Using mgr-sync

The mgr-sync tool is used at the command prompt. It provides functions for using SUSE Manager that are not always available in the Web UI. The primary use of mgr-sync is to connect to the SUSE Customer Center, retrieve product and package information, and prepare channels for synchronization with the SUSE Manager Server.

This tool is designed for use with a SUSE support subscription. It is not required for open source distributions, including openSUSE, CentOS, and Ubuntu.

The available commands and arguments for mgr-sync are listed in this table. Use this syntax for mgr-sync commands:

mgr-sync [-h] [--version] [-v] [-s] [-d {1,2,3}] {list,add,refresh,delete}
Table 1. mgr-sync Commands
Command Description Example Use

list

List channels, organization credentials, or products

mgr-sync list channels

add

Add channels, organization credentials, or products

mgr-sync add channel <channel_name>

refresh

Refresh the local copy of products, channels, and subscriptions

mgr-sync refresh

delete

Delete existing SCC organization credentials from the local system

mgr-sync delete credentials

sync

Synchronize specified channel or ask for it when left blank

mgr-sync sync channel <channel_name>

To see the full list of options specific to a command, use this command:

mgr-sync <command> --help
Table 2. mgr-sync Optional Arguments
Option Abbreviated option Description Example Use

help

h

Display the command usage and options

mgr-sync --help

version

N/A

Display the currently installed version of mgr-sync

mgr-sync --version

verbose

v

Provide verbose output

mgr-sync --verbose refresh

store-credentials

s

Store credentials a local hidden file

mgr-sync --store-credentials

debug

d

Log additional debugging information. Requires a level of 1, 2, 3. 3 provides the highest amnount of debugging information

mgr-sync -d 3 refresh

no-sync

N/A

Use with the add command to add products or channels without beginning a synchronization

mgr-sync --no-sync add <channel_name>

Logs for mgr-sync are located in:

  • /var/log/rhn/mgr-sync.log

  • /var/log/rhn/rhn_web_api.log