Tips-Tricks/ManuallyUpdatingRHEL8.md

RHEL 8.10 Offline Update Guide: Loading Updates from ISO

Overview

This guide covers the process of applying RHEL 8.10 updates using a locally-mounted ISO file containing the full update repository. This method is used in air-gapped or disconnected environments where systems cannot reach Red Hat's CDN or Satellite servers.

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Prerequisites

• Root or sudo access on the target system
• The update ISO file: Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso (~30 GB)
• Minimum 35 GB free disk space for the ISO file and package installation
• Cockpit is available at https://<hostname>:9090 for GUI-based monitoring

Note: Due to the large ISO size (30 GB), file transfers may take significant time. Plan accordingly and verify transfer integrity with checksums when possible.

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Update Methods

You have two options for performing this procedure:

Method	Best For
Command Line (Terminal)	Scripting, remote SSH sessions, full control
Desktop GUI (KVM)	Visual file management, less experienced admins

You can also use Cockpit (https://<hostname>:9090) to access a web-based terminal if you don't have direct SSH access.

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Procedure

Step 1: Transfer the ISO to the System

Copy the ISO file to a location on the target system. Common locations include /tmp, /opt, or /var/isos.

Option A: Command Line

# Example: If copying from USB drive
cp /run/media/username/USBDRIVE/Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso /var/isos/

Tip: For a 30 GB file, this transfer will take several minutes. You can monitor progress with:

rsync -ah --progress /run/media/username/USBDRIVE/Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso /var/isos/

Option B: GUI File Manager (GNOME Files)

1. Open Files from the Applications menu
2. Navigate to the USB drive in the left sidebar
3. Right-click Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso and select Copy
4. Navigate to Other Locations → Computer → var → isos
5. Right-click and select Paste
6. Wait for the progress bar to complete (~30 GB transfer)

Step 2: Create the Mount Point

Create the directory where the ISO will be mounted:

sudo mkdir -p /media/JanPatch

Step 3: Mount the ISO

Option A: Command Line

Mount the ISO file as a loop device:

sudo mount -o loop /var/isos/Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso /media/JanPatch

Verify the mount was successful:

ls /media/JanPatch

Option B: GUI using GNOME Disks (via KVM)

1. Open Disks from the Applications menu (search "Disks")
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner
3. Select Attach Disk Image...
4. Navigate to /var/isos/ and select Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso
5. Click Attach
6. The ISO will mount automatically (note: you may need to create a symlink to /media/JanPatch or update the repo file path)

Option C: GUI using GNOME Files (via KVM)

1. Open Files from the Applications menu
2. Navigate to /var/isos/
3. Right-click on Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso
4. Select Open With Disk Image Mounter
5. The ISO will appear in the left sidebar under "Devices"

Note: For GUI mounts, the system may mount to a different location. For consistency, use the command line method to mount directly to /media/JanPatch.

Step 4: Create the Local Repository Configuration

Create a new repo file that points to the mounted ISO:

sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/JanPatch.repo

Add the following content:

[dvd-rhel-patches]
name=DVD for RHEL Patches
baseurl=file:///media/JanPatch
enabled=1
gpgcheck=0

Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X).

Step 5: Clean and Refresh Repository Cache

Clear the existing yum/dnf cache and rebuild it with the new repo:

sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf makecache

Step 6: Verify Repository Availability

Confirm the local repositories are recognized:

sudo dnf repolist

You should see local-baseos-updates and local-appstream-updates in the list.

Step 7: Apply Updates

Option A: Apply all available updates

sudo dnf update -y

Option B: Check what updates are available first

sudo dnf check-update

Option C: Update specific packages only

sudo dnf update <package-name> -y

Step 8: Reboot if Required

If kernel or critical system packages were updated, a reboot is required:

sudo needs-restarting -r

If a reboot is needed:

sudo systemctl reboot

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Using Cockpit for Remote Terminal Access

If you don't have direct SSH or KVM access, you can use Cockpit's web-based terminal to run all the command-line steps.

Access Cockpit Terminal

1. Open a web browser on your workstation
2. Navigate to https://<hostname>:9090
3. Log in with your admin credentials
4. Click Terminal in the left sidebar
5. Run all command-line steps (Steps 1-8) from this terminal

Note: Cockpit's Terminal provides full shell access. You can run all the same commands as you would via SSH or local console.

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Post-Update Cleanup

After updates are complete and verified, clean up the temporary configuration:

Disable or Remove the Local Repo

# Option 1: Disable the repo (keeps config for future use)
sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled dvd-rhel-patches

# Option 2: Remove the repo file entirely
sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/JanPatch.repo

Unmount the ISO

sudo umount /media/JanPatch

Remove the Mount Point (Optional)

sudo rmdir /media/JanPatch

Delete the ISO (If No Longer Needed)

sudo rm /var/isos/Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso

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Troubleshooting

"No repodata found" Error

• Verify the ISO structure: ls -la /media/JanPatch/
• The baseurl must point to the directory containing repodata/
• Try: find /media/JanPatch -name "repodata" -type d

"Mount point busy" When Unmounting

Ensure no terminal sessions or processes are using the mount:

# Check what's using the mount
sudo lsof /media/JanPatch

# Force unmount if necessary (use with caution)
sudo umount -l /media/JanPatch

Repository Priority Conflicts

If other repos are enabled and causing conflicts, temporarily disable them:

sudo dnf update --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo="dvd-rhel-patches"

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Quick Reference Commands

Task	Command
Mount ISO	sudo mount -o loop /var/isos/Full_Latest_RHEL8_x86_64_patches_2026-01-13.iso /media/JanPatch
List repos	sudo dnf repolist
Check updates	sudo dnf check-update
Apply updates	sudo dnf update -y
Check reboot needed	sudo needs-restarting -r
Unmount ISO	sudo umount /media/JanPatch

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Document Information

• Applies to: RHEL 8.10 systems
• Last Updated: January 2026
• Author: Cybersecurity Team