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== What is Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL)? ==
== What is Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL)? ==


Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL) is a Fedora Special Interest Group that creates, maintains, and manages a high quality set of additional packages for Enterprise Linux, including, but not limited to, [[Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux | Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] (RHEL), CentOS and Scientific Linux (SL), Oracle Linux (OL).  
Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL) is a Fedora Special Interest Group that creates, maintains, and manages a high quality set of additional packages for Enterprise Linux, including, but not limited to, [[Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux | Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] (RHEL), CentOS and Scientific Linux (SL), Oracle Linux (OL).


EPEL packages are usually based on their Fedora counterparts and will never conflict with or replace packages in the base Enterprise Linux distributions. EPEL uses much of the same infrastructure as Fedora, including buildsystem, bugzilla instance, updates manager, mirror manager and more.
EPEL packages are usually based on their Fedora counterparts and will never conflict with or replace packages in the base Enterprise Linux distributions. EPEL uses much of the same infrastructure as Fedora, including buildsystem, bugzilla instance, updates manager, mirror manager and more.
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'''THESE ARE NO LONGER SUPPORTED'''
'''THESE ARE NO LONGER SUPPORTED'''


NOTE: Due to major security changes in SSL in the last 10 years, older releases may not be able to directly point to these releases. As of 2021-01-22, EPEL-5 and 4 systems do not have the newer TLS1.2 algorithms that Internet servers are required to use for security reasons. The best method for working with these is to have a newer system mirror the entire archive and then for your systems to point to that mirror.  
NOTE: Due to major security changes in SSL in the last 10 years, older releases may not be able to directly point to these releases. As of 2021-01-22, EPEL-5 and 4 systems do not have the newer TLS1.2 algorithms that Internet servers are required to use for security reasons. The best method for working with these is to have a newer system mirror the entire archive and then for your systems to point to that mirror.


* EPEL 6: [https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/archive/epel/6/ ]
* EPEL 6: [https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/archive/epel/6/ ]
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== How can I use these extra packages? ==
== How can I use these extra packages? ==


EPEL has an 'epel-release' package that includes gpg keys for package signing and repository information. Installing this package for your Enterprise Linux version should allow you to use normal tools such as yum to install packages and their dependencies. By default the stable EPEL repo is enabled, there is also a [[EPEL/testing|'epel-testing' repository]] that contains packages that are not yet deemed stable.  
EPEL has an 'epel-release' package that includes gpg keys for package signing and repository information. Installing this package for your Enterprise Linux version should allow you to use normal tools such as yum to install packages and their dependencies. By default the stable EPEL repo is enabled, there is also a [[EPEL/testing|'epel-testing' repository]] that contains packages that are not yet deemed stable.


{{admon/tip|NOTE for RHN users|You need to also enable the ''''optional'''' repository to use EPEL packages as they depend on packages in that repository. This can be done by enabling the RHEL optional [https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11313 subchannel] for RHN-Classic. For certificate-based subscriptions see [https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Subscription_Management/1/html/RHSM/entitlements-and-yum.html#supplementary-repos Red Hat Subscription Management Guide].}}
{{admon/tip|NOTE for RHN users|You need to also enable the ''''optional'''' repository to use EPEL packages as they depend on packages in that repository. This can be done by enabling the RHEL optional [https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11313 subchannel] for RHN-Classic. For certificate-based subscriptions see [https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Subscription_Management/1/html/RHSM/entitlements-and-yum.html#supplementary-repos Red Hat Subscription Management Guide].}}
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== History and background of the project ==
== History and background of the project ==


The EPEL project was born when Fedora maintainers realized that the same infrastructure that builds and maintains packages for Fedora would be great to also maintain add on packages for Enterprise Linux. Much of the early need was driven by what Fedora infrastructure needed on the RHEL machines that built and maintained Fedora. From there things have grown to a large collection of varied packages. See [[History_and_Philosophy_of_EPEL|our history and Philosophy page]] for more information.  
The EPEL project was born when Fedora maintainers realized that the same infrastructure that builds and maintains packages for Fedora would be great to also maintain add on packages for Enterprise Linux. Much of the early need was driven by what Fedora infrastructure needed on the RHEL machines that built and maintained Fedora. From there things have grown to a large collection of varied packages. See [[History_and_Philosophy_of_EPEL|our history and Philosophy page]] for more information.


== How can I contribute? ==
== How can I contribute? ==


The EPEL SIG is always looking for interested folks to help out. We always need package maintainers, qa/testers, bug triagers, marketing and documentation writers. Please see our [[Joining_EPEL | Joining EPEL]] page for more information on how to join the SIG.  
The EPEL SIG is always looking for interested folks to help out. We always need package maintainers, qa/testers, bug triagers, marketing and documentation writers. Please see our [[Joining_EPEL | Joining EPEL]] page for more information on how to join the SIG.
 
== Communicating with the EPEL SIG ==
== Communicating with the EPEL SIG ==


There are many ways to communicate with the EPEL SIG and its members:  
There are many ways to communicate with the EPEL SIG and its members:


* The {{fpchat|#epel}} IRC channel on [https://freenode.net freenode] offers real-time support for EPEL users and developers.  
* The {{fpchat|#epel}} IRC channel on [https://libera.chat Libera Chat] offers real-time support for EPEL users and developers.


* The {{fplist|epel-devel}} is for general developer and SIG discussion.  
* The {{fplist|epel-devel}} is for general developer and SIG discussion.


* The {{fplist|epel-announce}} mailing list is a low volume mailing list for only important announcements.  
* The {{fplist|epel-announce}} mailing list is a low volume mailing list for only important announcements.


* The {{fplist|epel-package-announce}} list is a list that gets information about package updates as they happen in the stable repository.  
* The {{fplist|epel-package-announce}} list is a list that gets information about package updates as they happen in the stable repository.


* If you find a bug in a EPEL maintained package, please report it to [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/enter_bug.cgi?product=Fedora+EPEL https://bugzilla.redhat.com/] under the "Fedora EPEL" product.
* If you find a bug in a EPEL maintained package, please report it to [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/enter_bug.cgi?product=Fedora+EPEL https://bugzilla.redhat.com/] under the "Fedora EPEL" product.

Revision as of 10:29, 14 July 2021

Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL)

Welcome to the home of the EPEL Special Interest Group.

Quickstart

You may retrieve signed binary configuration files from one the above two links (varying by the major release number of the installation target machine). They may be automatically installed by root thus:

  • RHEL/CentOS 7:
   # yum install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm
  • on RHEL 7 it is recommended to also enable the optional, extras, and HA repositories since EPEL packages may depend on packages from these repositories:
   # subscription-manager repos --enable "rhel-*-optional-rpms" --enable "rhel-*-extras-rpms"  --enable "rhel-ha-for-rhel-*-server-rpms"
  • RHEL/CentOS 8:
   # yum install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm
  • on RHEL 8 it is required to also enable the codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-*-rpms repository since EPEL packages may depend on packages from it:
   # subscription-manager repos --enable "codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-$(arch)-rpms"
  • on CentOS 8 it is recommended to also enable the powertools repository since EPEL packages may depend on packages from it:
   # dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools

What is Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL)?

Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (or EPEL) is a Fedora Special Interest Group that creates, maintains, and manages a high quality set of additional packages for Enterprise Linux, including, but not limited to, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS and Scientific Linux (SL), Oracle Linux (OL).

EPEL packages are usually based on their Fedora counterparts and will never conflict with or replace packages in the base Enterprise Linux distributions. EPEL uses much of the same infrastructure as Fedora, including buildsystem, bugzilla instance, updates manager, mirror manager and more.

Learn more about EPEL in the following pages:

What packages and versions are available in EPEL?

You can take a look on any of the available EPEL mirrors from our mirror list

Alternately, you can browse the package set:

END OF LIFE RELEASES

THESE ARE NO LONGER SUPPORTED

NOTE: Due to major security changes in SSL in the last 10 years, older releases may not be able to directly point to these releases. As of 2021-01-22, EPEL-5 and 4 systems do not have the newer TLS1.2 algorithms that Internet servers are required to use for security reasons. The best method for working with these is to have a newer system mirror the entire archive and then for your systems to point to that mirror.

How can I use these extra packages?

EPEL has an 'epel-release' package that includes gpg keys for package signing and repository information. Installing this package for your Enterprise Linux version should allow you to use normal tools such as yum to install packages and their dependencies. By default the stable EPEL repo is enabled, there is also a 'epel-testing' repository that contains packages that are not yet deemed stable.

NOTE for RHN users
You need to also enable the 'optional' repository to use EPEL packages as they depend on packages in that repository. This can be done by enabling the RHEL optional subchannel for RHN-Classic. For certificate-based subscriptions see Red Hat Subscription Management Guide.
NOTE for RHEL 7 users with certificate subscriptions
EPEL 7 packages assume that the 'optional' repository (rhel-7-server-optional-rpms for servers) and the 'extras' repository (rhel-7-server-extras-rpms for servers) are enabled. You can do this with: subscription-manager repos --enable rhel-7-server-optional-rpms --enable rhel-7-server-extras-rpms
NOTE for RHEL 8 users with certificate subscriptions
EPEL packages assume that the 'codeready-builder' repository is enabled. You can do this with: subscription-manager repos --enable "codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-$(arch)-rpms"
NOTE for CentOS 8 users
EPEL packages assume that the 'powertools' repository is enabled. You can do this with: dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools
NOTE for CentOS users
You can install EPEL by running yum install epel-release. The package is included in the CentOS Extras repository, enabled by default.

You can verify these packages and their keys from the Fedora project's keys page: https://fedoraproject.org/keys

Can I rely on these packages?

The EPEL project strives to provide packages with both high quality and stability. However, EPEL is maintained by a community of people who generally volunteer their time and no commercial support is provided. It is the nature of such a project that packages will come and go from the EPEL repositories over the course of a single release. In addition, it is possible that occasionally an incompatible update will be released such that administrator action is required. By policy these are announced in advance in order to give administrators time to test and provide suggestions.

It is strongly recommended that if you make use of EPEL, and especially if you rely upon it, that you subscribe to the epel-announce list. Traffic on this list is kept to a minimum needed to notify administrators of important updates.

History and background of the project

The EPEL project was born when Fedora maintainers realized that the same infrastructure that builds and maintains packages for Fedora would be great to also maintain add on packages for Enterprise Linux. Much of the early need was driven by what Fedora infrastructure needed on the RHEL machines that built and maintained Fedora. From there things have grown to a large collection of varied packages. See our history and Philosophy page for more information.

How can I contribute?

The EPEL SIG is always looking for interested folks to help out. We always need package maintainers, qa/testers, bug triagers, marketing and documentation writers. Please see our Joining EPEL page for more information on how to join the SIG.

Communicating with the EPEL SIG

There are many ways to communicate with the EPEL SIG and its members:

  • The #epel[?] IRC channel on Libera Chat offers real-time support for EPEL users and developers.
  • The epel-devel is for general developer and SIG discussion.
  • The epel-announce mailing list is a low volume mailing list for only important announcements.
  • The epel-package-announce list is a list that gets information about package updates as they happen in the stable repository.
  • Infrastructure issues (mirrors, repos, etc.) should be reported to Fedora releng.
  • The EPEL SIG meets on Friday every week in the #fedora-meeting[?] channel at 21:00 UTC. Please check the time on the epel calendar; sometimes it can change or a meeting can be skipped. Feel free to join us! Logs of past meetings can be viewed in meetbot.