Red Hat NETWORK 3.7 - CLIENT Configuration Manual

Red Hat Network 3.7

Client Configuration Guide

Red Hat Network 3.7: Client Configuration Guide

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Client Applications..........................................................................................................................3

2.1. Deploying the Latest Red Hat Network Client RPMs ....................................................... 3

2.2. Configuring the Client Applications .................................................................................. 3

2.2.1. Registering with Activation Keys ....................................................................... 4

2.2.2. Using the --configure Option ........................................................................ 4

2.2.3. Updating the Configuration Files Manually ....................................................... 6

2.2.4. Implementing Server Failover............................................................................. 7

2.3. Configuring the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool with Satellite...................... 8

3. SSL Infrastructure.......................................................................................................................... 9

3.1. A Brief Introduction To SSL.............................................................................................. 9

3.2. The RHN SSL Maintenance Tool.................................................................................. 10

3.2.1. SSL Generation Explained................................................................................ 11

3.2.2. RHN SSL Maintenance Tool Options ............................................................ 11

3.2.3. Generating the Certificate Authority SSL Key Pair..........................................14

3.2.4. Generating Web Server SSL Key Sets .............................................................. 15

3.3. Deploying the CA SSL Public Certificate to Clients ....................................................... 16

3.4. Configuring Client Systems ............................................................................................. 16

4. Importing Custom GPG Keys...................................................................................................... 17

5. Using RHN Bootstrap...................................................................................................................19

5.1. Preparation ....................................................................................................................... 19

5.2. Generation........................................................................................................................ 20

5.3. Script Use......................................................................................................................... 20

5.4. RHN Bootstrap Options ................................................................................................. 21

6. Manually Scripting the Configuration ........................................................................................ 23

7. Implementing Kickstart ............................................................................................................... 25

A. Sample Bootstrap Script..............................................................................................................27

Index................................................................................................................................................... 31

Chapter 1.

Introduction

This best practices guide is intended to help customers of RHN Satellite Server and RHN Proxy Server
more easily configure their client systems.

By default, all Red Hat Network client applications are configured to communicate with central Red
Hat Network Servers. When connecting clients to RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server, how­ever, many of these settings must be altered. Altering client settings for a system or two may be
relatively simple. But a large enterprise environment, containing hundreds or thousands of systems,
will likely benefit from the mass reconfiguration steps described here.

Because of the complexity of this undertaking, customers have been given the option of generating and
using a pre-populated script that automates many of the tasks required to get your systems using your
RHN Server. Refer to Chapter 5 Using RHN Bootstrap for details. Nevertheless, Red Hat believes
you should understand the implications of these changes and therefore describes the manual steps for
reconfiguration in earlier chapters. Use your best judgement in determining the ideal solution for your
organization.

Although many of the commands provided within this guide can be applied as they appear, it is impos­sible to predict all of the potential network configurations adopted by customers. Therefore, Red Hat
encourages you to use these commands as references that must take into account your organization’s
individual settings.

2 Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2.

Client Applications

Most of the enterprise-class features of Red Hat Network have required changes to the Red Hat Net­work client applications themselves. Of course, it’s difficult to get the latest versions of these applica­tions until the systems are registered with Red Hat Network. This sort of chicken-and-egg problem is
especially problematic for customers who want to migrate large numbers of older systems to Red Hat
Network. This chapter identifies techniques that may be used to resolve this dilemma.

Important

Red Hat strongly recommends that clients connected to RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server
be running the latest update of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to ensure proper connectivity.

2.1. Deploying the Latest Red Hat Network Client RPMs

Since Red Hat Update Agent (up2date) and Red Hat Network Registration Client
(rhn_register) are prerequisites for using much of Red Hat Network’s enterprise functionality,
it’s crucial to install them before trying to use RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server in your
environment.

There are several sensible approaches to doing this, but they are all similar; each involves storing the
RPMs somewhere that is accessible by all client systems and deploying the packages with the simplest
command possible. This command will vary from organization to organization.

Remember, only systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 need to use the Red Hat Network
Registration Client to register with RHN. Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and later can
use the registration functionality built into the Red Hat Update Agent.

This document presumes that the customer has installed RHN Satellite Server and/or RHN Proxy
Server on the customer network. With either server type, the latest versions of both up2date and

rhn_register should have been downloaded and installed to the RHN Satellite Server or RHN

Proxy Server itself, as part of the importing process used to get the package repository populated and
up-to-date. Known working versions of both applications are placed in the /var/www/html/pub/
directory of the Proxy or Satellite.

Confirm the precise paths of the client packages before running the following command, as they may
not reside in the top-level /pub directory but instead in its subdirectories. When run from a client, this
command would then install these RPMs to that client, assuming the domain name, paths, and RPM
versions are correct:

rpm -Uvh \

http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/rhn_register-2.8.27-1.7.3.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/rhn_register-gnome-2.8.27-1.7.3.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/up2date-3.0.7-1.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/up2date-gnome-3.0.7-1.i386.rpm

Note the inclusion of the associated gnome RPMs. Keep in mind, the architecture (in this case, i386)
may need to be altered depending on the systems to be served.

4 Chapter 2. Client Applications

2.2. Configuring the Client Applications

Not every customer will need to connect securely to an RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server
within their organization. And not every customer will need to build and deploy a GPG key for custom
packages. (Both of these topics are explained in detail later.) But every customer who uses RHN Satel­lite Server or RHN Proxy Server will need to reconfigure the Red Hat Update Agent (up2date) and
possibly the Red Hat Network Registration Client (rhn_register) to be directed to the Satellite
or Proxy.

Important

Although this isn’t configurable, users should still make note that the port used by the Red Hat Update
Agent is 443 for SSL (HTTPS) and 80 for non-SSL (HTTP). By default, up2date uses SSL only. For

this reason, users should ensure their firewalls allow connections over port 443. To bypass SSL, in

/etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date change the protocol for serverURL from https to http. Similarly,

if you will be using RHN’s Monitoring feature and probes requiring the Red Hat Network Monitoring
Daemon, note that client systems will need to allow connections on port 4545 (or port 22, if they will
use sshd instead).

By default, the Red Hat Network Registration Client and the Red Hat Update Agent refer to the
main Red Hat Network Servers. Users must reconfigure client systems to refer to the RHN Satellite
Server or RHN Proxy Server. This can be done in three different ways: using the --configure op­tion, updating the configuration file(s) manually, or scripting a change to multiple settings at once. To
see how virtually all reconfiguration can be scripted, see Chapter 6 Manually Scripting the Configu-
ration.

Note that the latest versions of the Red Hat Update Agent can be configured to accommodate several
RHN Servers, thereby providing failover protection in case the primary server is inaccessible. Refer
to Section 2.2.4 Implementing Server Failover for instructions on enabling this feature.

2.2.1. Registering with Activation Keys

Red Hat recommends using activation keys for registering and configuring client systems that will
be using RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server. Activation keys can be used to register, entitle,
and subscribe systems in a batch. Refer to the Activation Keys section of the Red Hat Update Agent
chapter within the RHN Management Reference Guide for instructions on use.

It is possible to incorporate activation keys into a scripted configuration process, such as the one
described in Chapter 6 Manually Scripting the Configuration. To do this, create a bootstrap.sh file
much like the one described, place it in the Proxy or Satellite’s /pub directory and combine it with
the rhnreg_ks utility. For example:

wget -O http://your-satellite-FQDN/pub/bootstrap.sh | bash \
&& rhnreg_ks --activation-key b0fa829d751aEXAMPLE6983a72c8346e \

--serverUrl https://your-satellite-FQDN/XMLRPC

Warning

Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 and versions of Red Hat Linux prior to 8.0 may
experience problems using Activation Keys to migrate SSL certificate settings from rhn_register
to up2date. All other settings, such as the server URL, will be properly transferred. Therefore, the
SSL certificate information on those systems will have to be set manually.

Chapter 2. Client Applications 5

2.2.2. Using the --configure Option

Both the Red Hat Network Registration Client and the Red Hat Update Agent that ship with
Red Hat Enterprise Linux provide interfaces for configuring various settings. For full listings of these
settings, refer to the chapters dedicated to the applications in the RHN Management Reference Guide.

Each application offers a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuration that enables you to change
the settings required by RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server. The only requirement for using
this option is to have the client systems running the X Window System. The command to launch the
GUI configuration interface will look like:

application_filename --configure

To reconfigure the Red Hat Update Agent, as root, run the following command:

up2date --configure

You are presented with a dialog box offering various settings that may be reconfigured. In the Gen­eral tab, under Select a Red Hat Network Server to use replace the default value with the

fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server, such as
https://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC. Retain the /XMLRPC at the
end. Then click OK.

Figure 2-1. Red Hat Update Agent GUI Configuration

Make sure you enter the domain name of your RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server correctly.
Entering an incorrect domain or leaving the field blank may prevent up2date --configure from
launching. This may be resolved, however, by editing the value in the up2date configuration file.
Refer to Section 2.2.3 Updating the Configuration Files Manually for precise instructions.

6 Chapter 2. Client Applications

Warning

Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or newer have registration functionality built into the Red
Hat Update Agent and therefore do not have the Red Hat Network Registration Client installed.

Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 (and versions of Red Hat Linux prior to 8.0) still need
to reconfigure and use the Red Hat Network Registration Client, as well as the Red Hat Update
Agent.

To reconfigure the Red Hat Network Registration Client, conduct an almost identical set of steps.
As root, run the following command:

rhn_register --configure

You are presented with a dialog box offering basic settings that may be reconfigured. Under

Select a Red Hat Network server to use: replace the default value with the fully

qualified domain name (FQDN) of the RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server, such as
https://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC. Retain the /XMLRPC at the
end. Then click OK.

Figure 2-2. Red Hat Network Registration Client GUI Configuration

If your version of rhn_register does not display the server field, and you cannot upgrade to a later
version, you may enter the domain name of your RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server directly
into the rhn_register configuration file. Refer to Section 2.2.3 Updating the Configuration Files
Manually for precise instructions.

2.2.3. Updating the Configuration Files Manually

As an alternative to the GUI interface described in the previous section, users may also reconfigure the
Red Hat Network Registration Client and the Red Hat Update Agent by editing the applications’
configuration files.

Chapter 2. Client Applications 7

To configure the Red Hat Update Agent on the client systems connecting to the RHN Proxy Server
or RHN Satellite Server, edit the values of the serverURL and noSSLServerURL settings in the

/etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date configuration file (as root). Replace the default Red Hat Network

URL with the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite
Server. For example:

serverURL[comment]=Remote server URL
serverURL=https://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

noSSLServerURL[comment]=Remote server URL without SSL
noSSLServerURL=http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

Warning

The httpProxy setting in /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date does not refer to the RHN Proxy Server. It
is used to configure an optional HTTP proxy for the client. With an RHN Proxy Server in place, the

httpProxy setting must be blank (not set to any value).

Skip this section if you are running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 later on the client system.

Note

You must use version 2.7.11 or higher of rhn_register on the client systems so they can recognize
new certificates. This RPM should be available in /var/spool/up2date on your proxy system after
you run up2date for the Proxy.

To configure the Red Hat Network Registration Client on the client systems connecting to the RHN
Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server, edit the values of the serverURL and noSSLServerURL op­tions in the /etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register configuration file (as root). Replace the default
Red Hat Network URL with the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the RHN Proxy Server or
RHN Satellite Server. For example:

serverURL[comment]=Remote server URL
serverURL=https://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

noSSLServerURL[comment]=Remote server URL without SSL
noSSLServerURL=http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

2.2.4. Implementing Server Failover

Beginning with up2date-4.2.38, the Red Hat Update Agent can be configured to seek updates
from a series of RHN Servers. This can be especially helpful in sustaining constant updates where
your primary RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server may be taken offline.

To use this feature, first ensure you are running the required version of up2date or later. Then
manually add the secondary servers to the serverURL and noSSLServerURL settings in the

/etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date configuration file (as root). Add the fully qualified domain names

(FQDN) for the Proxy or Satellite immediately after the primary server, separated by a semicolon (;).
For example:

8 Chapter 2. Client Applications

serverURL[comment]=Remote server URL
serverURL=https://your_primary.your_domain.com/XMLRPC;https://your_secondary.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

noSSLServerURL[comment]=Remote server URL without SSL
noSSLServerhttp://your_primary.your_domain.com/XMLRPC;https://your_secondary.your_domain.com/XMLRPC

The servers are attempted in the order provided here. You can include as many servers as you wish.
You may list the central RHN Servers, as well. This makes sense, however, only if the client systems
can reach the Internet.

2.3. Configuring the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool with
Satellite

The Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool, that nifty round icon in the panel of your Red Hat
desktop, can be configured on systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or later to recognize
updates available from custom channels on your RHN Satellite Server. In addition, you must ensure
the Satellite itself is prepared to support this feature. (RHN Proxy Server supports the applet without
modification of client or server.) Here’s the flow:

1. Ensure you’re running RHN Satellite Server 3.4 or later and have the rhns-applet package
installed on the Satellite. The package can be found in the RHN Satellite software channel for
versions 3.4 and newer.

2. Install the rhn-applet-actions package on all Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and newer sys­tems to be notified of custom updates with the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool. The
systems must be entitled to the Management or Provisioning service levels. The package can be
retrieved with up2date or through the RHN Tools software channel.

3. Within the Satellite’s version of the RHN website, go to the System Details page for each
system and click the link within the RHN Applet area to redirect the Red Hat Network Alert
Notification Tool to the Satellite.

The next time the applet is started, it will apply its new configuration and connect to the RHN Satellite
Server for updates.

Chapter 3.

SSL Infrastructure

For Red Hat Network customers, security concerns are of the utmost importance. One of the strengths
of Red Hat Network is its ability to process every single request over Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL.
To maintain this level of security, customers installing Red Hat Network within their infrastructures
must generate custom SSL keys and certificates.

Manual creation and deployment of SSL keys and certificates can be quite involved. Both the RHN
Proxy Server and the RHN Satellite Server allow you to build your own SSL keys and certificates
based on your own private Certificate Authority (CA) during their installation. In addition, a separate
command line utility, the RHN SSL Maintenance Tool, exists for this same purpose. Regardless,
these keys and certificates must then be deployed to all systems within your managed infrastructure.
In many cases, deployment of these SSL keys and certificates is automated for you. This chapter
describes efficient methods for conducting all of these tasks.

Please note that this chapter does not explain SSL in depth. The RHN SSL Maintenance Tool was
designed to hide much of complexity involved in setting up and maintaining this public-key infras­tructure (PKI). For more information, please consult some of the many good references available at
your nearest bookstore.

3.1. A Brief Introduction To SSL

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol that enables client-server applications to pass information
securely. SSL uses a system of public and private key pairs to encrypt communication passed between
clients and servers. Public certificates can be left accessible, while private keys must be secured.
It’s the mathematical relationship (a digital signature) between a private key and its paired public
certificate that makes this system work. Through this relationship, a connection of trust is established.

Note

Throughout this document we discuss SSL private keys and public certificates. Technically both can
be referred to as keys (public and private keys). But it is convention, when discussing SSL, to refer to
the public half of an SSL key pair (or key set) as the SSL public certificate.

An organization’s SSL infrastructure is generally made up of these SSL keys and certificates:

• Certificate Authority (CA) SSL private key and public certificate — only one set per organization

generally generated. The public certificate is digitally signed by its private key. The public certificate
is distributed to every system.

• Web server SSL private key and public certificate — one set per application server. The public

certificate is digitally signed by both its private key and the CA SSL private key. We often refer
to a Web server’s key set; this is because there is an intermediary SSL certificate request that is
generated. The details of what this is used for is not important to this discussion. All three are
deployed to an RHN Server.

Here’s a scenario: If you have one RHN Satellite Server and five RHN Proxy Servers, you will gener­ate one CA SSL key pair and six Web server SSL key sets. The CA SSL public certificate is distributed
to all systems and used by all clients to establish a connection to their respective upstream servers.
Each server has its own SSL key set that is specifically tied to that server’s hostname and generated
using its own SSL private key and the CA SSL private key in combination. This establishes a digitally

10 Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure

verifiable association between the Web server’s SSL public certificate and the CA SSL key pair and
server’s private key. The Web server’s key set cannot be shared with other web servers.

Important

The most critical portion of this system is the CA SSL key pair. From that private key and public
certificate an administrator can regenerate any Web server’s SSL key set. This CA SSL key pair
must be secured. It is highly recommended that once the entire RHN infrastructure of servers is set
up and running, you archive the SSL build directory generated by this tool and/or the installers onto
separate media, write down the CA password, and secure the media and password in a safe place.

3.2. The RHN SSL Maintenance Tool

Red Hat Network provides a command line tool to ease management of your secure infrastructure: the
RHN SSL Maintenance Tool, commonly known by its command rhn-ssl-tool. This tool, which
resides in the rhns-certs-tools package within the software channels for the latest RHN Proxy
Server and RHN Satellite Server, (as well as the Satellite ISO) enables you to generate your own
Certificate Authority SSL key pair, as well as Web server SSL key sets (sometimes called key pairs).

This tool is only a build tool though. It generates all the SSL keys and certificates that are required. It
also packages the files in RPM format for quick distribution and installation on all client machines. It
does not deploy them, however. That is left to the administrator, or in many cases, automated by the
RHN Satellite Server.

Note

The rhns-certs-tools, which contains rhn-ssl-tool, can be installed and run on any current
Red Hat Enterprise Linux system with minimal requirements. This is offered as a convenience for
administrators who wish to manage their SSL infrastructure from their workstation or another system
other than their RHN Server(s).

Here are the use cases for when you need to use the tool:

• When updating your CA public certificate - rare.

• When installing an RHN Proxy Server version 3.6 or later that connects to the central RHN Servers

as its top-level service - the hosted service, for security concerns, cannot be a repository for your
CA SSL key and certificate that is private to your organization.

• When reconfiguring your RHN infrastructure to use SSL where it previously did not.

• When adding RHN Proxy Servers of versions prior to 3.6 into your RHN infrastructure.

• When adding multiple RHN Satellite Servers to your RHN infrastructure - consult with a Red Hat

representative for instructions regarding this.

Here are the use cases for when you do not need to use the tool:

• During installation of an RHN Satellite Server - all SSL settings are configured during the installa-

tion process. The SSL keys and certificate are built and deployed automatically.

• During installation of an RHN Proxy Server version 3.6 or later if connected to an RHN Satellite

Server version 3.6 or later as its top-level service - the RHN Satellite Server contains all of the

Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure 11

SSL information needed to configure, build and deploy the RHN Proxy Server’s SSL keys and
certificates.

The installation procedures of both the RHN Satellite Server and the RHN Proxy Server ensure the
CA SSL public certificate is deployed to the /pub directory of each server. This public certificate is
used by the client systems to connect to the RHN Server. Refer to Section 3.3 Deploying the CA SSL
Public Certificate to Clients for more information.

In short, if your organization’s RHN infrastructure deploys the latest version of RHN Satellite Server
as its top-level service, you will likely have little need to use the tool. Otherwise, you will have to be
familiar with its usage.

3.2.1. SSL Generation Explained

The primary benefits of using the RHN SSL Maintenance Tool are security, flexibility, and portabil­ity. Security is achieved through the creation of distinct Web server SSL keys and certificates for each
RHN server, all signed by a single Certificate Authority SSL key pair created by your organization.
Flexibility is supplied by the tool’s ability to work on any machine with the rhns-certs-tools
package installed. Portability exists in a build structure that can be stored anywhere for safe keeping
and then installed wherever the need arises.

Again, if your infrastructure’s top-level RHN Server is the most current RHN Satellite Server, the
most you may have to do is restore your ssl-build tree from archive to the /root directory and
utilize the configuration tools provided within the RHN Satellite Server’s website.

To make the best use of the RHN SSL Maintenance Tool, you should complete the following high­level tasks in this rough order. Refer to the remaining sections for the required details:

1. Install the rhns-certs-tools package on a system within your organization, perhaps but not
necessarily the RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server.

2. Create a single Certificate Authority SSL key pair for your organization and install the resulting
RPM or public certificate on all client systems.

3. Create a Web server SSL key set for each of the Proxies and Satellites to be deployed and install
the resulting RPMs on the RHN Servers, restarting the httpdservice afterwards:

/sbin/service httpd restart

4. Archive the SSL build tree - consisting of the primary build directory and all subdirectories and
files - to removable media, such as a floppy disk. (Disk space requirements are insignificant.)

5. Verify and then store that archive in a safe location, such as the one described for backups in the
Additional Requirements sections of either the Proxy or Satellite installation guide.

6. Record and secure the CA password for future use.

7. Delete the build tree from the build system for security purposes, but only once the entire RHN
infrastructure is in place and configured.

8. When additional Web server SSL key sets are needed, restore the build tree on a system running
the RHN SSL Maintenance Tool and repeat steps 3 through 7.

3.2.2. RHN SSL Maintenance Tool Options

The RHN SSL Maintenance Tool offers a plethora of command line options for generating your
Certificate Authority SSL key pair and managing your server SSL certificates and keys. The tool
offers essentially three command line option help listings: rhn-ssl-tool --help (general),

rhn-ssl-tool --gen-ca --help (Certificate Authority), and rhn-ssl-tool --gen-server

--help (Web server). The manual page for rhn-ssl-tool is also quite detailed and available for

assistance: man rhn-ssl-tool.

12 Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure

The two tables here break down the options by their related task, either CA or Web server SSL key set
generation. The first set of options (CA) should be preceded by the --gen-ca argument, while the
second set (Web server) should be preceded by the --gen-server argument.

Option Description

--gen-ca Generate a Certificate Authority (CA) key pair and

public RPM. This must be issued with any of the
remaining options in this table.

-h, --help Display the help screen with a list of base options

specific to generating and managing a Certificate
Authority.

-f, --force Forcibly create a new CA private key and/or public

certificate.

-p=, --password=PASSWORD The CA password. You will be prompted for this if

it’s missing. Record it in a safe manner.

-d=, --dir=BUILD_DIRECTORY Required for most commands - The directory where

certificates and RPMs are built. The default is

./ssl-build.

--ca-key=FILENAME The CA private key filename. The default is
RHN-ORG-PRIVATE-SSL-KEY.

--ca-cert=FILENAME The CA public certificate filename. The default is
RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT.

--cert-expiration=CA_CERT_EXPIRE The expiration date of the public CA certificate. The

default is the number of days until one day prior to
epoch rollover (or 01-18-2038).

--set-country=COUNTRY_CODE The two-letter country code. The default is US.

--set-state=STATE_OR_PROVINCE The state or province of the CA. The default is ”.

--set-city=CITY_OR_LOCALITY The city or locality. The default is ”.

--set-org=ORGANIZATION The company or organization, such as RHN. The

default is Example Corp. Inc.

--set-org-unit=SET_ORG_UNIT The organizational unit, such as RHN. The default is

”.

--set-common-name=HOSTNAME Not typically set for the CA. - The common name.

--set-email=EMAIL Not typically set for the CA. - The email address.

--rpm-packager=PACKAGER Packager of the generated RPM, such as "RHN

Admin ([e-mail])."

--rpm-vendor=VENDOR Vendor of the generated RPM, such as "IS/IT

Example Corp."

-v, --verbose Display verbose messaging. Accumulative - added

"v"s result in increasing detail.

--ca-cert-rpm=CA_CERT_RPM Rarely changed - RPM name that houses the CA

certificate (the base filename, not
filename-version-release.noarch.rpm).

Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure 13

Option Description

--key-only Rarely used - Generate only a CA private key. Review

--gen-ca --key-only --help for more

information.

--cert-only Rarely used - Generate only a CA public certificate.

Review --gen-ca --cert-only --help for more
information.

--rpm-only Rarely used - Generate only an RPM for deployment.

Review --gen-ca --rpm-only --help for more
information.

--no-rpm Rarely used - Conduct all CA-related steps except

RPM generation.

Table 3-1. SSL Certificate Authority (CA) Options (rhn-ssl-tool --gen-ca --help)

Option Description

--gen-server Generate the Web server’s SSL key set, RPM and tar

archive. This must be issued with any of the
remaining options in this table.

-h, --help Display the help screen with a list of base options

specific to generating and managing a server key-pair.

-p=, --password=PASSWORD The CA password. You will be prompted for this if

it’s missing. Record it in a safe manner.

-d=, --dir=BUILD_DIRECTORY Required for most commands - The directory where

certificates and RPMs are built. The default is

./ssl-build.

--server-key=FILENAME The Web server’s SSL private key filename. The

default is server.key.

--server-cert-req=FILENAME The Web server’s SSL certificate request filename.

The default is server.csr.

--server-cert=FILENAME The Web server’s SSL certificate filename. The

default is server.crt.

--startdate=YYMMDDHHMMSSZ The start date for server certificate validity in the

example format: year, month, date, hour, minute,
second (two characters per value). Z stands for Zulu
and is required. The default is one week before
generation.

--cert-expiration=SERVER_CERT_EXPIREThe expiration date of the server certificate. The

default is the number of days until one day prior to
epoch rollover (or 01-18-2038).

--set-country=COUNTRY_CODE The two-letter country code. The default is US.

--set-state=STATE_OR_PROVINCE The state or province. The default is North Carolina.

--set-city=CITY_OR_LOCALITY The city or locality. The default is Raleigh.

14 Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure

Option Description

--set-org=ORGANIZATION The company or organization, such as Red Hat. The

default is Example Corp. Inc.

--set-org-unit=SET_ORG_UNIT The organizational unit, such as RHN. The default is

unit.

--set-hostname=HOSTNAME The hostname of the RHN Server to receive the key.

The default is dynamically set to the build machine’s
hostname.

--set-email=EMAIL The email address of the certificate contact. The

default is [e-mail].

--rpm-packager=PACKAGER Packager of the generated RPM, such as "RHN

Admin ([e-mail])."

--rpm-vendor=VENDOR Vendor of the generated RPM, such as "IS/IT

Example Corp."

-v, --verbose Display verbose messaging. Accumulative - added

"v"s result in increasing detail.

--key-only Rarely used - Generate only a server private key.

Review --gen-server --key-only --help for
more information.

--cert-req-only Rarely used - Generate only a server certificate

request. Review --gen-server

--cert-req-only --help for more information.

--cert-only Rarely used - Generate only a server certificate.

Review --gen-server --cert-only --help for
more information.

--rpm-only Rarely used - Generate only an RPM for deployment.

Review --gen-server --rpm-only --help for
more information.

--no-rpm Rarely used - Conduct all server-related steps except

RPM generation.

--server-rpm=SERVER_RPM Rarely changed - RPM name that houses the Web

server’s SSL key set (the base filename, not
filename-version-release.noarch.rpm).

--server-tar=SERVER_TAR Rarely changed - Name of .tar archive of the Web

server’s SSL key set and CA public certificate that is
used solely by the hosted RHN Proxy Server
installation routines (the base filename, not
filename-version-release.tar).

Table 3-2. SSL Web Server Options (rhn-ssl-tool --gen-server --help)

To use these options, insert the option and the appropriate value, if needed, after the rhn-ssl-tool
command and base option, where the base option is either --gen-ca or --gen-server.

3.2.3. Generating the Certificate Authority SSL Key Pair

Before creating the SSL key set required by the Web server, you must have a Certificate Authority
(CA) SSL key pair generated. A CA SSL public certificate gets distributed to client systems of the

Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure 15

Satellite or Proxy. The RHN SSL Maintenance Tool allows you to generate a CA SSL key pair if
needed and re-use it for all subsequent RHN server deployments.

The build process automatically creates the key pair and public RPM for distribution to clients. All CA
components end up in the build directory specified at the command line, typically /root/ssl-build
(or /etc/sysconfig/rhn/ssl for older Satellites and Proxies). To generate a CA SSL key pair,
issue a command like this:

rhn-ssl-tool --gen-ca --password=MY_CA_PASSWORD --dir="/root/ssl-build" \

--set-state="North Carolina" --set-city="Raleigh" --set-org="Example Inc." \

--set-org-unit="SSL CA Unit"

Replace the example values with those appropriate for your organization. This will result in the fol­lowing relevant files in the specified build directory:

• RHN-ORG-PRIVATE-SSL-KEY — the CA SSL private key

• RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT — the CA SSL public certificate

• rhn-org-trusted-ssl-cert-VER-REL.noarch.rpm — the RPM prepared for distribution to

client systems. It contains the CA SSL public certificate (above) and installs it in this location:

/usr/share/rhn/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT

• rhn-ca-openssl.cnf — the SSL CA configuration file

• latest.txt — always lists the latest versions of the relevant files.

Once finished, you’re ready to distribute the RPM to client systems. Refer to Section 3.3 Deploying
the CA SSL Public Certificate to Clients.

3.2.4. Generating Web Server SSL Key Sets

Although you must have a CA SSL key pair already generated, you will likely generate web server
SSL key sets more frequently, especially if more than one Proxy or Satellite is deployed. Note that the
value for --set-hostname is different for each server. In other words, a distinct set of SSL keys and
certificates needs to be generated and installed for every distinct RHN server hostname.

The server certificate build process works much like CA SSL key pair generation with one exception:
All server components end up in subdirectories of the build directory that reflect the build system’s
machine name, such as /root/ssl-build/MACHINE_NAME. To generate server certificates, issue a
command like this:

rhn-ssl-tool --gen-server --password=MY_CA_PASSWORD --dir="/root/ssl-build" \

--set-state="North Carolina" --set-city="Raleigh" --set-org="Example Inc." \

--set-org-unit="IS/IT" --email="[e-mail]" \

--set-hostname="rhnbox1.example.com

Replace the example values with those appropriate for your organization. This will result in the fol­lowing relevant files in a machine-specific subdirectory of the build directory:

• server.key — the Web server’s SSL private server key

• server.csr — the Web server’s SSL certificate request

• server.crt — the web server’s SSL public certificate

• rhn-org-httpd-ssl-key-pair-MACHINE_NAME-VER-REL.noarch.rpm — the RPM

prepared for distribution to RHN Servers. Its associated src.rpm file is also generated. This RPM
contains the above three files. It will install them in these locations:

• /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.key/server.key

16 Chapter 3. SSL Infrastructure

• /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.csr/server.csr

• /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.crt/server.crt

• rhn-server-openssl.cnf — the Web server’s SSL configuration file

• latest.txt — always lists the latest versions of the relevant files.

Once finished, you’re ready to distribute and install the RPM on its respective RHN Server. Note that

httpd service must be restarted after installation:

/sbin/service httpd restart

3.3. Deploying the CA SSL Public Certificate to Clients

Both the RHN Proxy Server and RHN Satellite Server installation processes make client deployment
relatively easy by generating a CA SSL public certificate and RPM. These installation processes make
those publicly available by placing a copy of one or both into the /var/www/html/pub/ directory
of the RHN Server.

This public directory can be inspected easily by simply browsing to it via any web browser:
http://proxy_or_sat.domain.com/pub/.

The CA SSL public certificate in that directory can be downloaded to a client system using wget or

curl. For example:

curl -O http://proxy_or_sat.domain.com/pub/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT
wget http://proxy_or_sat.domain.com/pub/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT

Alternatively, if the CA SSL public certificate RPM resides in the /pub directory, it can be installed
on a client system directly:

rpm -Uvh http://proxy_or_sat.domain.com/pub/rhn-org-trusted-ssl-cert-VER-REL.noarch.rpm

Confirm the actual name of the certificate or RPM before running any of those commands.

3.4. Configuring Client Systems

Once the RPM or raw certificate has been deployed to a client system, the administrator of that system
must then alter the configuration files of the Red Hat Update Agent and the Red Hat Network
Registration Client (if necessary) to use the new CA SSL public certificate file and connect to the
appropriate RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite Server. The generally accepted location for that CA
SSL public certificate is in the /usr/share/rhn directory.

The RHN Proxy Server and RHN Satellite Server both have the RHN Bootstrap installed by default,
which can greatly reduce these repetitive steps and simplify the process of registering and configuring
client systems. Please refer Chapter 5 Using RHN Bootstrap for details.

Chapter 4.

Importing Custom GPG Keys

For customers who plan to build and distribute their own RPMs securely, it’s strongly recommended
that all custom RPMs are signed using GNU Privacy Guard (GPG). Generating GPG keys and building
GPG-signed packages are covered in the Red Hat Network Channel Management Guide.

Once the packages are signed, the public key must be deployed on all systems importing these RPMs.
So this task has two steps: first, creating a central location for the public key so that clients may
retrieve it, and second, adding the key to the local GPG keyring for each system.

The first step is common and may be handled using the website approach recommended for deploying
RHN client applications. (Refer to Section 2.1 Deploying the Latest Red Hat Network Client RPMs.)
To do this, create a public directory on the Web server and place the GPG public signature in it:

cp /some/path/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY /var/www/html/pub/

The key can then be downloaded by client systems using Wget:

wget -O- -q http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

The -O- option sends results to standard output while the -q option sets Wget to run in quiet mode.
Remember to replace the YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY variable with the filename of your key.

Once the key is available on the client filesystem, the next step is to import it into the local GPG
keyring. Different operating systems require different methods.

For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or newer, use the following command:

rpm --import /path/to/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, use the following command:

gpg $(up2date --gpg-flags) --import /path/to/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

Once the GPG key has been successfully added to the client, the system should be able to validate
custom RPMs signed with the corresponding key.

18 Chapter 4. Importing Custom GPG Keys

Chapter 5.

Using RHN Bootstrap

Red Hat provides a tool designed to accomplish much of the reconfiguration described within this
guide in one fell swoop: RHN Bootstrap. This tool plays an integral role in the RHN Satellite Server
Installation Program, enabling generation of the bootstrap script during installation.

But RHN Proxy Server customers and those who’ve updated their Satellite settings need a
bootstrap tool that can be used separately. The RHN Bootstrap, invoked with the command

/usr/bin/rhn-bootstrap, serves that purpose and comes installed by default on either RHN

Server.

If used correctly, the script this tool generates can be run from any client system to conduct the
following tasks:

• Redirect client applications to the RHN Proxy or Satellite

• Import custom GPG keys

• Install SSL certificates

• Register the system to RHN and particular system groups and channels with the help of activation

keys

• Perform miscellaneous post-configuration activities, including updating packages, performing re-

boots, and altering RHN configuration

Customers should note, however, the inherent risks of using a script to conduct configuration. Because
security tools such as SSL certificates are being installed by the script itself, they do not yet exist on
the systems and cannot be used to process transactions. This does allow for the possibility of someone
impersonating the Satellite and transmitting bad data. This is mitigated by the fact that virtually all
Satellites and client systems operate behind customer firewalls and are restricted from outside traffic.
Registration is conducted via SSL and therefore protected.

The bootstrap script bootstrap.sh is automatically placed in the

/var/www/html/pub/bootstrap/ directory of the RHN Server. From there it can be downloaded

and run on all client systems. Note that some preparation and post-generation editing is required, as
identified in the following sections. Refer to Section 5.4 RHN Bootstrap Options for the tool’s
complete list of options. Finally, refer to the Appendix A Sample Bootstrap Script for an example
script.

5.1. Preparation

Since RHN Bootstrap (rhn-bootstrap) depends on other components of the Red Hat Network
infrastructure to properly configure client systems, those components must be prepared before script
generation. The following list identifies suggested measures to be taken first:

• Generate activation keys to be called by the script(s). Activation keys can be used to register Red

Hat Enterprise Linux systems, entitle them to an RHN service level, and subscribe them to specific
channels and system groups, all in one action. Note that you must have Management entitlements
available to use an activation key, while inclusion of multiple activation keys at once requires Pro­visioning entitlements. Generate activation keys through the Activation Keys page within the Sys-
tems category of the RHN website (either the central RHN Servers for Proxy or the fully qualified
domain name of the Satellite). Refer to the Red Hat Update Agent and RHN Website chapters of
the RHN Reference Guide for instructions on creation and use.

20 Chapter 5. Using RHN Bootstrap

• Red Hat recommends your RPMs be signed by a custom GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) key. Make

the key available so you may refer to it from the script. Generate the key as described in the RHN
Channel Management Guide and place the key in the /var/www/html/pub/ directory of the RHN
Server, per Chapter 4 Importing Custom GPG Keys.

• If you wish to use the script to deploy your CA SSL public certificate, have the certificate or the

package (RPM) containing that certificate available on that RHN Server and include it during script
generation with the --ssl-cert option. Refer to Chapter 3 SSL Infrastructure for details.

• Have the values ready to develop one or many bootstrap scripts, depending on the variety of

systems to be reconfigured. Since RHN Bootstrap provides a full set of reconfiguration options,
you may use it to generate different bootstrap scripts to accommodate each type of system. For
instance, bootstrap-web-servers.sh might be used to reconfigure your Web servers, while

bootstrap-app-servers.sh can handle the application servers. Consult Section 5.4 RHN

Bootstrap Options for the complete list.

5.2. Generation

Now that all of the necessary components are in place, you may use RHN Bootstrap to generate
the required scripts. Log into the RHN Server as root and issue the rhn-bootstrap command
followed by the options and values you desire. If no options are included, a bootstrap.sh file
will be created in the bootstrap/ subdirectory that contains the essential values derived from the
server, including hostname, the SSL certificate, it if exists, SSL and GPG settings, and a call for the

client-config-overrides.txt file.

At a minimum, Red Hat strongly recommends your scripts also accommodate activation keys, GPG
keys, and advanced configuration options, in the following manner:

• Use the --activation-keys option to include keys, taking into account the entitlement require-

ments identified in Section 5.1 Preparation.

• Use the --gpg-key option to identify the key path and filename during script generation. Other-

wise, use the --no-gpg option to turn off this verification on client systems. Red Hat recommends
retaining this security measure.

• Include the --allow-config-actions flag to enable remote configuration management on all

client systems touched by the script. This feature is useful in reconfiguring multiple systems simul­taneously.

• Include the --allow-remote-commands flag to enable remote script use on all client systems.

Like configuration management, this feature aids in reconfiguring multiple systems.

When you’re done, your command will look something like this:

rhn-bootstrap --activation-keys KEY1,KEY2 \

--gpg-key /var/www/html/pub/MY_CORPORATE_PUBLIC_KEY \

--allow-config-actions \

--allow-remote-commands

Obviously, include the actual key names. Refer to Section 5.4 RHN Bootstrap Options for the com­plete list of options.

5.3. Script Use

Finally, when you’re finished preparing the script for use, you’re ready to run it. On the RHN Server,
navigate to the /var/www/html/pub/bootstrap/ directory and run the following command, al­tering the hostname and name of the script as needed to suit system type:

Chapter 5. Using RHN Bootstrap 21

cat bootstrap-EDITED-NAME.sh | ssh root@CLIENT_MACHINE1 /bin/bash

A less secure alternative is to use either wget or curl to retrieve and run the script from every client
system. Log into each client machine and issue the following command, altering script and hostname
accordingly:

wget -qO- https://test.com/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap-EDITED-NAME.sh | /bin/bash

Or with, curl:

curl -Sks https://test.com/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap-EDITED-NAME.sh | /bin/bash

When this script has been run on each client system, all should be configured to use the RHN Server.

5.4. RHN Bootstrap Options

The RHN Bootstrap offers many command line options for creating client boostrap scripts. Although
descriptions of these options can be found within the following table, ensure they are available in the
version of the tool installed on your RHN Server by issuing the command rhn-bootstrap --help
or reviewing its man page.

Option Description

-h, --help Display the help screen with a list of options specific

to generating the bootstrap script.

--activation-keys=ACTIVATION_KEYS activation key(s) as defined in the RHN website with

multiple entries separated by a comma and no space

--overrides=OVERRIDES Configuration overrides filename. The default is

client-config-overrides.txt.

--script=SCRIPT The bootstrap script filename. The default is

bootstrap.sh.

--hostname=HOSTNAME The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the

server to which client systems will connect.

--ssl-cert=SSL_CERT The path to your organization’s public SSL certificate,

either a package or a raw certificate. It will be copied
to the --pub-tree option. A value of "" will force a
search of --pub-tree.

--gpg-key=GPG_KEY The path to your organization’s public GPG key, if

used. It will be copied to the location specified by the

--pub-tree option.

--http-proxy=HTTP_PROXY The HTTP proxy setting for the client systems in the

form hostname:port. A value of "" disables this
setting.

--http-proxy-username=HTTP_PROXY_USERNAMEIf using an authenticating HTTP proxy, specify a

username. A value of "" disables this setting.

--http-proxy-password=HTTP_PROXY_PASSWORDIf using an authenticating HTTP proxy, specify a

password.

22 Chapter 5. Using RHN Bootstrap

Option Description

--allow-config-actions Boolean; including this option sets the system to

allow all configuration actions via RHN. This requires
installing certain rhncfg-* packages, possibly through
an activation key.

--allow-remote-commands Boolean; including this option sets the system to

allow arbitrary remote commands via RHN. This
requires installing certain rhncfg-* packages, possibly
through an activation key.

--no-ssl Not recommended - Boolean; including this option

turns SSL off on the client system.

--no-gpg Not recommended - Boolean; including this option

turns GPG checking off on the client system.

--no-up2date Not recommended - Boolean; including this option

ensures up2date will not run once the system has
been bootstrapped.

--pub-tree=PUB_TREE Change not recommended - The public directory tree

where the CA SSL certificate and package will land;
the bootstrap directory and scripts. The default is

/var/www/html/pub/.

--force Not recommended - Boolean; including this option

forces bootstrap script generation despite warnings.

-v, --verbose Display verbose messaging. Accumulative; -vvv

causes extremely verbose messaging.

Table 5-1. RHN Bootstrap Options

Chapter 6.

Manually Scripting the Configuration

Note that this chapter provides an alternative to using RHN Bootstrap to generate the bootstrap script.
With these instructions, you should be able to create your own bootstrap script from scratch.

All of the initial techniques have shared a common theme: the deployment of necessary files in a
centralized location to be retrieved and installed using simple, scriptable commands run on each client.
In this chapter, we explore putting all of these pieces together to create a single script that can be
invoked by any system in your organization.

When we combine all of the commands from the previous chapters in the most sensible order, we get
the following script. Keep in mind, rhn_register does not exist on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or
later:

# First, install the latest client RPMs to the system.

rpm -Uvh \

http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/rhn_register-2.8.27-1.7.3.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/rhn_register-gnome-2.8.27-1.7.3.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/up2date-3.0.7-1.i386.rpm \
http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/up2date-gnome-3.0.7-1.i386.rpm

# Second, reconfigure the clients to talk to the correct server.

perl -p -i -e ’s/s/www\.rhns\.redhat\.com/your_proxy_or_sat\.your_domain\.com/g’ \

/etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register \
/etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date

# Third, install the SSL client certificate for your company’s
# RHN Satellite Server or RHN Proxy Server.

rpm -Uvh http://proxy_or_sat.domain.com/pub/rhn-org-trusted-ssl-cert-*.noarch.rpm

# Fourth, reconfigure the clients to use the new SSL certificate.

perl -p -i -e ’s/^sslCA/#sslCA/g;’ \

/etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date /etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register

echo "sslCACert=/usr/share/rhn/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT" \

>> /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date

echo "sslCACert=/usr/share/rhn/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT" \

>> /etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register

# Fifth, download the GPG key needed to validate custom packages.

wget -O- -q http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

# Sixth, import that GPG key to your GPG keyring.

rpm --import /path/to/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

Remember, the sixth step is documented here as it pertains to systems running Red Hat Linux 3 or
newer. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, use the following command instead:

gpg $(up2date --gpg-flags) --import /path/to/YOUR-RPM-GPG-KEY

Together, this script comprises a clean and repeatable process that should fully configure any potential
Red Hat Network client in preparation for registration to an RHN Proxy Server or RHN Satellite
Server. Remember, key values, such as the URL of your RHN Server, its public directory, and your
actual GPG key will need to be inserted into the placeholders listed within the script. Also, depending
on your environment, additional modifications may be required. Although this script may work nearly
verbatim, it should be used as a guide.

24 Chapter 6. Manually Scripting the Configuration

Like its components, this script may be centrally located. By placing this script in the /pub/ directory
of the server, running wget -O- on it, and piping the output to a shell session, one may run the entire
bootstrap process with a single command from each client:

wget -O- http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/bootstrap_script | bash

Warning

Running a shell script directly from input piped in over a Web connection obviously has some inherent
security risks. Therefore, it is vital to ensure the security of the source server in this instance.

This one-line command may then be invoked across all of the systems on a network. If the adminis­trator has SSH access to all of the systems in question, it would be a simple task to iterate over a list
of these systems and run the command remotely on all of them. This script would also be a perfect
addition to the %post section of an existing kickstart script.

Chapter 7.

Implementing Kickstart

Obviously, the best time to make configuration changes to a system is when that system is first being
built. For customers who already use kickstart effectively, the bootstrapping script is an ideal addition
to that process.

Once all of the configuration issues have been resolved, a system may also register with the local Red
Hat Network Servers using the rhnreg_ks utility that comes with the up2date and rhn_register
RPMs. This chapter discusses the proper use of rhnreg_ks to register systems.

The rhnreg_ks utility uses activation keys to register, entitle, and subscribe systems to specified
channels in one swift motion. To find out more about activation keys, refer to the Red Hat Update
Agent and RHN Website chapters of the Red Hat Network Management Reference Guide.

The following commented kickstart file is an ideal example of how a system can be configured from
start to finish using Red Hat Network.

# Generic 7.2 kickstart for laptops in the Widget Corporation (widgetco)

# Standard kickstart options for a network-based install. For an explanation
# of these options, consult the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide.

lang en_US
langsupport --default en_US en_US
keyboard defkeymap
network --bootproto dhcp
install
url --url ftp://ftp.widgetco.com/pub/redhat/linux/7.2/en/os/i386
zerombr yes
clearpart --all
part /boot --size 128 --fstype ext3 --ondisk hda
part / --size 2048 --grow --fstype ext3 --ondisk hda
part /backup --size 1024 --fstype ext3 --ondisk hda
part swap --size 512 --ondisk hda
bootloader --location mbr
timezone America/New_York
rootpw --iscrypted $1$78Jnap82Hnd0PsjnC8j3sd2Lna/Hx4.
auth --useshadow --enablemd5 --krb5realm .COM --krb5kdc auth.widgetco.com \

--krb5adminserver auth.widgetco.com
mouse --emulthree genericps/2
xconfig --card "S3 Savage/MX" --videoram 8192 --resolution 1024x768 \

--depth 16 --defaultdesktop=GNOME --startxonboot --noprobe \

--hsync 31.5-48.5 --vsync 40-70

reboot

# Define a standard set of packages. Note: Red Hat Network client packages
# are found in Base. This is quite a minimal set of packages; your mileage
# may vary.

%packages
@ Base
@ Utilities
@ GNOME
@ Laptop Support
@ Dialup Support
@ Software Development
@ Graphics and Image Manipulation

26 Chapter 7. Implementing Kickstart

@ Games and Entertainment
@ Sound and Multimedia Support

# Now for the interesting part.

%post
( # Note that we run the entire %post section as a subshell for logging.

# Remember that nifty one-line command for the bootstrap script that we
# went through? This is an ideal place for it. And assuming that the
# script has been properly configured, it should prepare the system
# fully for usage of local Red Hat Network Servers.

wget -O- http://your_proxy_or_sat.your_domain.com/pub/bootstrap_script | /bin/bash

# The following is an example of the usage of rhnreg_ks, the kickstart utility
# for rhn_register. This demonstrates the usage of the --activationkey flag,
# which describes an activation key. For example, this activation key could
# be set up in the Web interface to join this system to the "Laptops" group
# and the local Widgetco "Laptop Software" channel. Note that this section
# applies only to Proxy users, as this step is handled by the Satellite
# bootstrap script.
#
# For more information about activation keys, consult the Red Hat Network
# Management Reference Guide.

/usr/sbin/rhnreg_ks --activationkey=6c933ea74b9b002f3ac7eb99619d3374

# End the subshell and capture any output to a post-install log file.
) 1>/root/post_install.log 2>&1

Appendix A.

Sample Bootstrap Script

The /var/www/html/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap.sh script generated by the RHN Satellite
Server installation program and available to both Satellite and RHN Proxy Server customers through
the use of RHN Bootstrap provides the ability to reconfigure client systems to use the RHN Server
easily. After modifying for your particular use, it can be run on each client machine.

Review the sample and its comments, beginning with a hash mark (#), for additional details. Follow
the steps in Chapter 5 Using RHN Bootstrap to prepare the script for use.

#!/bin/bash
echo "RHN Server Client bootstrap script v3.6"

# This file was autogenerated. Minor manual editing of this script (and
# possibly the client-config-overrides.txt file) may be necessary to complete
# the bootstrap setup. Once customized, the bootstrap script can be triggered
# in one of two ways (the first is preferred):
#
# (1) centrally, from the RHN Server via ssh (i.e., from the
# RHN Server):
# cd /var/www/html/pub/bootstrap/
# cat bootstrap-edited_name.sh | ssh root@client-hostname/bin/bash
#
# ...or...
#
# (2) in a decentalized manner, executed on each client, via wget or curl:
# wget -qO- https://



hostname/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap-edited_name.sh | /bin/bash
# ...or...
# curl -Sks https://hostname/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap-edited_name.sh | /bin/bash

# SECURITY NOTE:
# Use of these scripts via the two methods discussed is the most expedient
# way to register machines to your RHN Server. Since "wget" is used
# throughout the script to download various files, a "Man-in-the-middle"
# attack is theoretically possible.
#
# The actual registration process is performed securely via SSL, so the risk
# is minimized in a sense. This message merely serves as a warning.
# Adminitrators need to appropriately weigh their concern against the
# relative security of their internal network.

# PROVISIONING/KICKSTART NOTE:
# If provisioning a client, ensure the proper CA SSL public certificate is
# configured properly in the post section of your kickstart profiles (the
# RHN Satellite or hosted web user interface).

# UP2DATE/RHN_REGISTER VERSIONING NOTE:
# This script will not work with very old versions of up2date and
# rhn_register.

echo
echo
echo "MINOR MANUAL EDITING OF THIS FILE MAY BE REQUIRED!"
echo
echo "If this bootstrap script was created during the initial installation"
echo "of an RHN Satellite, the ACTIVATION_KEYS, and ORG_GPG_KEY values will"
echo "probably *not* be set (see below). If this is the case, please do the"

28 Appendix A. Sample Bootstrap Script

echo "following:"
echo " - copy this file to a name specific to it’s use."
echo " (e.g., to bootstrap-SOME_NAME.sh - like bootstrap-web-servers.sh.)"
echo " - on the website create an activation key or keys for the system(s) to"
echo " be registered."
echo " - edit the values of the VARIABLES below (in this script) as"
echo " appropriate:"
echo " - ACTIVATION_KEYS needs to reflect the activation key(s) value(s)"
echo " from the website. XKEY or XKEY,YKEY"
echo " - ORG_GPG_KEY needs to be set to the name of the corporate public"
echo " GPG key filename (residing in /var/www/html/pub) if appropriate."
echo
echo "Verify that the script variable settings are correct:"
echo " - CLIENT_OVERRIDES should be only set differently if a customized"
echo " client-config-overrides-VER.txt file was created with a different"
echo " name."
echo " - ensure the value of HOSTNAME is correct."
echo " - ensure the value of ORG_CA_CERT is correct."
echo
echo "Enable this script: comment (with #’s) this block (or, at least just"
echo "the exit below)"
echo
exit 1

# can be edited, but probably correct (unless created during initial install):
# NOTE: ACTIVATION_KEYS *must* be used to bootstrap a client machine.
ACTIVATION_KEYS=insert_activation_key_here
ORG_GPG_KEY=insert_org_gpg_pub_key_here

# can be edited, but probably correct:
CLIENT_OVERRIDES=client-config-overrides.txt
HOSTNAME=your_rhn_server_host.example.com

ORG_CA_CERT=RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT
ORG_CA_CERT_IS_RPM_YN=0

USING_SSL=1
USING_GPG=1

REGISTER_THIS_BOX=1

ALLOW_CONFIG_ACTIONS=0
ALLOW_REMOTE_COMMANDS=0

FULLY_UPDATE_THIS_BOX=1

#
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------­# DO NOT EDIT BEYOND THIS POINT ----------------------------------------------­# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------­#

# an idea from Erich Morisse (of Red Hat).
# use either wget *or* curl
if [ -x /usr/bin/wget ] ; then

FETCH="/usr/bin/wget -q -r -nd"

else

if [ -x /usr/bin/curl ] ; then

FETCH="/usr/bin/curl -SksO"

fi

fi

Appendix A. Sample Bootstrap Script 29

HTTP_PUB_DIRECTORY=http://${HOSTNAME}/pub
HTTPS_PUB_DIRECTORY=https://${HOSTNAME}/pub
if [ $USING_SSL -eq 0 ] ; then

HTTPS_PUB_DIRECTORY=${HTTP_PUB_DIRECTORY}
fi
echo
echo "UPDATING RHN_REGISTER/UP2DATE CONFIGURATION FILES"
echo "-------------------------------------------------"
echo "* downloading necessary files"
echo " client_config_update.py..."
rm -f client_config_update.py
$FETCH ${HTTPS_PUB_DIRECTORY}/bootstrap/client_config_update.py
echo " ${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}..."
rm -f ${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}
$FETCH ${HTTPS_PUB_DIRECTORY}/bootstrap/${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}

if [ ! -f "client_config_update.py" ] ; then

echo "ERROR: client_config_update.py was not downloaded"

exit 1
fi
if [ ! -f "${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}" ] ; then

echo "ERROR: ${CLIENT_OVERRIDES} was not downloaded"

exit 1
fi

echo "* running the update scripts"
if [ -f "/etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register" ] ; then

echo " . rhn_register config file"

/usr/bin/python -u client_config_update.py /etc/sysconfig/rhn/rhn_register ${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}
fi
echo " . up2date config file"
/usr/bin/python -u client_config_update.py /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date ${CLIENT_OVERRIDES}

if [ ! -z "$ORG_GPG_KEY" ] ; then

echo

echo "* importing organizational GPG key"

rm -f ${ORG_GPG_KEY}

$FETCH ${HTTPS_PUB_DIRECTORY}/${ORG_GPG_KEY}

# get the major version of up2date

res=$(rpm -q --queryformat ’%{version}’ up2date | sed -e ’s/\..*//g’)

if [ $res -eq 2 ] ; then

gpg $(up2date --gpg-flags) --import $ORG_GPG_KEY

else

rpm --import $ORG_GPG_KEY

fi
fi

echo
echo "* attempting to install corporate public CA cert"
if [ $USING_SSL -eq 1 ] ; then

if [ $ORG_CA_CERT_IS_RPM_YN -eq 1 ] ; then

rpm -Uvh ${HTTP_PUB_DIRECTORY}/${ORG_CA_CERT}

else

rm -f ${ORG_CA_CERT}
$FETCH ${HTTP_PUB_DIRECTORY}/${ORG_CA_CERT}
mv ${ORG_CA_CERT} /usr/share/rhn/

fi
fi

echo
echo "REGISTRATION"
echo "------------"

30 Appendix A. Sample Bootstrap Script

# Should have created an activation key or keys on the RHN Server’s
# website and edited the value of ACTIVATION_KEYS above.
#
# If you require use of several different activation keys, copy this file and
# change the string as needed.
#
if [ -z "$ACTIVATION_KEYS" ] ; then

echo "*** ERROR: in order to bootstrap RHN clients, an activation key or keys"

echo " must be created in the RHN web user interface, and the"

echo " corresponding key or keys string (XKEY,YKEY,...) must be maped to"

echo " the ACTIVATION_KEYS variable of this script."

exit 1
fi

if [ $REGISTER_THIS_BOX -eq 1 ] ; then

echo "* registering"

/usr/sbin/rhnreg_ks --force --activationkey "$ACTIVATION_KEYS"

echo

echo "*** this system should now be registered, please verify ***"

echo
else

echo "* explicitely not registering"
fi

echo
echo "OTHER ACTIONS"
echo "------------------------------------------------------"
if [ $FULLY_UPDATE_THIS_BOX -eq 1 ] ; then

echo "up2date up2date; up2date -p; up2date -uf (conditional)"
else

echo "up2date up2date; up2date -p"
fi
echo "but any post configuration action can be added here. "
echo "------------------------------------------------------"
if [ $FULLY_UPDATE_THIS_BOX -eq 1 ] ; then

echo "* completely updating the box"
else

echo "* ensuring up2date itself is updated"
fi
/usr/sbin/up2date up2date
/usr/sbin/up2date -p
if [ $FULLY_UPDATE_THIS_BOX -eq 1 ] ; then

/usr/sbin/up2date -uf
fi
echo "-bootstrap complete-"

Index

Symbols

--configure

use of, 5

A

activation keys

registering with, 4

B

bootstrap.sh

preparation and use, 19
sample file, 27

C

client applications

configuration of, 4
installation of, 3

client configuration

Red Hat Network Registration Client, 6
Red Hat Update Agent, 5

configuration

manual, 6
scripting completely, 23
server failover, 7

G

GPG keys

importing of, 17

K

kickstart

use of, 25

R

Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool

configuration for Satellite, 8

Red Hat Network Registration Client

configuring to use RHN Proxy Server or RHN
Satellite Server, 7

Red Hat Update Agent

configuring to use RHN Proxy Server or RHN
Satellite Server, 6

RHN Bootstrap

command line options, 21
generating the script, 20
preparing, 19
using, 19
using the script, 20

RHN SSL Maintenance Tool

generating the CA, 14
generating the server certificate, 15
generation explained, 11
options, 11
rhn-ssl-tool, 10

rhn-ssl-tool

generating the CA, 14
generating the server certificate, 15
generation explained, 11
options, 11
RHN SSL Maintenance Tool, 10

S

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

introduction, 9

SSL certificates

configuration of, 16
generating, 10
installation of, 16