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Red Hat NETWORK - USER REFERENCE GUIDE 1.2 User Reference Manual

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  • Page 1 Red Hat Network User Reference Guide 1.2...
  • Page 2 ISBN: ISBN: N/A Red Hat, Inc. 2600 Meridian Parkway Durham NC 27713 USA Phone: 919-547-0012 Phone: 1-888-733-4281 Fax: 919-547-0024 Email: docs@redhat.com P.O. Box 13588 Research Triangle Park NC 27709 © 2000 Red Hat, Inc. RHN User Reference Guide(EN)-1.1-Print-RHI (2000-10-05T10:31-0400) Red Hat is a registered trademark and the Red Hat Shadow Man logo, RPM, the RPM logo, and Glint are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Red Hat Network Chapter 1 What is Red Hat Network? ........5 Automatic Notifications............6 Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network .
  • Page 4 Downloading Updated Packages ..........45 Customizing Preferences ............46 Searching Errata..

  • Page 5: Chapter 1 What Is Red Hat Network

    What is Red Hat Network? 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 ever tried to find an RPM through an Internet search engine or an RPM Repository and been linked to a site that you have never heard of? Have you ever tried to find an RPM but instead you are only able to find the source files that you have to compile yourself?

  • Page 6: Automatic Notifications

    Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network? • The Red Hat Network Web Application • The Red Hat Update Agent Both the Red Hat Network Web Application and the Red Hat Update Agent al- low you to view all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements included in the Red Hat errata list.

  • Page 7: Security, Quality Assurance, And Red Hat Network

    Section 1.2:Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network • Provide a reliable method of managing multiple systems with similar configura- tions 1.2 Security, Quality Assurance, and Red Hat Network Red Hat Network provides significant benefits to your network including security and quality assurance.
  • Page 8 Chapter 1:What is Red Hat Network?

  • Page 9: Chapter 2 Registration

    Section 2.1:Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client 2 Registration Before you begin using Red Hat Network, you need to create a user name, pass- word, and System Profile. The Red Hat Network Registration Client will walk you through this process. 2.1 Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client You must be root to register a system with RHN.
  • Page 10 Chapter 2:Registration CAUTION You must use Python 1.5.2-24 or later with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support. If not, the information you transfer will not be encrypted. If you have an earlier version of Python, you will see the message shown in Figure 2–1, Use Python 1.5.2-24 or later.
  • Page 11 Section 2.1:Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client Figure 2–2 Welcome Screen Red Hat is committed to protecting your privacy (see Figure 2–3, Red Hat Privacy Statement. The information gathered during the Red Hat Network Registration process is used to create a System Profile. The System Profile is essential if you wish to receive update notifications about your system.

  • Page 12: Registering A User Account

    Chapter 2:Registration Figure 2–3 Red Hat Privacy Statement 2.2 Registering a User Account Before you can create a System Profile, you must create a user account. The only required information in this section is a unique user name and password. 2.2.1 Required User Account Information In the screen shown in Figure 2–6, Create a Unique User Name and Password, you must choose a user name and password.
  • Page 13 Section 2.2:Registering a User Account Figure 2–4 Error: Username Already Exists Please Note If you are already a member of redhat.com, you can use the same user name and password. However, you will still need to continue with the registration process to create your System Profile.
  • Page 14 Chapter 2:Registration to start the Red Hat Network This System Already Registered will appear. Click Registration Client and update your System Profile. Use your existing user name and password. If you do not, a new user account will be created, and the new user account you create will not have the same support Service Plan for which you have already registered.
  • Page 15 Section 2.2:Registering a User Account Figure 2–6 Create a Unique User Name and Password 2.2.2 Optional User Account Information You can also choose whether to receive email notifications about updates relevant to your system by selecting the box next titled I want to receive email notification for updates .

  • Page 16: Registering A System Profile

    Chapter 2:Registration After successfully creating a user name and password, you are prompted for your contact information. This information is optional. If you would like to receive infor- mation about special offers from Red Hat’s partners or receive the Red Hat e-Newslet- ter, please fill out the relevant information (see Figure 2–7, Optional User Account Information).
  • Page 17 Section 2.3:Registering a System Profile 2.3.1 Hardware System Profile After creating a user name and password for your Red Hat Network account, the Red Hat Network Registration Client probes your system for the following information: • Red Hat Linux version •...
  • Page 18 Chapter 2:Registration Figure 2–8 System Profile - Hardware 2.3.2 Software System Profile The software System Profile consists of a list of RPM packages for which you wish to receive notifications. The Red Hat Network Registration Client shows you a list of all RPM packages listed in the RPM database on your system and then allows you to customize the list by deselecting packages.
  • Page 19 Section 2.3:Registering a System Profile As shown in Figure 2–9, Registration Wizard , querying the RPM database may take some time depending on your system. Figure 2–9 Registration Wizard Once the RPM package list is built, the list will be displayed as shown in Figure 2–10, RPM Package Information.

  • Page 20: Finishing Registration

    Chapter 2:Registration 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 the pack- age from the list by clicking the X beside the package name.
  • Page 21 Section 2.4:Finishing Registration Hat Network. If you choose at this point, no information will be sent. Clicking Cancel will send your profile. Next Figure 2–12 Finished Collecting Information for System Profile Figure 2–13, Send System Profile to Red Hat Network shows the progress bar you will see while your profile is being sent.

  • Page 22: Text Mode Rhn Registration Client

    Finished screen (Figure 2–14, Registration Finished). Click to exit the Finish Red Hat Network Registration Client. After completing registration, visit http://www.redhat.com/network to verify your System Profile and make any changes. Figure 2–14 Registration Finished 2.5 Text Mode RHN Registration Client...
  • Page 23 Section 2.5:Text Mode RHN Registration Client the instructions that begin in Section 2.1, Starting the Red Hat Network Registration Client. Figure 2–15 Text Mode Welcome Screen...
  • Page 24 Chapter 2:Registration...

  • Page 25: Chapter 3 Red Hat Update Agent Configuration

    Section 3.2:Retrieval/Installation Settings 3 Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Before using the Red Hat Update Agent, it is suggested that you configure the settings. This can be done with the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool. 3.1 Configuring the Red Hat Update Agent You must be root to run the Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Tool.
  • Page 26 Chapter 3:Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Figure 3–1 Retrieval/Installation Settings The following retrieval options can be selected (see Figure 3–1, Retrieval/Installation Settings): • -- download selected RPM packages to desired Do not install packages after retrieval directory and ignore the installation preferences •...

  • Page 27: Package Exceptions Settings

    Section 3.3:Package Exceptions Settings • -- save binary packages in desired After installation, keep binary packages on disk directory instead of deleting them after installing them • -- before installing the packages, verify Red Hat’s Use GPG to verify package integrity GPG signature 3.3 Package Exceptions Settings The Package Exceptions tab allows you to define which packages to exclude from...
  • Page 28 Chapter 3:Red Hat Update Agent Configuration Figure 3–2 Package Exceptions Settings...

  • Page 29: Chapter 4 Red Hat Update Agent

    Section 4.1:Starting the Red Hat Update Agent 4 Red Hat Update Agent After configuring the settings for the Red Hat Update Agent using the instructions in Chapter 3, Red Hat Update Agent Configuration, you can use the Red Hat Update Agent to retrieve the latest software packages from Red Hat.
  • Page 30 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent Figure 4–1 Install GPG Key After installing the Red Hat GPG key, the screen in Figure 4–2, Welcome Screen will appear. It appears every time you start the Red Hat Update Agent. Click Next continue. Figure 4–2 Welcome Screen...

  • Page 31: Choosing Packages To Update

    Section 4.2:Choosing Packages to Update 4.2 Choosing Packages to Update After clicking on the Welcome Screen, the dialog box in Figure 4–3, Retrieve Next Update Information will appear. These means a connection to Red Hat Network is being established and your customized list of updates is being retrieved. This might take some time, depending on the speed of your connection and the number of pack- ages you have installed.
  • Page 32 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent Figure 4–4 List of Available Updates By default, no packages are selected for download. If you highlight each package, the package description will be displayed in the section at the bottom Package Information of the screen. To select the package for download (and installation if you chose that option), click the checkbox as shown in Figure 4–5, Choose Updates to Retrieve.
  • Page 33 Section 4.2:Choosing Packages to Update Figure 4–5 Choose Updates to Retrieve Red Hat Update Agent shows the progress of each package retrieval as shown in Figure 4–6, Retrieval Finished. When they have all been retrieved, the message . is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Click to continue.

  • Page 34: Installing Updated Packages

    Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent Figure 4–6 Retrieval Finished 4.3 Installing Updated Packages If you chose to have all the packages installed automatically (see Chapter 3, Red Hat Update Agent Configuration), you can watch the progress of the package installations as shown in Figure 4–7, Package Installation.
  • Page 35 Section 4.3:Installing Updated Packages Figure 4–7 Package Installation When the packages have been installed, as seen in Figure 4–8, Installation Finished, click to continue. Next...

  • Page 36: Update Agent Finished

    Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent Figure 4–8 Installation Finished 4.4 Update Agent Finished When the Red Hat Update Agent has finished downloading the desired packages (and installing them if you chose the install option), you will see the screen in Figure to exit the Red Hat Update Agent.

  • Page 37: Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent

    Section 4.5:Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent Figure 4–9 Update Agent Finished 4.5 Command Line Mode Red Hat Update Agent If you are not running X, you can still run the Red Hat Update Agent from a virtual console or remote terminal. The command line version of the Red Hat Update Agent accepts the following arguments: Table 4–1 Update Agent Command Line Arguments Argument...
  • Page 38 Chapter 4:Red Hat Update Agent Argument Description -h, --help list of available command line arguments --nosig do not use GPG to check package signatures -r, --register register as an anonymous user with Red Hat Network. You can register as a full user later by running rhn_register -u, --update download all packages relevant to my system and...

  • Page 39: Chapter 5 Red Hat Network Web Application

    4. The Red Hat Network Web Application will only display errata relevant to your network. 5.1 Logging into Red Hat Network Web Application If you have not registered a system yet or do not have a redhat.com account, create a new account by clicking the button on the left side of the page.

  • Page 40: Viewing Your Notifications

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application 5.2 Viewing Your Notifications After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click on the button on Main the top navigation bar. Depending on your preferences, this page displays all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements (referred to as errata) for all registered systems in your network group (see Figure 5–1, Main Page).
  • Page 41 Section 5.3:Adding a System Profile process and allows you to customize your system profile. You can also register a sys- tem using the Red Hat Network Web Application and the Red Hat Network Daemon. The Red Hat Network Web Application only allows you to define a system name, choose your system architecture, and choose whether or not to include hardware and software information in your system profile.

  • Page 42: Viewing Your Network Group

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application 5. Open a shell prompt (for example an xterm or gnome-terminal) and log in as root. Copy the systemid file that you downloaded in the previous step to /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid. 6. No hardware or software information is gathered through the Red Hat Network Web Application.
  • Page 43 Section 5.4:Viewing Your Network Group Figure 5–2 Systems Overview Tab As shown in Figure 5–2, Systems Overview Tab, clicking on shows the Your Network status of your entire network so you can quickly determine the health and security of each system. This page shows you an overview of the systems in your network and errata for every system in your network.

  • Page 44: Viewing Individual System

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application To change the sorting order of the list, click on the column header Systems Overview names. A bold column header indicates the current sort order. Click on the tab to view the errata for every system in Your Network Group. If Errata an errata has been issued on any package in your system profile, you can view it here.

  • Page 45: Downloading Updated Packages

    Section 5.6:Downloading Updated Packages bold column header indicates the current sort order. If you have created a profile but either exclude packages from the profile or have not started the Red Hat Network daemon on your local system yet, the Package view will be empty. tab lists the hardware devices and settings for the currently selected sys- Hardware tem.

  • Page 46: Customizing Preferences

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application 5.7 Customizing Preferences After logging into the Red Hat Network Web Application, click the button Preferences on the top navigation bar. 5.7.1 Main Page From the tab of the Preferences page you can customize the information Main Page displayed when you login the Red Hat Network Web Application.
  • Page 47 Section 5.7:Customizing Preferences at the end of the timeout period. If your session times out, you will be prompted to enter your password again before continuing. If you choose , your session will stay open until you log out by clicking Never Timeout button in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

  • Page 48: Searching Errata

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application also choose to receive email concerning all errata for Red Hat Linux 7 (or other Red Hat Linux releases). 4. You can further customize your email notifications by excluding software pack- age categories. By default, all packages are selected. 5.

  • Page 49: Viewing Online Help

    Section 5.9:Viewing Online Help Figure 5–4 Search Errata 5.9 Viewing Online Help In addition to this User Reference Guide, the following help is available by clicking button on the top navigation bar: Help Desk • Security and Privacy statement • FAQs •...

  • Page 50: Navigation

    Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application 5.10 Navigation Below is an outline of the Red Hat Network Web Application. Use it to help you navigate through the application and become familar with all its features. The System Overview page summarizes all relevant notifications for your Network Group.
  • Page 51 Section 5.10:Navigation Errata Report – History • Resources – ErrataReport – Package Report Package Info Dependencies Change Log File List Systems – Download List • Search • Preferences • Help Desk – Your RHN Account – Privacy and Security – FAQs –...
  • Page 52 Chapter 5:Red Hat Network Web Application...

  • Page 53: Chapter 6 Red Hat Network Daemon

    Red Hat Network Daemon 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 specify- ing the time interval in minutes.
  • Page 54 Chapter 6:Red Hat Network Daemon...

  • Page 55: Chapter 7 Frequently Asked Questions

    Red Hat Network is a key piece. Q: How do I sign up for Red Hat Network? A: If you are a member of redhat.com, you are automatically a member of RHN. Using the Red Hat Network Registration Client or the Red Hat Network Web Application with your redhat.com user name and password, you can create a System...
  • Page 56 Chapter 7:Frequently Asked Questions Q: What is so important about RHN anyway? Will it improve my life? A: The main benefit of using RHN is its ability to send you automatic notification of all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements available for your Red Hat Linux system.
  • Page 57 Frequently Asked Questions It is designed to reduce the time and effort used by system administrators to maintain Red Hat Linux systems. Q: I’ve been running Linux for years; is this for me? A: Yes. RHN is for everyone. Home users can configure RHN to install the latest package enhancements such as the lastest version of Netscape or their favorite email client.
  • Page 58 Chapter 7:Frequently Asked Questions Hat engineers as well as the Linux community around the world through Bugzilla. The tickets are then evaluated and resolved by the Red Hat engineering. After being tested by the Red Hat quality assurance team, the package updates are released as part of the Red Hat errata list.
  • Page 59 Frequently Asked Questions Q: Who will be using my information? A: Your personal information is yours, not ours. Tell us how you would like us to use it, and we will listen. We never sell our customers’ personal information or provide it to others without making it clear that we intend to do so at the time the information is collected.
  • Page 60 Please refer to http://rpm.redhat.com/ for more details. Q: How do I change my email address for notifications? A: Logon to Red Hat Network from http://www.redhat.com/network, go to Prefer- ences => Notification Delivery. Under the section, edit the...
  • Page 61 Frequently Asked Questions Q: What is the difference between the Red Hat Update Agent and the Red Hat Network Web Application? A: Both allow you to retrieve the latest software packages for a registered system from RHN. However, the Red Hat Network Web Application allows you to manage more than more registered system at the same time through a Web interface and is more customizable.
  • Page 62 Chapter 7:Frequently Asked Questions...
  • Page 63 Index Index Adding a System Profile ..40 Download Digital Certificate..41 Download List......45 Digital Certificate...... 7 Download Update Packages..45 Errata ........44 Logging In ......39 Main page......40 FAQs........55 Navigation ......50 Frequently Asked Questions ..55 Online Help......49 Preferences......46 General ......46 GNU Privacy Guard ....7 Main Page......46 Notifications .....47 Search Errata .......48...
  • Page 64 Index Secure Sockets Layer....7 Security........7 System Profile......16...

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