RHEL/CentOS Repository clues

[Ben]

Sorry for top posting:  If your target is a production environment
then I would not mix fedora and centos packages  / repos.  This can
only lead to pain, confusion, and disappointment (when feature xyz
depends on a package from fedora that isn't available in RHEL/CentOS
and isn't going to get installed on a production box for reasons of
security and stability - probably sanity also, on the part of the SA
when updates are needed to be applied next time - for which reason
unless you are the SA you likely won't get the option to get them
installed on production the first time around :-).

PHP4 is more stable, at least it has been used and tested longer.
This doesn't make PHP5 unstable by any means, and its added features
drive many to ask this question now rather than later.  Here is a link
to a CentOS forum discussing PHP5 (and yum):
http://centos.org/search.php?query=yum+repos&andor=AND&action=results&submit=Search
(or http://tinyurl.com/dngeh).

Using yum and customizing the /etc/yum.d/*.repo files is easy ("easy"
in the sense that you have more information on the system on doing so
that you know of at the moment).  You've already added dag, etc
(presumably from their rpm packages downloaded separately) in separate
.repo files with an enabled=0 or enabled=1 line), so you looking at
their .repo file under /etc/yum.d/ and other repo files there will
give you a good idea on changing main, updates, plus, contrib, etc to
point to other mirrors.  Just note to comment out the changed lines
(or make new repo files with the original repo file's enabled line
equal to 0) to enable stepping back to a working mirror easier in case
the need arises.

FYI: A local PHX Mirror:
Easynews
http://mirrors.easynews.com/linux/centos/
or
ftp://mirrors.easynews.com/linux/centos/


Connecting the box should be fine so long as you have unneeded
services disabled (system-config-services when in runlevel 5 / a
graphical environment, ALL network services unless and until first
update and they're configured for your network/needs) and the firewall
enabled and configured (the wizard from installation/setup, plus I
always take a look at the rules in /etc/systconfig/iptables and make
minor changes depending on taste and need - avoid making changes
unless you are familiar with iptables, but never hurts to peek
never-the-less at the rule set to see how it works...).  Take a look
at the commands /usr/bin/system-* for a list of similar RH/RHEL/clone
admin/config tools.

 - Ben

On 1/11/06, vodhner at cox.net <vodhner at cox.net> wrote:
> This is a request for cultural enlightenment.
>
> At work, I am doing some development on CentOS.  I
> chose that because it is close to Red Hat Enterprise
> Linux (RHEL), and RHEL is what we use on all our
> production Linux boxes.  Also, I did not want to be
> out on the bleeding edge since this is being targeted
> at production.
>
> I have tried to use CentOS repositories, but often
> have not found the item I was looking for.  So I have
> pulled in a few other repos, in a somewhat disorganized
> manner.  I have CentOS-Base, dag and MOKs.
>
> PHP came in at 4.3.9-3, and I can't find a php-mysql
> that will build against it.  (I was just instructed
> to look into --nodeps, --force and -e which might
> solve that problem.)  But really, for security reasons
> etc., I should be using php5, right?  And with this
> repo list, "yum install postgresql" came up empty.
>
> I'm obviously not "connected" yet.
>
> So, could someone please tutor me on the methods for
> setting up the repo lists so that all the major
> mainstream packages will be available in the
> RHEL/CentOS type environment?  Does it make sense to
> add Fedora repos as a last resort?  How do I arrange
> that the less stable choices will be used only after
> trying the more stable?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Vic
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>


--
-------
Ben