Hello,
If I install RC2 now, will it magically change into the release version when it’s out (2 days)?
In other words, is there any difference if I install RC2 and just use the regular software updates, or install the release version?
No, At a minimum you would have to zypper dup to the release repository
In other words, is there any difference if I install RC2 and just use the regular software updates, or install the release version?
Yes
You will need to change the repository “download.opensuse.org/distribution/12.3-RC2/repo/oss” to “download.opensuse.org/distribution/12.3/oss” and the same for the non-oss
then zypper dup or use YaST
Are you sure about that, dale? I installed RC1 and it set up the standard distribution repos for 12.3, i.e. I’m expecting no change of repos to reach final release even if the content changes. I’m pretty sure it came up on the factory mailing list, and that was the answer. Also I dist-upgraded to RC2, and did another zypper dup recently to pick-up the [last] kernel update.
@manenbu, as already stated, it will not magically change to final release even if you apply updates (from the Update repos). There was a fairly recent kernel update placed in the main oss repo (not in the update repo as is usual). That’s an example of why you will need to do a dist-upgrade (zypper dup) to be sure of reaching final release. First check you have the distribution repos (as per @dale1486 example), then “zypper refresh” on the repos, before zypper dup.
It seems to me that there are different repositories installed in RC1, RC" and between DVD and NET installs. I haven’t tried any of the LIVEs. There is no “download.opensuse.org/distribution/12.3-RC2/repo/oss” at the moment. The repo in “repositories/openSUSE:/12.3/” is currently a link to “factory-snapshot/repo/oss/suse/”, which I would expect to change on release.
Hmm, I had no reason to disbelieve the factory mailing list that referred to the repo situation beyond Beta. I used NET install for RC1 (no grub legacy on liveCD install). I still have the liveCD so will check that. The current link makes sense, but no issue, and should change (seemlessly for the user) upon release.
The difference in the NET and DVD installs is only in the RC versions, assuming I install the same?
For RC2 (considering RC1 concurrently is too complicated): The DVD build is dated 2013-02-28. The factory-snapshot currently used by NET is dated 2013-03-06, and contains several updates (kernel, calligra. etc.) compared to the DVD. The ackage-lists(Patterns) seem to have changes too. Consider the NET (factory-snapshot) to be RC2a.
Unless you are doing this for a hobby I would wait for the release. If you cannot wait …
Actually I have a few days of nothing else to do and access to an unused machine, so I thought I would learn the basics of opensuse. I thought I’d give it a try, currently a Kubuntu user and it’s almost what I want but not exactly.
In a few days, if everything works out, I’ll install the main release on my real pc.
Indeed, RC1 belongs to history, only mentioned it wrt repos. The differences of DVD v. NET are interesting but not unexpected. 
I see at
Index of /distribution there is 12.3rc2 and 12.3 repos
on the 12.3 iso is blocked 403 the same with delta the repo is active
just an observation
Thanks, What you get, and when, presumably depends on wich mirror is in use. I see that what was * factory/factory-snapshot/repo/oss* seems to be now distribution/12.3/repo/oss, and that repositories/openSUSE:/12.3/standard now redirects to distribution/12.3/repo/oss. factory/factory-snapshot/repo/oss has reverted to being an actual snapshot a factory (e.g. kernel-3.7.7).
So now a NET install or a zypper dup --from /distribution/12.3/repo/oss should result in the release 12.3. Note that the zypper dup method did not generate a default list of repositories when I tried it a few minutes ago.
Looking with your browser? Oh, I forgot to include that the factory mailing list also mentioned that the standard distribution repos were included in RC’s, but you won’t see those by browser until final release.
I’m not seeing @lfinger’s post in this thread? You should give a link to another thread, or a post # if internal.
zypper lr will give a list of your repositories
Ohh! This is what the Quote header that I see looks like in real life:
<div class="bbcode_postedby"> <img title="Quote" src="[https://forums.opensuse.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png)" alt="Quote"> Originally Posted by <strong>lwfinger</strong> <a href="[https://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/pre-release-beta/484065-virtualbox-help.html#post2533858](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/pre-release-beta/484065-virtualbox-help.html#post2533858)" rel="nofollow"><img title="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="[https://forums.opensuse.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png)" alt="View Post"></a> </div>
And when (using a browser) I select the “viewpost-right.png” image it links to the quoted post (#2533858 in thread 484065-virtualbox-help).
Ohh! This is what the Quote header that I see looks like in real life:
<div class="bbcode_postedby"> <img title="Quote" src="[https://forums.opensuse.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png)" alt="Quote"> Originally Posted by <strong>lwfinger</strong> <a href="[https://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/pre-release-beta/484065-virtualbox-help.html#post2533858](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/pre-release-beta/484065-virtualbox-help.html#post2533858)" rel="nofollow"><img title="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="[https://forums.opensuse.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png](https://forums.opensuse.org/view-source:https://forums.opensuse.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png)" alt="View Post"></a> </div>
And when (using a browser) I select the “viewpost-right.png” image it links to the quoted post (#2533858 in thread 484065-virtualbox-help).