Repository Management

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1

Management of Repositories.

Open Yast Software Repositories:
Here we can add repositories. By default it opens using the URL method. This is fine and simply requires we copy and paste the URL into the URL section and then Name the repository in a logical manner. Eg; Packman

Here is the route:
ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

Then you arrive here:
ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

Then to the ADD:
http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/8597/05607085962656.jpg](http://www.imagebam.com/image/05607085962656)

http://thumbnails28.imagebam.com/8597/74001985962658.jpg](http://www.imagebam.com/image/74001985962658)

A selection of Repositories can be found here:
Package repositories - openSUSE
Additional package repositories - openSUSE
Index of /repositories
This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination. Just make sure you select the correct one – ie; 11.1 or 11.2 depending on what you are using… And in some cases ie; Packman – you can select a mirror location nearer to you.
The Community Repositories
You can add some repositories such as Packman via this option, see the screen:
http://thumbnails4.imagebam.com/3101/ebd81331005317.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/ebd81331005317)

Select eg:
http://thumbnails2.imagebam.com/3101/e91c1231005329.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/e91c1231005329)

Once you have added the repositories just OK to finish and apply all the changes.

Priority
The higher the number the lower the priority. By default you should probably NOT change these. Therefore, advice given here is for advanced users who understand the implications. In order to achieve the correct installation of some 3rd party packages, such as those from Packman, you may need to set the priority of the OSS and NON-OSS repositories to a higher number than Packman. See the screen:
EDIT:
For 11.2 and on… there is no need to alter priority
Pre 11.2 (Eg:11.1) You should set Packman to higher priority (lower number) Eg: 10
**EDIT. For Multi-Media stability we now recommend this:
**

| Alias | Name | Enabled | Refresh | Priority |

1 | packman | packman | Yes | Yes | 99 |
2 | Updates | Updates | Yes | Yes | 99 |
3 | Non-oss | Non-oss | Yes | Yes | 99 |
4 | Oss | Oss | Yes | Yes | 99 |

In general, keep your repositories to a minimum to avoid conflicts and breakage. A good choice would be those added by default at install: oss, non-oss, updates + just ‘Packman’ and ATI or Nvidia if you need these. That should give you all you need. The exception being if you need the libdvdcss package from the VLC repo. To acquire this, add the VLC repo – install libdvdcss and then delete this repo.

You can see your listed repositories from a terminal too and this is handy if you are asked to supply this information. Open a konsole terminal and type:

zypper lr -d

More info on zypper can be seen here:

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Zypper_usage

and: carl4926 - Adding Repo in Yast

Guide here also: SDB:Add package repositories - openSUSE

2

Thank that I was looking for.

Cheers :slight_smile:

3

I like it,but I ask you do we have to update Repository if yes could to show us how please and how do we know to update Repository?

4

Clarify what you mean please Suse-Beginer

You don’t HAVE to update the repositories, but you need to keep your system upto date.

5

I was advised to come here because Yast is confusing the heck of out me (most distros have far simpler and easier to manage repository controllers). It appears that to upgrade KDE 4.1 to 4.2 I have to jump though a few hoops, the example given was Index of /repositories/KDE:/KDE4:/Community/openSUSE_11.0_KDE_42 abd a suggestion to paste that link in as a URL,

Thiking, quite naturally, that I’d do that and find an single entry field and I’m looking at two. I figured out how to do it using a link to the download.openSUSE that was provided and filling in the entire URL supplying my own Repo name.

I’m sure I’ll learn this eventually but I’m sure there HAS to be an easier way. There certainly seems to be with other distros, even Debian.

ttfn

John

6

John I sent you here, it’s one of my HowTo’s. Adding repo’s is really easy when you know how. You seem to have it right now. Yes, the Name section is up to you. Just call it logically so you can identify it in software management.

EG:* If you were pasting the url to a picture of a snickers bar, you wouldn’t give the display Name of the URL Potato Chips would you.
*
The repo you just quoted was the Community of kde4.2, so a Name: kde4.2 Community
would be sensible.

7

Not so simple, here, I eventually got some acceptable repo KDE4_basis.ymp (http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/KDE:/42/openSUSE_11.1/)and then got 999 errors showing conflicts. That was trying to get 4.2 as advised before trying to get 4.3 does it have to be that complicated? What am I missing?

8

You need to be clearer about what you are wanting to do. And post your repos so I can see what you have:

zypper lr -d
9

Thanks caff4926 here they are :
zypper lr -d

1 | 20090811-220054 | 20090811-220054 | Yes | Yes | 99| rpm-md | Index of /repositories/KDE:/42/openSUSE_11.1 |
2 | devel:tools:building | devel:tools:building | Yes | Yes | 99| rpm-md | Index of /repositories/devel:/tools:/building/openSUSE_11.1 |
3 | openSUSE:11.1:Update | openSUSE:11.1:Update | Yes | Yes | 99| rpm-md | Index of /update/11.1 |
4 | repo-debug | openSUSE-11.1-Debug | Yes | Yes | 100| yast2 | Index of /debug/distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
5 | repo-non-oss | openSUSE-11.1-Non-Oss | Yes | No | 99| yast2 | Index of /distribution/11.1/repo/non-oss |
6 | repo-oss | openSUSE-11.1-Oss | Yes | No | 99| yast2 | Index of /distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
7 | repo-source | openSUSE-11.1-Source | Yes | Yes | 100| yast2 | Index of /source/distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
8 | repo-update | openSUSE-11.1-Update | Yes | No | 99| rpm-md | Index of /update/11.1

I had just installed Opensuse 11.1 from a dvd and I wanted to try out KDE 4.3 so I was advised to get 4.2 before installing 4.3. when I followed the link to the repo there were a few choices so I tried ‘KDE4_basis.ymp’ and got into this trouble. I would appreciate help to revert to the original and the correct address to insert in the Repo list if that is the easiest way…

10

The repos look reasonable. I have removed #8 it was a duplicate and see the RED changes which may help eliminate issues.
If you can’t figure out the way through any dependency issues, you could always go to CLI and do

zypper dup

Others have disabled all repo’s except the kde 42’ repo.
See how you get on.

11

Thanks for the repo info, caf. I was wondering what, if any, the benefit of switching my system packages to say the packman repository? I have seen it suggested before but don’t know if it would be beneficial. From what I have read it’s best not to do it over a wireless connection. Thanks,
Rusty/marinegundoctor

my repo’s are:

#  | Alias                                             | Name                                                | Enabled | Refresh | Type
---+---------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+---------+---------+-------
1  | Google_Linux_Software                             | Google Linux Software                               | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
2  | Kino_for_openSuse_11.2                            | Kino for openSuse 11.2                              | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
3  | Official_openSUSE_11.2_Update_(Security&Bugfixes) | Official openSUSE 11.2 Update (Security&Bugfixes)   | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
4  | Official_openSUSE_11.2_nonOSS                     | Official openSUSE 11.2 nonOSS                       | Yes     | Yes     | yast2
5  | Official_openSUSE_OSS                             | Official openSUSE 11.2 OSS                          | Yes     | Yes     | yast2
6  | Packman_from_jacobs                               | Packman                                             | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
7  | Ruby_Ripper                                       | Ruby Ripper                                         | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
8  | Ruby_Ripper_factory                               | Ruby Ripper factory                                 | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
9  | Wicd                                              | Wicd                                                | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
10 | Wine_Repo_(Official)                              | Wine Repo (Official)                                | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
11 | download.opensuse.org-Apps                        | openSUSE BuildService - GNOME:Apps                  | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
12 | download.opensuse.org-Backports                   | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:Backports               | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
13 | download.opensuse.org-Community                   | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:KDE4:Community          | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
14 | download.opensuse.org-STABLE                      | openSUSE BuildService - OpenOffice.org              | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
15 | download.opensuse.org-VirtualBox                  | openSUSE BuildService - Virtualization (VirtualBox) | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
16 | download.opensuse.org-games                       | openSUSE BuildService - Games                       | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
17 | download.opensuse.org-standard                    | Main Repository (Contrib)                           | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
18 | download.opensuse.org-webcam                      | openSUSE BuildService - Drivers for webcams         | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
19 | download.opensuse.org-xfce                        | openSUSE BuildService - XFCE                        | Yes     | Yes     | rpm-md
20 | download.videolan.org-SuSE                        | VideoLan Repository                                 | No      | Yes     | rpm-md
21 | kfreitag                                          | kfreitag                                            | No      | Yes     | rpm-md
22 | openSUSE 11.2-0                                   | DVD openSUSE 11.2-0                                 | Yes     | No      | yast2
12

That’s a big list.

The advantages are that it will switch your multi-media packaging to Packman where that isn’t already the case. This is important.
Any updates are best done a reliable connection. If that is wireless, fine. The laptop that I am writing this on us run on wireless all the time, including for updates.

13

Thanks for the answer. I usually run wireless as well and have never had a problem with updates. I had read about someone having that problem on another thread here.
After learning more about repositories I think my list may be too big. I suppose I should trim them down to the core essentials. Some, such as “Wicd” and webcam drivers were added because I couldn’t find the software in my existing repo’s; and the official wine repository had a more recent version of wine I preferred. Do you think it’s okay to keep those active to stay updated?
I had a problem when I first installed openSUSE. There was so much software to choose from I installed WAY too much and am still trying to weed out programs I don’t need or use.
Thanks for your help as always,
Rusty

14

It should be OK to keep them. Just be careful. With 11.3 on the way soon. Perhaps you will try that? A fresh install and try keeping the repos down a little. You may well find better support in 11.3, the kernel is bringing a great deal of added support, especially for things like wireless and graphics. Once you have switched application to the various repos, make sure packman is the last one you do it with.
Then all you should need to do is zypper up
And the switches hold.

15

I believe that’s sound advice. Thanks again.