RPMCheck Alarms
===============

$Id: README,v 1.3 2002/01/02 16:26:06 cvs Exp $

Miguel Armas <kuko@ulpgc.es>

This directory contains the files and alarms used to make sure all the
servers have the latest critical RPM packages installed

For this service we use apt-rpm (apt-get for rpm packages) and a simple
alarm that runs nightly. This alarm updates the RPM database from a central
apt-rpm repository and installs any needed update.

We have the RPM repository in a central host where we mirror redhat updates
nightly. We also have some directories containing aditional RPM packages.

We also distribute a file containing the critical packages needed by every
server, so the alarm can check and install it as needed.

APT-RPM Repository Server
-------------------------

These are the steps to setup an APT-RPM Repository server.

1. Setup a redhat mirror...
---------------------------

You will need at least the distribution binaries and the updates section. I
recommend using the URLGet alarm to make mirrors using rsync. It's MUCH
faster than FTP or HTTP. With the default configuration, the RedHat mirror
generates the following tree:

$localdir/redhat
          7.2/
	      i386/            -> RH 7.2 binary mirror
	           RedHat/
		          RPMS -> RH 7.2 binary RPM packages
		   SRPMS       -> RH 7.2 source packages
	      updates/i386     -> RH 7.2 updates RPM Packages
	              SRPMS    -> RH 7.2 updates source Packages

2. Setup de APT-RPM repository
------------------------------

APT needs a repository tree with the following structure:

$aptrepdir/
        7.2/
	    SRPMS.main        -> RedHat 7.2 distro SRPMS packages
	    SRPMS.updates     -> RedHat 7.2 updates SRPMS packages
	    SRPMS.custom      -> Custom SRPMS for RH 7.2
	    i386/
	         RPMS.main    -> RedHat 7.2 distro binary RPMS packages
                 RPMS.updates -> RedHat 7.2 updates binary RPMS packages
	         RPMS.custom  -> Custom binary RPMS for RH 7.2
	         base/        -> Directory where APT saves the databases

Since the RedHat tree has a different structure, I usually mirror RedHat
with their structure and creates the APT structure creating symlinks.

This symlinks should be RELATIVE if this is going to be accesible via
anonymous FTP.

3. Generate the APT databases
-----------------------------

The alarm APTRep will generate the APT repositories for you. You just have
to define the repositories and modules in the variable $aptreps.

This alarm will be run nightly, but you can force APT repository
regeneration with:

pica -xv +F "APTRep -v" +H aptserver

