After today's security errata push, there are only a few items with 
outstanding security errata:

xorg-x11-apps
kernel

Each of these is complex to deploy for different reasons.


KERNEL

The new kernel has a new method of packaging and distributing the 
OpenAFS kmod.  There are a number of reasons for this change, including 
a change in the 'kernel(do_settimeofday)' symbol.  We believe this 
change will be transparent.  If you depend on OpenAFS, please consider 
testing this change.  You should not notice any changes in behavior, but 
it will include a few additional 'kmod-openafs' packages:
- kmod-openafs-279-1.6.2-0.144.sl6.279
- kmod-openafs-358-1.6.2-0.144.sl6.358.0.1

Any 32-bit SL6 system should be aware of possible problems with the
afs cache when switching from kernels prior to kernel-2.6.32-279.el6.
Purging your OpenAFS cache seems to resolve this issue.

We expect this new packaging structure will help avoid similar issues
in the future.



X

The change to xorg-x11-apps is a change to xorg.  After the xorg 
problems encountered with the 6.3 security update, there were a number 
of requests to simply grab any relevant looking X library and add it in 
as a dependency.  We've attempted to honor this request within reason. 
The 'sl-testing' repo should cleanly apply this X update to any 6.3 systems.

As a reminder, with SL6.4 there is a change in the X.org ABI for the 
video drivers. This change will require compatible drivers.  Anyone 
using the drivers shipped with SL should have no problems.  Anyone
using drivers from an external source - such as nVidia, ATI, or
ELRepo should ensure a compatible driver is loaded.  Please ensure
you are on the most recent compatible driver before updating the
system.

For example, nVidia 173.14.36, 304.64, and 310.32 should be
compatible earlier versions may not be.

You can find these as ELRepo packages nvidia-x11-drv-173,
nvidia-x11-drv-304, and nvidia-x11-drv.



We would appreciate feedback on these packages so that we can release 
them officially.

Pat


On 02/26/2013 04:10 PM, Pat Riehecky wrote:
> Updated packages have been posted for testing:
>
> ftp://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/6rolling/testing/i386/
> ftp://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/6rolling/testing/x86_64/
>
>
> Due to the importance of several updates, we've posted in 'sl-testing'
> a complete repo of all security updates released as a part of TUV's 6.4
> release as well as security updates released after.  This includes the
> Feb 26, 2013 kernel (2.6.32-358.0.1.el6).
>
>
> These have not yet been fully tested by Scientific Linux, but
> concerned admins may install them at their discretion.  Packages
> from Scientific Linux 6.3 may be required for some updates to install.
>
>
> At this time the only known issue is with OpenAFS.  The Scientific
> Linux packages OpenAFS packages are not yet compatible with the new
> kernel.  Resolution of this issue is in progress.
>
>
> Bug reports should be sent to [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> You can install this update for testing via the sl-testing repo on
> your SL system:
>   yum --enablerepo=sl-testing update <package you wish to test>
>
> For systems not on SL 6.3, you can utilize to point at the 6.3 tree:
>   yum --releasever=6.3


-- 
Pat Riehecky
Scientific Linux Developer