SLES 10 update - Service Pack 2

Our final step is to move the system from SP1 to SP2. I have to mention the choice you can use zypper tool from now. The command syntax and parameters are almost the same. Nevertheless, I'm going to continue with rug.

It holds the same for SLES 10 SP2. It is separated product with separated update source tree. Let's begin.

1. Again, subscribe to SP2 update and install source and to available catalogs
   

   rug sa ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP2-Updates/sles-10-i586 --type yum update-sp2
   rug sa ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP2-Online/sles-10-i586 --type yum install-sp2
   rug sl
   
   # | Status | Type | Name       | URI
   --+--------+------+------------+------------------------------------------------
   1 | Active | ZYPP | online     | ftp://suse.mydom.com/install/i386/sles10
   2 | Active | YUM  | update     | ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-Updates...
   3 | Active | YUM  | update-sp1 | ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP1-Updates...
   4 | Active | YUM  | online-sp1 | ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP1-Online...
   5 | Active | YUM  | update-sp2 | ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP2-Updates...
   6 | Active | YUM  | online-sp2 | ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP2-Online...
   
   
   rug sub online-sp2
   rug sub update-sp2
   rug ca
   
   Sub'd? | Name       | Service
   -------+------------+-----------
   Yes    | online     | online
   Yes    | update     | update
   Yes    | update-sp1 | update-sp1
   Yes    | online-sp1 | online-sp1
   Yes    | update-sp1 | update-sp2
   Yes    | online-sp1 | online-sp2
   

2. Perform update

   rug up -y
   
   Resolving Dependencies...
   
   The following packages will be installed:
   aaa_base 10-12.47 (ftp://suse.mydom.com/update/SLES10-SP2-Updates/sles-10-i586)
   ...
   ...
   Downloading Packages...
   ...
   Transaction...
   ...
   Finishing...
   Transaction Finished

3. Move to SP2 product

   rug in -y -t patch product-sles10-sp2

   
   
4. Verify the new version

   SPident
   
   CONCLUSION: System is up-to-date!
   found    SLE-10-i386-SP2 + "online updates"

If you are not using local update server but official ones like nu.novell.com you can still follow the same steps. It is quite simpler because you don't have to add new update and install sources by hand but just use switch-update-server and move-to-sles10-sp1 or move-to-sles10-sp2 patches which prepare the current system for transition from GA to SP1 and from SP1 to SP2.

1. Before you start update install switch-update-server patch and prepare the system

   rug in -y -t patch switch-update-server
   /usr/bin/switch-update-server
   
   rug sub SLES10-Updates
   rug in -y -t patch move-to-sles10-sp1

2. Perform the similar steps for SP2
3. Continue with update the same way as shown in the article
   

Perhaps, it would be interesting to compare whole process with updating other enterprise distribution like RHEL now. How difficult it is and so on.

In the end, I would like to mention the main source of information the article is based on. The official documentation for update from SLES 10 GA to SP1 and from SP1 to SP2 is published at www.novell.com:

1. How to update to SLES/SLED 10 SP1
2. How to update to SLES/SLED 10 SP2