Packman and apper?

[montana_suse_user]

It seems packman is doing a daily recompile on a lot of applications, and my network update thingy in the taskbar (apper?) shows this as having sixty some updates to install. Why would I want to update these packages every day? Should I be? Why would packman want to recompile these packages every day? I know it doesn't hurt to ignore these nagging messages, but it makes me miss, or at least delay some important updates because I tend to put off wading through this long list.

I hesitate removing apper, as it's quite handy for installing a package from an rpm file with a "one click" effort. Although I could, I suppose. I really don't want to update sixty some packages daily. That is unless there's a good reason. And, I guess I could just continue to ignore it until I get in the mood to sort through all the suggestions.

What's the accepted method of dealing with, changing, or eliminating this situation?

Bart

[consused]

It seems packman is doing a daily recompile on a lot of applications, and my network update thingy in the taskbar (apper?) shows this as having sixty some updates to install. Why would I want to update these packages every day? Should I be? Why would packman want to recompile these packages every day? I know it doesn't hurt to ignore these nagging messages, but it makes me miss, or at least delay some important updates because I tend to put off wading through this long list.

Yes it has been busy just recently, but normally Packman gets updated roughly on weekly basis, and often it's towards the end of a week. I run Tumbleweed as well, where it's usually more frequent although Apper isn't the tool for the job there, so maybe I don't notice it so much as you seem to.

I hesitate removing apper, as it's quite handy for installing a package from an rpm file with a "one click" effort. Although I could, I suppose. I really don't want to update sixty some packages daily. That is unless there's a good reason. And, I guess I could just continue to ignore it until I get in the mood to sort through all the suggestions.

One thing though, it's not Apper's fault . I never sort through the updates, and have been using Apper to make all of them since at least 12.2 through 13.1 with 100% reliability. It's rare to actually have an issue with the Packman stuff, although not impossible.

What's the accepted method of dealing with, changing, or eliminating this situation?

Well some patience can help, and you don't have to make the updates immediately. The frequency is up to you, but at least weekly is a good idea. IIRC you set that in the System Settings > Apper Software Management and select the little "spanner" icon on the right-hand end of the tool bar, followed by Settings.

[nrickert]

What's the accepted method of dealing with, changing, or eliminating this situation?

Here's what I am doing.

1: Tell Apper to not start:

Configure Desktop --> Startup and Shutdown --> Service Manager

Then uncheck the "Apper Monitor" box. If Apper is running, you can also click the "Stop" button. Otherwise your change might not take effect until the next login.

2: Turn off the Software Updater (I think this only showed up in opensuse 13.1)

Right click on tray, select "System Tray Settings"

In the list of "Extra Items", scroll down until you see "Software Update". Uncheck the box.

After this, you won't be bothered again. But you can still use the menu:

System --> Configuration --> Apper

if you want to manually run Apper.

At present, on my main desktop, I manually check for updates just before I reboot. Since this is dual-boot with Windows, I reboot (to windows) about twice a week, mostly to allow Windows to update its Anti-virus.

[consused]

At present, on my main desktop, I manually check for updates just before I reboot. Since this is dual-boot with Windows, I reboot (to windows) about twice a week, mostly to allow Windows to update its Anti-virus.

Oh right so you run Windows online update twice a week then? I don't get onto my Win7 that frequently, but when I do, its updater applet tells me from the system tray when there are updates and fires up a window where I can select/deselect and install them. Usually it's a mix of security and other bug fixes.

Not that different to KDE and Apper really, except for the quantity being larger and more frequent on Linux especially wrt fixes.

[robin_listas]

On 2014-06-10 02:46, consused wrote:
> Not that different to KDE and Apper really, except for the quantity
> being larger and more frequent on Linux especially wrt fixes.

Consider that in Linux those updates are not only for the system, but
for everything, like user applications. In Windows you have to manually
seek updates for all the applications and things that do not come
directly from Microsoft. ok, some of those things have their own
separate updaters.

Say that you start Firefox: soon after starting, it checks to see if
there are updates available for itself. Many applications you start do
this check on their own. Some, like java, insert a service or automatic
application of some sort to do the checking; and some, like java, fail
if your session is not an administrator session. At least it happens to me.


In openSUSE you simply let apper run, or you start yast online update,
or run zypper patch, or up, and about everything is updated, from a
single operation! Of course it is a bigger update.

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 "Bottle" at Telcontar)

[consused]

On 2014-06-10 02:46, consused wrote:
> Not that different to KDE and Apper really, except for the quantity
> being larger and more frequent on Linux especially wrt fixes.

Consider that in Linux those updates are not only for the system, but
for everything, like user applications.

And those user applications are generally released in a much earlier state of development compared to windows proprietary versions.

[robin_listas]

On 2014-06-10 13:06, consused wrote:

> And those user applications are generally released in a much earlier
> state of development compared to windows proprietary versions.

Well, yes, true.

The interested can search up and read "The cathedral and the bazaar",
which explains why is that.

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 "Bottle" at Telcontar)

[cra1g321]

Personally i never use apper, i always just do what nrickert mentioned and if i want to install a RPM file i either just do F4 to open the terminal in Dolphin,
or set it so RPM files are opened and installing using yast (Software Management)

then i just do a "zypper up" every now and again.