Scientific Linux: Local Repository

• Do not forget to include the YUM package when you install !

First of all, read the excellent Managing Software with yum from Fedora. Some details may be specific to Fedora Core 5, which uses a slightly newer version of yum, but most of it is relevant for SL too.

1.  YUM and the local repositories

• You must configure the YUM package manager to get packages from the local mirror. See InstallingLinux#ConfigScripts
• mirror of YUM repository, updates and ISO images available locally:
  http://mirror.uj.ac.za/
• some extra software available (in RPM packages) under
  http://psi.phys.wits.ac.za/public/
  • CERNLIB 2004
  • ROOT 4.04
  • GEANT 4.7.1 with CLHEP 1.9.2
  • JED (text-mode Emacs-like editor)
  • NVU (HTML editor)
• Some other stuff is in
  http://psi.phys.wits.ac.za/private/
  • GNUcash (double-ledger accounting)
  • OpenOffice 2.0

2.  Using yum from a remote repository

for example: To install mozilla flash from the dag repository do

export http_proxy="http://proxyusername:proxypassword@proxy.wits.ac.za:80"
sudo yum --enablerepo=dag install mozilla-flash

3.  How to create a yum repository:

• use createrepo <dir>
• http://linux.duke.edu/projects/metadata/
• for example you can copy all the rpm files from the install CDs into a directory (say /dsk1/FC4-PPC/os/), use createrepo, and then use
  baseurl=file:///dsk1/FC4-PPC/os
  in your /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo
• you may also have to set
  gpgcheck=0

For the repository on PSI there is the /WWW/data/createrepo.sh script.