Installing EPEL, Codeready-builder and R on an AWS EC2 Instance with RHEL 8

In this article, we will walk through the process of installing EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux), codeready builder, and R on an AWS EC2 instance running RHEL 8.

Background and Requirements

Before diving into the installation process, let’s briefly discuss the requirements and background information.

RHEL 8: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 is a popular operating system used in various environments. It offers a wide range of features and tools for building enterprise-level applications.
EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux): EPEL provides additional software packages that are not part of the standard RHEL repository. These packages include a wide range of libraries, frameworks, and tools that can enhance the functionality of your system.
Codeready Builder: Codeready builder is an initiative by Red Hat to simplify the process of installing and configuring EPEL packages on RHEL systems. It uses the dnf command-line tool for managing repositories and packages.

Step 1: Downloading the EPEL Repository

To start, we need to download the EPEL repository package. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo dnf install -y https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm

Step 2: Enabling the Codeready Builder for RHEL 8

Next, we need to enable the codeready builder for RHEL 8. There seems to be a mistake in the AWS documentation provided, and it recommends using sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rhui-codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-rhui-rpms instead of sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-rhui-rpms.

Here’s the corrected command:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled codeready-builder-for-rhel-8-rhui-rpms

Step 3: Verifying Repository Management

After enabling the codeready builder, we should verify that our system has access to the new repository. You can check this by running:

sudo dnf repolist --enable-pp

If everything is set up correctly, you should see a list of repositories available.

Step 4: Installing R

With the EPEL and codeready builder repositories enabled, we’re ready to install R. Here’s how:

sudo yum install -y R

This command should now successfully complete without any errors.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter issues during this process, here are some troubleshooting tips to keep in mind:

Subscription Manager: Make sure that your system is registered with Red Hat Subscription Management. You can use the subscription-manager tool to register and manage subscriptions.
Repository Updates: Ensure that your repository list is up-to-date by running sudo dnf repolist --enable-pp.
Package Conflicts: If you encounter package conflicts, try using the --skip-broken flag when installing packages. For example: sudo yum install -y R --skip-broken.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve walked through the process of installing EPEL, codeready builder, and R on an AWS EC2 instance running RHEL 8. By following these steps and troubleshooting tips, you should now have a fully functional environment with access to additional software packages and tools.

Additional Resources

Red Hat Documentation: For more information on EPEL, codeready builder, and Red Hat subscription management, please refer to the official Red Hat documentation.
AWS Documentation: For detailed instructions on how to install EPEL and codeready builder on your AWS EC2 instance, visit the AWS documentation.

Last modified on 2024-01-08