How to create a Pattern/Package Group in YaST?

English Applications
1

Every year when I deploy openSUSE in the wide variety of desktops in my lab I have the same problem. I want every computer to have the same set of scientific applications, without bloat. So, I go through the entire list of packages and select those needed and uncheck those large packages not needed by my group. But the only way to safely replicate this has been by manually performing this operation in each computer.

I just tried exporting user-packages.xml from one machine and importing it right after installation in another, but it replicated all the hardware specific packages and versions, including installing the wrong kernel for the new machine.

In fact, I would like this list to be independent of architecture and of release version, so that when I use this list in 6 months, it flags the package for install, but uses the newest version available. Much like the Patterns or Package Groups in Software Management. Is there a way to create my own Pattern and then choose “Install all packages in this group”? Are the existing patterns stored in some editable file somewhere?

2

For the benefit of others, here is how I solved my problem.

Instead of creating a Pattern in YaST, I used zypper.

I first create a text file with all the names of the packages I want to install in all machines. I use generic names without version number and without 32 or 64 bit qualifiers (same as in the YaST list of software packages). The list should be in a single, space separated line. I also prepare a list of packages I want to remove.

Then I add all the repositories I need at the end of a default installation.
And I run:

zypper remove cat packages_remove.txt
zypper install cat packages_install
zypper up

I can then apply the same list to all types of machines (Intel, AMD, 32 and 64 bit) and throughout the life cycle of an openSUSE version.

3

maybe a monitor could/would consider moving/copying this thread to the
(approved) HowTo…

–
somebody_else