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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?
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.
Launched in September 2000 with Red Hat Linux 7.0, Red Hat Network is an Internet solution for
managing a Red Hat Linux system or a network of Red Hat Linux systems. All security patches, bug
fixes, and software package enhancements can be downloaded directly from Red Hat using the Red
Hat Update Agent standalone application or through a Web browser using the Red Hat Network
Web Application.
The three main components of Red Hat Network are as follows:
•
The Red Hat Network Registration Client
•
The Red Hat Network user interface
•
The Red Hat Network Daemon
The Red Hat Network Registration Client allows you to create a unique RHN user name and pass-
word and probes the hardware and software on your system to create a System Profile. The System
Profile is sent to RHN and RHN returns a unique System ID to your system (see Chapter 2, Registra-
tion for further information).
You can use either of the two Red Hat Network user interfaces:
•
The Red Hat Network Web Application
•
The Red Hat Update Agent
Both the Red Hat Network Web Application and the Red Hat Update Agent allow you to view
all security alerts, bug fixes, and package enhancements included in the Red Hat errata list. Only
packages relevant to your system are shown. The Red Hat Network Web Application and Red Hat
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