Red Hat Enterprise Linux v6.3 has been released and available via RHN for immediate update. How do I upgrade my RHEL from 6.2 to the latest 6.3 version?
You can only upgrade from minor release as Red Hat does not support in-place upgrades between any major versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. However, a minor upgrade can be done easily and recommended for all users.
Back up any important data on the server
Make a backup - it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to make a backup of your system before you do this. Most of the actions listed in this post are written with the assumption that they will be executed by the root user running the bash or any other modern shell. Type the following commands to see current version:
$ uname -mrs
$ cat /etc/redhat-release
RHEL: Upgrading your current system
Type the following yum command:
# yum update -y
Sample outputs (see quick video demo):
Reboot the Linux server:
# reboot
OR
# shutdown -r now
Verify that everything is working fine:
# uname -a
# cat /etc/redhat_release
# netstat -tulpn
# tail -f /var/log/messages
# tail -f /path/to/log/file
# ps aux | less
# ps aux | egrep 'httpd|mysql'
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Vivek….
Thanks for the update….
What’s that delicious command tab completion?
Thank you. Recently I install Centos 6.2 on my system. When RHEL 6.3 out, I wonder if I need to reinstall Centos to upgrade. Your article answer my question.
Why not use `yum -y upgrade`?
It adds the `–obsoletes` call to `update`, thereby making it a cleaner run.
I would also clean metadata just before
yum clean all
yum upgrade
If you want your system F*ed, then yeah, upgrade to 6.3. Stupid crap destroyed/overwrote config files for dozens of working software packages Apache/PHP being one the most frustrating.
If you have a Broadcom wireless card, you can’t rebuild the drivers for the new kernal…
Don’t do it!