Pie Box

Frequently Asked Questions

The Pie Box Enterprise Linux base system is a Linux distribution derived from open source software. We have changed packages to replace trademarks and logos with our own.

1.1. Do you distribute any other versions of Pie Box Enterprise Linux?

At this time we distribute Pie Box Enterprise Linux 3 AS, 4 AS and the Pie Box Enterprise Linux updates. We do not distribute Desktop, ES and WS versions as all of the functionality present in these distributions can be found in Pie Box Enterprise Linux AS.

1.2. What are you charging for?

All of the software made available via the Pie Box website is free. However, due to the media, admin and bandwidth costs we cannot distribute the products for free. Therefore the charges made to our customers are not for the software itself, but for the media, admin and bandwidth costs incurred.

1.3. Do you accept any liability for the quality of service or packages?

Due to the nature of the product and updates we are unable to accept any liability for the quality of the service or the packages that are made available. We endeavour to maintain a high quality of service and rapid response to new errata.

1.4. Do you modify any packages?

We have modified a small number of installation related packages in order to replace logos that may infringe trademarks. A list of the modified packages can be found on the pages specific to each version.

1.5. Do you provide technical support?

In general we do not provide technical support. However, we do offer support in relation to repository use and connection.

1.6. What platforms do you produce Pie Box Enterprise Linux for?

Pie Box Enterprise Linux is currently only available for the x86 platform. We will consider distribution for other platforms if there is considerable interest.

1.7. Is Pie Box Enterprise Linux AS compatible with 64-bit processors?

Pie Box Enterprise Linux 3 AS is not suitable for 64-bit processors, however Pie Box Enterprise Linux 4 AS is. This compatibility comes with the understanding that it is a 32-bit operating system running on 64-bit hardware and may not be the most suitable combination.

2. Updates

2.0. Why must I install updates at all?

Due to the complex development process required for software, bugs are often present. These bugs come in many forms, from simple interface weaknesses to full-blown security issues. We recommend that you maintain an up to date system, this will not only ensure that the minor issues are fixed, but also provide better protection for your system as new security vulnerabilities are identified and exploited.

2.1. What products do you build updates for?

All of our updates are specifically built for Pie Box Enterprise Linux. However, we do have a number of users that successfully use the updates on Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS, Desktop, ES and WS. As Pie Box has no affiliation with Red Hat the use of Pie Box updates on a Red Hat installation would be in breach of any active Red Hat subscription agreement.

2.2. How do you retrieve, manage and build updates?

In order to ensure that our updates repository is kept up to date at all times, we monitor the errata sources released on an hourly basis. If a new update is made available we build it on a fully updated system and release it to our updates repository.

2.3. How long does it take for an update to reach your repository?

Once we have received the errata source code we endeavour to build the update as quickly as possible. The time involved for this build is dependant upon the complexity of the source package. Smaller packages (such as cvs) may be present in the repository within one hour. Larger packages (such as openoffice.org) may take several hours to reach the repository.

2.4. Do you distribute the source code via yum?

No, however we can supply a set of the sources on CD for both the base system and update packages at cost price. Please contact us for further information.

2.5. What version of the yum client do you use?

We endeavour to ensure that the yum client is based upon the latest applicable stable release of yum. The details of this can be found on the download page.

2.6. I already use yum to access other repositories, will this cause problems?

We supply a modified version of the yum client in order to provide a subscription-based service. This yum client is fully compatible with all other yum repositories. The changes that have been made to the client only affect the communication with the Pie Box servers. Once you have installed Pie Box yum, you will need to edit /etc/yum.conf and import your old repositories that have been stored in /etc/yum.conf.rpmsave.

2.7. Can I automatically receive notification of updates?

This can be done by installing yum for Pie Box and enabling the nightly yum update. Each day yum will then check for updates and inform the root user via email. To enable this, login as root and type:

/sbin/chkconfig yum on
/sbin/service yum start

Remember to check your root user's email!

2.8. Can I automatically install updates?

This can be done by installing yum for Pie Box and enabling the nightly yum update with a small modification. Each day yum will then check for updates, inform the root user via email and install them. To enable this, login as root and type:

/sbin/chkconfig yum on
/sbin/service yum start

Then edit /etc/cron.daily/yum.cron and add:

/usr/bin/yum -R 240 -e 0 -d 0 -y update

after all of the other yum commands.

It should be noted that we do not recommend this as some of the updates require additional post-installation stages, such as reboots and service restarts.

2.9. How long will you be providing updates for?

We are committed to maintain the updates whilst errata source code is freely available in a source RPM format. This should mean that there will be an active repository until August 2010 for 3 AS and February 2012 for 4 AS.

3. Subscription

3.0. How do I obtain a subscription key?

A subscription key will be sent to you via email after you have purchased a subscription option from our purchase page.

3.1. How do I install my subscription key?

Once you have received your subscription key via email and installed the Pie Box version of the yum client, you should modify /etc/yum.key. Open the file in your favourite text editor and following the instructions detailed in the subscription email, key file and the help page.

3.2. How do I test my subscription key?

Performing a simple yum query can test an installed subscription key. Login as root and type:

/usr/bin/yum check-update

If the request is successful you will obtain a list of updates that need applying to your system. If the request is unsuccessful you will be presented with an error message. An error message may mean that your subscription key has expired, or a connectivity problem has occurred. After performing this test we recommend that you perform a full update.

3.3. What happens when my subscription key expires?

When your subscription key expires you will no longer be able to connect to the Pie Box repositories. Any requests presented to the server, such as an update, install or check request will result in an error message being shown. To re-enable your connectivity to the repository you will need to renew your subscription on our renewal page.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Product

2. Updates

3. Subscription

1. Product

2. Updates

3. Subscription