2.3 Bundles and Package Management

How can I know if updates are available for my device?

At the command prompt, enter the rug list-updates command to view the updates that are available for your device.

How can I know if patch updates are available for a SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 device?

At the command prompt, enter the rug list-updates -t patch command to view the patch updates that are available for the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 device.

How can I know if updates are available for my device if I have logged in to the GNOME desktop or KDE desktop on a managed device?

If you are logged in to the GNOME* desktop or KDE* desktop, the globe icon on the panel changes to an orange exclamation mark if there are updates available for your device. Click the icon to view the list of updates.

What is the difference between mandatory bundles and non-mandatory bundles?

A mandatory bundle is assigned directly to a managed device. You cannot uninstall a mandatory bundle from a device on which the complete ZENworks Linux Management is installed.

A non-mandatory bundle is assigned to a catalog, and the catalog is assigned to a device. These bundles are optional and are not automatically installed on the device. Non-mandatory bundles fulfil the dependencies required to install packages.

What are the different statuses of a bundle on a managed device?

Refer to the following table to understand the different statuses of a bundle on a managed device:

Table 2-1 Bundle Status on a Managed Device

Status

Description

‘ ‘

Bundle is not installed on the device.

i

Bundle is installed on the device.

*

Bundle is partially installed on the device.

v

A different version of the bundle is installed on the device.

What are the different statuses of a package on a managed device?

Refer to the following table to understand the different statuses of a package on a managed device:

Table 2-2 Package Status on a Managed Device

Status

Description

‘ ‘

Package is not installed on the device.

i

Package is installed on the device.

s

The package in the bundle is of a lower version than that installed on the device.

v

A different version of the package is installed on the device.

Why does the ZMD show fewer installed packages than are shown by the rpm -qa command?

The rpm -qa command shows the imported GPG keys (gpg-pubkey-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx) that are not actual packages as installed packages. The ZMD filters the GPG keys from the list of installed packages, and therefore shows fewer installed packages than are shown by the rpm -qa command.

When can I use an NFS mounted directory as a ZMD cache directory?

If you encounter an insufficient disk space error in the partition that has the ZMD cache directory, you can use an NFS mounted directory as a ZMD cache directory.

How can I use an NFS mounted directory as a ZMD cache directory?

  1. Add the following command in the /etc/fstab directory:

    NFS_server:nfs_shared_directory nfs_mount_point nfs defaults 0 0

    The shared directory must have Write privileges on the NFS server.

  2. On the mounted nfs, create a directory to use it as a ZMD cache directory.

  3. Set the cache-directory ZMD preference to the directory created in Step 2 by using the following command:

    rug set cache-directory directory_created_on_mounted_nfs

Does the RPM command that I use to install packages reflect in the bundle status and package status?

Yes. The ZMD monitors the rpm DB/var/lib/rpm/Packages directory for any changes in the RPM database, and updates the bundle status and package status appropriately.

The rug bundle-packages command shows the status of packages as not installed even though the rug bundle-list command shows that the bundle is installed.

If you have set the Freshen flag for some or all of the packages while installing a bundle, those packages are upgraded only if an earlier version of the package is already installed. If no earlier version of the package exists on the device, the packages in the bundle are not installed even though the bundle is installed. Therefore, the status of these packages is displayed as not installed when you run the rug bundle-packages command.

How can I upgrade a device from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 by using ZENworks Linux Management?

  1. Mirror the SLE10-SP1 - Online catalog from Novell Update to your ZENworks Linux Management server. This server requires authentication with your Novell account name and password.

  2. In ZENworks Control Center, change the Install Type for all the kernel packages from Install to Upgrade.

    For more information, see Editing Bundles in Novell ZENworks 7.2 Linux Management Administration Guide.

  3. Assign the mirrored catalog to the managed device that you want to upgrade.

    For more information, see Assigning Catalogs in Novell ZENworks 7.2 Linux Management Administration Guide.

  4. On the managed device, run the rug up command to upgrade all the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 packages to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 packages.

How can I upgrade a device from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP2 by using ZENworks Linux Management?

  1. Mirror the SLE10-SP2 - Online catalog from Novell Update to your ZENworks Linux Management server. This server requires authentication with your Novell account name and password.

  2. In ZENworks Control Center, change the Install Type for all the kernel packages from Install to Upgrade.

    For more information, see Editing Bundles in Novell ZENworks 7.2 Linux Management Administration Guide.

  3. Assign the mirrored catalog to the managed device that you want to upgrade.

    For more information, see Assigning Catalogs in Novell ZENworks 7.2 Linux Management Administration Guide.

  4. On the managed device, run the rug up command to upgrade all the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 packages to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP2 packages.