Switch from CentOS 6.4 to RHEL 6.4
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Par Remi le samedi 21 septembre 2013, 16:02 - HowTo - Lien permanent
Done. I've just migrate my new hosting server (delivered with CentOS) to an official Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 version.
If you are interested, here is the detailed process (need to be adapted).
Check for packages requiring a priority update:
# rpm -qa centos\* redhat\*
centos-indexhtml-6-1.el6.centos.noarch
redhat-logos-60.0.14-12.el6.centos.noarch
centos-release-6-4.el6.centos.10.x86_64
Retrieve from the installation media the main distribution package:
redhat-release-server-6Server-6.4.0.4.el6.x86_64.rpm
We also need the RHN (Red Hat Network) access components to allow online update (and some dependencies):
libgudev1-147-2.46.el6.x86_64.rpm
m2crypto-0.20.2-9.el6.x86_64.rpm
rhn-check-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm
rhn-client-tools-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm
rhn-setup-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm
rhnlib-2.5.22-12.el6.noarch.rpm
rhnsd-4.9.3-2.el6.x86_64.rpm
pyOpenSSL-0.10-2.el6.x86_64.rpm
python-dmidecode-3.10.13-1.el6.x86_64.rpm
python-gudev-147.1-4.el6_0.1.x86_64.rpm
pygobject2-2.20.0-5.el6.x86_64.rpm
yum-rhn-plugin-0.9.1-43.el6.noarch.rpm
Remove the CentOS package:
# rpm -e --nodeps centos-release centos-indexhtml
Replace with the Red Hat one and install RHN packages:
# rpm -ivh \
redhat-release-server-6Server-6.4.0.4.el6.x86_64.rpm
libgudev1-147-2.46.el6.x86_64.rpm m2crypto-0.20.2-9.el6.x86_64.rpm \
rhn-check-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm rhn-client-tools-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm \
rhn-setup-1.0.0.1-4.el6.noarch.rpm rhnlib-2.5.22-12.el6.noarch.rpm \
rhnsd-4.9.3-2.el6.x86_64.rpm pyOpenSSL-0.10-2.el6.x86_64.rpm \
python-dmidecode-3.10.13-1.el6.x86_64.rpm python-gudev-147.1-4.el6_0.1.x86_64.rpm \
pygobject2-2.20.0-5.el6.x86_64.rpm yum-rhn-plugin-0.9.1-43.el6.noarch.rpm
Register the system and check the subscribed channel:
# rhn_register
...
# rhn-channel -a -c rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6
# rhn-channel -l
rhel-x86_64-server-6
rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6
Online update of new available packages (newer version):
# yum update
Install 1 Package(s)
Upgrade 80 Package(s)
Reinstall other packages (same version):
# rpm -qa --qf "%{NAME} %{VENDOR}\n" | grep CentOS | cut -d' ' -f1 | grep -v ^kernel | sort | tee lst
# yum reinstall $(cat lst)
Reinstall 291 Package(s)Downgrade remaining package (older version, list should be short):
# yum distro-sync
Downgrade 23 Package(s)
It's done, a final reboot to switch to the new kernel and take all benefit from all updates:
# rpm -qa --qf "%{NAME} %{VENDOR}\n" | grep CentOS | cut -d' ' -f1 | grep -v ^kernel | wc -l
0
# yum update
No Packages marked for Update
# cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 6.4 (Santiago)Total elapsed time : less than one hour (with only 2' of services unavailability)
Who next ?
Commentaires
thanks for this info.
running kvm on centos 6.xx for a while (twin system, no cluster).
Is there a specific, urgent reason to switch to RH ?
@sysbt : because I prefer the original !
Red Hat is probably the most active distribution in OpenSource world, especially by its countless contributions to various projects and its support to Fedora Project. I'm a Fedora and EPEL contributor and I really appreciate this synergy.
Clones are only clones. For my point of view, they don't contribute to OpenSource. They are a convenient way to freely consume one of the best distribution, but without any return.
It seems, to me, that it make sense to use RHEL when we need long time support, stability or certification and Fedora to take freely benefit of OpenSource software, with a give back to the community (support, documentation, bug report... or more when possible).
So I really don't understand what is the sense of such clones (CentOS, Oracle Linux, Scientific Linux, ...) in my way of understanding OpenSource.More, I think CentOS plays a dangerous game, providing packages from their upstream (RHEL) but also some other packages (in extras/plus repo). This could confuse user who think using a RHEL clone, but in reality use a fork (yes I know this repo are disabled on default installation).
Last, with RHEL, updates are faster. Sometime, with CentOS, users have had to wait for some weeks before a new release (things have been improved).
Don't forget: CentOS exists thanks to those paying for Red Hat.