Red Hat Network Workgroup
User Reference Guide 1.0
Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat Network Workgroup: User Reference Guide 1.0
Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Red Hat, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... vii
1. Document Conventions ..................................................................................................vii
2. More to Come .....................................................................................................................x
2.1. Send in Your Feedback .......................................................................................x
1. What is Red Hat Network?........................................................................................................ 11
1.1. Basic ................................................................................................................................12
1.2. Workgroup ..................................................................................................................... 12
1.3. Automatic Notifications and Package Installation...................................................13
1.4. Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network ...............................................13
1.5. Before You Begin ...........................................................................................................13
2. Red Hat Network Registration Client.....................................................................................15
2.1. Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration Client ........................................ 15
2.2. Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client................................................ 15
2.3. Registering a User Account .........................................................................................18
2.4. Registering a System Profile........................................................................................ 20
2.4.1. Hardware System Profile.............................................................................. 20
2.4.2. Software System Profile ................................................................................21
2.5. Finishing Registration ..................................................................................................23
2.6. Entitling Your System...................................................................................................25
2.7. Text Mode RHN Registration Client ..........................................................................25
3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool............................................................................ 27
3.1. Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent.................................................................... 27
3.2. General Settings.............................................................................................................27
3.3. Retrieval/Installation Settings .................................................................................... 28
3.4. Package Exceptions Settings........................................................................................29
3.5. Command Line Version of Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool .............30
4. Red Hat Update Agent ............................................................................................................... 33
4.1. Starting the Red Hat Update Agent...........................................................................33
4.2. Choosing a Channel......................................................................................................35
4.3. Choosing Packages to Update..................................................................................... 36
4.4. Installing Updated Packages.......................................................................................39
4.5. Update Agent Finished................................................................................................ 40
4.6. Command Line Version of Red Hat Update Agent................................................. 41
4.6.1. Installing the Red Hat GPG key................................................................... 43
4.7. Manual Package Installation ....................................................................................... 44
4.8. Synchronizing Your System Profile............................................................................ 44
4.9. Log File ...........................................................................................................................45
5. Red Hat Network Workgroup .................................................................................................. 47
5.1. Logging into Workgroup .............................................................................................47
5.2. Introduction to the Web Interface...............................................................................48
5.2.1. Errata Alerts....................................................................................................50
5.3. Your RHN....................................................................................................................... 50
5.3.1. Your Account ..................................................................................................52
5.3.2. Entitlements ....................................................................................................52
5.3.3. Organization Information.............................................................................53
5.3.4. Buy Now..........................................................................................................53
5.3.5. The New RHN................................................................................................53
5.4. Systems ........................................................................................................................... 53
5.4.1. System List ......................................................................................................53
5.4.2. System Group List.......................................................................................... 55
5.4.3. System Search.................................................................................................56
v
5.4.4. System Details ................................................................................................56
5.5. Channels and Packages................................................................................................57
5.5.1. System List ......................................................................................................57
5.5.2. Channel List....................................................................................................57
5.5.3. Channel Details ..............................................................................................57
5.5.4. Channel Subscribe and Unsubscribe...........................................................59
5.5.5. Package Details...............................................................................................59
5.5.6. Package Install................................................................................................ 59
5.5.7. Package Download ........................................................................................60
5.6. Errata............................................................................................................................... 61
5.6.1. All Errata .........................................................................................................62
5.6.2. Applicable Errata ...........................................................................................62
5.6.3. Errata Search...................................................................................................62
5.6.4. Apply Errata Updates ...................................................................................62
5.6.5. Errata Details .................................................................................................. 63
5.7. Scheduled Actions ........................................................................................................ 63
5.8. Users................................................................................................................................65
5.8.1. User List...........................................................................................................65
5.8.2. User Approval ................................................................................................ 65
5.8.3. User Details.....................................................................................................65
5.9. System Groups ..............................................................................................................66
5.9.1. System Group List.......................................................................................... 66
5.9.2. System Group Creation.................................................................................67
5.9.3. System Group Addition and Removal........................................................ 67
5.9.4. System Group Details....................................................................................67
5.10. System Set Manager....................................................................................................68
6. Red Hat Network Daemon........................................................................................................ 71
7. Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2 .................................................................73
Glossary ............................................................................................................................................75
Index ..................................................................................................................................................81
Introduction
Welcome to the Red Hat Network Workgroup User Reference Guide 1.0.
The Red Hat Network Workgroup 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 differentthan the ones described in this manual as new features
are added. Once you use Red Hat Network to update these applications, you can use the
latest version of this manual. All versions of this manual are available in HTML and PDF
formats at http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/RHNetwork/.
This version of the manual covers version 2.7.0 of the Red Hat Update Agent and version
1.5.0 of the Red Hat Network Registration Client.
For a more detailed, technical overview of Red Hat Network, please refer to the Red Hat
Network Technical Paper available at http://www.redhat.com/docs/wp/.
1. Document Conventions
When you read this manual, you will see that certain words are represented in different
fonts, typefaces, sizes, and weights. This highlighting is systematic; different words are represented in the samestyle 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 youcan type in the wordor 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 (such as filenames). In
these cases, they are considered to be part of the command, so the entire phrase will be
displayed as a command. For example:
Use the cat testfile command to view the contents of a file, named testfile, in the
current working directory.
filename
Filenames, directory names, paths, and RPM package names are represented this way.
This style should indicate that a particular file or directory exists by that name on your
Red Hat Linux system. Examples:
The .bashrc file in your home directory contains bash shell definitions and aliases for
your own use.
The /etc/fstab file contains information about different system devices and filesystems.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.
application
This style should indicate to you that theprogram named is an end-user application (as
opposed to system software). For example:
Use Netscape Navigator to browse the Web.
vii
viii Introduction
[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 (such as text associated with a checkbox or
field). Example:
Select the Require Password checkbox if you would 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 level of a pulldown menu. If you click on the word on the GUI screen, the rest of the menu should
appear. For example:
Under Settings on a GNOME terminal, you will see the following menu items: Prefer-
ences, Reset Terminal, Reset and Clear, and Color selector.
If you need to type in a sequence of commands from a GUI menu, they will be shown
like the following example:
Click on Programs=>Applications=>Emacs to start the Emacs text editor.
button on a GUI screen or window
This style indicates that the text will be found on a clickable button on a GUI screen.
For 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 will see responses to commands you typed in, error messages, and
interactive prompts for your input during scripts or programs shown this way. For example:
Use the ls command to display the contents of a directory:
$ ls
Desktop axhome logs paulwesterberg.gif
Mail backupfiles mail reports
Introduction ix
The output returned in response to the command (in this case, the contents of the directory) is shown in this style.
prompt
A prompt, which is a computer ’s way of signifying that it is ready for you to input
something, will be shown in this style. Examples:
$
#
[stephen@maturin stephen]$
leopard login:
user input
Text that the user has to type, either on the command line, or into a text box on a GUI
screen, is displayed in this style. In the following example, text is displayed in this
style:
To boot your system into the text based installation program, you will need to type in
the text command at the boot: prompt.
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 note, tip, important, caution, or a warning. For example:
Note
Remember that Linux is case sensitive. In other words, a rose is not a ROSE isnot a rOsE.
Tip
The directory /usr/share/doc contains additional documentation for packages installed on your
system.
Important
If you modify the DHCPconfiguration file, the changes will not take effect untilyou restart the DHCP
daemon.
Caution
Do not perform routine tasks as root — use a regular user account unless you need to use the root
account for system administration tasks.
x Introduction
Warning
If you choose not to partition manually, a server installation will remove all existing partitions on all
installed hard drives. Do not choose this installation class unless you are sureyou have no data you
need to save.
2. More to Come
The Red Hat Network Workgroup User Reference Guide is constantly expanding as new Red Hat
Network features and service plans are launched.
2.1. Send in Your Feedback
If you would like to make suggestions about the Red Hat Network Workgroup User Reference
Guide, please mention this guide’s identifier:
RHNworkgroup(EN)-1.0-Print-RHI (2002-01-18T17:410400)
You can send mail to:
<rhn-feedback@redhat.com>
Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
Have you ever read about a new version of a software package and wanted to install it but
could not find it?
Have you evertried to find an RPM through an Internet search engine or an RPM Repository
and been linked to a site that you have never heard of?
Have you ever tried to find an RPM but instead you are only able to find the source files that
you have to compile yourself?
Have you ever spent hours or even days visiting different websites to see if you have the
latest packages installed on your system, only to have to do it again in a few months?
Those days are over with Red Hat Network (RHN). RHN provides the solution to all your
system software management needs.
Red Hat Network is an Internet solution for managing a Red Hat Linux system or a network
of Red Hat Linux systems. All Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts (collective known as Errata Alerts) can be downloaded directly from Red Hat. You can even
have updates automatically delivered directly to your system as soon as they are released.
The three main components of Red Hat Network are as follows:
• The Red Hat Network Registration Client
• The Red Hat Network user interface
• Red Hat Network Daemon
The Red Hat Network Registration Client allows you to register your system with RHN.
Registration involves creating a unique RHN user name and password, probing the hardware on your system to create a Hardware Profile, and probing the software packages installed on your system to create a Package Profile. This information is sent to RHNm and
RHN returns a unique System ID to your system (see Chapter 2 for further information).
You can use either of the two Red Hat Network user interfaces:
• https://rhn.redhat.com
• The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the Web interface and the Red Hat Update Agent allow you to view Errata Alerts
from 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.
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 for
further information). This daemon is necessary if you want to receive automatic updates or
if you schedule an action through the Web interface.
Many Red Hat Network terms are used throughout this manual. As you read the Red Hat
Network User Reference Guide, refer to the Glossary as necessary for explanation of common
terms.
Tip
Refer to https://rhn.redhat.com/help/faq.pxt for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
11
12 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
1.1. Basic
The first subscription service offered through Red Hat Network was called Software Manager. This subscription service, now known as RHN Basic, has all the same features that
Software Manager offered, plus more new features. All existing Software Manager subscriptions were automatically transfered to Basic subscriptions. Registering a system with Red
Hat Network is free, as is your first RHN Basic subscription. Additional subscription to Basic can be purchased at http://rhn.redhat.com/purchase_info.pxt.
With each Basic subscription, you receive:
• Errata Alerts — learn when Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts are
issued for all the systems in your network through the Basic interface
• Automatic email notifications — receive an email notification when an Errata Alert is is-
sued for your system
• Scheduled Errata Updates— schedule delivery of Errata Updates with optional automatic
installation
• Package installation — Schedule package installation on one or more systems with the
click of a button
• Red Hat UpdateAgent — use the Red Hat Update Agent todownload the lastest software
packages for your system with optional package installation
• Access to the Red Hat Network website to manage multiple systems, downloaded indi-
vidual packages, and schedule actions such as Errata Updates.
1.2. Workgroup
In addition to the features offered in the RHN Basic subscription service, the RHN Workgroup subscription service allows you to manage your network of Red Hat Linux systems
manage users, and manage system groups through its System Set Manager interface.
Workgroup is based around the concept of an organization. Each enterprise level Red Hat
customer is assigned a Red Hat Customer Number. A Red Hat Network organization can
be established for each Red Hat Customer Number. Each Red Hat Network organization
contains users who have administration privileges to system groups. An Organization Administrator has overall control over each Red Hat Network organization with the ability to
add and remove systems and users. When users other than the Organization Administrators
log into Red Hat Network Workgroup, they only see the systems they have permission to
administer.
To create a corporate account that can be used to entitle systems to the RHN Workgroup,
go to http://rhn.redhat.com/ and click on the Create Account link under the Your RHN
category. On the Sign Up for Red Hat Network page, click Create a Corporate Account. After
creating a corporate account, users within your organization need to click the Join a Cor-
porate Account link to create an RHN user account. In the Corporate Account Information
section, they should enter the customer number and password configured when you created
the corporate account. Before the new corporate user can log in, an existing Organization
Administrator for the corporation must approve the addition of the user and configure the
new user ’s roles and permissions. Refer to Section 5.3 for more information on approving
new users.
The Red Hat Network features available to you depends on the subscription level for each
Red Hat Linux system.
Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network? 13
Systems subscribed to Workgroup may access the following features:
1. System Set Manager that allows administrators to perform an action on a selected set
of systems at the same time
2. Enhanced system details including the location of the system
3. System groups
4. User management
5. Grant or deny users access to selected system groups
6. Organization Administrators can modify the user details of all users within the organization
1.3. Automatic Notifications and Package Installation
You can configure Red Hat Network to send you email notifications of new and updated
software packages as soon as the packages are available through RHN. You can also configure your systems todownload and optionally install packageupdates automatically. Because
no user intervention is required, the benefits include:
• Reduced time and effort required by system administrators to stay on top of the Red Hat
Errata list
• Minimized security vulnerabilities in your network by providing the patches as soon as
Red Hat releases them
• Filtered list of package updates (packages not relevant to your network are not included)
• Reliable method of managing multiple systems with similar configurations
1.4. 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://rhn.redhat.com is only accessible with an RHN
verified user name and password.
2. A Digital Certificate is written to the client system after registration and is used to authenticate the system during each transaction betweenthe client and Red Hat Network.
The file is only readable by the root user on the client system.
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.
14 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
1.5. Before You Begin
Red Hat Network is available for Red Hat Linux 6.2 and higher. For instructions on configuring Red Hat Linux 6.2 for Red Hat Network, refer to Chapter 7.
By default, all the software packages you need to use Red Hat Network are installed with
Red Hat Linux7 and higher. However, if you chose not to install them during the installation
process or performed an upgrade from Red Hat Linux 6.2 or lower, you may not have the
Red Hat Network Registration Client or the Red Hat Update Agent installed. To verify that
the Red Hat Network Registration Client is installed, type the following command:
rpm -q rhn_register
If the Red Hat Network Registration Client is installed, it will return something similar to
rhn_register-1.5.0-1
The version number might differ slightly if you have a newer version installed.
If you do not have the 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. If you prefer not 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
rhn_register-gnome Provides the GNOMEinterface (graphical version) for the Red Hat
up2date Provides the Red Hat Update Agent command line version and
up2date-gnome Provides the GNOME interface (graphical version) for the Red Hat
If the packages are not installed, they can be found on the Red Hat Linux 7 (or
higher) CD-ROM #1 in the RedHat/RPMS directory or downloaded from the Red Hat
FTP site available at ftp://ftp.redhat.com (or from a Red Hat FTP mirror available at
http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html). Always check the Red Hat Errata page, available
at http://www.redhat.com/errata/, for package updates. If you install an older version of
these packages, you can retreive the latest versions using Red Hat Network. The first time
that you request the RPM updates for your system, they will be included.
the text mode interface
Network Registration Client; runs if the X Window System is
available
the Red Hat Network Daemon
Update Agent; runs if the X Window System is available
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
Before you begin using Red Hat Network, you need to create a user name, password, and
System Profile. The Red Hat Network Registration Client will walk you through this process.
2.1. Configuring the Red Hat Network Registration Client
Warning
Most users do not need to configure the Red Hat Network Registration Client before registering
their systems. Do not attempt to use this option unless you must.
To start the configuration tool, use the command:
rhn_register --configure
You will be presented with a list of options and their current values:
0. enableProxyAuth No
1. noSSLServerURL http://www.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
2. enableProxy No
3. httpProxy
4. proxyUser
5. serverURL https://www.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
6. proxyPassword
7. debug No
Enter number of item to edit
Enter the number of the item that you want to modify, and enter a new value for the option.
When you finish changing your configuration, press [Enter] to save your changes and exit.
Press [q] and then [Enter] to quit without saving your changes.
The most common options configured are numbers 2 and 3 to enable a proxy server. To
enable a proxy server, change the value for enableProxy to Yes and the value of httpProxy
to the name of the proxy server and port number in the format http://HOST:PORT. For
example, to use the proxy server http://squid.mysite.org on port 3128, you would change
the value to http://squid.mysite.org:3128.
If you require a proxy username and password, change the values of numbers 0, 4, and 6.
Set enableProxyAuthto Yesto enable username/password authentication forthe proxy. Set
proxyUser and proxyPassword to the appropriate username and password for the proxy.
return to exit, q to quit without saving:
2.2. Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client
You must be root to register a system with RHN. If you start the Red Hat Network Registration Client as a standard user, you will be prompted to enter the root password before pro-
ceeding. To start the Red Hat Network Registration Client in Red Hat Linux 6.2 or higher,
use one of the following methods:
1. On the GNOME desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs =>
System => Red Hat Network
15
16 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
2. On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat =>
System => Red Hat Network
3. Type the command rhn_register at a shell prompt (for example an xterm or gnometerminal)
4. If you are not running the X Window System, type the command rhn_register at a
virtual console or remote terminal. Please refer to Section 2.7 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. To determine the versionof Python on your system, use thecommand
rpm -q python. It is strongly recommended you use Python 1.5.2-24 or later.
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). Click Next to
continue with the registration process. If you click Cancel, the registration process will end
and no information will be sent.
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client 17
Figure 2-2. Welcome Screen
Red Hat is committed to protecting your privacy (see Figure 2-3). 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
<feedback@redhat.com>.
18 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2-3. Red Hat Privacy Statement
2.3. Registering a User Account
Before you can create a System Profile, you must create a user account. The only required
information in this section is a unique user name, password, and a valid email address.
In the screen shown in Figure 2-6, you must choose a user name and password. Once logged
in to Red Hat Network, you can modify your preferences, view your existing System Profile,
or obtain the lastest Red Hat software packages. You mustchoose a unique user name. If you
enter one already in use, you will see an error message (see Figure 2-4). Try different user
names until you find one that has not been used.
Figure 2-4. Error: Username Already Exists
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client 19
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 yourSystem 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 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.
Figure 2-5. Warning: This System Already Registered
If you have already registered a machine and created a System Profile, you can add a new
machine to your account. Run the Red Hat Network Registration Client on the new machine you wish to add and enter your existing Red Hat Network user name and password.
The new machine will be added to your existing account, and you can log into Red Hat
Network with your user name and password to view all your systems simultaneously.
20 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2-6. Create a Unique User Name and Password
Most users can leave the Org Info section blank. If you have an existing organization account, enter your organization’s ID and password in the provided text fields. If the values
are valid, the system will be added to the organization’s Red Hat Network account.
Click Next to continue.
2.4. Registering a System Profile
Now that you have a user account, you can create a System Profile that consists of hardware
and software information about your Red Hat Linux system. The software System Profile
information is used by Red Hat Network to determine what software update notifications
you receive.
2.4.1. Hardware System Profile
After creating a user name and password for your Red Hat Network account, the Red Hat
Network Registration Client probes your system for the following information:
• Red Hat Linux version
• Hostname
• IP address
• CPU model
• CPU speed
• Amount of RAM
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client 21
• PCI devices
• Disk sizes
• Mount points
The next step is choosing a profile name for your system as shown in Figure 2-7. The default
value is the hostname for the system. You may modify this to be a more descriptive string,
such as Email Server for Support Team, if you find it more helpful. Optionally, you
can enter a computer serial or identification number for the system.
If you do not wish to include information about your hardware or network in your System
Profile, deselect Include information about hardware and network (see Figure 2-7).
Click Next to continue with the registration process.
Figure 2-7. System Profile - Hardware
2.4.2. Software System Profile
The software System Profile consists of a list of RPM packages for which you wish to receive
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.
2.4.2.1. 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. Figure 2-8 shows the
22 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
progress bar you will see while the Red Hat Network Registration Client gathers a list of
the RPM packages installed on your system. This operation may take some time depending
on your system.
Figure 2-8. Registration Wizard
Once the RPM package list is built, the list will be displayed as shown in Figure 2-9. Deselecting Include RPM Packages installed on this system in my System Profile will omit this
information from your System Profile.
Figure 2-9. RPM Package Information
2.4.2.2. 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. To exclude a package, uncheck thepackage from thelist by
clicking the X beside the package name. For example, Figure 2-10 shows that the procmail,
procps, and psgml packages have been omitted from the package list.
Choose which packages to exclude,if any, from theSystem Profile, and click Next to continue
with the registration process.
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client 23
Figure 2-10. Choose which RPM Packages to Exclude from System Profile
2.5. Finishing Registration
As seen in Figure 2-11, the last step of registration is to confirm that you want to send your
System Profile to the Red Hat Network. If you choose Cancel at this point, no information
will be sent. Clicking Next will submit your RHN System Profile.
24 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2-11. Finished Collecting Information for System Profile
Figure 2-12 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 2-12. 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 2-13). Click Finish to exit the Red Hat Network Registration Client.
After completing the registration, visit http://rhn.redhat.com to verify your System Profile
and make any changes.
Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client 25
Figure 2-13. Registration Finished
2.6. Entitling Your System
Now that you have registered your system, it must be entitled before you can receive updated packages. In other words, you must subscribe it to a service level offering. Everyone
automatically receives one free Basic subscription after creating an account by registering a
system for RHN or creating a redhat.com account.
To entitle a system, go to http://rhn.redhat.com and login using the same username and
password you just used in the Red Hat Network Registration Client. On the left navigation
bar, click Entitlements under the Your RHN category. The Entitlement Manager tells you
how many entitlements you have left. If you have one or more left, check the checkbox
under the Entitled column beside the name of the system that you just registered. Then
click the Update Entitlements button at the bottom of the page. The number of entitlements
remaining will decrease, and your system is now ready to use the Red Hat Update Agent
and Workgroup. Refer to Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 for details on how to use them. If you do
not have any entitlement slots left, enter the number you want to purchase and click the Buy
Now! button to purchase additional subscriptions.
2.7. Text Mode RHN Registration Client
You can force the Red Hat Network Registration Client to run in text mode with the command:
rhn_register --nox
The screens for the text mode Red Hat Network Registration Client are almost identical to
the screens for the graphical Red Hat Network Registration Client. Some of the text in the
text mode version is more concise due to lack of space in the interface. However, there is an
equal number of screens and fields in both versions. Thus, if you are using the text mode
version, you can still follow the instructions that begin in Section 2.2.
26 Chapter 2. Red Hat Network Registration Client
Figure 2-14. Text Mode Welcome Screen
Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool
Before using the Red Hat UpdateAgent, you should configure the settings.This can be done
with the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool.
If you are not running the X Window System or prefer the command line version, skip to
Section 3.5.
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 Update Agent ConfigurationTool as a standard user, you will be prompted to enter the
root password before proceeding. The Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool can be
started using one of the following methods:
• On the GNOME desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs =>
System => Update Agent Configuration
• On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => Update
Agent Configuration
• Type the command up2date-configat a shell prompt (for example, an xterm or a gnome-
terminal)
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 with the format
http://HOST:PORT. For example, to use the proxy server http://squid.mysite.org on port
3128, you would enter http://squid.mysite.org:3128 in the text field. Additionally,
if your proxy server requires a username and password, select the Use Authenication
option and enter your username and password in the respective text fields.
27
28 Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool
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.
Warning
You must use Red Hat Update Agent Version 2.5.4 or higher to upgrade your kernel automatically.
Red Hat Update Agent will install the updated kernel and configure LILO or GRUB to boot the new
kernel the next time the system is rebooted.
Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool 29
Figure 3-2. Retrieval/Installation Settings
The following package retrieval options can be selected (see Figure 3-2):
• Do not install packages after retrieval — download selected RPM packages to desired
directory and ignore the installation preferences
• Do not display packages when local configuration file has been modified — if the con-
figuration file has been modified for a package such as Apache or Squid, do not display
them in the list of available packages. This option is useful if you are installing custom
RPM packages on your system and you do not want them updated or reverted to the
default Red Hat Linux 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):
• After installation, keep binary packages on disk — save binary packages in desired di-
rectory instead of deleting them after installation
• Use GPG to verify package integrity — before installing the packages, verify Red Hat’s
GPG signature
The following additional options are configurable from this tab:
• Override version stored in System Profile — override the Red Hat Linux version in your
System Profile
• Package storage directory — change the directory where packages are downloaded; the
default location is /var/spool/up2date
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).
30 Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool
To define a set of packages to be excluded according to the package name, enter a character
string including wild cards (*) in the Add new text field under in the Package Names to
Skip section. 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.
For example, if the string kernel* in the Package Names 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.
Figure 3-3. Package Exceptions Settings
3.5. Command Line Version of Red Hat Update Agent
Configuration Tool
The command line version of this tool performs the same function as the graphical version.
It allows you to configure the settings used by the Red Hat Update Agent and store them in
the configuration file /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date.
To run the command line version of the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool, use the
following command:
up2date --nox --configure
You will be presented with a list of options and their current values:
0. storageDir /var/spool/up2date
1. headerCacheSize 40
2. httpProxy
3. debug No
4. useGPG Yes
5. networkRetries 5
Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool 31
6. removeSkipList [’kernel*’]
7. retrieveOnly No
8. enableProxy No
9. keepAfterInstall No
10. proxyPassword
11. proxyUser
12. headerFetchCount 10
13. versionOverride
14. enableProxyAuth No
15. noSSLServerURL http://www.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
16. noReplaceConfig Yes
17. noBootLoader No
18. systemIdPath /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
19. serverURL https://beta.rhns.redhat.com/XMLRPC
20. pkgSkipList [’kernel*’]
21. adminAddress [’root@localhost’]
22. forceInstall No
23. fileSkipList []
24. retrieveSource No
Enter number of item to edit
return to exit, q to quit without saving:
Enter the number of the item that you want to modify and enter a new value for the option.
When you finish changing your configuration, press [Enter] to save your changes and exit.
Press [q] and then [Enter] to quit without saving your changes.
32 Chapter 3. Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
After configuring the settings for the Red Hat Update Agent using the instructions in Chapter 3, 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.
Remember that you can not use the Red Hat Update Agent on the system is entitled to an
RHN service offering.
If you are not running the X Window System or prefer the command-line version of the Red
Hat Update Agent, skip to Section 4.6.
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 => Update Agent
• On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Red Hat => 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
the options in Table 4-1 to the Red Hat Update Agent.
For example, use the following command to specify the directory in which to download the
updated packages:
up2date --tmpdir=/tmp/up2date
Table 4-1. Graphical Update Agent Options
Argument Description
--configure Configure Red Hat Update Agent options. This is
equivalent to running the Red Hat Update Agent
Configuration Tool (up2date-config).
-d, --download Download packages only, do not install them. This
argument will override the configuraton option Do not
install packages after retrieval. Use this option if you
prefer to install the packages manually.
-f, --force Force package installation. This option overrides the file,
package, and configuration skip lists.
-i, --install Install packages after they are downloaded. This argument
will override the configuraton option Do not install
packages after retrieval.
-k, --packagedir Specify a colon separated path of directories to look for
packages before trying to download them.
33
34 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Argument Description
--nosig Do not use GPG to check package signatures. This option
will override the saved configuration option.
--tmpdir=directory Override the configured package directory. The default
location is /var/spool/up2date. This option is useful if
you do not have enough space in the configured location.
--justdb Only add packages to the database and do not install them.
--dbpath Specify a path where an alternate RPM database to use is
found.
The first time you run the Red Hat Update Agent, the dialog window in Figure 4-1 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 will appear. It appears every
time you start the Red Hat Update Agent. Click Next to continue.
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 35
Figure 4-2. Welcome Screen
4.2. Choosing a Channel
The first step is to select the channel(s) from which you want the updated packages to be retreived. Select one or more channels and click Next. Refer to Section 5.5 for moreinformation
on channels and how channels are used to determine which packages to install.
36 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Figure 4-3. Channels
4.3. Choosing Packages to Update
After clicking Next on the Welcome Screen, the dialog box in Figure 4-4 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 thespeed of your
connection and the number of packages you have installed.
Figure 4-4. Retrieve Update Information
While you see this dialog box, the Red Hat Update Agent uses your unique Digital Certificate (/etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid) to determine if there are any updated packages
available for your system. If there are no updated packages available for your system, the
dialog box in Figure 4-5 appears. Click Ok to exit the Red Hat Update Agent.
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 37
Figure 4-5. 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 4-6.
Figure 4-6. List of Available Updates
By default, no packages are selected for download. If you highlight each package, a brief
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. You can select all the packages listed by clicking the button next to Select all
packages.
If you want to view the advisory for the RPM Update, click the View Advisory button. This
will display what type of Errata Alert it is and what problem(s) it addresses as shown in
Figure 4-7. Click Next when you are finished selecting packages.
38 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Figure 4-7. View Advisory
After choosing which packages to update, the Red Hat Update Agent tests for RPM dependencies and prompts you if you have chosen to omit packages that are required for software
updates that you did choose. The dialog box in Figure 4-8 is shown while it is testing for
dependencies. This process might take some time depending upon how many packages are
are updating.
Figure 4-8. Testing Packages
The Red Hat Update Agent shows the progress of each package retrieval as shown in Figure
4-9. When they have all been retrieved, the message All finished is displayed at the bottom
of the screen. Click Next to continue.
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 39
Figure 4-9. Retrieval Finished
4.4. Installing Updated Packages
After downloading the packages throughthe RedHat Update Agent, they mustbe installed.
If you chose not to have the packages installed automatically, skip to Section 4.7 for further
instructions. If you chose to have all the packages installed automatically (see Chapter 3),
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 4-10,
click Next to continue.
40 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Figure 4-10. Installation Finished
4.5. 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 4-11. Click
Finish to exit the Red Hat Update Agent.
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 41
Figure 4-11. Update Agent Finished
4.6. Command Line Version of 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. If you are running X but want to use the command line version, you can
force it not to display the graphical interface with the following command:
up2date --nox
The command line version of the Red Hat Update Agent allows you to perform advanced
functions or to perform actions with little or no interaction. For example, the following command updates your system with no interaction. It will download the newer packages and
install them if you configured it to install them automatically.
up2date -u
The command line version of the Red Hat Update Agent accepts the following arguments:
Table 4-2. Update Agent Command Line Arguments
Argument Description
--configure Configure Red Hat Update Agent options. This is
equivalent to running the Red Hat Update Agent
Configuration Tool (up2date-config). To run the
command line version of up2date-config, use this option
in conjunction with the --nox option: up2date --nox
--configure. Refer to Section 3.5 for details.
42 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Argument Description
-d, --download Download packages only, do not install them. This
argument will override the configuraton option Do not
install packages after retrieval. Use this option if you
prefer to install the packages manually.
-f, --force Force package installation. This option overrides the file,
package, and configuration skip lists.
-i, --install Install packages after they are downloaded. This argument
will override the configuraton option Do not install
packages after retrieval.
-l, --list Display the list of updated packages that are available for
the system.
--showall Show a list of all packages available for your release of Red
Hat Linux, including those not currently installed.
-k, --packagedir=STRING Specify a colon separated path of directories to look for
packages before trying to download them.
--nosig Do not use GPG to check package signatures. This option
will override the saved configuration option.
-p, --packages Update the packages associated with your System Profile
on Red Hat Network. Use this option if you install RPM
packages without using the Red Hat Update Agent.
--whatprovides=deps
Sends a comma separated list of dependencies to the RHN
servers and returns a list of packages that satisfies the
dependencies.
--solvesdeps=deps
Performs the same action as --whatprovides in addition to
downloading the packages that are needed to resolve the
dependencies.
--tmpdir=directory Override the configured package directory. The default
location is /var/spool/up2date. This option is useful if
you do not have enough space in the configured location.
-u, --update Update the system. All package updates for your system
will be downloaded based on your configured preferences
(and installed if you chose that option).
--nox Force the program to run in command line mode. Do not
display the graphical interface.
-h, --help Display help on command line arguments.
-v, --verbose Display more information about what actions the Red Hat
Update Agent is performing.
--justdb Only add packages to the database and do not install them.
--dbpath Specify a path where an alternate RPM database to be used
is found.
--version Display which version of the Red Hat Update Agent you
are running.
-?, --usage Briefly describe the options for up2date.
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 43
Argument Description
packagename Specify a package name to download (and install if you
chose that option). Only specify the package name. Do not
include the version or release numbers. For example, the
command up2date python downloads (and optionally
installs) the python package if there is a newer version
available and all of its dependencies. If the package
specified is not already installed, it will download it and all
of its dependencies (and optionally install it).
4.6.1. Installing the Red Hat GPG key
The first time you run the graphical version of the 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 run the command line version the first time you start Red
Hat Update Agent, you need to install the Red Hat GPG key manually. If you do not have it
installed, you will see the following message:
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.
To install the key, run the following as root:
/usr/bin/gpg --import /usr/share/rhn/RPM-GPG-KEY
To install the Red Hat GPG key, use the command displayed: /usr/bin/gpg --import
/usr/share/rhn/RPM-GPG-KEY, or use the following steps:
Note
GPG keys must be installed for each user. To installthe key to use withRed 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. (security@redhat.com)
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
mQGiBDfqVDgRBADBKr3Bl6PO8BQ0H8sJoD6p9U7Yyl7pjtZqioviPwXP+DCWd4u8
HQzcxAZ57m8ssA1LK1Fx93coJhDzM130+p5BG9mYSWShLabR3N1KXdXQYYcowTOM
GxdwYRGr1Spw8QydLhjVfU1VSl4xt6bupPbWJbyjkg5Z3P7BlUOUJmrx3wCgobNV
EDGaWYJcch5z5B1of/41G8kEAKii6q7Gu/vhXXnLS6m15oNnPVybyngiw/23dKjS
ZVG7rKANEK2mxg1VB+vc/uUc4k49UxJJfCZg1gu1sPFV3GSa+Y/7jsiLktQvCiLP
lncQt1dV+ENmHR5BdIDPWDzKBVbgWnSDnqQ6KrZ7T6AlZ74VMpjGxxkWU6vV2xsW
44 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent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=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 Red Hat, GPG key as well as your own
keys.
4.7. Manual Package Installation
If you chose to download the software updates with the Red Hat Update Agent, over the
Web through Workgroup, or haveRPM Updates delivered to your system automatically (but
not have them automatically installed), you must install themmanually using therpm utility.
To install them, change to the directory that contains the downloaded packages. The default
directory is /var/spool/up2date. Then, type the command rpm -Uvh *.rpm. When the
packages are finished installing, you can delete them if you wish. You do not need them
anymore.
After installing the packages, you must update your System Profile so that you are not
prompted to download them again. Refer to Section 4.8 for details.
4.8. Synchronizing 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,
download the RPM packages from the Webinterface, or upgrade/install/remove RPM packages yourself, your System Profile will not be updated automatically. You will need to send
your updated System Profile to the RHN servers.
To synchronize the RPM package list on your local system and on Red Hat Network, run the
command:
up2date -p
Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent 45
After running this command, your RHN System Profile will reflect the latest software versions installed on your system.
4.9. Log File
The Red Hat Update Agent keeps a log of all the actions that it peforms on your system
in the file /var/log/up2date. It uses the standard rotating log method. Thus, older logs
are in /var/log/up2date.1, /var/log/up2date.2, and /var/log/up2date.3. The log files
store actions performed by the Red Hat Update Agent such as when your RPM database is
opened, when it connects to Red Hat Network to retreive information from your System
Profile, which packages are downloaded, which packages are installed using the Red Hat
Update Agent, and which packages are deleted from your system after installation. If you
choose to install and delete packages yourself, it will not be logged in this file. You should
keep your own log of actions not performed with the Red Hat Update Agent.
46 Chapter 4. Red Hat Update Agent
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
Red Hat Network Workgroup also refers to the RHN Web interface. You can use Red Hat
Network Workgroup to manage multiple Red Hat Linux systems simultaneously, including
viewing Errata Alerts, applying Errata Updates, and installing packages.
Before you can use Red Hat Network, you must register each system that you want to benefit from its services. The only information required is a unique user name and password
combination and a valid email address. Refer to Chapter 2 for more information.
Your system must be subscribed to Red Hat Network Workgroup to fully utilize the Workgroup interface. If a system is not subscribed (entitled), it will appear in the list of systems
but will not be available for RPM Updates through Workgroup.
5.1. Logging into Workgroup
In a Web browser, go to http://rhn.redhat.com. The page shown in Figure 5-1 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 Create Account under the Your RHN category on the left navigation bar.
After creating a new user account, you must register your system before using Workgroup.
Refer to Chapter 2 for step-by-step instructions.
After registering your system with Red Hat Network through the Red Hat Network Regis-
tration Client, use the same user name and password combination to log into Workgroup.
Type them in the provided text entry boxes, and click the Login button.
47
48 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
Figure 5-1. Logging into Red Hat Network
5.2. Introduction to the Web Interface
The left navigation bar is divided into categories and pages within the categories.
A user with entitled systems has permission to use the following categories and pages. Each
will be explained in more detail throughout this manual.
• Quick Start Guide — If you are familar with Red Hat Network and want to get started
quickly, read this guide. It is recommended that you read this guide in its entirety if you
are not familar with Red Hat Network and its many features.
• Your RHN — Displays a quick overview of your account. It notifies you if your systems
need attention, provides a quick link to go directly to them, and displays the most recent
Errata Alerts for your account.
• Your Account — Update your personal profile and addresses.
• Your Preferences — Shortcut to the Preferences tab of Your Account. Indicate if you
wish to receive email notifications about Errata Alerts for your systems and set how
many items are displayed at one time for lists such as system lists and system group
lists.
• Entitlements — Select systems that you want to be entitled to use Workgroup. Purchase
additional Workgroup subscriptions.
• Organization Info — Only available to Organization Administrators to change the cus-
tomer password for the corporate account.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 49
• Buy Now — Purchase RHN entitements or let the Sales Advisor recommend which
RHN services are best for you.
• The New RHN — Explains the differences between the previous Workgroup interface
and the current interface.
• Systems — Manage your systems here.
• System List — View a list of your systems along with how many Errata Alerts each sys-
tem has, which channels the systems are subscribed to, and which systems are entitled.
• System Group List — List of your system groups.
• System Search — Quickly search all of your systems by specific criteria.
• Channels and Packages — Learn about the available RHN Channels and which packages
are in each channel.
• System List — View a list of all your systems along with how many Errata Alerts each
system has, which channels the systems are subscribed to, and which systems are entitled.
• Channel List — View a list of all channels available through Red Hat Network.
• Errata — Manage Errata Alerts here.
• All Errata — List of all released Errata Alerts.
• Applicable Errata — List of all applicable Errata Alerts for your systems.
• Errata Search — Search Errata Alerts based on specific criteria.
• Scheduled Actions — Keep track of your scheduled actions.
• Pending Actions — List of scheduled actions that have not been completed.
• Completed Actions — List of scheduled actions that have been completed. Completed
actions can be archived at any time.
• Archived Actions — List of completed actions that have been selected to archive.
• Users — View and manage users for your organization.
• User List — List of users for your organization.
• User Approval — Only available to Organization Administrators. Unassigned users
who wish to join the corporate account are listed on this page.
• System Groups — View and manage the system groups for your organization.
• System Group List — List of all system groups within your organization.
• Help Desk — Learn how to use Red Hat Network and receive help if needed.
• Terms and Conditions — License Agreement and Limited Product Warranty.
• FAQ — List of Frequently Asked Questions.
• Contact Customer Support — Form to send an email to Red Hat Customer Service for
support.
• RHN and Red Hat Linux 6.2 — Help for using RHN on Red Hat Linux 6.2.
• Support Forums — Link to Red Hat Developer Network Forums.
• RHN Workgroup User Reference — Step-by-step instructions for using Red Hat Net-
work.
50 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
• Security and Privacy — Detailed information about how Red Hat protectsthe information
about your systems and the personal information that you provide.
• System Set Manager — List of currently selected systems on which you want to perform
an action. Refer to Section 5.10 for details.
5.2.1. Errata Alerts
Throughout Red Hat Network you will see three Errata Alert icons.
Alert.
represents a Bug Fix Alert. represents an Enhancement Alert.
Click on the Errata synopsis to view details about the Errata, or click on the number of
systems affected to view a list of systems affected by the Errata Alert.
represents a Security
5.3. Your RHN
After logging into the Web interface of Red Hat Network, the first page you will see is Your
Red Hat Network page. This page displays important information about your systems in-
cluding Recent Errata Alerts for your systems under the title Recent Errata. To view a complete list of applicable Errata Alerts for a system, click View All Applicable Errata in the
bottom right-hand corner.
Tip
If you are new to the Workgroup interface, it is recommended that you read Section 5.2 to become
familar with the layout and symbols used through the interface.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 51
Figure 5-2. Your Red Hat Network
The first line of the Alerts section shows how many systems need attention and provides a
link to quickly view those systems. Refer to Section 5.4.1 for information on using this page.
The Statistics section provides the following information:
• Total Systems — Number of total systems that you have registered for your organization.
• Out of Date Systems — Number of registered systems that have applicable Errata Alerts
that have not been applied.
• Inactive Systems — Number of systems that have not checked into RHN for at least a
week. This indicates that:
• The system is not entitled to any RHN service. System profiles that remain unentitled
for 180 days (6 months) are removed.
• The system is entitled, but the Red Hat Network Daemon has been disabled on the
system.
• The system is behind a firewall that does not allow connections over https (port 443).
• The system is behind a proxy that has not been properly configured.
• Some other barrier exists between the system and the RHN servers.
• Ungrouped Systems — Each registered system must be a member of at least one system
group. The number of ungrouped systems refers to the number of systems that are not
members of any system group.
• Unassigned Users — Number of new users (for the organization) waiting for approval.
Organization Administrators can approve unassigned users and then assign their roles
52 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
and permissions. A new user will receive an email if an Organization Administrator approves or rejects his application.
You can return to this page by clicking Your RHN on the left navigation bar.
5.3.1. Your Account
The Your Account page under the Your RHN category allows you to modify your personal
information, as well as set some RHN preferences. To modify any information on the Details
tab or the Addresses tab, change the information and click the Update button on the page.
If you want to change your Red Hat Network password (the one used to log into RHN and
redhat.com) click the Details tab on the Your Account page and replace the asterisks in the
Password and Password Confirmation text fields with your new password. You will not see
your password as you type it for security reasons. Click Update to change your password.
The email address on the Details tab is the address Red Hat Network sends email notifications to, if you have selected to receive Errata Alert email for your systems under the
Preferences tab. To change your preferred email address, replace in on the Details page and
click Update.
The Preferences tab allows you to configure two Red Hat Network options:
• Email notifications — Determine whether you want to receive email everytime an Errata
Alert is applicable to one or more systems in your RHN account.
• Default page size — Maxium number of items that will appear in a list on a single page.
If more items are in the list, clicking the Next button will display the next group of items.
This preferences applies to system lists, Errata lists, package lists, and so on.
5.3.2. Entitlements
To use all of the features of RHN, your systems must be entitled — subscribed to a RHN
subscription service. Every user receives one free Red Hat Network Basic entitlement subscription.
Use the Entitlement Manager to configure which systems are entitled to which service offerings. If you need to purchase additional entitlements, go to Your RHN => Buy Now from
the left navigation bar.
There are two types of entitlements, or service offerings:
• Basic — should be used to manage a single Red Hat Linux system. It includes Errata
Alerts, Scheduled Errata Updates, Package Installation, and the Red Hat Update Agent.
• Workgroup — should be used to manage multiple systems with multiple system admin-
istrators. In addition to the features of Basic, it includes system group management, user
management, and the System Set Manager interface to quickly perform actions on multiple systems.
Tip
Need helpdeciding which servicelevel youneed? Askour automated salesadvisor by selectingYour
RHN => Buy Now from the left navigation bar and clicking on the Sales Advisortab.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 53
5.3.2.1. Service Entitlements
The Service Entitlements tab allows you to view and change the entitlements for your registered systems. To change the entitlement for a system, select the entitlement from the pulldown menu and click Update Entitlements.
5.3.2.2. Channel Entitlements
The Channel Entitlements tab displays the list of channels for which you have paid.
5.3.2.3. Purchase History
The Purchase History tab displays a history of your entitlements, including the expiration
date and the number available.
5.3.3. Organization Information
The Organization Info page allows Organization Administrators to change the customer
password for the corporate account. This ID and password combination is used by new
users who wish to join the organization’s account.
To change the password, type the new password in the New Password text field and click
Change Password.
5.3.4. Buy Now
Use the Buy Now page to purchase additional entitlements. If you need help deciding which
service level you need, ask our automated sales advisor by selecting the Sales Advisor tab.
5.3.5. The New RHN
The New RHN page explains the differences between the previous RHN interface and the
current interface.
5.4. Systems
If you click the Systems link on the left navigation bar, the Systems Overview page appears.
The pages in the System category allow you to select systems so that you can perform actions
on them and create system profiles.
5.4.1. System List
As shown in Figure 5-3, the System List page displays a list of all your registered systems.
The System List contains several columns for each registered system:
• Select — Only Workgroup entitled systems can be selected. Selected systems are added to
the System Set Manager. After adding systems to the System Set Manager, you can use
54 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
the System Set Details Component interface to perform actions on multiple systems. Refer
to Section 5.10 for details. After selecting systems, click Update Selection List.
• Alerts — Shows which type of Errata Alerts are applicable to the system:
•
— Critical errata available, update strongly recommended
• — Updates available and recommended
• — System not checking in properly
• — System not entitled to any update service
• — System is up-to-date
• Errata — Total number of Errata Alerts applicable to the system.
• Pkgs — Total number of package updates for the system. Includes packages from Errata
Alerts as well as newer packages that are not from Errata Alerts. For example, if a system
is subscribed to the Red Hat Linux 7.1 i386 channel that contains version 2.5.4 of a package because that is the version that shipped with Red Hat Linux 7.1, but the system has
version 2.5.2 of the package installed, the newer version of the package will be in the list
of updated packages for the system.
• System Name — The name of the system as configured when registering the system. The
default name is the hostname of the system. Clicking on the name of a system takes you
to the System Details page for the system. Refer to Section 5.4.4 for more information.
• Base Channel — The base channel for the system. To view all the channels for a system,
go to its System Detail page by clicking on the name of the system in the System List.
• Entitlement — Whether or not the system is entitled.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 55
Figure 5-3. Systems List
If you click on the Detailed View link in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, you can
view more details about the systems as shown in Figure 5-4. Click the UPDATE NOW link
to apply all Errata Updates. If you click this link, you will be prompted to confirm the action.
Figure 5-4. Detailed Systems List
Clicking on thename of a system in the Summary View or clicking on the see details for this
system link in the Detailed View displays the System Details page for the system. Refer to
Section 5.4.4 for details.
56 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
5.4.2. System Group List
Refer to Section 5.9.1 for details.
5.4.3. System Search
The results of the last search performed can be found on the bottom of the page. You can
create a new result set, choose to create a union with the previous result set, or intersect with
the previous result set.
The System Search page allows you to search through your systems according to specific
criteria. Select the criteria to search by and click Submit Query. The results appear at the
bottom of the page.
For details about the resulting system list, refer to Section 5.4.1.
5.4.4. System Details
If you click on the name of a system on any page, it will display the System Details page for
the system.
The System Details page is further divided into tabbed pages. The first tabbed page you see
is the Details page. Notice the button Update this System. If you click it, you can apply all
relevant Errata Updates to the individual system. Be sure you review the Errata List for the
system before performing this action. After clicking the button, you will be asked to confirm
the update. Click the Confirm Update For This System to confirm. After confirming, the
action is added to the Pending Actions list under Actions => Pending Actions from the left
navigation bar.
The packages will be updated by the RHN Daemon. You must have the RHN Daemon enabled on your systems. Refer to Chapter 6 for more details.
The following tabbed pages are available:
• Details — Includes the system’s unique System ID, entitlement status, profile name,
description, OS Release, channels, automation options, notification options, and system
groups. To change the system’s profile name, description, automation options, or
notification options make the change and click the Modify System Profile button. To
delete a system from your account, click the Delete System Profile button. To apply all
applicable Errata to the system, click Update This System.
• Errata — This tab only appears for entitled systems. It contains a list of Errata Alerts ap-
plicable to the system. You can select one more Errata to add to your selection list from
here. Clicking on the Synposis displays the Errata Details page for the Errata Alert. Refer
to Section 5.6.5 for more information about the Errata Details page.
• Package Profile — List of installed packages from the system’s Sofware System Profile.
Click on a package name to view its Package Details page. (Refer to Section 5.5.5.) If the
package list looks incomplete or outdated or you installed packages manually (did not
have RHN install them), click the Schedule Package List Refresh button to schedule a
Package List Profile Update for your system. The next time the RHN Daemon connects to
RHN, it will update your System Profile with the latest list of installed packages. To look
for particular packages by name, use the filter by name field.
• Upgrade Packages — This tab is only displayed for entitled systems. It displays a list of
packages that have a new version available based on the package versions in the channel
for the system. Click on the newer package name to view the Package Details page for it.
Click on the Related Errata number to view the Errata Details page for the Errata Alert
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 57
if an Errata Alert is associated with the newer package. To add one or more packages to
your selection list, select the package(s) and click Update Selection List. To install one or
more packages on the system you are currently viewing, select the package(s) and click
the Install Selected Packages on This System button. To download one or more packages
immediately, select the package(s) and click the Download Selected Packages button.
Refer to Section 5.5.7 for details.
• Groups — This tab only appears for systems with Workgroup entitlement. It contains a
list of system groups of which the system is a member.
• Hardware — During registration, if you selected to include the Hardware Profile for this
machine, this tabbed page displays the Hardware Profile. If the hardware profile looks
incomplete or outdated, click the Schedule Hardware List Refresh button to schedule a
Hardware Profile Update for your system. The next time the RHN Daemon connects to
RHN, it will update your System Profile with the latest list of hardware.
• Location — This tab only appears for systems with Workgroup entitlement. It shows the
location of the system including the country, state/providence, city, address, building,
room, and rack. If you modify any of this information, click Modify System Location to
save the changes.
• Notes — Create notes about the system. Click Add a new note, type a subject and the
note, and click Update Note. To delete a note, click on its title for the list of notes, check
Delete this note, and click Update Note.
• History — A history of events for your system that is automatically generated.
5.5. Channels and Packages
5.5.1. System List
Refer to Section 5.4.1 for details.
5.5.2. Channel List
A channel is a list of Red Hat Linux packages. Channels are used to choose packages to be
installed on a system.
There are two types of channels: base channels and child channels. A base channel consists of a
list of packages based on a specific architecture and Red Hat Linux release. For example, all
the packages in Red Hat Linux 7.1 for the x86 architecture is a base channel. The list of packages in Red Hat Linux 7.1 for the Itanium architecture is a different base channel. A child
channel is a channel associated with a base channel but contains extra packages. For example, an organization can create a child channel that is associated with the Red Hat Linux 7.1
for the x86 architecture and that contains extra packages needed only for the organization,
such as a custom engineering application.
A system must be subscribed to one base channel and can only be subscribed to one base
channel. A system can be subscribed to multiple child channels of its base channel. Only
packages included in a system’s subscribed channels can be installed or updated on that
system.
The Channel List page provides a list of all base channels and their child channels. Clicking on the name of the channel (base or child) displays the Channel Details page. Refer to
Section 5.5.3 for details.
58 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
5.5.3. Channel Details
If you click on the name of a channel, the Channel Details page will appear. This page
contains the following tabs:
• Details — General information about the channel and the parent channel if it is a child
channel.
• Package List — List of packages in the channel.
Clicking on a package name displays a set of tabbed pages with information about the
package. This information includes which architectures it runs on, the package size, build
date, package dependencies,the change log, list of files in the package, and which systems
have the package installed. Refer to Section 5.5.5 for more information.
If you are looking for a specific package or a subset of packages, you can use the package
filter on the top of the list. Entering a substring to search for will search all the packages
in the list for the substring at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the package
name. The filter is case-insensitive. For example, typing ks in the filter might return all
the ksconfig, krb5-workstation, and links.
To download packages, select the packages and click the Download Selected Packages
button. Refer to Section 5.5.7 for details.
If you want to download packages that are displayed on multiple pages, click the checkbox beside the package name and under the Select column. Click Update Selection List
to add them to your download list. After selecting all the packages, on the bottom status page, click on the link that is the number of packages you have selected. Then click
Download Selected Packages. Refer to Section 5.5.7 for details.
• Subscribed Systems —List of entitled systems subscribedto the channel. The list contains
the following columns of information:
•
— Number of Security Alerts for the system.
• — Number of Bug Fix Alerts for the system.
• — Number of Enhancement Alerts for the system.
• — Total number of package updates for the system. Includes packages from Errata
Alerts as well as newer packages that are not from Errata Alerts. For example, if a system is subscribed to the Red Hat Linux 7.1 i386 channel that contains version 2.5.4 of a
package because that is the version that shipped with Red Hat Linux 7.1, but the system
has version 2.5.2 of the package installed, the newer version of the package will be in
the list of updated packages for the system.
• Name — The name of thesystem asconfigured whenregistering thesystem. Thedefault
name is the hostname of the system. Clicking on the name of a system takes you to the
System Details page for the system. Refer to Section 5.4.4 for more information.
• Entitled — RHN subscription service that the server is entitled to.
• Base Channel — The base channel for the system. To view all the channels for a system,
go to its System Detail page by clicking on the name of the system in the System List.
• Admins — The number of adminstrators (users) allowed to manage the system. Click-
ing on the number displays a list of the users.
• Groups — The number of system groups of which the system is a member. Clicking on
the number displays a list of the system groups.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 59
• Target Systems — List of entitled systems that are eligible to be subscribed to the channel.
5.5.4. Channel Subscribe and Unsubscribe
Each RHN client system must be subscribed to a base channel and can only be subscribed
to one base channel. This base channel is selected automatically during registration from
the Red Hat Linux release and system architecture selected. Each RHN client system can be
subscribed to zero or more child channels.
To view the list of channels to which each system is subscribed, click Systems => System
List from the left navigation bar. From the System List, click on the name of the system
to display the System Details page. On the System Details page, there is a check beside
the channels to which the system is subscribed. To subscribe the system to additional child
channels, check the box beside it and click the Modify System Profile button at the bottom
of the page. To unsubscribe the system from a child channel, uncheck the box beside the
channel name and click Modify System Profile.
5.5.5. Package Details
If you click on the name of any RPM package in the interface, the Package Details page will
appear. This page contains the following tabbed pages:
• Details — Details about the package including the package description, package size, and
package version (This information is similar to issuing the command rpm -qi package-
name but with more detail). Click the links in the bottom right of the page to download the
RPM and/or SRPM files for the package.
• Newer Versions — List of newer versions of the packages released via Errata Alerts.
• Dependencies — Lists the package dependencies, what the package provides, the pack-
ages it obseletes, and the packages with which it conflicts.
• Change Log — The Change Log for the package (This information is similar to issuing the
command rpm -q --changelog packagename).
• File List — List of files installed from the package (This information is similar to issuing
the command rpm -ql packagename).
• Installed Systems — List of systems with this package installed.
• Target Systems — List of systems on which the package can be installed. Go here to install
packages on entitled systems. Refer to Section 5.5.6 for instructions.
5.5.6. Package Install
Only packages included in a system’s subscribed channels can be installed or updated on
that system.
Important
If you use automatic package installation, the packages will be installed via the RHN Daemon. You
must have the RHN Daemon enabled on your systems. Refer to Chapter 6 formore details.
To apply Errata Updates, refer to Section 5.6.4.
60 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
To upgrade outdated packages on a single entitled system, follow these steps:
1. Select System => System List from the left navigation bar.
2. Click on an entitled system from the list.
3. Click the Upgrade Packages tab.
4. Select the package(s) to update from the Select Newer Package column.
5. Click the Install Selected Packages On This System button.
6. Confirm the action.
7. The action is added to the Pending Actions list under Actions => Pending Actions
from the left navigation bar.
To install individual package(s) on multiple entitled systems, follow these steps:
1. Select Channels and Packages => Channel List from the left navigation bar.
2. Click on the name of a channel to view its package list.
3. Click on the Package List tab.
4. Click on the name of the package that you want to install.
5. Click on the Target Systems tab.
6. Select the entitled systems that you want to install the package on.
7. Click the Install Packages on Selected Systems button.
8. Confirm the action.
9. The action is added to the Pending Actions list under Actions => Pending Actions
from the left navigation bar.
5.5.7. Package Download
If you do not want to schedule a package installation, you can download the package(s)
immediately. If you download the package(s), you must install them manually.
There are two methods for downloading RPM package(s). First method:
1. Select System => System List from the left navigation bar.
2. Click on an entitled system from the list.
3. Click the Upgrade Packages tab.
4. Select the package(s) to download from the Select Newer Package column.
5. Click the Download Selected Packages button.
6. Confirm the action.
Second method:
1. Select Channels and Packages => Channel List from the left navigation bar.
2. Click on the name of the channel that contains the package(s) that you want to download.
3. Select the Package List tab.
4. Select the package(s) to download from the Select column.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 61
5. Click the Download Selected Packages button.
6. Confirm the action.
After choosing to download the package(s) using one of these methods, you will be presented with a confirmation page as shown in Figure 5-5. If you selected a package that is
available for more than one architecture, you need to select an architecture for the package.
For example, if you want to download the kernel package you will need to choose between
i386, i586, and i686. Click the Download Selected Packages Now! button to start downloading the package(s).
The package are downloaded into a directory called rhn-packages beneath the current directory selected after clicking the button. For example, if you want to save the package(s) in
the directory, /downloads/rhn-packages, select the directory /downloads when prompted.
The directory rhn-packages will be created for you if it does not already exist.
Figure 5-5. Package Download
Even if you selected to download more than one package, you will only download one file.
This one TAR file contains the RPM package(s) you selected. To extract the packages from
the TAR file, open a shell prompt (such as an XTerm or GNOME terminal), change to the
rhn-packages directory, and issue the command:
tar -xvf rhn-packages.tar
The next step is to install the packages manually. Refer to Section 4.7 for details.
5.6. Errata
Red Hat releases Errata Alerts in three categories: Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts. Each Errata Alert is comprised of a summary of the problem and the solution, including the RPM packages required to fix the problem. The Errata category allows
you to view all released Errata Alerts, to view only Errata Alerts applicable to your systems,
to search Errata Alerts, and to apply Errata Updates to one or more of your systems.
Tip
62 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
If you want to receive an email when Errata Alerts are issued for your system, go to Systems =>
System Preferences and select Receive Notifications of Updates.
5.6.1. All Errata
The All Errata page displays a list of all Errata Alerts released for your registered systems.
If you click on the synopsis of an Errata Alert, the Errata Details page for the Errata Alert
will appear. Refer to Section 5.6.5 for more information.
To add Errata to your selection list, check the Select box beside the Errata, and click Update
Selection List.
5.6.2. Applicable Errata
The Applicable Errata page displays a customized list of Errata Alerts that apply to your
registered systems.
If you click on the synopsis of an Errata Alert, the Errata Details page for the Errata Alert
will appear. Refer to Section 5.6.5 for more information.
To add Errata to your selection list, check the Select box beside the Errata, and click Update
Selection List.
5.6.3. Errata Search
The results of the last search are on the bottom of the page. You can create a new result set,
choose to create a union with the previous result set, or intersect with the previous result set.
The Errata Search page allows you to search through your systems according to specific
criteria. Select the criteria to search by and click Submit Query. The results appear at the
bottom of the page.
5.6.4. Apply Errata Updates
Important
If you choose to apply Errata Updates automatically, the packages will be installed via the RHN
Daemon. You must have the RHN Daemon enabled on your systems. Refer to Chapter 6 for more
details.
Errata Alerts include a list of updated packages that are required to apply the Errata Update.
You can use Workgroup to update these packages automatically through the RHN Daemon
on the client. No user intervention is required except selecting the Errata Alerts and systems
to update. The system must be entitled.
You can use one of these methods to apply Errata Updates:
1. To apply all applicable Errata Updates to a system, click on Systems => System List on
the left navigation bar. Click on the name of an entitled system, and click the Update
This System button on the Details tabbed page. This action will apply all available
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 63
Errata Updates on the system. To view a list of the Errata, click the Errata tab on the
System Details page for the system.
2. To apply a specific Errata Update to one or more systems, click on Errata on the left
navigation bar and use the All Errata, Applicable Errata, or Errata Search page to find
the Errata Update that you want to apply. From the Errata List, click on the Synopsis
for the Errata Alert to display a summary of it. Click on the Systems Affected tab, and
select the systems that you want to apply this update to. Click Update Selected Sys-
tems to apply the Errata Update to all selected systems, or click Update All Affected
Entitled Systems to apply the update to all the affected systems listed.
3. To apply more than one Errata Update to one or more systems, select the systems from
the Systems => System List page. Click the System Set Manager link in the Enterprise
Launchpad. Go to the System List tab to make sure these are the systems the ones
that you want to apply the Errata to. Go to the Errata Updates tab, select the Errata
Updates to apply, and click Apply Selected Errata. You can select to apply the Errata
as soon as possible (the next time the Red Hat Network Daemon on the client systems
connect to RHN) or schedule a date and time for the Errata Updates to occur. If you
schedule the updates, thenext timethe Red Hat NetworkDaemon on the client systems
connect to RHN after the selected date and time, the updates will be applied. Click
Schedule Errata Update(s). You can follow the progress of the Errata Updates from the
Scheduled Actions list.
The following rules apply to Errata Updates:
1. Each package is a member of one or more channels. If a selected system is not subscribed to the channel that the selected package is a member of, the package will not
be installed on that system.
2. If a newer version of the package is already on the system, the package will not be
installed on that system.
3. If an older version of the package is installed, the package will be upgraded.
The packages will be updated by the RHN Daemon. You must have the RHN Daemon enabled on your systems. Refer to Chapter 6 for more details.
5.6.5. Errata Details
If you click on the synopsis of an Errata Alert, the Errata Details page for the Errata Alertwill
appear. This page is further divided into two tabbed pages: Details and Systems Affected.
The Details page provides the Errata Report issued by Red Hat. It describes what channels
the Errata Alert affects, its problem and solution, MD5 verfication for each of the packages,
and the packages required for the Errata Update. Clicking on the RPM package name displays the Package Details page for the package. Refer to Section 5.5.5 for more information.
The Systems Affected page shows a list of systems affected by the Errata Alert.
5.7. Scheduled Actions
An action is a scheduled RHN task that is to be performed on one or more client systems.
For example, an action can be scheduled to apply all Errata Updates to a system.
Each tabbed page on the Scheduled Actions page represents a type of action. There are three
types of actions:
64 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
• Pending Actions are actions that have not started or are in progress.
• Completed Actions are actions that have been completed.
• Archived Actions are actions that you have selected to archive.
In each tabbed page, each row in the list represents a single scheduled event or action that
might affect multiple systems and involve multiple packages.
The list includes six columns of information:
• Select — Use the checkboxes in this column to select actions. After selecting actions, you
can either addthem to your selection list or move them to the Archived Actions list. If you
archive a pending action, it is not cancelled, the action item just moves to the Archived
Actions list so you do not see it in the Pending Actions list.
• Action — Type of action to perform such as Errata Update or Package Install.
• Earliest Action — The earliest day and time to perform the action.
• Succeeded — Number of systems on which this action was successful.
• Failed — Number of systems on which this action has been tried and failed.
• In Progress — Number of systems on which this action is taking place.
If you click on a link under the Action column, you can view details for the action. For
example, for an Errata Update action, you can view which Errata Updates are to be applied,
which systems are currently performing the Errata Update, which systems have completed
the action, and which systems tried the action but failed to complete it.
Figure 5-6. Scheduled Actions
Red Hat Network keeps track of the following action types:
1. Package Installations — For more information on how to perform package installations, refer to Section 5.5.6.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 65
2. Errata Updates — For more information on how to apply Errata Updates, refer to Section 5.6.4.
3. Hardware Profile Updates — To schedule a hardware profile refresh, go to the Sys-
tem List page under the Systems category, click on the Package Profile tab, and click
Schedule Hardware List Refresh.
4. Package List Profile Updates — To schedule a package list profile refresh, go to the
System List page under the Systems category, click on the Package Profile tab, and
click Schedule Package List Refresh.
5.8. Users
The User Management category is where users are edited and given permissions to administer system groups. Use the User List to modify users within your organization.
5.8.1. User List
Each row in the User List represents a user within your organization. There are several
columns of information for each user:
1. User — Full name of the user. If you click on the name of the user, the user detail page
for the user is displayed. Refer to Section 5.8.3 for more information.
2. Login — Login name for the user.
3. Privileges — List of the user’s roles such as Organization Administrator.
4. Systems — How many systems the user has permission to administer. Clicking on the
number of systems displays a list of these systems.
5. System Groups — How many system groups the user has permission to administer.
Clicking on the number of system groups displays a list of these system groups.
5.8.2. User Approval
The User Approval page can only been seen by Organization Administrators. Unassigned
users who wish to join the corporate account are listed on this page. Organization Administrators can either accept or reject their applications. If the Organization Administrator accepts the application, he can then assign roles and permissions to the new user.
5.8.3. User Details
Clicking on the name of an individual user displays the user details page for the user. The
user details page is divided into six tabbed pages:
• Details — Displays the user name, first name, last name, user roles, email address, com-
pany name, title, and user groups for the user. To change the email address for the user,
replace the old email address with the new email address and click Update. To change
the user’s password, enter the new one in the password and password confirmation text
fields. You will see asterisks as you type the password. To assign a user the role of Organization Administrator, select it from the User Roles list and click Update.
• Permissions — List of system groups that the user can administer.
• Systems — List of systems that the user can administer.
66 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
• Addresses — General address, billing address, and shipping address for the user. To
change any of these addresses, modify the appropriate information and click the Update
button under the address information.
• Preferences — Email alerts preference and default page size for the user.
If you modify any user information, click Submit to apply changes.
5.9. System Groups
The System Groups category allows all RHN Workgroup users to view the System Group
List.
Only members of the Organization Administrators group may perform the following additional tasks:
1. Create and populate new system groups. (Refer to Section 5.9.2.)
2. Add systems to existing system groups. (Refer to Section 5.9.3.)
3. Remove systems from system groups. (Refer to Section 5.9.3.)
4. Assign system group permissions to users. (Refer to Section 5.8.)
5.9.1. System Group List
As shown in Figure 5-7, the System Group Listpage displays a list of all your systemgroups.
Figure 5-7. System Group List
Each row represents a system group. For each group, there are several columns of information.
— Number of Security Alerts for the system group.
•
• — Number of Bug Fix Alerts for the system group.
• — Number of Enhancement Alerts for the system group.
• Group Name — The name of the system group as configured when creating the system
group. Clicking on the name of a system group takes you to the System Group Details
page for the system. Refer to Section 5.9.4 for more information.
• Admins — Number of Organization Administrators that have permission to manage the
systems in the system group. Clicking on the number displays a list of the Organization
Administrators with these permissions.
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 67
• Systems — Number of systems in the group. Clicking on the number displays a list of
systems in the system group.
• Work With It — Access to System Set Manager. Refer to Section 5.10 for details.
5.9.2. System Group Creation
To create a new system group:
1. From the left navigation bar, go to Systems => System List and select one or more
systems to be added to one or more existing system groups. Only systems that are
entitlements may be added to a system group. Click Update Selection List to add them
to the system set for the System Set Manager..
2. From the System Set Manager, click the work with system set link.
3. Click the Groups tab.
4. Under the Create a System Group section, enter the name for the new group and a
description for the group.
5. Click Create System Group.
6. To add systems to the group, refer to Section 5.9.3.
5.9.3. System Group Addition and Removal
Only Organization Administrators can add systems to system groups. To add selected systems to existing system groups:
1. From the left navigation bar, go to Systems => System List and select one or more
systems to be added to one or more existing system groups. Only systems that are
entitlements may be added to a system group. Click Update Selection List to add them
to the system set for the System Set Manager..
2. From the System Set Manager box, click the work with system set link.
3. Go to the Groups tab and click Alter Group Membership.
4. Select Add next to the system groups to which you want to add the selected systems
and select Remove next to thesystem groups to which you want to remove the selected
system. Click Alter System Group Membership to have the changed take effect.
5. Click Confirm Membership Alterations button.
Note
If youselect a system thatis not in one of the selected system groups, it willnot be removedfrom the
system group.
68 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
5.9.4. System Group Details
Each System Group Details page contains four tabbed pages:
1. Details — Details about the system group. From this tabbed page, you can change
the group name, group description, and which user groups can administer the system
group. After changing any of the system details, click the Edit button to apply the
changes. To delete the system group, click the Delete button.
2. Errata — Applicable errata for the system group.
3. Administrators — List of organization administrators that have permission to manage
the system group.
4. Systems — List of systems that are members of the system group.
5.10. System Set Manager
The System Set Manager interface allows you to perform the following actions on a system
set (the current set of selected systems):
1. Apply Errata Updates
2. Upgrade packages to the most recent versions available
3. Add/remove systems to/from system groups
4. Subscribe/unsubscribe systems to/from channels
5. Update system profiles
6. Modify system preferences such as automatic download and installation of packages
Before performing actions on multiple systems, you must select systemsyou wish to modify.
Pages including System List and System Search have a column of checkboxes under the Se-
lect column. Click the checkbox beside the system that you want to select, and click Update
Selection List to add them to selected system set.
The System Set Manager box below the left navigation bar (as shown in Figure 5-8) helps
you keep track of your current selections.
Figure 5-8. System Set Manager
You can access the System Set Manager page two ways:
• Add systems to the System Set Manager and click work with system set in the System
Set Manager box
Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup 69
• Click Work With Group in the System Group List to work with a predefined system
group
The System Set Manager page contains a set of tabbed pages:
• System List — List of systems in the system set to work with
• Errata Updates — Apply Errata Updates to the system set
• Upgrade Packages — Upgrade packages on the system set
• System Groups — Organization Administrators can manage group membership
• Channels — Manage channel subscriptions
• Misc — Update System Profiles and Preferences for system set
To clear all items from the System Set Manager, click clear system set.
To remove individual systems from the System Set Manager list, follow these steps:
1. From the left navigation bar, click Systems => System List.
2. Under the Select column, Unselect the systems you do not have selected.
3. Click Update Selection List.
70 Chapter 5. Red Hat Network Workgroup
Chapter 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 service rhnsd stop or /etc/rc.d/init.d/rhnsd stop.
The same rules you configured for the Red Hat Update Agent apply to theRed Hat Network
Daemon (see Section 3.1).
71
72 Chapter 6. Red Hat Network Daemon
Chapter 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 the 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, log in 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 thecommand cd rhnpackages to change to the new
directory.
3. Go to http://rhn.redhat.com/help/rh62.pxt and download the necessary packages.
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 existing 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 register your system. See Chapter 2 for details.
6. Login to your account at http://rhn.redhat.com to configure your preferences and to
configure which systems you want to entitle.
73
74 Chapter 7. Using Red Hat Network with Red Hat Linux 6.2
Glossary
A
Action
A task that is scheduled by a system administrator using Red Hat Network to be performed on one or more client systems. For example, an action can be scheduled to update the kernel packages on all the systems within a selected group.
B
Base Channel
A base channel is a type of Channel that consists of a list of packages based on a specific
architecture and Red Hat Linux release. For example, all the packages in Red Hat Linux
7.2 for the x86 architecture make a base channel.
Basic
One of the RHN service level offerings. Basic was formerly called Software Manager.
Basic offers the same services as the Software Manager subscription did, plus more new
features.
Bug Fix Alert
An Errata Alert that pertains to a bug fix.
Bugzilla
Bugzilla is an online application (http://www.redhat.com/bugzilla) that allows users
to communicate directly with the developers. From Bugzilla, users can submit bug reports and feature requests for Red Hat Linux and related open source packages.
C
Channel
A channel is a list of Red Hat Linux packages. Channels are used to choose packages
to be installed from client systems. Every client system must be subscribed to one Base
Channel and can be subscribed to one or more Child Channel .
75
76 Glossary
Child Channel
A child channel is a Channel associated with a Base Channel but contains extra packages.
Client System
See Registered System .
D
Digital Certificate
A client component in XML format that is stored in the /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
file on registered systems. Red Hat Network verifies this certificate to authenticate the
registered system before each connection. This certificate is issued by Red Hat and
passed to the system as part of the registration process. It includes unique information
about the registered system to avoid fraudulent use.
E
Email Notification
Similar to an Errata Alert , except the information is delivered via email. If the email
notifications option is selected, notifications are sent for every Red Hat Network Errata
Alert . The email includes the type of Errata Alert, summary of the Errata, description
of the Errata, and a list of which systems are affected by the report.
Enhancement Alert
An Errata Alert that pertains to a package enhancement request.
Entitled Server
A server that is subscribed to Software Manager . Because the server is entitled, the
Software Manager interface can be used to manage its packages.
Errata
Information published by Red Hat describing security fixes, bug fixes, and package
enhancements for Red Hat Linux. The information includes the topics of the
Errata, Bugzilla bug IDs, relevant releases/architectures, solutions including
required RPMs, and MD5 checksums for verification. Errata are also available at
http://www.redhat.com/errata/. Each RHN Errata Alert is based on the Red Hat
Linux Errata List.
Glossary 77
Security issues and bug fixes are submitted by Red Hat engineers as well as the Linux
community through Bugzilla which generates a bug report for each issue. Red Hat engineering evaluates the reports, resolves the bug, and generates new RPM packages. After
the Red Hat quality assurance team tests new packages they are placed on the Red Hat
Public File Server and on the Red Hat Network Server and an Errata is generated.
Errata Alert
RHN Errata Alert that updated packages based on Red Hat Errata are available for one
or more systems within an organization. There are three types of Errata Alerts: Security
Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts.
O
Organization Administrators
Organization Administrators are sets of users that have the highest level of control over
an organization’s Red Hat Network account. Members of this group can add users, systems, and system groups to the organization as well as remove them. An Organization
Administrators can also give users administrative privileges to system groups. An RHN
organization must have at least one member of the Organization Administrators group.
P
Package
All software in Red Hat Linux is divided into software packages. Software updates are
released in the form of RPM packages that can be installed on a Red Hat Linux system.
R
Registered System
A system that is registered with Red Hat Network. Also known as a client system.
Red Hat Network Daemon
The RHN client daemon (rhnsd) that periodically polls Red Hat Network for updates
and notifications.
78 Glossary
Red Hat Network Registration Client
The RHN client application (rhn_register) that collects information about the client
system, creates a System Profile and Digital Certificate , establishes a connection with
the Red Hat Network servers, and registers the system with Red Hat Network.
Red Hat Update Agent
The RHN client application (up2date) that allows users to retreive and install all updated packages for the client system on which the application is run. Use the Red Hat
Update Agent Configuration Tool to configure its preferences, including whether to
install the packages after they are downloaded.
RPM
A software package manager that was developed by Red Hat. It can be used to build, install, query, verify, update, and uninstall software packages. All software updates from
RHN are delivered in RPM format.
RPM Database
Each Red Hat Linux system has an RPM database that stores information about all the
RPM packages installed on the system. This information includes the version of the
package, which files were installed with the package, a brief description of the package,
the installation date, and more.
RPM Update
Red Hat Network option to deliver the RPM packages based on the Errata Alert list to
a client system automatically and without user intervention. If this feature is selected,
packages are delivered through the Red Hat Network Daemon running on the client
system.
S
Security Alert
An Errata Alert that pertains to system security.
Service Level
A Red Hat Network subscription service. Different service levels offer different features
of RHN. There are two service levels currently available: RHN Basic and RHN Workgroup.
Glossary 79
Software Manager
The name of the first Service Level offering for Red Hat Network. Software Manager is
now known as RHN Basic .
System Directory
The System Directory section of Red Hat Network allows an organization to divide its
client systems into system groups. Only members of the Organization Administrators
group can add systems to the organization.
System ID
A unique string of characters and numbers that identifies a registered system. It is stored
in the system’s Digital Certificate .
System Profile
Hardware and software information about the client system.It is created during theregistration process. The software information is a list of RPM packages and their versions
installed on theclient system. The System Profile is used to determine every Errata Alert
relevant to each client system.
System Set Manager
Interface that allows users to perform actions on multiple systems. Actions include applying Errata Updates, upgrading packages, and adding/removing systems to/from
system groups.
W
Workgroup
One of the RHN service level offering. It has more features than the Basic service level,
including user management, system groups, and enhanced system details.
80 Glossary
Index
viewing list of applicable errata, 62
B
base channel, 57
Basic, 12
C
change corporate account password, 53
changing email address, 65
changing password, 65
Channel List, 57
channels, 57
base, 57
child, 57
details, 58
list of, 57
package list, 58
subscribe, 59
unsubscribe, 59
Channels and Packages, 57
Channel List, 57
Channel Details, 58
child channel, 57
conventions
document, vii
D
deleting a system, 56
Digital Certificate, 13
G
getting started, 14
GNU Privacy Guard, 13
H
hardware profile
Updating on server, 57
I
introduction, vii, 11
L
left navigation bar, 48
N
notifications
automatic, 13
O
Organization Administrators, 65
overview of Web interface, 48
E
email address
change, 52
changing, 65
Entitlement Manager, 52
Entitlements
purchase, 53
Sales Advisor, 53
Errata, 61
All Errata, 62
Applicable Errata, 62
apply applicable, 56
Errata Search, 62
Errata Alerts
applying, 62
explanation of, 50
searching, 62
viewing details, 63
viewing list of all errata, 62
P
package installation
automatic, 13
package list
Updating on server, 44, 56
packages
details, 59
download, 58
downloading, 60
filter, 58
installing, 59
password
change, 52
proxy server
with Red Hat Network Registration Client, 15
with Red Hat Update Agent, 27
81
82
Q
Quality Assurance, 13
R
Red Hat Linux 6.2
Using Red Hat Network with, 73
Red Hat Network Daemon, 11, 71
Disable, 71
Status, 71
using to apply Errata Updates, 56, 59, 62
Red Hat Network Registration Client
(See Registration)
Red Hat Network Workgroup, 47
Red Hat Update Agent, 11, 33
Command Line Arguments, 41
Configuration, 27
with a proxy server, 27
Registration, 15
as part of an organization, 20
Configuration, 15
Email notification, 18
Hardware System Profile, 20
Password, 18
RPM Package List, 21
Software System Profile, 21
System Profile, 18, 20
through the Web, 47
User name, 18
with a proxy server, 15
rhnsd, 71
rhn_register, 15
S
Scheduled Actions, 63
Archived Actions, 64
Completed Actions, 64
Pending Actions, 63
Secure Sockets Layer, 13
Security, 13
subscribe to channel, 59
system group, 66
adding systems to, 67
creating, 67
deleting, 68
editing details, 68
list of, 66
viewing details, 68
System Groups
System Group List, 66
system list, 53
alerts, 54
System Profile, 20
Updating hardware profile, 57
Updating package list, 44, 56
System Set Manager, 68
systems
deleting, 56
entitling, 52
searching, 56
System Details, 56
System List, 53
System Search, 56
viewing a list of, 53
viewing details for, 56
U
unsubscribe to channel, 59
up2date
(See Red Hat Update Agent)
Upgrade Packages, 60, 60
user account, 18
user details
modifying, 65
user roles, 65
users, 65
approving unassigned users, 65
billing address, 65
changing email address, 65
changing password, 65
general address, 65
list of, 65
Organization Info, 53
roles, 65
shipping address, 65
User Approval, 65
User List, 65
W
Workgroup
All Errata, 62
Applicable Errata, 62
Buy Now, 53
Channel Details, 58
Channel List, 57
Channels and Packages, 57
Entitlements, 52
Errata, 61
Errata Search, 62
left navigation bar, 48
logging in, 47
Organization Info, 53
overview, 48
Scheduled Actions, 63
System Details, 56
System Group List, 66
System Groups, 66
System List, 53
System Search, 56
Systems, 53
The New RHN, 53
User Approval, 65
Users, 65
Your Account, 52
Your RHN, 50
Y
Your RHN, 50
Entitlements, 52
The New RHN, 53
Your Account, 52
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