Sample Python script for connecting to your RedHat Satellite or Spacewalk server. But also an example of a file that you can source from your shell to help set some useful variables for subsequent invocations of your Python script. Trying to combine two conveniences into one file. I had seen this before and got a refresher course from [rosettaco…

satellite-skeleton.py

#!/bin/bash
# -*- python -*-

"true" '''\'
# 
# Shell Code that helps you setup useful variables. Source this script.
#
BN=$(basename -- $0)
if [ "$BN" == "bash" -o "$BN" == "zsh" -o "$BN" == "sh" ]; then
    if [ -z "${SPACEWALK_USER}" ]; then
        read -p "What is your spacewalk user name: " -e -i "admin-prj" SPACEWALK_USER
    fi
    if [ -z "${SPACEWALK_PASS}" ]; then
        read -p "What is your spacewalk ${SPACEWALK_USER} password: " -s -e SPACEWALK_PASS
        echo
    fi
    if [ -z "${SERVER}" ]; then
        read -p "What is your spacewalk server: " -e -i "localhost" SERVER
    fi
    export SPACEWALK_USER
    export SPACEWALK_PASS
    export SERVER
    return
fi
"exec" "python" "$0" "$@"
exit 127
'''

import os, sys, getpass
import xmlrpclib

if __name__ == '__main__':

    from optparse import OptionParser, OptionGroup
    parser = OptionParser(usage="%prog [options]", version="%prog 1.0")
    parser.add_option("-l", "--list", dest="list", action="store_true", default=False,
                      help="List the known kickstart labels")
    parser.add_option("-g", "--get", dest="getks", metavar="LABEL",
                      help="Get the package contents for kickstart label")
    parser.add_option("-p", "--put", dest="putks", metavar="LABEL",
                      help="Put the package contents for kickstart label")
    parser.add_option("-f", "--file", dest="filepath", metavar="FILE",
                      help="File that contains the package list to upload")

    # Spacewalk Options
    group = OptionGroup(parser, "Spacewalk Options",
                        "Common authentication options")
    group.add_option("--user", dest="user", default=os.getenv('SPACEWALK_USER'),
                     help="Defaults to ENV(SPACEWALK_USER)")
    group.add_option("--password", dest="password", default=os.getenv('SPACEWALK_PASS'),
                     help="Defaults to ENV(SPACEWALK_PASS)", metavar="PASS")
    group.add_option("--server", dest="server", default=os.getenv('SERVER', 'localhost'),
                     help="Defaults to ENV(SPACEWALK_SERVER) or localhost")
    parser.add_option_group(group)

    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()

    SATELLITE_URL      = "http://%s/rpc/api" % (options.server)
    SATELLITE_LOGIN    = options.user
    SATELLITE_PASSWORD = options.password

    # Connect and login to the spacewalk server
    try:
        client = xmlrpclib.Server(SATELLITE_URL, verbose=0)
        key_session = client.auth.login(SATELLITE_LOGIN, SATELLITE_PASSWORD)
    except Exception, e:
        print 'Error: Problem authenticating to %s with the %s user: %s' % \
            (SATELLITE_URL, SATELLITE_LOGIN, str(e))
        sys.exit(1)

    # Now onward to doing work
    
    if options.list:
        ksprofiles = client.kickstart.listKickstarts(key_session)
        print 'Kickstart labels:\n  %s' % '\n  '.join([ ks['label'] for ks in ksprofiles ])

    elif options.getks:
        kslabel = options.getks
        packages = client.kickstart.profile.software.getSoftwareList(key_session, kslabel)
        print '# kickstart package list for profile: %s\n%s' % (kslabel, '\n'.join(packages))
    elif options.putks:
        kslabel = options.putks
        contents = ''
        if options.filepath:
            src = 'file "%s"' % options.filepath
            try:
                fh = open(options.filepath)
                contents = fh.read()
                fh.close()
            except (IOError, OSError), e:
                print 'Error: Probably reading the contents from %s: %s' % (options.filepath, str(e))
                sys.exit(2)
        else:
            src = 'stdin'
            # assume contents from stdin
            contents = sys.stdin.read()

        #print 'Unimplemented at this point. Would have used this, though:\n%s' % (contents)
        print 'Pushing content from %s to kickstart label %s.' % (src, kslabel)
        newpackages = [ p for p in contents.split('\n') if p ] # no blank lines
        client.kickstart.profile.software.setSoftwareList(key_session, kslabel, newpackages)
     
    # Logout from spacewalk
    client.auth.logout(key_session)