Red Hat experts! help needed...

[phishphreek]

I have a box that I run Red Hat 7.3 on.

I have had no problems getting updates for this PC until a couple of months ago.

I am trying to use the up2date feature to download and install them.
The program will tell me that I have updates waiting, but it gives me an error when I try to run the program. I have tried different configurations, but haven't any success in figuring out what is wrong. I have searched both google and red hat, but I've come up with little.

Here is a piece from my up2date log showing my latest attempt to run the program.

I get this weather I try to use the GUI or use the options to run w/out GUI.

Any advise/help appreciated as always!

[Sun Dec 22 05:35:18 2002] up2date new up2date run started
[Sun Dec 22 05:35:18 2002] up2date Opening rpmdb in /var/lib/rpm/ with option 0
[Sun Dec 22 05:35:19 2002] up2date updating login info
[Sun Dec 22 05:35:19 2002] up2date Opening rpmdb in /var/lib/rpm/ with option 0
[Sun Dec 22 05:35:19 2002] up2date logging into up2date server
[Sun Dec 22 05:40:21 2002] up2date A socket error occurred: EOF, attempt #1
[Sun Dec 22 05:40:26 2002] up2date A socket error occurred: EOF, attempt #2
[Sun Dec 22 05:40:31 2002] up2date A socket error occurred: EOF, attempt #3
[Sun Dec 22 05:40:36 2002] up2date A socket error occurred: EOF, attempt #4
[Sun Dec 22 05:51:15 2002] up2date A socket error occurred: EOF, attempt #5
[Sun Dec 22 05:51:15 2002] up2date Error communicating with server.  The message was:
EOF

Where it says

up2date updating login info

I was sure to be using the correct username and password.
I verified that by visiting the Red Hat Network/Eratta.

I have also disabled my firewall temporarily on that box to make sure that wasn't the problem. Possibly I shut off a service that is needed by up2date?

Thanks again!

[IchNiSan]

I'm certainly not an expert on up2date, other than I click on it and it works. But, have you tried creating another email account, and re-registering for the Redhat Network with that? Then making sure to change all your setting locally.

Also if I remember correctly, I got a message a month or so ago that up2date was out of date.. hehe, and I should get the new version.

[phishphreek]

But, have you tried creating another email account, and re-registering for the Redhat Network with that? Then making sure to change all your setting locally.

I have tried that, but when I go into red hat network, it doesn't list any systems under there.

I have made the changes locally in the up2date configuration tool.

I can't get the GUI to launch or I can't get it to work w/out GUI.

If I watch the processes using the command "top" then I can see it launch, and shortly terminates, but I still get a full log (like in the example above). Its really bugging me out.

[sweet_angel]

Hi ..

I've got question for you....How many times you installed RH Linux 7.3 in your Box?...the reason I asked .cause if you already install RH 7.3 more then once...your update RH will not work (error).

I had same problem as you when I was running RH 7.3.and then I sent email to RH support, and that update RH only used for 1 box..if you reinstalled again..it will error, apparently if you buy RH CD and you've got one number registration..that registration only for 1 box(even you can install RH in many boxes) .

But..may be someone else have different advise..

[IchNiSan]

Do you run tripwire? that should notify you if any files have been changed, or become corrupted. I think that tripwire may run automatically on 7.3, I'm not sure, as I set it up specifically with the exact settings I wanted. I am positive that it does run daiily on my rh8 box though.

If not, it will probably help you out in the future to figure out quite a number of issues, not just if the system has been hacked.

Check /var/spool/mail/root

If the systems runs it automatically, it will send the reports to that account. And should list any files which have changed from the initial setup.

Be warned though, tripwire can get overwhelming if you add/remove stuff while not paying attention to the reports and updating the tripwire db for a while.

Tripwire can

sweet_angel,

IIRC, from one of my rh instructors, you can have as many systems as you want as part of the rh network, with non-priority service.

All you need to do is set up a seperate email address for each of them.

Any priority service(3 or 6 months I think) which may come with the boxed distro, will only allow one box.

[phishphreek]

I've got question for you....How many times you installed RH Linux 7.3 in your Box?...the reason I asked .cause if you already install RH 7.3 more then once...your update RH will not work (error).

I upgraded from RH 6.2 to RH 7.1 to 7.3. It still worked after that point though.

Do you run tripwire?

Not that I'm aware of. I am still a linux newbie and still have a lot to learn.

I'll do some reading on this tripwire and see what I can find out though.

Well, I do a backup regularly and my backup just happens to be from last night.

Maybe I'll just do a clean install of RH8 (I was going to do upgrade).
Then I can just restore my "important" data. It is only on my home network, so its no emergency.

I don't think that my server was hacked, though it is a possibility. I show no evidence of it by looking at logs on the system itself or from my firewall/router. Plus its on a different subnet and only accessable by few machines.

I am by no means an expert at setting the security on a linux box though, so I'm not positive.

Thanks for everyone's help! I'm going to try a couple more things first, so I'll reply with my results. Thanks again!