How to set up an offline YUM repository in Linux April 21, 2025

This guide walks you through setting up a local repository using an installation DVD or ISO file.

Creating an offline YUM repository allows you to manage and install packages on a RHEL 9 or Oracle Linux system without internet access.

Follow the steps:

1. Insert the DVD 00or Mount the ISO
   1. For physical servers, insert the RHEL 9 installation DVD.
   2. For virtual machines, go to the VM’s settings, select Storage, and attach the RHEL ISO file.
2. Mount the ISO File
   Create a mount point and mount the DVD or ISO:

   mkdir -p /media/cdrom
   mount /dev/sr0 /media/cdrom

   Alternatively, if using an ISO from disk:

   mount -o loop rhel-9.2-x86_64-dvd.iso /media/cdrom/

   Use df -h to confirm it’s mounted correctly.

3. Configure the Local Repository:
   1. Copy the media.repo file from the mounted ISO:

      cp /media/cdrom/media.repo /etc/yum.repos.d/

   2. Rename and set permissions:

      mv /etc/yum.repos.d/media.repo /etc/yum.repos.d/redhat9.2.repo
      chmod 644 /etc/yum.repos.d/redhat9.2.repo

   3. Edit the repo file using vi or your preferred editor:

      [InstallMedia]
      name=Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2.0
      mediaid=None
      metadata_expire=-1
      gpgcheck=1
      cost=500
      enabled=1
      baseurl=file:///media/cdrom/BaseOS/
      gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-redhat-release
      [InstallMedia-AppStream]
      name=Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2.0 - AppStream
      metadata_expire=-1
      gpgcheck=1
      enabled=1
      baseurl=file:///media/cdrom/AppStream/
      gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-redhat-release

4. Clean the Yum/DNF Cache
   Clear the metadata cache to ensure proper operation:

   dnf clean all

5. Verify the Repository
   Check if your system recognises the local repo:

   dnf repolist
   yum repolist

   You should see both InstallMedia and InstallMedia-AppStream in the output.

6. Install Packages Using Yum or DNF
   Example: Install the make package

   yum install make

   If the installation proceeds without errors, your offline YUM repository is successfully configured.

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