EPEL6 FAQ
What is EPEL6?
EPEL6 is an add on repository for RHEL and it's variants. It contains packages that are not shipped by RHEL.
How do I use it?
Install the epel-release package from any mirror:
rpm -Uvh http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/6/x86_64/epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm
IMPORTANT: Enable the 'optional' repo/channel from RHN. Some packages from this channel may be needed as dependencies of EPEL packages.
Then install packages as normal with yum and other tools.
A full mirrorlist is available at: http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist/EPEL/6/
What can be in EPEL?
EPEL has the same packaging guidelines as Fedora and hence packages will be allowed along as they are not in the Fedora forbidden items list, and have a suitable license. The usual pathway is to provide the package for Fedora first, and then add it for EPEL.
However, EPEL6 will not ship any packages that have src.rpms on Red Hat public mirrors under 6* directories with the following exception: If the binary rpm is only shipped in some arches in RHEL, EPEL may ship a package as close as possible to the RHEL version with a leading package Release of 0. (ie, libfoo-1.2-0.x) (note that EPEL maintainer must keep up exactly with the RHEL src.rpm where possible).
EXAMPLES:
foobar-1.1-1.src.rpm is available on mirrors and shipped on all arches in RHEL. This package should not be in EPEL.
foobar-1.1-1.src.rpm is available on mirrors, but only shipped for x86_64. This package can be in EPEL, but MUST be shipped as foobar-1.1-0.1.src.rpm
foobar-1.1-1.src.rpm is not available on mirrors. This package can be in EPEL at whatever version (keeping in mind that it should stay as stable as any other EPEL package in a release).
Filing Bugs
You can file bugs on EPEL packages in bugzilla.redhat.com. Choose the 'Fedora EPEL' product.
Testing
You can file feedback on test updates by using the https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates web interface, or the 'fedora-easy-karma' tool (available via EPEL).