The command sudo zypper dist-upgrade --no-recommends (or its common shorthand sudo zypper dup --no-recommends) is the primary method for updating an openSUSE Tumbleweed system while keeping it “lean” by avoiding optional packages.
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How does this differ from solver.onlyRequires = trueinzypp.conf? Thank you for sharing these small but important informations.
The primary difference between zypper --no-recommends and solver.onlyRequires = true in /etc/zypp/zypp.conf is the scope and persistence of the setting across different package management tools:
Recommended packages are a great feature when installing a new package. However upgrading the system with this setting enabled can result in unwanted bloat.
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I agree. If you really wants to keep things minimal, disable that setting.