Install CentOS Packages on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Installing CentOS packages on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Are you registered to the Red Hat Network (RHN)?

If not, you will see messages like this when trying to use the “yum” package installer.

[root@localhost ~]# yum install pidgin
Loaded plugins: rhnplugin, security
This system is not registered with RHN.
RHN support will be disabled.
Setting up Install Process
No package pidgin available.
Nothing to do

Don’t panic, you might be able to use CentOS packages

First you need to add the CentOS repository, create this file using your favorite text editor:

[root@localhost ~]# vi /etc/yum.repos.d/centos.repo

Adding the following contents, note the ’5′ has to be hardcoded to either 5 or 6 depending on your RHEL version.

[centos]
name=CentOS $releasever - $basearch
baseurl=http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/centos/5/os/$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=0

Once you’ve completed this step, you can now use “yum” to install CentOS packages.

Installing a package from CentOS

[root@localhost ~]# yum install pidgin

It shall give RHN error, but it shall install it from CentOS repository.