Updating RHEL to a specific version

1) Download the isos for the specific version from https://rhn.redhat.com/rhn/software/downloads/SupportedISOs.do using the rhn login.

2) Mount the CDs/DVD and copy the rpm packages in the RPMS folder in it to a particular folder like say /var/spool/RPMS/.

3) Open the file /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources and comment the line

   #up2date default

Modify the line beginning ”# dir my-favorite-rpms ”

   dir UPDATE-RPMS /var/spool/RPMS/

Save the file and exit.

4) Run the following command

  [root@rhel ~]# up2date --configure
0.  adminAddress       ['root@localhost', '']                                
1.  debug              No                                                    
==SNIPPED==                 
19. pkgSkipList        ['kernel*', '']                                       
20. pkgsToInstallNotUp ['kernel', 'kernel-modules', 'kernel-devel', '']      
==SNIPPED==
Enter number of item to edit : 

Edit the pkgSkipList to include the kernel rpms for update.

5) Make sure the server is backed up in the current state ( A lot of softwares might not work after the update or might face reconfiguration etc, especially third party softwares ). Then run the command

   [root@rhel ~]# up2date -u

If all goes well the system will update to the version of the dvd we have put in the /var/spool/RPMS folder.

6) Reboot the server for the new kernel to be loaded. To verify the update, run

   [root@rhel ~]# cat /etc/redhat-release

Remote boot upload image error HP RADIA Dell Optiplex 755

One of my colleagues was trying to upload a boot image of an xp install on a dell optiplex 755 using the HP OpenView configuration management tool (formerly radia) and it was showing up an error
no BootDisk found (actually something like that)

It's backend was (of course ;) ) linux so I tried switching the terminal and did an lsmod and tail of the /log/rnl.log file. An empty fdisk -l output confirmed it was a case of driver not being loaded for the sata.
I changed the SATA Operation parameter in the BIOS to AHCI from ATA and it worked fine.

UPDATE:
This didn't solve the issue. It doesn't install using an image uploaded this way. HP later released a patch for this .