I have created a YUM repo. Just add a file /etc/yum.repos.d/argeo.repo with the following content: [argeo-plus] name=Argeo-EL-$releasever - Plus baseurl=http://www.argeo.org/linux/argeo-el/$releasever/plus/$basearch #includepkgs=java-1.6.0-openjdk* gpgcheck=0 [argeo-plus-source] name=Argeo-EL-$releasever - Plus Source baseurl=http://www.argeo.org/linux/argeo-el/$releasever/plus/SRPMS gpgcheck=0 enabled=0 WARNING: I recommend that you use the includepkgs option or the priority plugin, because this repository will contain other packages updating the Base CentOS!! (hence the 'plus' name, just like CentOS Plus) >> I'm concerned the yum update against the base/updates of Centos will >> keep trying to install that crappy older version that Centos carries. >> Have you tested that? Actually if you configure the above repo, and just run a yum update you will see that it upgrades the base OpenJdk . (you still need to install the plugin additionally of course). Installed Packages java-1.6.0-openjdk.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-1.7.b09.el5 installed java-1.6.0-openjdk-demo.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-1.7.b09.el5 installed java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-1.7.b09.el5 installed java-1.6.0-openjdk-javadoc.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-1.7.b09.el5 installed java-1.6.0-openjdk-src.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-1.7.b09.el5 installed Available Packages java-1.6.0-openjdk.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-debuginfo.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-demo.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-javadoc.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-plugin.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus java-1.6.0-openjdk-src.x86_64 1:1.6.0.0-33.b16.el5.argeo.2 argeo-plus This is because of the -33 instead of the -1.7. As I said previously, my approach is to track the Fedora version. (that's why we add our build version at the end argeo.1, argeo.2 etc.) With a bit of luck, this should smooth the transition to CentOS 6... As I said, I have tested nothing on i386 (I just build it), especially not the plugin (which is where most of the differences between the two architectures lie in terms of packaging). Feedback and ideas welcome!