Software management via YaST2 a backward step in openSUSE 11

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#1

Hi all,

I am grateful of the speed increase in using the new software management system under YaST2.

The following are issues of the new “Software Management” module of YaST2 that I consider to be a backward step since upgrading from openSUSE 10.3
(I am using the text only version of YaST from the CLI)

  1. I can no longer get a list of installed packages. In the previous version I could simple hit ALT-P to get the list (Filter list of options). But in openSUSE 11 this is no where to be seen.

  2. I can no longer easily bring up the search panel. In the previous version 10.3 I could simply hit ALT-S and the search box would appear. Now there are no shortcut keys making the experience more cumbersome.

  3. “Software management” now appears to automatically try to install extra packages without asking me. For example. I am running openSUSE 11 inside a virtual environment called VirtualBox v1.6.2, the system secretly add an extra package called “virtualbox-ose-guest-tools” to the list of packages to be installed to the system. If I wanted a system that tries to force what it thinks knows best on me, then I would be using MS Windows instead. The problem is that in the process of trying to be too smart, it would have installed the wrong version of the virtualbox package. So now I have to manually uncheck this package everytime I enter “Software Management”, what a pain in the neck.

Please bring back the previous interface of “Software management” as it was far quicker and easier to use.

#2

Heh…I don’t see that happening. However, anything you would like to see added can be used in a feature request at Bugzilla.

#3

Thanks for that, I have posted a bugzilla report. I am really suprised. Usually each version is better than the last. I wonder how many people did useability testing on the text only interface of the YaST2 modules that changed.

#4

As that is a neglected interface for most users, probably a minimal amount.

#5

I too use text-only suse on my torrent box. But I did not test out the text-only on 11 beta|RC* . I did, however, make good use of betas and RC on my laptop, because I know that each release it gets rather f****ucked up on my lappy. So I tested it hard. Perhaps, during the next beta versions, you get to really test out the text-only install. It would help us all out (including me!)

#6

Does anyone know who the maintainer of “Software management” module in YaST2 is ??? As I think especially the omission of the ability to see the installed list of packages is critical.

#7

Like to see added ???

I would like to see those features put back, not added.

#8

That’s a good point. I often get so used to doing the same 'ol thing that I can definitely forget to poke around the hood more.

#9

Sure…those can also be filed as a feature request.

#10

Well there is a temporary workaround for your first problem.
Select Package Groups and select the All Packages Category. Then just sort by the very first column.

#11

Thanks for that Benjamin_Xiao your a savior. Now if only I could get rid of its desire to add extra non-dependent packages it thinks I need.

#12

Bummer, Just tried that workaround, the text only version does not allow sorting of columns.

I cannot believe a distro as mature as openSUSE has package management hobbled this badly. openSUSE 10.3 had such a good text interface, why was it changed ?? who changed it and why ??? If something works why break it.

#13

bigmudcake wrote:

>
> Does anyone know who the maintainer of “Software management” module in
> YaST2 is ??? As I think especially the omission of the ability to see
> the installed list of packages is critical.
>
>

Please try this:

In the “Software Management” module:

It typically comes up default to ‘Search’ for the filter mode. Please choose
that dropdown, and select ‘Installation Summary’

At this point, probably nothing is showing in the big window to the right.

Please select the ‘Keep’ checkbox, towards the bottom of the list in the left
column.

Is this close to what you desire?

–
L R Nix
lornix@lornix.com

#14

L R Nix wrote:

> bigmudcake wrote:
>
>>
>> Does anyone know who the maintainer of “Software management” module in
>> YaST2 is ??? As I think especially the omission of the ability to see
>> the installed list of packages is critical.
>>
>>
>
> Please try this:
>
> In the “Software Management” module:
>
> It typically comes up default to ‘Search’ for the filter mode. Please
> choose that dropdown, and select ‘Installation Summary’
>
> At this point, probably nothing is showing in the big window to the right.
>
> Please select the ‘Keep’ checkbox, towards the bottom of the list in the
> left column.
>
> Is this close to what you desire?
>
>

My apologies. I caught up on the thread… My reply above works well in the
GUI mode module, but sadly fails miserably in text mode. Seems the ‘keep’
option isn’t even displayed to select. Bummer.

I dug around a bit, and you CAN obtain a list of installed software from the
text mode module. Alas, it’s in XML format.

choose <E>xtras (ALT-E), then ‘Export package list to file’
provide a filename, and ‘OK’.

Not an optimum solution, I agree.

Another option:

rpm -qa

will output the name and version of all of the currently installed packages.

Actually more convenient than the GUI method.

Hope this helps

–
L R Nix
lornix@lornix.com