commandline yast2 problem

openSUSE 11.4 kde on itronix ix250
Having downloaded all patches available to date, thought a persistant bug would be fixed, but not so.
Whenever am on full commandline [not just within the gui] and try to use control center by calling up yast2, am presented with screen wherein the bottom F buttons function fine, but the highlighted letters required to actually get anything done, simply don’t respond to the keyboard input [S C i etc.].
Would updating my Linux kernel from the present 2.something to the newest 3.something be likely to help at all? Is this a dangerous step to take [altering the kernel]? Is there anything else that I might try to rectify this inability to use yast2 via commandline?
Appreciatively, Bil VERCH

Nope that wouldn’t help. It’s not a bug in the system, you’re the one that missed something.

  1. X does not run a display on the console, so Yast2 does not work, since it needs X.
  2. What you see is the “ncurses” version of Yast, invoked by “yast”, to what your yast2’s command fall’s back.
  3. TAB moves around through this interface, ENTER selects, and to use the hightlighted characters use Alt-character here

This is something that IMHO lifts openSUSE far above other distros.

On 2012-05-04 22:26, esperanto-2000 wrote:

> the bottom F buttons function fine, but the highlighted letters required
> to actually get anything done, simply don’t respond to the keyboard
> input [S C i etc.].

It does. Alt-S, Alt-C, etc.

> Would updating my Linux kernel from the present 2.something to the
> newest 3.something be likely to help at all? Is this a dangerous step to
> take [altering the kernel]? Is there anything else that I might try to
> rectify this inability to use yast2 via commandline?

There is nothing wrong with yast, and changing the kernel will not affect
it that way.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

Thank you Knurpht, great clarification!