opensuse repo config/usage are confusing me

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1

Hi all, I recently installed openSUSE 11.2 on my system. Love it.
But m confused about the repos usage/style. I come from Arch background where everything was available in the Arch repos.

Can someone tell me which repos should I stick to for stability?
For instance I used VLC and mozilla repos from Additional package repositories - openSUSE

but m not sure if they are the open-suse community package(which I think are more reliable) or it comes directly from mozilla(i.e unpatched and less reliable)same is the case with open-office, are there any open office updates available in official repos or I MUST use the repo available in above mentioned URL.

Please advise, thanks.

2

Since the Videolan-repository often conflicts with packages from the crucial Packman-repo, I recommend to disable it.

Beside ‘oss’, ‘non-oss’ and ‘update’ actually only Packman and an ATI- or NVidia-repo (if needed) are really necessary to provide packages for a usual home desktop system. At least those four are the must haves.

Any other repository should be activated with caution. I personally have never had problems with the Mozilla-repository, but if you really want to be sure to have a rock-stable system, it would be okay to just let Mozilla-apps be updated via the ‘update’-repo (which will only provide security- and bugfixes, but no version-upgrades - this concept has allowed only very few exceptions in the past).

Packages from the buildservice are partly managed by the openSUSE-team (for example the KDE-repos) and partly by other contributors.

3

if you really want to be sure to have a rock-stable system, it would be okay to just let Mozilla-apps be updated via the ‘update’-repo (which will only provide security- and bugfixes, but no version-upgrades - this concept has allowed only very few exceptions in the past).

I assume that the same goes with OpenOffice…?

And what do you recommend: should openSUSE contrib repo be used over packman, or packman packages are more stable?
Thanks.

4

hi, am not sure if this helps or not but this is my list, its fine for me but am sure not everybody has the same.

zypper lr
#  | Alias                               | Name                                       | Enabled | Refresh
---+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+---------+--------
1  | OpenSUSE_Security                   | openSUSE Security                          | Yes     | Yes
2  | Packman_Repository                  | Packman Repository                         | Yes     | Yes
3  | download.nvidia.com-opensuse        | NVIDIA Repository                          | Yes     | Yes
4  | download.opensuse.org-Backports     | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:Backports      | Yes     | Yes
5  | download.opensuse.org-Community     | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:KDE4:Community | Yes     | Yes
6  | download.opensuse.org-Wine          | openSUSE BuildService - Wine CVS Builds    | Yes     | Yes
7  | download.opensuse.org-mozilla       | openSUSE BuildService - Mozilla            | Yes     | Yes
8  | google-chrome                       | google-chrome                              | Yes     | Yes
9  | http-download.opensuse.org-90b8e136 | Updates for openSUSE 11.2-0                | Yes     | Yes
10 | repo-debug                          | openSUSE-11.2-Debug                        | Yes     | Yes
11 | repo-non-oss                        | openSUSE-11.2-Non-Oss                      | Yes     | Yes
12 | repo-oss                            | openSUSE-11.2-Oss                          | Yes     | Yes

OpenSuse Security I only have because I use the KeepPassX application.

Packman Repository is I think a must have, and I migrated as much as I could to this repository using Yast, selecting the repository and clicking the “switch system packages”

NVIDIA Repository I use because I have an Nvidia card, but the repo is often a bit behind what you can manually download at nvidia

openSUSE BuildService - KDE:Backports, I migrated NetworkManager-kde4, amarok, ktorrent and such to this as its a bit more up to date, especially as I had some issues with the amarok in the opensuse 11.2 repo

openSUSE BuildService - KDE:KDE4:Community, only for acetoneiso2

openSUSE BuildService - Wine CVS Builds, for latest build of Wine, very up to date this one

openSUSE BuildService - Mozilla, for thunderbird & firefox

google-chrome - for the latest build of the browser

The rest should be obvious. Small note, I do use one-click installs now and then but I never select the option to add those repositories, I find it makes the whole think less clear.

hope it helps a bit.

Xil

5

Yes, as with any package offered by the oss / non-oss-repos.

I would not use contrib-repos at all.

Xilanaz, just a few comments on your list of repositories:

• “Debug”-repos contain packages necessary for debugging (hence the name). A regular user definitely doesn’t need them.

• “KDE:Backports” is a KDE3-repo, a new SuSE-user will hardly need it either

• Generally I am a bit uneasy about seeing lissts as such being recommended; repos beside oss, non-oss, update and Packman depend on several parameters like the used GFX-card, needed applications, experience of the user with package management etc. There’s no such thing as a “generic” list that can be used by everyone.

Edit: just saw you edited your comment, that looks much better now. :slight_smile:

6

gropiuskalle, thanks for your reply, you are right on debug, should have taken it out.

however I dont agree on KDE:backports though, I started using it because the default Amarok 2.1 which came with suse 11.2 had some bugs for me and the KDE:backports has version 2.3.

As far as I know (and I could be wrong) KDE:backports holds newer versions of KDE programs backported to the current Suse 11.2/KDE versions.

If I am wrong, would like to know where one would get a newer version of for example Amarok if not from KDE:backports

7

however I dont agree on KDE:backports though, I started using it because the default Amarok 2.1 which came with suse 11.2 had some bugs for me and the KDE:backports has version 2.3.

Whoops, that is new to me - this repo used to be strictly KDE3 until not too long ago, if I remember correctly (and at least in the →german SuSE-wiki it is still being indicated as a KDE3-source, I can’t find the english equivalent of that page right now). Thanks for the pointer!

8

Thanks Xilanaz and gropiuskalle :slight_smile:

I think I understand the openSUSE repos a lot better now.
Today I reinstalled whole system as the mixing of repos and dist-upgrade command installed a lot of undesired version of Xorg and other softwares and due to that the Nvidia propreitery module kept breaking. I got confused as to which repo installed which Xorg component.

However I would prefer some other repo over packman because it contains system elements such as xorg.
IMO application repo should be limited to apps only i.e non system apps such as deluge,limewire etc. so that the system does not break(atleast vital components) like for instance using packman if I want to install smplayer it asks to upgrade Xorg which in turn breaks nvidia, and if you do dist-upgrade with packman repo enabled then it’s a roller coaster ride in terms of dependency handling, it removes some package that you need but must be removed because then it wont install selected package…and many such issues.

If anybody know such repo then please post it in the thread.

Cheers,
kapz

9

I would not use contrib-repos at all.

Why?? Please explain, thanks.

10

Kapz, adding a repo does not automaticly mean all software inside will be used. You will have to switch the package over to packman, so if there are xorgs components in packman they won’t be used unless you switch them over manually or when yast comes with this suggestion because you installed something from packman and you need dependencie version that are only available in packman.

I cant say I had issues with smplayer from packman and my nvidia driver and xorg. If you can say which parts it wants to move over I can check where mine are coming from.

Do check you have the update repo from opensuse in your list, it did not get added automatically when I installed 11.2

11

Kapz, adding a repo does not automaticly mean all software inside will be used. You will have to switch the package over to packman

I agree,but after vendor change the dependency packages are also included(which is normal, but I want only official packages for some components/apps).
Now for instance if I update gstreamer plugins using packman and after the installation I want to update system:
1.I can then remove packman repo until the system is updated, but doing so downgrades the gstreamer packages(or else update wont continue)
2. Keep packman and update system,then YasT/zypper will change all/some system packages(which I dont want it to do).

Is there a way to avoid it?

12

right click a package in yast and select protected, does that solve your problem of downgrading once you disable packman ?

13

Using OSS, NON-OSS, Packman, and Contrib are fine. Contrib are the stable versions of the build service contributions, but under Factory. openSUSE:Contrib - openSUSE Now if you want the more current versions of OpenOffice.org and Mozilla apps then adding those repos are fine. Basically the rule of thumb is, the more repos you add, the more complex you make things. Such as resolving dependencies. But it really depends on you. What do you want? How much do you know? How much are you willing to spend the time learning? If you aren’t willing to spend the time learning, then keep it simple.

To see the patches, just look at the spec files by grabbing the source rpm.

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, I have had over 120 repos before and managed it just fine. I have also flip flopped between zypper/YaST and smart while doing this. Now I don’t recommend this, but it goes to show that it can be done, and done safely…IF you know what you’re doing. The safest route is to keep it simple. The fewer the repos, the easier it is to manage and the less dependency conflicts you’ll have.