How to use yum history to roll back an update

  Uncategorized

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 , 7
  • yum

Issue

  • How to roll back an update using yum in Red Hat Enterprise Linux-6, 7?
  • How to use yum history?
  • Information on best practice to enable easy backout of yum patching

Resolution

Note: Downgrading a system to minor version (ex: RHEL6.1 to RHEL6.0) is not recommended as this might leave the system in broken state where libgcc and other libraries won’t rollback as expected. Use the history option for small update rollbacks.

Note: Rollback of selinux, selinux-policy-*, kernel, glibc (dependencies of glibc such as gcc) packages to older version is not supported.

If you decide to proceed with rollback, rather then reinstall, here are the instructions:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 includes the yum history module which helps to rollback any updates done with the yum command. With this command, you can choose an update yum issued and remove those selected packages. The following is an example while installing the screen package:

Raw

[root@localhost ~]# yum install screen
Loaded plugins: product-id, refresh-packagekit, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                             | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-ha-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-lb-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.0 kB     00:00     
rhel-rs-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-scalefs-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                            |  951 B     00:00     
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package screen.i686 0:4.0.3-16.el6 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

======================================================================================================================================================================
 Package                            Arch                             Version                                     Repository                                      Size
======================================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
 screen                             i686                             4.0.3-16.el6                                rhel-6-server-rpms                             484 k

Transaction Summary
======================================================================================================================================================================
Install       1 Package(s)                                                                                                                                            

Total download size: 484 k                                                                                                                                            
Installed size: 484 k                                                                                                                                                 
Is this ok [y/N]: y                                                                                                                                                   
Downloading Packages:                                                                                                                                                 
screen-4.0.3-16.el6.i686.rpm                                                                                                                   | 484 kB     00:08     
Running rpm_check_debug                                                                                                                                               
Running Transaction Test                                                                                                                                              
Transaction Test Succeeded                                                                                                                                            
Running Transaction
  Installing : screen-4.0.3-16.el6.i686                                                                                                                           1/1 
rhel-6-server-rpms/productid                                                                                                                   | 1.7 kB     00:00     
rhel-ha-for-rhel-6-server-rpms/productid                                                                                                       | 1.7 kB     00:00     
rhel-lb-for-rhel-6-server-rpms/productid                                                                                                       | 1.7 kB     00:00     
rhel-rs-for-rhel-6-server-rpms/productid                                                                                                       | 1.7 kB     00:00     
duration: 319(ms)
Installed products updated.

Installed:
  screen.i686 0:4.0.3-16.el6                                                                                                                                          

Complete!

Raw

[root@localhost ~]# yum history
Loaded plugins: product-id, refresh-packagekit, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
ID     | Login user               | Date and time    | Action(s)      | Altered
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     8 | root <root>              | 2011-10-03 14:40 | Install        |    1   
     7 | root <root>              | 2011-09-21 04:24 | Install        |    1 ##
     6 | root <root>              | 2011-09-21 04:23 | Install        |    1 ##
     5 | root <root>              | 2011-09-16 13:35 | Install        |    1   
     4 | root <root>              | 2011-09-16 13:33 | Erase          |    1   
     3 | root <root>              | 2011-09-14 14:36 | Install        |    1   
     2 | root <root>              | 2011-09-12 15:48 | I, U           |   80   
     1 | System <unset>           | 2011-09-12 14:57 | Install        | 1025  

Raw

[root@localhost ~]# yum history undo 8
Loaded plugins: product-id, refresh-packagekit, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                             | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-ha-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-lb-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.0 kB     00:00     
rhel-rs-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                                 | 2.4 kB     00:00     
rhel-scalefs-for-rhel-6-server-rpms                                                                                                            |  951 B     00:00     
Undoing transaction 8, from Mon Oct  3 14:40:01 2011
    Install screen-4.0.3-16.el6.i686
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package screen.i686 0:4.0.3-16.el6 will be erased
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

======================================================================================================================================================================
 Package                            Arch                             Version                                    Repository                                       Size
======================================================================================================================================================================
Removing:
 screen                             i686                             4.0.3-16.el6                               @rhel-6-server-rpms                             783 k

Transaction Summary
======================================================================================================================================================================
Remove        1 Package(s)

Installed size: 783 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Erasing    : screen-4.0.3-16.el6.i686                                                                                                                           1/1 
duration: 320(ms)
Installed products updated.

Removed:
  screen.i686 0:4.0.3-16.el6                                                                                                                                          

Complete

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