Now that updates and errata for Oracle Linux are available for free (both as in beer and freedom), here's a quick HOWTO on how to subscribe your Oracle Linux system to the newly added yum repositories on our public yum server, assuming that you just installed Oracle Linux from scratch, e.g. by using the installation media (ISO images) available from the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud

You need to download the appropriate yum repository configuration file from the public yum server and install it in the yum repository directory. For Oracle Linux 6, the process would look as follows: as the root user, run the following command:

[root@oraclelinux62 ~]# wget http://public-yum.oracle.com/public-yum-ol6.repo \
-P /etc/yum.repos.d/
--2012-03-23 00:18:25--  http://public-yum.oracle.com/public-yum-ol6.repo
Resolving public-yum.oracle.com... 141.146.44.34
Connecting to public-yum.oracle.com|141.146.44.34|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 1461 (1.4K) [text/plain]
Saving to: “/etc/yum.repos.d/public-yum-ol6.repo”

100%[=================================================>] 1,461       --.-K/s   in 0s      

2012-03-23 00:18:26 (37.1 MB/s) - “/etc/yum.repos.d/public-yum-ol6.repo” saved [1461/1461]

For Oracle Linux 5, the file name would be public-yum-ol5.repo in the URL above instead. The "_latest" repositories that contain the errata packages are already enabled by default — you can simply pull in all available updates by running "yum update" next:

[root@oraclelinux62 ~]# yum update
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit, security
ol6_latest                                                    | 1.1 kB     00:00     
ol6_latest/primary                                            |  15 MB     00:42     
ol6_latest                                                               14643/14643
Setting up Update Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package at.x86_64 0:3.1.10-43.el6 will be updated
---> Package at.x86_64 0:3.1.10-43.el6_2.1 will be an update
---> Package autofs.x86_64 1:5.0.5-39.el6 will be updated
---> Package autofs.x86_64 1:5.0.5-39.el6_2.1 will be an update
---> Package bind-libs.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6 will be updated
---> Package bind-libs.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2 will be an update
---> Package bind-utils.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6 will be updated
---> Package bind-utils.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2 will be an update
---> Package cvs.x86_64 0:1.11.23-11.el6_0.1 will be updated
---> Package cvs.x86_64 0:1.11.23-11.el6_2.1 will be an update

[...]

---> Package yum.noarch 0:3.2.29-22.0.1.el6 will be updated
---> Package yum.noarch 0:3.2.29-22.0.2.el6_2.2 will be an update
---> Package yum-plugin-security.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.el6 will be updated
---> Package yum-plugin-security.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.0.1.el6 will be an update
---> Package yum-utils.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.el6 will be updated
---> Package yum-utils.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.0.1.el6 will be an update
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

=====================================================================================
 Package                     Arch    Version                       Repository   Size
=====================================================================================
Installing:
 kernel                      x86_64  2.6.32-220.7.1.el6            ol6_latest   24 M
 kernel-uek                  x86_64  2.6.32-300.11.1.el6uek        ol6_latest   21 M
 kernel-uek-devel            x86_64  2.6.32-300.11.1.el6uek        ol6_latest  6.3 M
Updating:
 at                          x86_64  3.1.10-43.el6_2.1             ol6_latest   60 k
 autofs                      x86_64  1:5.0.5-39.el6_2.1            ol6_latest  470 k
 bind-libs                   x86_64  32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2         ol6_latest  839 k
 bind-utils                  x86_64  32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2         ol6_latest  178 k
 cvs                         x86_64  1.11.23-11.el6_2.1            ol6_latest  711 k

[...]

 xulrunner                   x86_64  10.0.3-1.0.1.el6_2            ol6_latest   12 M
 yelp                        x86_64  2.28.1-13.el6_2               ol6_latest  778 k
 yum                         noarch  3.2.29-22.0.2.el6_2.2         ol6_latest  987 k
 yum-plugin-security         noarch  1.1.30-10.0.1.el6             ol6_latest   36 k
 yum-utils                   noarch  1.1.30-10.0.1.el6             ol6_latest   94 k

Transaction Summary
=====================================================================================
Install       3 Package(s)
Upgrade      96 Package(s)

Total download size: 173 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
(1/99): at-3.1.10-43.el6_2.1.x86_64.rpm                       |  60 kB     00:00     
(2/99): autofs-5.0.5-39.el6_2.1.x86_64.rpm                    | 470 kB     00:01     
(3/99): bind-libs-9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2.x86_64.rpm               | 839 kB     00:02     
(4/99): bind-utils-9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2.x86_64.rpm              | 178 kB     00:00     

[...]

(96/99): yelp-2.28.1-13.el6_2.x86_64.rpm                      | 778 kB     00:02     
(97/99): yum-3.2.29-22.0.2.el6_2.2.noarch.rpm                 | 987 kB     00:03     
(98/99): yum-plugin-security-1.1.30-10.0.1.el6.noarch.rpm     |  36 kB     00:00     
(99/99): yum-utils-1.1.30-10.0.1.el6.noarch.rpm               |  94 kB     00:00     
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                                306 kB/s | 173 MB     09:38     
warning: rpmts_HdrFromFdno: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID ec551f03: NOKEY
Retrieving key from http://public-yum.oracle.com/RPM-GPG-KEY-oracle-ol6
Importing GPG key 0xEC551F03:
 Userid: "Oracle OSS group (Open Source Software group) "
 From  : http://public-yum.oracle.com/RPM-GPG-KEY-oracle-ol6
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Updating   : yum-3.2.29-22.0.2.el6_2.2.noarch                                1/195 
  Updating   : xorg-x11-server-common-1.10.4-6.el6_2.3.x86_64                  2/195 
  Updating   : kernel-uek-headers-2.6.32-300.11.1.el6uek.x86_64                3/195 
  Updating   : 12:dhcp-common-4.1.1-25.P1.el6_2.1.x86_64                       4/195 
  Updating   : tzdata-java-2011n-2.el6.noarch                                  5/195 
  Updating   : tzdata-2011n-2.el6.noarch                                       6/195 
  Updating   : glibc-common-2.12-1.47.el6_2.9.x86_64                           7/195 
  Updating   : glibc-2.12-1.47.el6_2.9.x86_64                                  8/195 

[...]

  Cleanup    : kernel-firmware-2.6.32-220.el6.noarch                         191/195 
  Cleanup    : kernel-uek-firmware-2.6.32-300.3.1.el6uek.noarch              192/195 
  Cleanup    : glibc-common-2.12-1.47.el6.x86_64                             193/195 
  Cleanup    : glibc-2.12-1.47.el6.x86_64                                    194/195 
  Cleanup    : tzdata-2011l-4.el6.noarch                                     195/195 

Installed:
  kernel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-220.7.1.el6                                                 
  kernel-uek.x86_64 0:2.6.32-300.11.1.el6uek                                         
  kernel-uek-devel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-300.11.1.el6uek                                   

Updated:
  at.x86_64 0:3.1.10-43.el6_2.1                                                      
  autofs.x86_64 1:5.0.5-39.el6_2.1                                                   
  bind-libs.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2                                             
  bind-utils.x86_64 32:9.7.3-8.P3.el6_2.2                                            
  cvs.x86_64 0:1.11.23-11.el6_2.1                                                    
  dhclient.x86_64 12:4.1.1-25.P1.el6_2.1                                             

[...]

  xorg-x11-server-common.x86_64 0:1.10.4-6.el6_2.3                                   
  xulrunner.x86_64 0:10.0.3-1.0.1.el6_2                                              
  yelp.x86_64 0:2.28.1-13.el6_2                                                      
  yum.noarch 0:3.2.29-22.0.2.el6_2.2                                                 
  yum-plugin-security.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.0.1.el6                                     
  yum-utils.noarch 0:1.1.30-10.0.1.el6                                               

Complete!

At this point, your system is fully up to date. As the kernel was updated as well, a reboot is the recommended next action.

If you want to install the latest release of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2 as well, you need to edit the .repo file and enable the respective yum repository (e.g. "ol6_UEK_latest" for Oracle Linux 6 and "ol5_UEK_latest" for Oracle Linux 5) manually, by setting enabled to "1". The next yum update run will download and install the second release of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, which will be enabled after the next reboot.

-Lenz