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Chapter 10. Package and Driver Changes

The list of included packages and system drivers undergoes regular changes in Red Hat Enterprise Linux releases. This is done for a number of reasons: packages and drivers are added or updated in the operating system to provide new functionality, or when the packages and drivers represent out-of-date hardware and are removed; the upstream project for the packages and drivers might no longer be maintained, or hardware-specific packages and drivers are no longer supported by a hardware vendor and are removed.
This chapter lists the new and updated packages and drivers in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, as well as those that have been deprecated and discontinued (removed).

10.1. System Configuration Tools Changes

10.1.1. system-config-bind

The system-config-bind tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Editing the name server configuration manually using the named.conf file is recommended in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Comprehensive BIND documentation is installed as part of the bind package in /usr/share/doc/bind-x.y.z. Also, sample configurations can be found in the /usr/share/doc/bind-x.y.z/sample directory. The system-config-bind tool from previous versions does, however, generate standard BIND configuration, so depending on your environment it is possible to migrate to the version of BIND found in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 by moving old configuration files to the correct location and performing sufficient testing.

10.1.2. system-config-boot

The system-config-boot tool allowed graphical configuration of the GRUB bootloader. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 it has been deprecated and removed without replacement. The default GRUB configuration is sufficient for many users, however if manual changes are required, the boot configuration can be accessed and changed in the grub.conf file, located in the /boot/grub directory. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 uses version 1 of GRUB, also known as GRUB legacy. Full documentation for configuring GRUB can be found at the GRUB homepage: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/.

10.1.3. system-config-cluster

The system-config-cluster tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Using ricci and luci (from the Conga project) is recommended.

10.1.4. system-config-display

The system-config-display tool has been replaced by XRandr configuration tools as found in both supported desktops: GNOME and KDE. There is no explicit configuration file (xorg.conf) in the default X server installation as display management is now done dynamically using one of the following menu options:
GNOME: SystemPreferencesDisplay (or the system-config-display command).
KDE: System SettingsComputer AdministrationDisplay
The command line utility (xrandr) can be also used for display configuration. See the xrandr --help command or the manual page using the man xrandr command for further details.

10.1.5. system-config-httpd

The system-config-httpd tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Users must configure web servers manually. Configuration can be done in the /etc/httpd directory. The main configuration file is located at /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf. This file is well documented with detailed comments in the file for most server configurations; however if required, the complete Apache web server documentation is shipped in the httpd-manual package.

10.1.6. system-config-lvm

The system-config-lvm tool has been deprecated. Management of logical volumes can be performed using the gnome-disk-util or the lvm tools.

10.1.7. system-config-netboot

The system-config-netboot tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Using Red Hat Network Satellite is recommended.

10.1.8. system-config-nfs

The system-config-nfs tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Users must set up NFS server configuration manually.

10.1.9. system-config-rootpassword

The system-config-rootpassword tool has been replaced by the system-config-users tool - a powerful user management and configuration tool. The root password can be set in the system-config-users tool by unchecking the "Hide system users and groups" option in the Preferences dialog. The root user will now be shown in the main listing, and the password can be modified like any other user.

10.1.10. system-config-samba

The system-config-samba tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Users must set up SMB server configuration manually.

10.1.11. system-config-securitylevel

The system-config-securitylevel tool has been removed. The system-config-firewall tool is recommended for firewall configuration.

10.1.12. system-config-soundcard

The system-config-soundcard tool has been removed. Sound card detection and configuration is done automatically.

10.1.13. system-config-switchmail

The system-config-switchmail tool has been deprecated and removed without replacement. Postfix is the preferred and default MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. If you are using another MTA, it must be configured manually according to its specific configuration files and techniques.

10.1.14. Preupgrade Assistant

The Preupgrade Assistant (preupg) checks for potential problems you might encounter with an upgrade from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 before making any changes to your system. This helps you assess your chances of successfully upgrading to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 before the actual upgrade process begins.
The Preupgrade Assistant assesses the system for possible in-place upgrade limitations, such as package removals, incompatible obsoletes, name changes, deficiencies in some configuration file compatibilities, and so on. It then provides the following:
  • System analysis report with proposed solutions for any detected migration issues.
  • Data that could be used for "cloning" the system, if the in-place upgrade is not suitable.
  • Post-upgrade scripts to finish more complex issues after the in-place upgrade.
Your system remains unchanged except for the information and logs stored by the Preupgrade Assistant.
For detailed instructions on how to obtain and use the Preupgrade Assistant, see https://access.redhat.com/site/node/637583/.

10.1.15. Red Hat Upgrade Tool

The new Red Hat Upgrade Tool is used after the Preupgrade Assistant, and handles the three phases of the upgrade process:
  • Red Hat Upgrade Tool fetches packages and an upgrade image from a disk or server, prepares the system for the upgrade, and reboots the system.
  • The rebooted system detects that upgrade packages are available and uses systemd and yum to upgrade packages on the system.
  • Red Hat Upgrade Tool cleans up after the upgrade and reboots the system into the upgraded operating system.
Both network and disk based upgrades are supported. For detailed instructions on how to upgrade your Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 system to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, see https://access.redhat.com/site/node/637583/.