So I ran a zypper up a few minutes ago and I noticed a repo (named backport) I do not remember adding. So I fired up yast2 to check on what apps and libraries are in that repo.
While I was in yast2, I noticed other repos that are listed, but not Enabled.
Can I remove those repos that are not Enabled, to clean up the clutter?
:~ # zypper lr
Repository priorities are without effect. All enabled repositories share the same priority.
# | Alias | Name | Enabled | GPG Check | Refresh
---+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+---------+-----------+--------
1 | Leap_15.6_Main_repo | Leap 15.6 Main repo | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
2 | brave-browser-beta | Brave Browser - Beta | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
3 | google-chrome | google-chrome | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
4 | repo-backports-debug-update | Update repository with updates for openSUSE Leap debuginfo package-> | No | ---- | ----
5 | repo-backports-update | Update repository of openSUSE Backports | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
6 | repo-debug | Debug Repository | No | ---- | ----
7 | repo-debug-non-oss | Debug Repository (Non-OSS) | No | ---- | ----
8 | repo-debug-update | Update Repository (Debug) | No | ---- | ----
9 | repo-debug-update-non-oss | Update Repository (Debug, Non-OSS) | No | ---- | ----
10 | repo-non-oss | Non-OSS Repository | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
11 | repo-openh264 | Open H.264 Codec (openSUSE Leap) | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
12 | repo-sle-debug-update | Update repository with debuginfo for updates from SUSE Linux Enter-> | No | ---- | ----
13 | repo-sle-update | Update repository with updates from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
14 | repo-source | Source Repository | No | ---- | ----
15 | repo-update | Main Update Repository | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
16 | repo-update-non-oss | Update Repository (Non-Oss) | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes
:~ #
or any other option combination that shows the URLs!. It are the URLs that tell what the repo is. The Names and Aliases are local to the system and basically can be anything (although people can guess what they are, but guessing is the base of many errors in computing).
So, the “repo article” doesn’t go into any detail “why” you need the repo, only terse statements like, “for advanced users only”.
Also, not sure why the URLs matter - accessing the URLs are no problem, the subject is about the “do I need” those repos
I’ll assume, and confirm for myself, that I don’t need to build software and don’t need to debug any packages … with that said, I’ll remove those repos.
It’s still not clear what Backports is for, because I do not ever remember adding it. The webpage reports:
Backports Update
Update repository of openSUSE Backports.
Great explanation
.
Fortunately, I did get an explanation off-line.
The same URLs (well 15.5 instead of 15.6), but different Names and Aliases.
And when you have no intention at all to ever debug or use the source, you can indeed remove the disabled repos. But why should you? They are disabled. And after all, they belong to the distribution.
Basically, there is a SUSE Team who actively backport Linux Kernel code changes from the actual Kernel versions into the Kernel version being used by SUSE and therefore openSUSE Leap.
Which is why, the current openSUSE Leap Kernel supports current hardware despite, the “old” Kernel version.
The openSUSE Backports repository was added some years ago with a long forgotten Leap upgrade …
Could be the reason why a lot of people have never noticed that, the repository “suddenly” appeared …
