I read a few threads about updating packages in opensuse 11.3, and about switching to a repository, but I still don’t understand a few things.
On earlier versions of opensuse I was used to set the repository priorities in an order that was convenient for me, and when I did an update, the vendor changed if needed.
Now, vendor change is not allowed by default, and I don’t understand the right way to handle repositories, and updates. I found out that in Software Managment there is an option to allow vendor change, but I’m not sure that’s the right way.
The idea is apparently that one does not choose a particulr vendor for a package for nothing. Thus even if there is a newer version in another repo, it is not “installed changing the vendor” when you update.
You can either change per package by slecting the package in the list (eventualy after searching for it) and choosing the Version tab below where you can click on one of the versions available (and I assume it will then come with an offer to change the vendor of the dependancies), or change massive by using the Repositories from the View menu/tab. and then click the “change … to this …” in the small field upper right. This is only available in KDE or when using the KDE version of YaST (unprecise expression from me here). There are many posts here whee caf shows how to do this.
So, if I switch to Mozilla repository for example, and then update all packages, the vendor for these packages (from mozilla repo) will always be mozilla repo, even if there is a newer version in the official update repo?
So, there is no need to allow vendor change at all?
Yes, but if you use the switcher on another repo, Eg Packman and as Packman has some of the files that Mozilla does it can cause issues, so you need to remember to switch mozilla again after you do it on Packman.
Although in the main Packman packages should have priority
So, if I want to update KDE from one repo, and firefox from another repo, should I switch for every update?
According to you, every time I want to update packages from a specific repo I have to switch to that repo. What happens if I have multiple repos? That was the reason why I looked for the option to allow vendor change, just to have the newest packages from my repos according to their priorities.
Once you have the packages switched they hold at that (Unless you use the switcher on another repo)
So once you have it all setup and switched as you like it, all you need do is: zypper up
But if you are using say kde factory and want to make sure a major upgrade gets switched correctly, you will want to use the switcher but you may need to go back to packman and (rather than use the switcher) just manually use the radio button on the version tab to get back the one or two packages you need supplied by packman Eg; k3b, kaffeine ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing
Try and keep your repos to a minimum and get to understand the SUSE packaging.
Nope, once you have installed from a vendor (a repo) it will stick to that vendor. Thus when you have FF from Mozilla, it will not update a newer version from Packman. And once you have the codecs from packman, it will not install newer version from OSS. And that is what we want, don’t we?
Correct.
But if you need to use the switch on a repo at some time and it has packages from one of the other repos it will change them. I have seen this recently with folks using mozilla repo, having done the Packman switch, some mozilla gets switched to packman. (which borks mozilla) So they have to re-apply mozilla switch, then all is good.
Hence:
So if I need only the official repos, the Packman repo, and I want firefox from Mozilla, I switch first to packman, install updates, and then switch to mozilla. Now, after switching to mozilla, all packages that are in packman and are NOT in mozilla repo will stay in packman and will update the moment packman has a new version? But, the packages that are in mozilla will update only from mozilla. So if I understand correct, I always have to switch from the bigger group of packages to the more specific one? Then, the rest (that does not exist in the small one) will still be from the big repo. Is it correct?
You basically have it, yes.
Packman is the main one to have switched, it’s basically multi-media.
But yes, once you switch Packman, then mozilla. All you need do is: zypper up
However, sometimes you will get errors due to packaging being out in Packman. Packman is in constant change so ‘updates’ can get messy if a package is missing or broken… It’s happened a lot recently.
So once you have a smooth running system don’t go doing ‘updates’ every day. If you do: zypper patch
It will just install critical system updates for the OS
The Updater Applet is supposed to do that I think, but I don’t use it, so I can’t be 100% sure…
Where you describe:
A little off-topic but couldn’t resist asking - why doesn’t the gnome based yast have the switcher applet ? I didn’t know about it (of nearly 3 years of using openSUSE) till I read this thread now… I was assuming that openSUSE’s setup tool is the same irrespective of the Desktop Env…
Ok, thank you for the explainations, and your patience!
I have a little question not exaxtly related to the main question of the thread. There is the repository of kde (stable) which has KDE 4.4. Is it better to stay with the official repos or it is safe to use the stable repo of KDE?
- why doesn’t the gnome based yast have the switcher applet ? I didn’t know about it (of nearly 3 years of using openSUSE) till I read this thread now… I was assuming that openSUSE’s setup tool is the same irrespective of the Desktop Env…