How do I exclude kernel or other packages from getting updated in Red Hat Enterprise Linux while updating system via yum?

Resolution

• The up2date command in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 excludes kernel updates by default. The yum in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 includes kernel updates by default.

• To skip installing or updating kernel or other packages while using the yum update utility in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, use following options:

• Temporary solution via Command line:

# yum update --exclude=PACKAGENAME 

For example, to exclude all kernel related packages:

# yum update --exclude=kernel*

For RHEL7, RHEL8 and RHEL9 also exclude the following packages.

# yum update --exclude=kernel* --exclude=kmod-kvdo 

To exclude gcc and php name of packages:

# yum update --exclude=gcc,php

To exclude gcc* and php* packages:

# yum update --exclude=gcc* --exclude=php*

• To make permanent changes, edit the /etc/yum.conf file and following entries to it:

[main]
cachedir=/var/cache/yum/$basearch/$releasever
keepcache=0
debuglevel=2
logfile=/var/log/yum.log
exclude=kernel*                           <==== 

• For RHEL7, RHEL8 and RHEL9, also exclude the following packages.

[main]
cachedir=/var/cache/yum/$basearch/$releasever
keepcache=0
debuglevel=2
logfile=/var/log/yum.log
exclude=kernel* kmod-kvdo                           <==== 

NOTE: If there are multiple packages to be excluded, then separate them using a single space or comma. Also, do not add multiple exclude= lines in the configuration file because yum only considers the last exclude entry.

To exclude 32 bit packages edit /etc/yum.conf file.

exclude=*.i?86 *.i686