Hi all.
I am new to this forum and to Opensuse. I am looking to switch from Fedora.
I have installed Opensuse Tumbleweed a few times today. I’ve tried different combinations, but I always end up with Gnome Games and other unwanted apps. Is there a way to get all the services but a minimal apps install.
@charlie-uk Hi and welcome to the Forum 
In a nutshell no as these are pulled in by patterns during install. Just identify and use Mrylyn or zypper to remove and lock…
The other option is to use Aeon (MicroOS with transactional updates and FDE) which tracks Tumbleweed and then use flatpaks and distrobox as required.
Thanks for the welcome Malcolm. I unchecked games on the install, but I guess (as you say) it’s part of the pattern of Gnome.
Aoen would be an amazing distro, but sadly the developers have decided not to allow AppImages (therefore requiring users to use distrobox). IMHO, a poor decision.
@charlie-uk what applications do you need?
The order is flatpaks → distrobox → rpms as a last resort, but not taboo…
I assume you mean AppImages. The main one being Upnote, which only comes as an AppImage.
@charlie-uk So install the bottles flatpak and install the windows version, or do they provide a source download?
To be honest, it’s arriving at a hotel and being told there’s no lift/elevator because they breakdown sometimes. So, you’re expected to use the stairs to get to your room on the 30th floor. I would cancel and stay elsewhere, because there are a lot of great hotels.
So I’m here… 
Thanks Malcolm, I appreciate your replies. Obsidian is great, but Upnote is excellent. It syncs flawlessly and backups with ease. I have all my notes in Upnote, plus I have a lifetime license.
A lot of people like AppImages, and some even prefer them to Flatpak.
To be honest, it shouldn’t be that hard to get the app image running as your user in Aeon if you went that route?
chmod 0755 UpNote.AppImage
./UpNote.AppImage
Seems to run ok?
I joined their chat on Matrix and they said it was not possible, and told me in no uncertain terms that “it is very unlikely to ever support AppImages”. Distrobox or nothing. I did try to install the required dependency “fuse”, but it did not help.
It was quite a frosty place anyway, it’s warmer here.
If you have Tumbleweed already installed it is rather simple to avoid games etc. (the first thing I do on a new system 
) and there is no need for Flatpaks or such unless you have special requirements (pardon, Malcolm).
The command line would be the following, there is an equivalent path in Myrlyn, ask if you need guidance:
LT-B:~ # zypper rm --clean-deps patterns-gnome-gnome_games
Reading installed packages...
Resolving package dependencies...
The following 12 packages are going to be REMOVED:
gnome-chess gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-sudoku gnuchess iagno libgnome-games-support-2-4 libqqwing2 lightsoff patterns-gnome-gnome_games quadrapassel swell-foop
The following pattern is going to be REMOVED:
gnome_games
12 packages to remove.
Package install size change:
| 0 B required by packages that will be installed
-19,8 MiB | - 19,8 MiB released by packages that will be removed
and when it finishes:
LT-B:~ # zypper addlock patterns-gnome-gnome_games
@charlie-uk Works fine on Aeon?
transactional-update pkg install fuse
transactional-update apply
I also installed Appindicator and KStatusNotification Support since it drops an icon into the tray… also had to adjust the icon size…
Thanks. All I can tell you is what they said. I was able to install Fuse transactionally, but it didn’t work with the AppImages that required it.
version 2 appimages are likely to work on Aeon/Kalpa without any sort of modifications
version 1 appimages probably will not.
That being said, appimages of either version make assumptions about whats installed on the base system, and oftentimes don’t actually disclose these dependencies, so they’re almost impossible to “support” in a meaningful way.
Kalpa doesn’t march in lockstep with Aeon, but my stance on AppImages for Kalpa is that they are not now, and likely never will be supported.
I know people don’t like hearing that. And it’s your machine, do what you want with it, I can’t stop you from using AppImages, or anything else, but as a system developer, I have to draw lines somewhere, on what I can, and can’t support.
If compatibility with AppImages is something that’s important to you, than I guess Aeon/Kalpa probably aren’t going to be your cup of tea. And that’s ok.
Thanks for the reply. This is basically what I was telling @malcolmlewis as to why I don’t use Aeon. IMHO, Aeon will never get the recognition it deserves without AppImage support, but it’s not my baby.
Fortunately, OpenSuse Tumbleweed is a distribution that fulfills my needs. I just wish it installed with the same minimal apps as Aeon.
The strange thing is that I deselected the games pattern during install, but they still arrived.
Personally, the only apps I want installed by default are file manager, console, and disk utility. I never understand why distributions include so many apps as standard. I want all the services, printing Bluetooth, selinux, etc, but apps are a personal preference.
This discussion was held countless times for all distributions and also here in the forum.
To have an overall good experience, as much as possible apps are preinstalled. Printing, office, gaming, communicating, surfing…so that the average user don’t have to search for additional apps. Everything is there, ready to use. No need to install additional apps.
On the opposite there are advanced users (or claimed to be), which don’t want that much apps. It is quite easy to tailor the system to your needs. Simply deslect some patterns at the initial installation stage and fine tune the system after it is installed. It is quickly done.
The devs will never be able to match all likings and complains of all users. Better fulfill the needs of 90% of average users. The 10% advanced users are able to tailor the system.
The Tumbleweed installer offers the “Generic Desktop” role which only selects Icewm for a minimal graphic interface, then you can add whatever you want selecting even specific Gnome pieces if yo know what you are doing.
But if you select the “Gnome Desktop Environment (Basic)” and the “Gnome Desktop Environment (Wayland)” patterns you will get Games at install or at the first update, unless you uninstall and lock the patterns you do not want as detailed in my former post.
Or ask for directions here if you need more help.
I agree, and the Opensuse pattern system is an excellent solution to the various needs. However, IMHO there needs to be an option that allows for a true barebones install. The discussions and decisions were often made before flatpaks offered such a vast selection of apps. For example, I can install Gnome Maps, Gnome Weather, etc as flatpaks. Personally, I prefer to keep my system minimal and use flatpaks and appimages. I have a script for Fedora which removes all the bloat after install, fortunately with a rolling release I will only need to do this once.
