Red Hat NETWORK -, NETWORK 2.0 User Reference Manual

Red Hat Network

User Reference Guide 2.0

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)-2.0-Print-RHI (2001-01-29T10:47-0400)
Copyright © 2001 by Red Hat, Inc. This material may be distributed only subject tothe 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.
Netscape is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and

other countries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
SSH and Secure Shell are trademarks of SSH Communications Security, Inc.
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....... ..................... ..................... .... 47

5.1 Logging into Red Hat Network .................................................. 47

5.2 Viewing Your Notifications ....................................................... 48

5.3 Adding a System Profile ......................................................... 49

5.4 Viewing Your Network Group.................................................... 50

5.5 Viewing Individual System Pages............................................... 52

5.6 Downloading Updated Packages ............................................... 53

5.7 Customizing Preferences........................................................ 53

5.8 Searching Errata.................................................................. 55

5.9 Viewing Online Help.............................................................. 56

Chapter 6 Red Hat Network Daemon.. ..................... .............. 57

Chapter 7 Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2.59

Chapter 8 Frequently Asked Questions............... ................. 61

iv

Section 0.1:Document Conventions v

Introduction

Welcome to the Red Hat Network User Reference Guide 2.0.
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.

This version of the manual covers version 2.1.7 of the Red Hat Update Agent and version 1.0.2 of the
Red Hat Network Registration Client.

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.

vi Introduction

The /etc/fstab file contains information about different system devices and filesystems.
The /usr/share/doc directory contains documentation for various programs.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.

application

This style should indicate to you that the program named is an end-user application (as opposed
to system software). For example:

Use Netscape Navigator to browse the Web.

[key]

A key on the keyboard is shown in this style. For example:
To use

[Tab]

completion, type in a character and then press the [Tab] key. Your terminal will

display the list of files in the directory that start with that letter.

[key]-[combination]

A combination of keystrokes is represented in this way. For example:
The

[Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Backspace] key combination will restart the X Window System.

text found on a GUI interface

A title, word or phrase found on a GUI interface screen or window will be shown in this style.
When you see text shown in this style, it is being used to identify a particular GUI screen or an
element on a GUI screen (e.g., text associated with a checkbox or field). Examples:

On the GNOME

Control Center screen, you can customize your GNOME window manager.

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-downmenu.
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

Section 0.1:Document Conventions vii

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.

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

viii Introduction

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.
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 several different strategies 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 new Red Hat Network features
and service plans are launched.

Section 0.2:More to Come ix

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)-2.0-Print-RHI (2001-01-29T10:47-0400)
You can send mail to:

[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 evertried 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 evendays visiting differentwebsites to see ifyou have the latest packages
installed on your system, only to have to do it again in a few months?

Those days are over with Red Hat Network (RHN). RHN provides the solution to all your system
software management needs.

Red Hat Network is an Internet solution for managing a Red Hat Linux system or a network of Red
Hat Linux systems. All Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts (collective known as
Errata Alerts) can be downloaded directly from Red Hat using the Red Hat Update Agent standalone
application or through a Web browser at http://www.redhat.com/network/.

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:

• web interface available at http://www.redhat.com/network/

• The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the web interface and the Red Hat Update Agent allow you to viewall Errata Alerts included in

the Red Hat Errata list. Only packages relevant to your system are shown. Red Hat Network can also
be configured to verify packages once downloaded, ignore update notifications for certain packages,
and view package details before downloading them.

12 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?

The Red Hat Network Daemon (rhnsd) runs in the background as a service and probes the Red Hat
Network for notifications and updates at set time intervals (see Chapter 6, Red Hat Network Daemon
for further information).

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. Your System Profile available at http://www.redhat.com/network/ is only accessible with the
correct user name and password.

2. A Digital Certificatestored on the client system in the file/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
after registration is used to authenticate the system during each transaction between the client and
Red Hat Network.

3. All notifications and information messages are signed by Red Hat with an electronic signature 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 Team before they are added
to the Red Hat errata list and Red Hat Network.

Section 1.3:Before You Begin 13

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

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 the Red Hat Linux7 CD1 in the RedHat/RPMS
directory or downloaded from the Red Hat FTP site available at ftp://ftp.redhat.com (or from a Red
Hat FTP mirror available at http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html). Always check the Red Hat errata
page, available at http://www.redhat.com/errata, for package updates.

14 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?

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
information gathered during the Red Hat Network Registration process is used to create a System
Profile. The System Profile is essential if you wish to receive update notifications about your system.
If you have any questions about how your information is being used, please contact us at feed-
[e-mail].

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 have successfully 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 your system and try to register it again, the dialog box shown in Figure
2–5, Warning: This System Already Registered will appear. If you continue, it will overwrite your ex­isting systemid file (/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid) and you will create a different System
Profile. You will no longer be able to use your previous System Profile — be sure this is what you
want to do before you choose

Yes.

Section 2.2:Registering a User Account 19

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 Red Hat Network with your user name
and password to view all your systems simultaneously.

You can register one free system with Red Hat Network Software Manager. To register more than
one system, you must purchase additional Software Manager subscriptions. Refer Section 5.4.3, As-
sign Service Levels for more information about purchasing additional subscriptions.. 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 be able to login with one user name and password 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.
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. 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 through the Red Hat Network web interface or by using the
Red Hat Update Agent. As shown in Figure 2–9, Registration Wizard , 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 Hat Network. Toexclude a package, uncheck the packagefrom 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 for System Profile, the last step of registration
is to confirm that you want to send your System Profileto 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/network to 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 followthe 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 astandard user, you will be prompted to enter theroot 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 packages available, 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 versionin 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, WelcomeScreen 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 Welcome Screen, the dialog box in Figure4–3, RetrieveUpdate 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. To check 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 through the Web interface
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 will reflect the latest software
versions installed on your system.

46 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent

Section 5.1:Logging into Red Hat Network 47

5 Red Hat Network

You can use Red Hat Network to manage up multiple Red Hat Linux systems simultaneously by log­ging into http://www.redhat.com/network/.

The Red Hat Network Web interface features include:

1. You 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

DownloadList page and downloadpackages 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 Alerts

tab allows you to generate custom reports detailing the health and se-

curity 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. It will only display errata relevant to your network.

5.1 Logging into Red Hat Network

In a Web browser, go to http://www.redhat.com/network. The page shown in Figure 5–1, Logging
into Red Hat Network will be displayed.

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

New User button on the left side of the page.

If you registered your system with Red Hat Network through the Red HatNetwork Registration Client,
use the same username and password combination to log into Red Hat Network.

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

Log In button.

48 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network

Figure 5–1 Logging into Red Hat Network

5.2 Viewing Your Notifications

After logging into Red Hat Network, click on the Main button on the top navigation bar. Depending on
your preferences, this page displays all Security Alerts, Bug Fixes Alerts, and Enhancements Alerts
(collectively referred to as Errata Alerts) for all registered systems in your network group (see Figure
5–2, 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.

Section 5.3:Adding a System Profile 49

Figure 5–2 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 through a Web browser. This method
only allows you to define a system name, choose your system architecture, and choose whether or not
toinclude hardware and software information in your systemprofile. After saving a DigitalCertificate,
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 http://www.redhat.com/network/ to customize your preferences such as
receiving email notifications and excluding packages from your system profile.

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).

50 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network

To register a system through the Web interface use the following steps:

1. Login to Red Hat Network at http://www.redhat.com/network/, 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. Click the

Finish button.

6. 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).

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

8. No hardware or software information is gathered during the Web registration process. 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 restart. This command will restart the daemon if it is
already started or start the daemon if it is stopped.

9. To make sure the daemon is always started and requesting updates from Red Hat Network execute
the command chkconfig --level 345 rhnsd on as root in a shell prompt.

5.4 Viewing Your Network Group

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

5.4.1 Systems Overview

As shown in Figure 5–3, 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.

Section 5.4:Viewing Your Network Group 51

Figure 5–3 Systems Overview Tab

Each row represents a system in your Network Group. To add a new system, click the Add New Sys-

tem

link on the first available row. You can register one free system with Red Hat Network Software
Manager. To subscribe more than one system with Software Manager, add the system and create a
System Profile for it, and then click the upgrade link under the

Service Level column for the new

system. This will take you to the

Assign Service Levels page. Refer to Section 5.4.3, Assign Service

Levels for details.

Visual alerts provide a quick summary of the types of errata that are available for each system. De­pending 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, ViewingIndividual System
P ages). The

Service Level column displays the level of Red Hat Network service for each system.

Currently, there are two options: Software Manager subscription and no service. The

Description

column is a brief description for the system. It is configured when the system is registered. The New
Packages column displays the total number or errata reports available for the system.

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.

52 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network

5.4.2 Errata Alerts

Click on the Errata Alerts 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. The

Date column displays the date of the Errata.

The

Typecolumn categories the Errata as a Security Alert, Bug Fix Alert, or Enhancement Alert. The

Errata Report column displays a brief description of the Errata, and the Systems Affectcolumn gives

the number of system affected by the Errata.
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.

5.4.3 Assign Service Levels

The Assign Service Levels page helps you manage your Red Hat Network Software Manager sub­scriptions. From this page, you can buy additional SoftwareManager subscriptions or upgrade existing
System Profiles with no service to service with Software Manager. Use the

Upgrade and Downgrade

buttons to move systems between service levels.

5.5 Viewing Individual System Pages

After logging into Red Hat Network, click the YourNetwork 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 Alerts 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 Profile tab allows you to browse all packages included in your system profile. Only

OfficialRed Hat Packagesare included in your package profile, so this list may differ from your actual
system package list. Official packages 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

Section 5.7:Customizing Preferences 53

sorting order of packages by clicking on the column header names. A bold column header indicates
the current sort order. If you havecreated 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 Profile tab lists the hardware devices and settings for the currently selected system.

This information assists the Red Hat TechnicalSupport Teamin providing faster and better service. If
you exclude hardware from your system profile, the

Hardware tab will be empty.

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 interface.

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 Red Hat Network, click the Preferences button on the top navigation bar.

5.7.1 Errata Alerts & RPM Updates

Select the information that you want to see and where you want to see it.

54 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network

RPM Updates

By selecting this option for your systems, you assure the fastest possible delivery of packages that
update the security and reliability of your systems. Here’s how it works:

1. Select the systems to receive RPM Updates.

2. Select the Package types you wish to receive.

3. Select the types of Errata Alerts you wish to receive.

4. Configure the Red Hat Update Agent on your local system by running up2date-config on the
systems that receive RPM Updates.

If you are not running the X WindowSystem, run man up2date to determine how to configure your
preferences. Certain Red Hat Update Agent settings disallow automatic installation to protect system
integrity. Please confirm the installation process for any Errata Alert you receive.

Email Errata Alerts

Get the notifications you need by email. If there is a Security Alert for any of your systems, we
can contact you directly. Select

Yes to receive email notifications for new Errata that affect your

systems. Then customize your notification delivery by choosing which systems you want to receive
alerts about. If you don’t want to receive email notifications, answer

No. If you later decide you want

to get notifications by email, return to this page and change your preferences.

Visual Alerts

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 Alert, or En­hancement Alert has been issued for one of your systems (see Figure 5–4, Visual Alerts).

Figure 5–4 Visual Alerts

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:

Section 5.8:Searching Errata 55

• 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.

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.
Under the

Session Security section, choose whether you want use the regular login page (non-en-

crypted) or the SSL login page.
Under the

Epoch section, choose Yes to display the epoch for packages within the package profile.

Click the

Update Account button to apply the changes.

5.7.3 Main Page

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

If you select

Latest Errata Alerts under the Status Windows section, the three 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 Red Hat Network. 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.

5.7.4 User Info

Use the User Info section to change your password, modify your contact information such as your
email address, and to modify your contact method. Click the

Update Acount button at the bottom of

the page to have your changes take effect.

5.8 Searching Errata

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

Search Errata Alerts 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

56 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network

network group, selected Red Hat Linux releases, selected types of errata, or from a specified time
period (see Figure 5–5, Search Errata Alerts).

Figure 5–5 Search Errata Alerts

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

Red Hat Network Daemon 57

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).

58 Chapter 6:Red Hat Network Daemon

Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2 59

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. In a Web browser, download the necessary packages from http://www.redhat.com/network/ser­vice/rhl_62.html.

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
registeryour system. DO NOTenter a Product ID during the registration process. It is not required.
See Chapter 2, Registration for details.

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

Frequently Asked Questions 61

8 Frequently Asked Questions

The following contains answers to common questions about Red Hat Network.
Q: What is Red Hat Network?
A: Red Hat Network is a systems support and management environment for Red Hat Linux networks.

For more information, please see the Red Hat Network product information page.
Q: What is Software Manager?
SoftwareManager is the first subscription service offeredthrough Red Hat Network. It offers real-time

reliability for Red Hat Linux systems. For more information, please see the Red Hat Network product
information page.

Q: What does Red Hat Network and Software Manager cost?
A: Registering with Red Hat Network is free and creating system profiles is free. Every customer

receives a free Software Manager subscription for one system. Additional subscriptions are
$19.95/month for each system. Red Hat is offering a special introductory $9.95/month rate for
systems subscribed before April 6.

Q: How do I purchase Red Hat Network Software Manager subscriptions?
A: First, profile each system using the Red Hat Network Registration Client. You can set up a Red

Hat Network user name and password if you don’t have one yet. Then, log into Red Hat Network
at http://www.redhat.com/network, go to

Your Network => Assign Service Levels and follow the

instructions there.
Q: Can I cancel my Red Hat Network Software Manager subscriptions?
A: To cancel your Software Manager subscriptions, go to

Your Network => Assign Service Levels

=> Discontinue Services and follow the instructions there.
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 6.2 or Red Hat Linux 7 to utilize Red Hat

Network.
Q: How does Software Manager work?
A: Each registered system has a System Profile that contains hardware and software information about

the system. Software Manager uses this information to provide you customized Errata Alerts relevant
to your systems. RPM package updates can be downloaded to the client system with the Red Hat
Update Agent or automatically and securely installed via the Web.

Q: I’m concerned about my privacy. How secure is Red Hat Network?

62 Chapter 8:Frequently Asked Questions

A: Security is a high priority for Red Hat Network. Please see the security & privacy documentation
for more information.

Q: I can’t find the Red Hat Network Registration Client. What is it and where do I find it?
A: The Red Hat Network Registration Client steps you through the process of creating a user account

if you do not already have one and registering your system by creating a System Profile. It can be
started by using one of the following methods:

1. In GNOME desktop, go to the

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

RHN Registration

2. In 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)

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.

Q: I forgot my username and password. How do I access my account?
A: Go to http://www.redhat.com/network. 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 this
does not work for you, please call our customer service desk.

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 use Red Hat Network and Software

Manager?
A: You must be running Red Hat Linux 6.2, Red Hat Linux 7, or above.
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

Network asking for any notifications or updates and works in coordination with the Red Hat Network
to schedule automated tasks. It only sends information to Red Hat Network requested by you. If
you add a new system through the Web, 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.

Frequently Asked Questions 63

Q: Why does the Red Hat Update Agent no longer work?
A: The Red Hat Update Agent (up2date) requires a valid System Profile on Red Hat Network to func-

tion properly. To create a System Profile, run the Red Hat Network Registration Client (rhn_register)
on the system that you wish to register with Red Hat Network. If you want to register more than one
system, you need to purchase a Red Hat Network subscription. Go to http://www.redhat.com/net­work, login with your existing user name and password, and click on the

My Network tab. From the

My Network page, follow the instructions to purchase subscriptions.

Q: Why does the Red Hat Update Agent return the error "No Route to Host"?
A: The system you are running up2date on is not connected to the Internet, or the system is attempting

to access Red Hat Network through a proxy server. Proxy server settings can be configured in the
newest version of up2date available at http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHBA-2000-138.html.

Q: Why does the Red Hat Network Registration Client return the error "No Route to Host"?
A: The system you are running the Red Hat Network Registration Client (rhn_register) on is not

connected to the Internet, or the system is attempting to access Red Hat Network through a proxy
server. Proxy server settings can be configured in the newest version of rhn_register available at
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHBA-2000-138.html.

64 Chapter 8:Frequently Asked Questions

Index 65

Index

A

Adding a System Profile

through the Web........................... 49

Assign Service Levels....................... 52

D

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

Download List................................ 53

Download Update Packages ................ 53

E

Errata Alerts.................................. 52

F

FAQs ..................................... .....61

Frequently Asked Questions................ 61

G

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

I

Introduction

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

N

Notifications

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

Viewing .................................... 48

O

Online Help .................................. 56

P

Preferences ............. ...................... 53

General..................................... 54

Main Page ........... ......................55

Q

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

R

Red Hat Linux 6.2

Using Red Hat Network with ............ 59

Red Hat Network

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

Red Hat Network Daemon.............. 11,57

Disable..................................... 57

Status....................................... 57

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

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

through the Web........................... 47

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

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

rhnsd ...................................... 50, 57

S

Search Errata Alerts ......................... 55

Secure Sockets Layer................... .....12

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

Software Manager ........................... 19

System Detail ................................ 52

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

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

66 Index

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

U

up2date

( See Red Hat Update Agent )

V

Visual Alerts.................................. 51

Y

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