking on the errata report gives you a quick summary
of the issues, tells you which of your systems are affected, and presents any new packages. You can
download the relevant packages immediately or add them to your Download List. TO change the
sorting order of errata, click on the column header names. A bold column header indicates the current
sort order.

5.5 Viewing Individual System Pages

After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the Your Network button on the top
navigation bar and then click on the desired system name.

The

System Detail tab provides basic system information. Your Architecture, OS, and Version infor-

mation determine which notifications you receive.
The

Errata tab shows you errata for a currently selected system. If an errata has been issued on any

package in your system profile, you can learn about it here. The

Status column alerts you to errata

reports you have not yet viewed. Click on the Errata Report link to display a quick summary of the
issues, to view which of your systems are affected, and to view any new packages. You can download
the relevant packages immediately or add them to your

Download List. Change the sorting order of

errata by clicking on the column header names. A bold column header indicates the current sort order.
The

Packages tab allows you to browse all packages included in your system profile. Only Official

Red Hat Packages are included in your package profile, so this list may differ from your actual system
package list. Officialpackages are any packages included on the Red Hat Linux, Powertools, or Linux
Application CDs distributed by Red Hat. Navigate specific packages by category, or view all packages
at once. Click the package name link to view details on package information, dependencies, change
log, file lists and other systems in your network group that have that package. Change the sorting order
of packages by clicking on the column header names. A bold column header indicates the current sort
order. If you have created a profile but either exclude packages from the profile or have not started the
Red Hat Network daemon on your local system yet, the Package view will be empty.

The

Hardware tab lists the hardware devices and settings for the currently selected system. This in-

formation assists the Red Hat Technical Support Team in providing faster and better service. If you
exclude hardware from your system profile, the

Hardware tab will be empty.

52 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

5.6 Downloading Updated Packages

If you have not configured your Retrieval/Installation Settings to proactively download and install
the most recent Red Hat packages (see Section 3.3, Retrieval/Installation Settings), you can download
them through the Red Hat Network Web Application.

From the

Errata tab, click the errata summary link under the Errata Report. This takes you to a list of

packages required to fix the errata. Select the packages you wish to download. After choosing which
packages to download, you have three options:

• Click the

Download Now button to download the RPM files immediately.

• Click the

Download Later button to add it to your Download List. All RPM packages added to

your Download List remain there until they are downloaded or deleted from the list. When you
are ready to download the packages in your download list, click the

Your Download List link

in the upper right hand corner of your screen. (This link will not appear if you do not have any
packages in your download list.) From the Download List page, you can download the packages
stored in your list or deleted packages from your list.

• Click the

Queue Delivery button to let Red Hat Network deliver your packages through the Red

Hat Update Agent and Red Hat Network Daemon. The next time the daemon connects to Red Hat
Network the queued packages will be downloaded automatically (and installed if preferences set
through up2date-config has

Do not install packages unchecked).

5.7 Customizing Preferences

After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the

Preferences button on the top

navigation bar.

5.7.1 Main Page

From the Main Page tab of the Preferences page you can customize the information displayed when
you login the Red Hat Network Web Application.

Ifyou select

Latest Errata underthe Status Windowssection, thethree most recent errata, the number

of affected systems, and the number of new packages they include will be listed on the Main Page as
soon as you log into the Red Hat Network Web Application. Click the

Update button at the bottom

of the page to apply the changes.
There is also a customizable list of Favorite Guides and Favorite Forums on the Main Page. Under

Favorite Guides and Favorite Forums on the Preferences page, choose which guides amd forums

you want to appear in this list. Click the

Update button at the bottom of the page to apply the changes.

Section 5.7:Customizing Preferences 53

5.7.2 General Preferences

Click on the General tab to customize the date/time format to use, your session timeout value, and
your session security preference.

Under the

Date/Time section, you have the option to select the following date formats:

• mm/dd/yy

• mmmm d, yyyy

• dd-mm-yy

You can also choose whether to display the time in the 24 hour or 12 hour (AM/PM) format.
Click the

Update button to apply the changes.

For security purposes, you can set a timeout value under the

Session Timeout section. If a timeout

valueis set, you will be automatically logged out of your RHN session at the end of the timeout period.
If your session times out, you will be prompted to enter your password again before continuing.

If you choose

Never Timeout, your session will stay open until you log out by clicking the Log Out

button in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
Click the

Update button to apply the changes.

Under the

Session Security, choose whether you want use the regular login page (non-encrypted) or

the SSL login page.
Click the

Update button to apply the changes.

5.7.3 Notifications

Under the Visual Alerts section, select the visual alerts you want to see for all the systems in your
network group. You can set alerts to appear whenever a new security alert, bug fix, or package en­hancement errata has been issued for one of your systems (see Figure 5–3, Visual Alerts).

54 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

Figure 5–3 Visual Alerts

If you wish to receive email notifications about system updates

1. Click the

Yes checkbox under the Email notifications section.

2. Type your email address in the box labeled

Send Email to:.

3. Choose the errata for which you wish to receive notifications. You can choose the registered sys­tems for which you wish to receive email notifications. You can also choose to receive email
concerning all errata for Red Hat Linux 7 (or other Red Hat Linux releases).

4. You can further customize your email notifications by excluding software package categories. By
default, all packages are selected.

5. Click the

Update button to apply the changes and start receiving email notifications.

5.8 Searching Errata

After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the Search Errata button on the top
navigation bar.

The

Search Errata tab allows you to search all available errata including errata not related to the

system in your network. You can also narrow down your search to search only the systems in your
network group, selected Red Hat Linux releases, selected types of errata, or from a specified time
period (see Figure 5–4, Search Errata).

Section 5.10:Navigation 55

Figure 5–4 Search Errata

5.9 Viewing Online Help

In addition to this User Reference Guide, the following help is available by clicking the Help Desk
button on the top navigation bar:

• Security and Privacy statement

•FAQs

• Contact Customer Service

• Support Forums

5.10 Navigation

Below is an outline of the Red Hat Network Web Application. Use it to help you navigate through
the application and become familar with all its features.

56 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

The System Overview page summarizes all relevant notifications for your Network Group. You can
view more details by selecting an individual system in the group. Within the individual system page,
you can view a list of new packages available for the system, errata reports relevant to the system, the
hardware profile for the system, and the history of events performed on the system while using the
Red Hat Network Web Application.

• RHN Main Page

• Your Network
– Add System Profile
– System Overview

⇒ System Detail

⇒ Update System Profile
⇒ New Packages
⇒ Errata
⇒ History

– New Packages

⇒ Package Info
⇒ Errata Report

– Errata

⇒ Errata Report

– History

• Resources
– ErrataReport
– Package Report

Section 5.10:Navigation 57

⇒ Package Info
⇒ Dependencies
⇒ Change Log
⇒ File List
⇒ Systems

– Download List

• Search

• Preferences

• Help Desk
– Your RHN Account
– Privacy and Security
–FAQs
– Page Help

58 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application

Red Hat Network Daemon 59

6 Red Hat Network Daemon

The Red Hat Network Daemon periodically connects to the Red Hat Network to check for updates
and notifications. The default interval time is two hours (120 minutes). This can be configured in
the /etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhnsd file by specifying the time interval in minutes. If you modify
the configuration file, you must (as root) restart the daemon with the command service rhnsd
restart or /etc/rc.d/init.d/rhnsd restart.

Note

The minimum time interval allowed is one hour (60 minutes). If you set the
interval below one hour, it will default to two hours (120 minutes).

You can view the status of the rhnsd by typing the command service rhnsd status or
/etc/rc.d/init.d/rhnsd status at a shell prompt.

To disable the daemon, (as root) run the ntsysv utility and uncheck rhnsd. You can also (as root)
execute the command chkconfig rhnsd off. Using these two methods will only disable the
service the next time the system is started. To stop the service immediately, use the command ser-
vice rhnsd stop or /etc/rc.d/init.d/rhnsd stop.

The same rules you configured for the Red Hat Update Agent apply to the Red Hat Network Daemon
(see Section 3.1, Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent).

60 Chapter 6:Red Hat Network Daemon

Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2 61

7 Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat
Linux 6.2

Red Hat Linux 6.2 shipped with a program named Red Hat Update Agent (up2date). However,
this version of Red Hat Update Agent can not be used to connect to Red Hat Network to receive
package updates. You need a new version of the Red Hat Update Agent and the Red Hat Network
Registration Client to use Red Hat Network on a Red Hat Linux 6.2 system.

To download and install these programs, use the following steps:

1. In a shell prompt, login as root and execute the command mkdir rhnpackages to create a
new directory in which to download the packages.

2. In the same shell prompt, execute the command cd rhnpackages to change to the new direc­tory.

3. Download the following packages in the new rhnpackages directory: (You might need hold
down the

[Shift] key and then left-click on the filename to save it or right-click the file and choose

Save.)

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/up2date-2.1.7-0.6.x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/python-xmlrpc-1.2.1-

0.6.x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/python-1.5.2-27.6.x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/rhn_regis-

ter-1.0.2-0.6.x.noarch.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/openssl-0.9.5a-2.6.x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/rpm-4.0.1-0.6x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/rpm-python-4.0.1-0.6x.i386.rpm
If you want to use the graphical versions of the Red Hat Network Registration Client and the

Red Hat Update Agent, you will also need the following packages. If you are not running the X
Window System, do not download these packages:

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/up2date-gnome-2.1.7-

0.6.x.i386.rpm

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/rhn_register-gnome-1.0.2-

0.6.x.noarch.rpm

62 Chapter 7:Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2

• http://www.redhat.com/network/service/RHL_62/RPMS/usermode-1.37-1.6.src.rpm

4. Go back to the shell prompt in the rhnpackages directory (you must still be root) and execute
the command rpm -Uvh * to upgrade the exist Red Hat Update Agent to the version that works
with Red Hat Network. The Red Hat Network Registration Client will also be installed with this
command along with other packages your system needs to run the Red Hat Network programs.

5. After they are installed, run the Red Hat Network Registration Client (rhn_register)to
registeryoursystem. DO NOTentera Product ID during the registrationprocess. It is not required.
See Chapter 2, Registration for details.

Frequently Asked Questions 63

8 Frequently Asked Questions

The following contains answers to common questions about Red Hat Network.
Q: What does RHN stand for?
A: RHN stands for Red Hat Network.
Q: What is the Red Hat Network?
A: Red Hat Network is an automated solution for managing a network of Red Hat Linux systems. It

uses a System Profile to alert the system adminstrator of a Red Hat Linux system of security alerts,
bug fixes, and package enhancements available for the system. All packages updates not relevant to
the system are filtered out.

Q: How is the Red Hat Network different from redhat.com?
A: The Red Hat Network is a platform for managing systems and distributing software. It is a personal

servicethat brings information to to you. You don’t havetogo find it. It providessophisticatedfiltering
to bring you information that is relevantto your systems and preferences. It is a systems management
service that works for you. You don’t have to manually troll for packages and install them on dozens
of systems. redhat.com is a destination for Linux and open source solutions of which the Red Hat
Network is a key piece.

Q: How do I sign up for Red Hat Network?
A: If you are a member of redhat.com, you are automatically a member of RHN. Using the Red Hat

Network Registration Client or the Red Hat Network Web Application with your redhat.com user
name and password, you can create a System Profile for the system you wish to register with RHN.
If you are not a member of redhat.com, you can use the Red Hat Network Registration Client to
create a unique user name and password and register a Red Hat Linux system. It can be installed from
the Red Hat Linux 7 distribution.

Q: Do I need to use Red Hat Linux to benefit from Red Hat Network?
A: Yes. Currently, you must be running Red Hat Linux 7 to utilize Red Hat Network. Support for Red

Hat Linux 6.2 is coming soon.
Q: What is so important about RHN anyway? Will it improve my life?
A: The main benefit of using RHN is its ability to send you automatic notification of all security

alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements available for your Red Hat Linux system. Automatic
notifications:

• Reduce the time and effort required by system administrators to stay on top of the Red Hat errata
list

64 Chapter 8:Frequently Asked Questions

• Minimize security vulnerabilities in your network by providing security alerts 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

Q: Does it do something I can’t already do today?
A:Yes, the Red Hat Networkbrings together, in one place, notificationsand packages for your Red Hat

Linux systems. You can stop filtering through email lists and web pages for security alerts, bug fixes,
and enhancements for the software running on your systems, the Red Hat Network does it for you.
The Red Hat Network also brings package updates to you so you can spend your time downloading
not searching.

Q: What’s the difference between Red Hat Linux and the Red Hat Network?
A: Red Hat Linux is a custom Linux operating system. Red Hat Network is a service that allows users

of Red Hat Linux to keep their system healthy and secure by installing all the latest security patches,
bug fixes, and package enhancements.

Q: Do I need to be a Linux expert to use the Red Hat Network?
A: No. All components of Red Hat Network are designed to be user-friendly with minimal Linux

expertise. If you need help, detailed information is provided in the Red Hat Network User Reference
Guide.

Q: I am a system administrator; is this just another time sink?
A: If used properly, Red Hat Network will actually save time for system administrators. They will no

longer have to search the Red Hat errata list for relevant package updates or try and find a good place
to download the latest RPM software packages. It is designed to reduce the time and effort used by
system administrators to maintain Red Hat Linux systems.

Q: I’ve been running Linux for years; is this for me?
A: Yes. RHN is for everyone. Home users can configure RHN to install the latest package enhance-

ments such as the lastest version of Netscape or their favorite email client. System administrators can
use it to ensure all the latest security patches and bug fixes are installed.

Q: This is cool. How do I convince my boss who thinks this is a waste of time?
A: Refer him to the Red Hat Network Technical Overview. It explains the technology, privacy and

security benefits, and features in great detail including the future of RHN.
Q: This sounds great. Who’s using it?
A: Everyone from the home user who wants to have the latest version of Abiword and Netscape to the

system administrator of large corporations concerned primarily with security and bug fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions 65

Q: How does the Red Hat Network work?
A: Each registered system has a System Profile that contains hardware and software information about

the system. RHN uses this information to alert you of security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhance­ments from the Red Hat errata List via email notifications. The Red Hat Network Web Application
can also be used to view and download the lastest software packages.

Q: What is a System Profile and how do I create one?
A: A System Profile contains hardware and software information about a registered Red Hat Linux

system. This profile is used to send you notification about updates relevant to your system. It elimi­nates all Red Hat errata Reports not applicable to your system. A System Profile can be created with
the Red Hat Network Registration Client or with the Red Hat Network Web Application.

Q: What are errata and who writes them?
A: The Red Hat errata list contains all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements for Red

Hat Linux. Security issues and bug fixes are submitted by Red Hat engineers as well as the Linux
community around the world through Bugzilla. The tickets are then evaluated and resolved by the
Red Hat engineering. After being tested by the Red Hat quality assurance team, the package updates
are released as part of the Red Hat errata list. Notifications received from RHN include all Red Hat
errata.

Q: How secure is Red Hat Network?
A: Red Hat Network uses the following levels of security:

• The Red Hat Network Web Application is only accessible with the correct user name and password

• A Digital Certificate is stored on the client system (/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid) after registration
and is used to authenticate the system during each transaction between the client and Red Hat
Network

• All notifications and information messages are signed by Red Hat with an electronic signature
using GNU Privacy Guard (GPG). RPM can be used to verify the authenticity of the package
before it is installed

• All transactions are encrypted using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection

• All packages are tested and verified by the Red Hat Quality Assurance Teambefore they are added
to the official Red Hat errata list and Red Hat Network

Q: Why do you need to know so much personal information about my system?
A: Red Hat makes everyeffort to allow our customers to define the relationship they will havewith us.
We require your personal information so that we can contact you easily if issues arise affecting the

security of your information or systems. In addition, sharing this information with us makes it harder

66 Chapter 8:Frequently Asked Questions

for someone to steal your identity. If you should forget your Red Hat login, you can call Customer
Service to access your account. This information will help protect your account from unauthorized
access.

Your system hardware and package profiles are required to give you the most relevant information
about what affects your systems. Withoutthese profiles, you’ll haveto sift through tons of information
to find what you need.

Q: Who will be using my information?
A: Your personal information is yours, not ours. Tell us how you would like us to use it, and we will

listen.
We never sell our customers’ personal information or provide it to others without making it clear that

we intend to do so at the time the information is collected. If you receive any sort of communication
from Red Hat that you find intrusive, whether via phone, email, or regular mail, let us know so we can
make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Q: What happens if I do not give my personal information?
A: You can still use the RHN service. RHN only needs to know which version of Red Hat Linux you

are running, the architecture of your system, and which packages you want to receive notifications
about. RHN does not require any personal information. Even your email address is optional.

However, you can not receive email notifications if you do not supply an email address. And you’ll
need to provide additional information to access the Red Hat Network web site. We ask for this infor­mation to help us better support you and protect your security.

Q: What will the Network be in 6 months? What are your plans for the Network?
A: The Red Hat Network available now is just the beginning of our plans for it. Beginning in Decem-

ber 2000, some of the new RHN features include unlimited system registration and system groups,
multiple administration levels, quality of service monitoring for Internet applications, security evalu­ation and analysis, product discounts, and kickstart replication technology.

In Early 2001, expect to see application configuration and management, system health monitoring,
high performance file and messaging proxies, certified ISV applications, and network-enabled system
replication.

Q: I forgot my username and password. How do I access my account?
A: Go to the Red Hat Network web site. In the Member Login section is a "Forgot Your Password"

link. Click the link and complete the form. Your password will be sent to your email address.
If you didn’t provide and email address during registration or have forgotten your username and email

address, call our customer service desk. Be prepared to provide lots of details on your self and your
systems. We don’t want your identity falling into the wrong hands.

Frequently Asked Questions 67

Q: Can I use RHN to upgrade from Red Hat Linux 6.2 to Red Hat Linux 7?
A: RHN currently does not support any verion below Red Hat Linux 7. Support for Red Hat 6.2 will

be available soon and can be used to update all packages on your system.
Q: Can I get new software from RHN?
A: Yes. You can download enhancements and updates to the official Red Hat packages installed on

your systems directly from the Red Hat Network. If you’re looking for additional packages, check out
our Download site at http://www.redhat.com/download.

Q: Will Red Hat Network update packages that were not installed with the Red Hat distribution?
A: No. Red Hat Network currently supports all RPM packages installed from the Red Hat Linux CD,

Red Hat PowerTools CD, and the Red Hat Linux Applications CD.
Q: What version of Red Hat Linux do I have to run to be able to receive updates from Red Hat Net-

work?
A: Currently, you must be running Red Hat Linux 7.0 or above.
Q: What is an RPM package?
A: Developed by Red Hat, RPM stands for RPM Package Manager. RPM is a powerful package

manager that can be used to build, install, query, verify, update, and uninstall individual software
packages. Please refer to http://rpm.redhat.com/ for more details.

Q: How do I change my email address for notifications?
A: Logon to Red Hat Network from http://www.redhat.com/network, go to Preferences => Notifica-

tion Delivery. Under the

Email Notifications section, edit the Send Email to: field.

Q: What is the difference between the Red Hat Update Agent and the Red Hat Network Web
Application?

A: Both allowyou to retrievethe latest software packages for a registeredsystem from RHN. However,
the Red Hat Network Web Application allows you to manage more than one registered system at
the same time through a Web interface and is more customizable.

Q: Why is something called rhnsd running on my system and what does it do?
A: rhnsd is the Red Hat Network Daemon. Every thirty minutes, it sends a request to Red Hat Net-

work asking for any notifications or updates and works in coordination with the Red Hat Network
Web Application to schedule automated tasks. It only sends information to Red Hat Network re­quested by you. If you add a new system using the Red Hat Network Web Application, the next
time the Red Hat Network Daemon probes Red Hat Network it receives a request to return the infor­mation you requested as part of your System Profile such as what package versions are installed on
your system.

68 Chapter 8:Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I downloaded just the RPM files and installed them myself. Can I update my System Profile to
reflect the changes?

A: Yes. Type the command up2date -p at a shell prompt. It will update your RPM package list
stored on the Red Hat Network servers. Use this command whenever you install, upgrade, or remove
packages without using the Red Hat Update Agent.

Index 69

Index

D

Digital Certificate............................ 12

F

FAQs.................... ......................63

Frequently Asked Questions ................ 63

G

GNU Privacy Guard ......................... 12

I

Introduction

document .................................. 11

N

Notifications

Automatic.................................. 12

Viewing with RHN Web Application ... 47

Q

Quality Assurance ........................... 12

R

Red Hat Linux 6.2

Using Red Hat Network with ....... .....61

Red Hat Network Daemon.............. 12, 59

Disable..................................... 59

Status....................................... 59

Red Hat Network Registration Client ...... 11

Red Hat Network Web Application .... 11, 47

Adding a System Profile.................. 48

Download Digital Certificate ....... .....49

Download List............................. 52

Download Update Packages.............. 52

Errata....................................... 51

Logging In................................. 47

Main page.................................. 47

Navigation................................. 55

Online Help................................ 55

Preferences ................................ 52

General.................................. 53

Main Page............................... 52

Notifications............................ 53

Search Errata ........ ......................54

System Detail.............................. 51

Systems Overview ........................ 50

Visual Alerts............................... 50

Your Network Group ..................... 50

Your Notifications......................... 47

Red Hat Update Agent .................. 11,35

Command Line Arguments .............. 42

Configuration.............................. 29

Registration............. ......................15

Email notification......................... 17

Hardware System Profile................. 21

Password................................... 17

RPM Package List ........................ 23

Software System Profile.................. 23

System Profile....... .................. 17,21

User name ................................. 17

rhn_register.............................. .....15

rhnsd ...................................... 49, 59

S

Secure Sockets Layer........................ 13

Security....................................... 12

System Profile................................ 21

Updating on Server ....................... 45

U

up2date

( See Red Hat Update Agent )