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7.4. Configuring the Red Hat Support Tool

When in interactive mode, the configuration options can be listed by entering the command config --help: 
~]# redhat-support-tool
Welcome to the Red Hat Support Tool.
Command (? for help): config --help

Usage: config [options] config.option <new option value>

Use the 'config' command to set or get configuration file values.
Options:
  -h, --help    show this help message and exit
  -g, --global  Save configuration option in /etc/redhat-support-tool.conf.
  -u, --unset   Unset configuration option.

The configuration file options which can be set are:
 user      : The Red Hat Customer Portal user.
 password  : The Red Hat Customer Portal password.
 debug     : CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, or DEBUG
 url       : The support services URL.  Default=https://api.access.redhat.com
 proxy_url : A proxy server URL.
 proxy_user: A proxy server user.
 proxy_password: A password for the proxy server user.
 ssl_ca    : Path to certificate authorities to trust during communication.
 kern_debug_dir: Path to the directory where kernel debug symbols should be downloaded and cached. Default=/var/lib/redhat-support-tool/debugkernels

Examples:
- config user
- config user my-rhn-username
- config --unset user

Procedure 7.1. Registering the Red Hat Support Tool Using Interactive Mode

To register the Red Hat Support Tool to the customer portal using interactive mode, proceed as follows:
  1. Start the tool by entering the following command: 
    ~]# redhat-support-tool
  2. Enter your Red Hat Customer Portal user name: 
    Command (? for help): config user username
    To save your user name to the global configuration file, add the -g option.
  3. Enter your Red Hat Customer Portal password: 
    Command (? for help): config password
Please enter the password for username:

7.4.1. Saving Settings to the Configuration Files

The Red Hat Support Tool, unless otherwise directed, stores values and options locally in the home directory of the current user, using the ~/.redhat-support-tool/redhat-support-tool.conf configuration file. If required, it is recommended to save passwords to this file because it is only readable by that particular user. When the tool starts, it will read values from the global configuration file /etc/redhat-support-tool.conf and from the local configuration file. Locally stored values and options take precedence over globally stored settings.

Warning

It is recommended not to save passwords in the global /etc/redhat-support-tool.conf configuration file because the password is just base64 encoded and can easily be decoded. In addition, the file is world readable.
To save a value or option to the global configuration file, add the -g, --global option as follows: 
Command (? for help): config setting -g value

Note

In order to be able to save settings globally, using the -g, --global option, the Red Hat Support Tool must be run as root because normal users do not have the permissions required to write to /etc/redhat-support-tool.conf.
To remove a value or option from the local configuration file, add the -u, --unset option as follows: 
Command (? for help): config setting -u value
This will clear, unset, the parameter from the tool and fall back to the equivalent setting in the global configuration file, if available.

Note

When running as an unprivileged user, values stored in the global configuration file cannot be removed using the -u, --unset option, but they can be cleared, unset, from the current running instance of the tool by using the -g, --global option simultaneously with the -u, --unset option. If running as root, values and options can be removed from the global configuration file using -g, --global simultaneously with the -u, --unset option.