4.5. Handling Subscriptions

Assigning a subscription to a system gives the system the ability to install and update any Red Hat product in that subscription. A subscription is a list of all of the products, in all variations, that were purchased at one time, and it defines both the products and the number of times that subscription can be used (the quantity of that product). The quantity is roughly the number of user licenses available. When one of those licenses is allocated to a system, that system is subscribed to the subscription.

A subscription is available to a system based on the system's architecture and other installed products. Subscriptions that are available for a platform (based on its hardware and operating system) are compatible. When the subscription is actually assigned to the machine, the subscription is consumed.

A system can be subscribed to multiple subscriptions, a single subscription, or a single product. Subscribing a system requires the ID number of the subscription or the subscription key for the product.

Unsubscribing a machine removes the entitlement to any of the products in the subscription, but the machine remains registered with the subscription service. Unsubscribing one system frees the subscription so that it can be allocated to another system.

4.5.1. Subscribing and Unsubscribing through the GUI

4.5.1.1. Subscribing to a Product

Launch the Red Hat Subscription Manager GUI. For example:
```
subscription-manager-gui
```
Open the All Available Subscriptions tab.
Set the filters to use to search for available entitlements. Subscriptions can be filtered by their active date and by their name. The checkboxes provide more fine-grained filtering:
- match my system shows only subscriptions which match the system architecture.
- match my installed products shows subscriptions which work with currently installed products on the system.
- have no overlap with existing subscriptions excludes subscriptions with duplicate products. If a system is already subscribed to an entitlement for a specific product or if multiple entitlements supply the same product, then the subscription service filters those subscriptions and shows only the best fit.
Select the available entitlements. To select multiple subscriptions, use the Ctrl key.
Click the Subscribe button.

4.5.1.2. Unsubscribing through the GUI

Launch the Red Hat Subscription Manager GUI. For example:
```
subscription-manager-gui
```
Open the My Subscriptions tab.
All of the active subscriptions to which the system is currently subscribed are listed. (The products available through the subscription may or may not be installed.)
Select the entitlements to unsubscribe. To select multiple subscriptions, use the Ctrl key.
Click the Unsubscribe button in the bottom right of the window.