RHEA-2010:0268 - Product Enhancement Advisory

Topic

A new package, python-dmidecode, is now available for Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5.

Description

The python-dmidecode module is a Python extension that uses the code-base
of the dmidecode utility, and presents the DMI data as Python dictionaries
or XML utilizing libxml2.

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) provides the infrastructure for
x86-based systems to pass component-level information up to other
applications. The dmidecode utility reads and reports the information as
presented in the DMI tables by a system's BIOS. By providing this data as
Python dictionaries or XML, the new python-dmi-decode module makes this
information available to Python-based applications or applications that can
parse XML. (BZ#546220)

Note: PowerPC and IBM System z systems do not use the DMI standard and,
consequently, do not have DMI tables to decode. If the python-dmidecode
module is installed on these systems, however, the module can read supplied
DMI data from x86-based systems.

x86-based systems users wanting to access DMI table data with Python- or
XML-based tools should install this new package which provides this
capability.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/docs/DOC-11259

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 546220 - Include new package python-dmidecode
• BZ - 553203 - 'rhnreg_ks' and 'rhn_register' unwanted message

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)