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In today's world, software management in Linux distributions such as CentOS is crucial for keeping systems updated and secure. One of the most effective ways to achieve high levels of software management is by using YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) repositories, which allow for easy installation, updates, and removal of software. Creating a custom YUM repository on network storage provides flexibility and control over software distribution in your organization. In this article, you'll learn how to create and manage custom YUM repositories on network storage for CentOS 7.

Creating a YUM Repository

Preparing the Storage

1. Installing Necessary Tools: The first step is to install createrepo, a tool that allows you to create and manage your YUM repository. Install it with the following command:

   yum install createrepo -y
   ​

2. Setting Up Directory Structure: Create a directory to serve as the root of your repository. For this example, we'll use /var/www/HTML/repo/:

   mkdir -p /var/www/html/repo/
   ​

 

Creating the Repository

1. Copying RPM Packages: Copy all RPM packages you want to include in your repository to the created directory.
2. Creating the Repository: Navigate to the directory containing RPM packages and run createrepo . to create the repository:

   cd /var/www/html/repo/
   createrepo .
   ​

 

 

Configuring Apache HTTP Server

To access the repository via HTTP, you need to configure a web server. For CentOS 7, Apache HTTP server is commonly used.

1. Installing Apache HTTP Server:

   yum install httpd -y
   ​

2. Configuring Apache: Modify the Apache configuration file (/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf) to ensure access to your repository.
3. Starting and Enabling Apache Server:

   systemctl start httpd
   systemctl enable httpd
   ​

 

Setting Up Client to Use the Custom Repository

1. Creating a Repository File: On the client, create a file with the .repo extension in the directory /etc/yum.repos.d/, e.g., myrepo.repo, with the following content:

   [myrepo]
   name=My YUM Repository
   baseurl=http://your-server-ip/repo/
   enabled=1
   gpgcheck=0
   ​

2. Cleaning YUM Cache: To reflect the changes, clean the YUM cache:

   yum clean all
   ​

 

Managing YUM Repository

Updating the Repository

When adding or removing RPM packages from the repository directory, update the repository using createrepo --update /var/www/html/repo/.

Securing the Repository

To secure your repository, you can set access restrictions using .htaccess or Apache configurations, or utilize SSL/TLS for encrypted data transfer.

Creating and managing a custom YUM repository on network storage can greatly simplify software management in CentOS 7. With these steps, you can efficiently distribute software packages within your network, providing control over which software versions are installed and updated on your systems.