Packages upgrade

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi.
I have noticied there are some differences between packages upgrade manual method (zypper up) and automatic method.
E.g. the first founds 506 packages upgrade and the second just founds 4 security package upgrade.
Whats the differences ?
Thanks a lot

2

Hi, not sure what you are looking at. Maybe you are referring to the “Online Update”, which lists “patches”, often security patches. A “patch” is a collection of packages grouped to maintain your system consistent, so you cannot leave out a single package that may break your system after the update. “zypper up” instead lists individual packages and you can choose what to install and what not.
Maybe you are seeing 4 “patches” in the online update that sum up to 506 packages as total.

Try in a terminal the command:


zypper up -t patch

or


zypper list-patches
3

I agree with @OrsoBruno that your explanation is not clear. I do know what “zypper up” is, but do not know what you mean with “automatic method”.

4

Hi.
Yes, I explain better.
I wanted to mean “Online method” really “Online Update”.
Thus “zypper up” and “Online Update” upgrade the same packages but in different way?
Thanks for reply

5

By “zypper up” I’m assuming that you mean «zypper update» – which has absolutely nothing to do with “upgrade” …

By “automatic method” I’m assuming that, you mean «PackageKit» – which has various Graphical User Interfaces, depending on which GUI you’re using …
On the other hand, you could be meaning the “Automatic Online Update” provided by YaST: <https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/startup/html/book.opensuse.startup/cha.onlineupdate.you.html#sec.onlineupdate.you.automatically&gt;.

Regardless of which «automatic method» you mean, Zypper’s “Update” will install all updates and patches regardless of, any interactive requirements and/or package dependencies; PackageKit usually follows the same scheme but, YaST’s “automatic update” needs to be configured to also pull in the updates and patches which need interactive input and, also those patches and updates which have package dependencies …

BTW: “zypper patch” will only install any patches needed – not any updates which are being offered …

6

When you mean YaST > Software > Online Update, that is equivalent to

zypper patch

which does install the patches published on the Update repos you have for the OSS and non-Oss repos. Remember that the packages belonging to a released openSUSE version (on the OSS and non-OSS repos) are not changed. Only Security patches (often backported) and Recommended updates are offered on the Update repos.

Other repos (e.g. Packman) do offer newer version of packages in the repos. Those are installed with

zypper up

And “zypper up” includes the actions of “zypper patch”.

Thus doing a “zypper up” will give you the patches from the Update repos AND the newer versions on the other repos you have enabled.

7

Thanks to all for the answers, now I understand.
Is there any guide or manual on the web were I can better understand how OpenSuse works?
It seems to me that the official documentation is superficial.
Regards

8

openSUSE is the community version of SUSE.
openSUSE is funded by SUSE.

IMHO, “understanding how openSUSE works” is best served by attending either the yearly openSUSE conference or, other openSUSE events around the planet Earth.

  • Perusing the topics presented at the openSUSE Conferences is also a method to help understanding how the distribution functions.
  • The openSUSE Wiki is possibly, also helpful for “understanding how it works”: <https://en.opensuse.org/Main_Page&gt;.
9

It depends on your starting point. When you are acquainted with Unix/Linux in general, special openSUSE features will ly in a few things like the one about version policy and the patching/updating/upgrading that comes with it. And of course @dcurtisfra’s advice.

When your starting point is having some basic knowledge through Microsoft Windows usage, you better forget everything and start looking for Unix/Linux docs on the Internet.

And all in between.

I think this is the “official” starting point: https://doc.opensuse.org/
(And I arrived there from the openSUSE main page: openSUSE Wiki by clicking on Documention in the list below, etc.)

10

@giosi:

If you’re looking for reference books on Linux, my answer is usually: “O’Reilly” … <https://ssearch.oreilly.com/?q=Linux>.
Recommended reading:

  • Linux Cookbook
  • Linux System Administration

Don’t know about video schooling such as “Learning Linux System Administration” …
“Linux in a Nutshell” is possibly also OK.
There’s also things such as “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Linux” <https://www.linux.com/learn/complete-beginners-guide-Linux%20>.