oracle linux patching

User_DTHN5

I have an old spacewalk v2.2 . I want to patch oracle linux 6 and 7 servers. What is the best path.

andreas.dijkman

Oracle Linux 6 has no more updates since 2020, so you don't need to patch those.

Oracle Linux 7 has updates but what's your target? Do you want to apply monthly updates or all updates packages that are available to spacewalk? Why are you using spacewalk at the moment and not just a proxy-server? A little more background is needed I think.

User_DTHN5

Historically (before my time) we have had satellite and spacewalk patching our environment.

Satellite has been upgraded to patch our redhat servers.

Up to now we could rely on the public link to patch our oracle servers - all oracle 6. With oracle 6 eol, we still have to be able to patch oracle 6 until the servers are upgraded. For this we need oracle to provide patching support. To take advantage of the support the choice was oracle patch manager (formerly spacewalk) or oracle enterprise cloud manager. I am not sure which as we are stil negotiating with oracle on a support contract. So I cannot ask for technical support yet. In the meantime I thought I would use this forum to sound out my options. I need a montly patch solution for our Oracle 6 servers over multiple data centres.

If you have any information on the best path - documents or experience - that would be appreciated.

David Gilpin-Oracle

Anyone can download and use Oracle Linux... free to download, free to use.

Oracle Linux Manager 2.10 is the current patching utility, replacement for Spacewalk 2.7. Oracle Linux Manager 2.10 Server must run on Oracle Linux 7. If you have Oracle Linux Support subscription to cover your Oracle Linux instance, you get a "right to use" Oracle DB license for use with Oracle Linux Manager. See the OL7 Licensing Information User Manual:

https://docs.oracle.com/en/operating-systems/oracle-linux/7/licenses/ol7-lic-support.html

If you do not have Oracle Linux Support you can still use Oracle Linux Manager with embedded PostgreSQL. Use the installation procedures for Spacewalk 2.9:

https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk/wiki/HowToInstall#database-server

Oracle Linux Manager 2.10 works fine with Spacewalk 2.7 clients: https://docs.oracle.com/en/operating-systems/oracle-linux-manager/2.10/relnotes/relnotes.html#support

You can find those Spacewalk 2.7 clients for Oracle Linux 6 here:

http://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL6/spacewalk27/client//x86_64/index.html

Be aware - the only way now to receive any patches for Oracle Linux 6 is to purchase Oracle Linux Premier Support with Extended Support uplift. Those patches are NOT available on Oracle Yum.