I need to apply an update, but get this error no matter what:

/usr/bin/yum --noplugins update
There was a problem importing one of the Python modules
required to run yum. The error leading to this problem was:

/usr/lib64/libnssutil3.so: undefined symbol: PL_ClearArenaPool

Please install a package which provides this module, or
verify that the module is installed correctly.

It's possible that the above module doesn't match the
current version of Python, which is:
2.4.3 (#1, Aug 29 2011, 10:55:55)
[GCC 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-51)]

If you cannot solve this problem yourself, please go to
the yum faq at:
http://wiki.linux.duke.edu/YumFaq



Removed temporary configuration

Visited wiki.linux.duke.edu/YumFaq and saw a couple of entries that were close, but not the same. Still tried to follow suggestions, but came up empty. Any help or direction would be appreciated.

run a system wide search for libnssutil.so.3. I think it's buried in firefox somewhere.
Then put a symlink to it in /usr/lib

Otherwise get it from rpmfind.net and install with 'rpm -ivh some.rpm'

did you change the version of python installed by red hat
if so it looks like you killed yum and part of gnome

rhel and yum REQUIRE the version of python in the RHN repo

if you change that you kill yum on rhel


now it is possible and recommended to install a newer python along side the current rhel version
having a /usr/python26 folder is not uncommon
but the 2.4 version in the red hat repo MUST be installed and used .



it is also possible that if you manually installed something with nss that the 64 bit version of libnssutil3.so was replaced with the wrong lib



Also seeing as this is RHEL5 you ARE PAYING for a support contract -- it is REQUIRED ( https://access.redhat.com/subscriptions)
search red hat's knowledge base
-- you WILL need your user name and password you set up with the account when you bought the required license
https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/search
-- support --
https://www.redhat.com/support/