I just installed the pattern “devel-basis” on my OpenSuse 13.2 box to do some compiling stuff.
zypper install -t pattern devel_basis
Now i wanted to remove the pattern (together with the installed packages ;)) but zypper only wants to remove the pattern, not the packages
zypper remove --clean-deps -t pattern devel_basis
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Resolving package dependencies...
The following package is going to be REMOVED:
patterns-openSUSE-devel_basis
The following pattern is going to be REMOVED:
devel_basis
1 package to remove.
Installing a pattern is saying that you want all packages installed that are listed in the pattern and that are not aleady installed. Which e.g. can result in no package installation at all, because all packages of the pattern are already there.
De-installing the pattern, only means removing the list. It is not going to de-install packages, they maybe required by other packades or patterns or even you. And when it would de-install all packages of the pattern it could be that the result is less packages then there where earlier (remember, on installing the pattern, some of the packages might already be there, must they be de-installed now or not?).
Ok and how do i remove these packages, i don’t have to do this manually, do i?
In this case it would somehow be crappy, i am used (in Ubuntu) to “apt-get autoremove” or when i remove the metapackage (thats what a pattern is called there), the containing packages are also removed.
You could use YaST->Software Management: click on the “View” button, choose “Patterns”, select the pattern which packages you want to remove and all packages should be shown in the package list. Right-click on the package list and choose “All in this list”->“Delete” (or select the corresponding menu entry in the “Package” menu).
I do not know much about Ubuntu and how things work there, but I doubt that a “metapackage” is just the Ubuntu name for a Pattern. As you point out yourself, they are different and thus not just aliases for the other one.
And about de-installiing. IMHO, just leave them on your system. The only thing you loose is some diskspace.
Another thing is to take better notes about what you install when and what for.
And I guess that is might be possible to find what was actualy installed then by making a listing with the rpm program that contains the install dates.
Another thing would be to use YaST > Software > Software Management and then choose Patterns from the View menu. Selecting the pattern from the list would then show the packages that are installed and belong to the pattern at right. But, as you should have understand from my earlier posts, be carefull de-installing all of them Some might belong to another pattern you have (and still need), or maybe installed for other reasons (like dependancies).