I was switching the kde49 and extra vendors as described by the screenshot in a wiki I read, and when I do that, it asks me to keep the obsolete k3b, so I select that options, then it installs some updates. This all goes fine, however, when I log out and back in, and recheck the repos, it still shows the switch vendor link at the top of the kde49 and extra repo page. There doesn’t appear to be any indication that the packages were switched.
When I click the links again to switch, it asks about the k3b again, but this time, there are not additional updates.
Is this normal behavior for the repository page even after you switch, or is there some other indication I can check to see what vendor switches I have made?
The possibility to change Vendor is still there. When you now install a package from any other vendor that is also in the repo you now are watching, you can then switch again. It will of course only touch that one package, as it now touched nil packages.
That is e.g. why, after you did a switch to a KDE 4.9 repo, you may be well advised to do the switch to Packman again. Because the switch to KDE 9 will probably have overwritten some Packman packages with KDE 9 packages, while you still prefer the Packman versions.
The switching i a momentory action and has no influence on future package installation.
For every package you select at the right in YaST, you can see at the bottom right with the Versions tab which version you have installed, and which ones are available from which repos. You can not see if you have that particular version because you did a switch once (maybe a year ago).
So, in your example, I upgraded to KDE 4.9 and use that repo. So, why would I want to switch back to packman if I want pure KDE 4.9 packages? (Or was that just an example?)
Seems like a lot of work to keep up with repositories that way. For now, being new, I only have a couple (KDE 49 and KDE 49 Extra and Packman), but what happens, as I get more involved, and want to have 5 or 6 repos for different software packages. This can quickly become a nightmare!
Could this be better managed by using the priorities? For example, put the more important repos at a lower number (Higher priority) and leave added repos that I would use simply for adding various packages at the default 99?
You might want Packman because you might want multi-media. Annd when you wanted Packman earlier (before you went to KDE 4.9) you will want it again for the same reason.
An example:
. You installed 12.2 with standard KDE. That came with a media codecs that is crippled because of license problems.
. You switched to Packman and because Packman has that same package with the codecs, that one will be installed instead.
. Now you switch to a KDE4.9 repo and that has the same codecs package. Because you ordered the switch, you will now have the KDE9 version, but that is crippled again.
. Thus you do the switch to Packman again. It will only replace those packages that are installed not from Packman to the same ones from Packman.
Most of the time when you install something of a new repo, there will be no multi-media (and thus no Packman) involved. When I install e.g. a The GPS program qlandkartegt from the Geo repo, I do not worry about Packman. But I do not switch either, I just install.
In any case, the general advice here is too keep your number of repos to the minimum. And when you need one for a particular type of software (like my qlandkartegt example above), then go to YaST > Software > Repository management afterwards and Disable that repository (do not remove it, it is just sitting there, ready to be enabled when needed). The same after you used a “One Click Install”. I normaly only enable such a repo when I know the package I have has a new version and I need that version (do not change what works).
I would not advice to go using those priortities. They almost never do what you think they should do. And almost nobody here uses them, thus it is difficult to get good advice here about their functionality.