As far as I understand it, the colour red for a package entry in the list of YaST Software Management means that there is no enabled repository that has that package. I think there can be different reasons for it like
the repository it was installed from is removed (and no other enabled repos has it);
the package is removed from the repository, e.g. while the maintainers went back to an earlier version;
many more???
I assume it depends on the reason if you want to do something with it. E.g. when there was a fall back to an earlier version, you could do likewise. But I doubt there is a general “do this” solution.
And generally, what is the meaning of a listing in color red in Yast? Lately I’m seeing a lot of red entries in Yast.
You better specify that. YaST has a lot of mudules and I assume that it depends very much on what the module manages to understand what red could mean in what module.
This is openSUSE 42.2 “zypper dup” upgraded to 42.3 and undoubtedly my “red” file was installed from the 42.2 repo back when this WAS 42.2.
I just didn’t know whether to leave it installed, since it’s “red”, or leave it where it is. I think now I’ll keep it where it is until something happens to change my mind.
Way too many “red entries” in Yast right now for me to wade through them to describe. I can only wonder if the 42.3 repos are not being upgraded while all the attention now is on v15…?
I m not sure if you are talking about YaST (a lot of modules for system management) or only about the Software Management part of YaST when you mention “red coloured entries”.
Your title is about YaST (in general). Then you narrow it down to package versions in YaST > Software Management, but then you widen it again into general “a listing in color red in Yast? Lately I’m seeing a lot of red entries in Yast”.
Can we please first decide what you are looking at (I can not see what you are doing)?
And when you have a lot of red coloured package versions in software package management, the please start with showing your repo list
Hi
It’s because you have repositories 2 and 3 disabled since the bulk of the packages come from here… any packages installed from a repository, then the repository is disabled will become @System since they have no home…
When you are not able for whatever reason to do a copy/paste of the commands we suggest, then please check and recheck what you type against what is suggested. In this case what happens is rather harmless, but mallforming commands, specially when executed as root, can be very dangerous to your system.
And next. Because you now have your OSS and Non-OSS, in other words, the main repos of openSUSE 42.3, disabled. the majority of your packages will be shown “in red”. As I explained in post #2 in the first bullet where it says: “… no other enabled repos has it)”. (and @malcolmlewis says the same).
So please enable those two and try if you can post the output of
Let me guess. You were using the packman repo, and perhaps some other repos before you upgraded. You disabled those. Most of the orphaned packages come from those repos.
If I’m correct about packman, then be sure to add back the packman repo for 42.3 – and make sure it is the 42.3 version, not the 42.2 version. Then update. You should finish up with fewer orphans.
When I upgraded from 42.2 to 42.3 I used zypper dup with Packman and libdvdcss both disabled, then updated with them enabled per the instructions for upgrading with zypper.
O.K.: I have enabled all repos and all are 42.3, have refreshed and rebooted:
I now have a total of 6 red entries which appear to be mostly codecs. Since everything is now enabled and updated, does that mean these 6 “reds” are now superfluous and can be deleted?
Look at them through YaST > Software Management using the Version Tab below the list. You can see there where they were originally from. And if there are alternative versions in other repos.
In any case, leaving 6 unused packages on the system does no harm. Almost no disk space token.
That’s a lot better. I wouldn’t worry much about those 6.
I’ll make one further suggestion. At some time in the past you did a package switch of system packages to packman. If you have not done that since the upgrade, you might want to repeat it. During the upgrade, some packages may have switched back to opensuse repos to solve conflicts (because packman was disable during the upgrade).
An additional thought; I remember reading somewhere on this site that the “source” repositories did not need to be refreshed since they never change, the reason for doing this being to make updating via Yast or Zypper a bit faster by eliminating some unneeded network activity.)
Question: Is this true?
If so, for which repos can I turn off automatic refresh?
I think I had “Refresh” turned off on OSS and Non-OSS when I was using 42.2 - (don’t remember…)
You actually don’t need the “source” repositories at all, they only contain source code in form of .src.rpm packages, which would allow you to compile/build the packages yourself.
If so, for which repos can I turn off automatic refresh?
The main repos are fixed/frozen at release, that includes OSS, NON-OSS, and Source.
But not the “Update” variants, which are used to deliver bugfix and security updates after the release.
I.e. in your case, you can turn off Auto-Refresh for repos #2 and #3. (and maybe #6 as well as libdvdcss usually is not updated anyway, but then this repo only contains a single package so it doesn’t matter much anyway)
Although, you probably don’t “gain” much as zypper shouldn’t refresh a repo anyway if it hasn’t changed.
I think I had “Refresh” turned off on OSS and Non-OSS when I was using 42.2 - (don’t remember…)
That is ok.
This repo’s URL is wrong though, as already pointed out by graham:
I don’t know how I got that “source” version in the first place. I’m ready to get out my old mousepad, the one with the message “BANG HEAD HERE” on it.
The “debug” version mentioned shows on “Package repositories” ( Package repositories - openSUSE Wiki ) as “Advanced users only” - which ain’t me!