How to Install RANCID on Fedora Server Latest

RANCID is a free and open source tool that helps network administrators to manage and maintain configuration files of network devices. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing and configuring RANCID on a fresh installation of Fedora Server.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation process, make sure that you have:

• A Fedora Server Latest installation with root access
• An active internet connection
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands and text editors

Step 1: Install required packages

The first step is to install the required packages necessary for RANCID installation. Open your terminal and run the following command to update your system packages:

# dnf update -y

Once the update process completes, install the following packages:

# dnf install -y perl-TimeDate expect cvs openssl-devel

Step 2: Download and install RANCID

After installing the required packages, now it's time to install RANCID from its official website. Navigate to the /usr/local/src directory and download the latest version of RANCID using the following command:

# cd /usr/local/src
# curl -O http://www.shrubbery.net/rancid/dist/rancid-3.12.tar.gz

Then extract the downloaded file and navigate to the extracted directory:

# tar -xvf rancid-3.12.tar.gz
# cd rancid-3.12

Now, run the ./configure script to configure RANCID installation:

# ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/rancid

Once the configuration completes successfully, run the make command to compile the source code:

# make

And then install RANCID by running the following command:

# make install

Step 3: Configure RANCID

After the installation process completes, you need to configure RANCID to start using it. Navigate to the RANCID configuration directory using the following command:

# cd /usr/local/rancid/etc

Rename the rancid.conf.sample file to rancid.conf using the following command:

# mv rancid.conf.sample rancid.conf

Open the rancid.conf configuration file using your favorite text editor:

# vi rancid.conf

Make the following changes in the configuration file:

RCSSYS=git
LIST_OF_GROUPS="mygroup"
LIST_OF_GROUPS_REVISION[num]="mygroup:master"

• Change the RCSSYS value to git.
• Replace mygroup with your desired network device group name.
• Replace master with your desired branch name.

Step 4: Add Network Devices

To add your network devices, add them to the router.db file located in the same directory (/usr/local/rancid/etc) using the following format:

<router_name>:<router_type>:<router_ip>

For example:

router1:cisco:192.168.1.1
router2:juniper:192.168.1.2

Save the router.db file after adding all your network devices.

Step 5: Test RANCID

Now it's time to test your RANCID installation. Run the following command to collect the configuration files from your network devices:

# /usr/local/rancid/bin/rancid-run

The configuration files of your network devices will be stored in the /usr/local/rancid/var/<group_name>/configs directory.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured RANCID on your Fedora Server. You can now use RANCID to manage and maintain the configuration files of your network devices.

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