Is it possible to use a Satellite server for EPEL repositories?

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Can the EPEL repositories be added to a Satellite server to provide these extra packages to an end user?

Only the Satellite server can get out to the internet - the Satellite clients don't have direct internet access so they can't go directly to the EPEL repositories on their own.

I'd like to make this as seamless as possible - ideally, I'd like the client to be able to do "subscription manager repos", see the EPEL repository in the repo list, and then just enable it.

Is that possible?

PG

Responses

Yes its very much possible. You can add any RPM repository to satellite server.

Satellite 6 has a feature called as Repo Discovery. You will find it under under Content - Products and can also associate a sync plan with it.

Wow, that was easy. I had an EPEL repository at kernel.org I wanted to sync with, the repo discovery had no problem connecting with it, and it's syncing right now. Thanks very much!

One follow up question - this new repository is syncing correctly but doesn't show up when you run "subscription-manager repos" from a client, and doesn't show up under "Content | Redhat Repositories" on the Satellite server. It does show up under "Content | Products" on the Satellite server.

How do you make this available to the clients that need it?

You have to add the EPEL repository to the content view which your clients associated with. And also have to add as a subscription to the activation key if you use activation keys. But be careful because the EPEL is enabled by default and there are few packages which are getting installed when you install the katello agent from the satellite tools repository. Katello agent will work but the packages will be mixed up. I suggest to disable EPEL by default and enable on the client side when it's required.

Franky

Hello Franky,

I created a specific product for EPEL, even if I add EPEL to a content view a client cannot use it until it subscribes to the product. So without an activation key containing an EPEL subscription a sysadmin has full control over the use or lack of use of EPEL per client.

Kind regards,

Jan Gerrit

Hi Jan,

Since the product and the repository underneath is not available for auto-attach I would recommend to extend the provisioning script and add the following after the server subcribed:

subscription-manager attach --pool=$(subscription-manager list --available |awk '/epel/ || /EPEL/ {while($1 != "Pool") {getline}; print $3}')

This will attach the EPEL and the repo will be enabled. But do not activate the EPEL before installing katello agent!

Franky

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