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How to add third party repositories (e.g. EPEL for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6) in Red Hat Satellite 5.x?

Updated 2014-10-22T10:43:42+00:00

Issue

  • Need to create and sync some third party repositories in Red Hat Satellite.
  • How does one add non-redhat repositories to a satellite server?
  • How can a third party repository be added to the satellite so that the servers gets updated when when we do a yum update ?
  • How to host my local repository on satellite server so that it can be shared with all the clinets ?

Environment

  • Red Hat Satellite 5.X
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and above

Resolution

To Sync a third party repository on RHN Satellite, follow the procedure given below. In the following steps, the example is taken of "EPEL" repository.

  • Go to the Satellite Web-UI through browser, then select Channels => Manage Software Channels. Here you can see create new channel link. Click on that.

  • It will open a Create Software Channel page, in Details tab, provide the following (As an example, EPEL is selected, so provide the details according to the requirements.)

Channel Name*: EPEL for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Channel Label*: epel_rhel6_x86_64
Parent Channel: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6 for 64-bit x86_64) 
Parent Channel Architecture: x86_64
Yum Repository Checksum Type: sha1
Channel Summary*: EPEL Repository

Some other information can be filled, but it's not mandatory to fill all of the information. Then click on Create Channel.

  • In the left corner, click on Manage Repositories, and then on Right corner, click on create new repository. Provide two details there. As testing is done for EPEL Repository for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 x86_64 bit, put the information as follows.
Repository Label*   epel_repo_rhel6_x86_64
Repository URL*     http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora-epel/6Server/x86_64/

Note: If the mirror URL above does not work then please choose a new mirror from the Fedora EPEL mirror list

Then click on Create Repository Button. It will display "Repository created successfully"

  • To sync the repositories, click on Manage Software Channel on Left side Box, and search for epel_repo_rhel6_x86_64, here in Repositories tab of "epel_rhel6_x86_64", and then select "epel_repo_rhel6_x86_64" which is the newly created repository. Tick in the check-box given in front of the same. Click Update Repositories button. Now the repository is aligned to the channel.

  • In the same page, see sync subtab under Repository tab. Click on Sync. Now, click on the Sync Now button to sync the repository right, or it can be scheduled later.

  • After completing sync, go to the Systems tab and select any test Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 machine. Click on Alter Channel Subscription and select EPEL for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Channel. And save.

  • Go on the same client machine and run the following command to see if the repository is enabled or not.

# yum repolist

For more details, the documentation is available on Portal, click here to go to the Documentation

If you want to sync it manually or through the command line use :

# spacewalk-repo-sync -c <channel name> -u http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora-epel/6Server/x86_64/

For check the progress of the repo sync please check the logs on:

/var/log/rhn/reposync/{channel name} {date}.log

Note: If the mirror URL above does not work then please choose a new mirror from the Fedora EPEL mirror list

For repos containing packages with same name/version (NVREA) but different content / checksums, see How to store packages with same name/version (nvrea) but different content/checksum in Satellite 5.x?