Red Hat Updates via the 'up2date' Tool

Obtaining Red Hat Updates from the Red Hat Network is extremely easy now. These updates contain patches, fixes, and/or security updates.

In this example I was using the the Gnome desktop. Ignore all of the below items, except for the little red exclamation mark in the lower right corner of the Gnome Panel. Otherwise you will notice the odd juxtaposition of my Galeon Microsoft centric bookmarks on a Linux system. So sorry...

Anyway, when I place the mouse cursor on the red exclamation, it says, "3 updates available (0 ignored )":

Before moving forward, zip through the configurations options available.
Right-click the red exclamation point, and select Configuration:

After moving Forward, you see the Terms of Service agreement which reviews some of the privacy and subscription issues. It is a quick read. Then, moving ahead again, the following Proxy window opens. Fill in Proxy Server IP address and authentication, if applicable:

Click Apply, and configuration is finished. Now, assuming updates are in fact needed (exclamation point instead of a blue circle with checkmark, which means all is updated):

Single-click it, or, right-click/Launch up2date, and in this example, the following shows... Alternatively, open up a terminal window, log in as root via the 'su' command, and issue the 'up2date' command and follow the 2 or 3 simple steps:

These are the available updates - seem to be all HTTPD-related (web/Apache). I checked out the Support and errata pages at the Red Hat web site and got this information:

"Security Advisory

Details:

Updated apache and httpd packages which fix a number of security issues are

now available for Red Hat Linux 6.2, 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and 8.0.

The Apache HTTP Web Server is a secure, efficient, and extensible web

server that provides HTTP services.

Buffer overflows in the ApacheBench support program (ab.c) in Apache

versions prior to 1.3.27, and Apache versions 2.x prior to 2.0.43, allow a

malicious Web server to cause a denial of service (DoS) and possibly

execute arbitrary code via a long response. The Common Vulnerabilities and

Exposures project has assigned the name CAN-2002-0843 to this issue."

https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2002-222.html

Click Launch up2date from the image above. I was prompted for the root password. My internet connection then traveled to the Red Hat Network servers for updates. Alas, my 'Free service' for RHN is "limited due to high load". Obviously, if this was a business situation, it would be unacceptable to wait, and would very possibly be a good reason to buy into a support package from Red Hat. I downloaded the Red Hat ISO images for free, thus I cannot complain. I am in the back of the line:

I try again in a few hours, with the same result as above. A few days later, I get the same window as 2 images above. I move forward with the Up2date, then select the packages to actually be updated. Packages/Services not in use can be ignored. If the current kernel is stable and provides what is needed, then updating the kernel may not be needed at this point. It all depends on what the Red Hat OS is being used for. In this case, moving forward we initially see this mini-window:

If all dependencies are OK, the Retrieving Packages window will show the download progress of each package selected:

After 100% of Total progress, move Forward to install:

The final window afterward is a simple "All Finished" one, summarizing the packages installed. That is all!

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