5.2. Uploading Packages

	Note
	You must be an Organization Administrator to upload packages to private RHN channels. The script will prompt you for your RHN username and password.

After creating the private channel, upload the package headers for your binary and source RPMs to the RHN Server and copy the packages to the RHN Proxy Broker Server. To upload the package headers for the binary RPMs, issue the following command:

rhn_package_manager -c "label_of_private_channel" pkg-list

pkg-list is the list of packages to be uploaded. Alternatively, use the -d option to specify the local directory that contains the packages to add to the channel. Ensure that the directory contains only the packages to be included and no other files. RHN Package Manager can also read the list of packages from standard input (using --stdin).

To upload the package headers for the source RPMs:

rhn_package_manager -c "label_of_private_channel" --source pkg-list

If you have more than one channel specified (using -c or --channel), the uploaded package headers will be linked to all the channels listed.

	Note
	If a channel name is not specified, the packages are not added to any channel. The packages can then be added to a channel using the Red Hat Network web interface. The interface can also be used to modify existing private channels.

After uploading the packages, you can immediately check the RHN Web interface to verify their presence. Click Channels in the top navigation bar, Manage Software Channels in the left navigation bar, and then the name of the custom channel. Then click the Packages subtab. Each RPM should be listed.

You can also check to see if the local directory is in sync with the RHN Server's image of the channels at the command line:

rhn_package_manager -s -c "label_of_private_channel"

This -s option will list all the missing packages (packages uploaded to the RHN Server not present in the local directory). You must be an Organization Administrator to use this command. The script will prompt you for your RHN username and password. Refer to Table 5-1 for additional command line options.

If you are using the RHN Package Manager to update local packages, you must go to the RHN website to subscribe the system to the private channel.