Adding Installation Sources to SuSE Linux 10.1
SuSE Linux 10.1’s YaST -> Software Manager may look the same, but infact it is running on a completely different set of libraries known as ZYPP. As a result of this change, you can no longer add sources via a root console and the ‘installation_sources’ command. On the bright side, thanks to a bug report by Benjiman from #SuSE, They have made adding network sources via the YaST -> Installation Sources interface much easier than in previous releases.
*UPDATE* WARNING! Do to some major bugs in the new and ‘improved’ package management libraries of YaST in SuSE Linux 10.1, I can no longer recommend the following method . Feel free to try it anyway, but chances are REALLY good that you will have some serious trouble doing so. *Update 06/09/06* Novell has released a couple dozen updated packages that fix the package management issues in SuSE Linux 10.1. However, I still recommend using Smart Package Manager with SuSE Linux 10.1 because it is considerably faster than YAST Software Manager. Then again, if I was just browsing the packages, I would want to use YAST Software Manager.
To Add Installation Sources to SuSE Linux 10.1:
- Open YaST -> Installation Source
- Click Add -> Specify URL
- Paste the URL for an Installation Source and click OK
- Rinse, Wash, & Repeat to Add Additional Sources
Currently there are not many internet installation sources available for SuSE Linux 10.1. Here is a list of a few that I recommend adding:
- SuSE Linux 10.1 Installation Source (labeled as ‘Installation Repository’ on the OpenSuSE Mirror page)
- Non-OSS SuSE Linux 10.1 Installation Source (labeled as ‘Addon Installation Repository’ on the OpenSuSE Mirror page)
- Guru’s Repository (fantastic repo, actively maintained by the great Yaloki)
- Packman Repository (must have repo, contains important, but legally objectionable packages like libxine1)
- Mozilla Software Repository (Get the latest SuSE builds of your Mozilla Applications)
Troubleshooting
With a new backend on the package manager, come new problems. When you follow the directions above, then click finish on the Installation Source dialog, It can take anywhere from a couple minutes to EVER. While it may seem stalled, it is most likely is not. to verify this, you can open a root console and type the following, which will provide a live view of the yast log: tailf /var/log/YaST2/y2log
When you click finish, it has to sync with rug, which has serious issues currently, and this is why it takes so damn long. Please keep an eye on the log file and if it has been 15 or 20 minutes, I would suggest killing the process via xkill or hitting Ctrl + Alt + Esc and clicking on the frozen yast - installation source window.
IF you had to kill the window, then you have now got sources half way added, and things are going to be broken. To fix them, you need to do the following in a root console:
- md /var/lib/backup
- cp -R /var/lib/{zypp,zmd} /var/lib/backup
- rm -Rf /var/lib/{zypp,zmd}/*
- md /var/lib/zypp/db/products
- cp /var/lib/backup/zypp/db/products/* /var/lib/zypp/db/products/
These directions will: make a backup directory, copy your existing zmd and zypp directories to that directory, remove the contents of your zypp and zmd directories recursively, recreate the product directory for zypp, and finally copy your product ID back into your /var/lib/zypp directory. Now you can attempt to add the yast sources again OR you can take my advise, stop using YaST - Software Manager, and start using Smart.
Very helpful info. I was going nuts under the assumption that a grand distro like Suse must have its packaging in workable state. Perhaps now I can reinstall it, having failed to add sources I needed and then bailing on 10.1. Smart Package Manager may be better for the long term as well.
Yours,
Mike
Novell had to thoroughly test this Zen/Rug issue. I’ve also caught some ZenException screens. Ow! Novell should fix these issues and make the fixes available on their update servers like the smeared lightning!The issue involving Zen/Rug/Yast is a really really p.i.t.a., while the rest of SuSE 10.1 really really rocks!
While Zen/Rug performs badly (ZenException) and Yast never failed me yet, I recommend everybody using Yast to do the updates until Novell has corrected the stinging Zen/Rug issues.
Uh… I installed Suse 10.1 on my desktop PC on 10/6 and with great difficulty managed to configure the online update. The package is still broken. Novell has NOT fixed it properly.
To do an online update, you have to keep switching between the zmd button and YaST. YaST will not install all the patches at once; you have to use YaST to install as many as it is willing to list, go back to zmd to refresh the list (not worth trying to install the patches with zmd cos it often gives an incorrect error message about dependencies, and hangs), then go back to YaST and install some more…It takes hours.
On my laptop, the zmd refresh tells me that a patch to rug (!) has not been installed, but refuses to install it. If I try YaST, I just get a list of patches that YaST pretended to install earlier, all ready for reinstalling…
Also you can’t reliably use either program to install from a local directory: YaST just won’t, and the zmd installer hangs 50 per cent of the time.
Novell needs to do a lot more work on the new setup before it is reliable.
Smart is not the answer either.
I managed to download the latest version from guru (smart 0.41.28), including the debug-info, addons, gui and ksmarttray, and reinstall it with zmd. It seemed to be running OK, but the second and subsequent times I tried it, it had locked itself into read-only mode, and provided no means of getting out of that.
Why didn’t Novell stick with YOU? It worked pretty reliably (apart from sometimes losing its file of online sources)through a succession of versions of 8.x and 9.x.
Christopher,
After a clean install, it is going to be broken, you should install the updated zmd, yast, and rug packages from the SuSE Linux 10.1 Update Repository. It sounds like you are still using the original zmd and yast packages.
Regarding Smart, if you are running another instance of Smart, then additional instances of Smart will be ran in ‘Read-Only’ mode. This can also occur when the smart-ksmarttray is looking for updates. You can either close ksmarttray or wait for it to finish.
Novell is using new package management libraries which are more flexible and robust. SuSE Linux gets to be the test bed for SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. In the end, it will be worth it, especially for people trying to manage a large network.
Jake,
Yes, I installed on the desktop PC the updated packages, and they are still unreliable. Otherwise I wouldn’t have made that post.
On the laptop, as noted before, i can’t complete those updates because zmd won’t install the patch to rug.
Thanks for the tip about ksmarttray. I’ll try that again. I wasn’t knowingly running two instances, of course.
I’ve also noticed that smart times out when trying to fetch updates from installed sources.
I am not sure that I wish to be a guinea pig for people who are managing a large network, especially having shelled out my fee for the boxed version of 10.1.
And so far the package management is less, not more, robust and not in practice more flexible. Clearly a good bit more beta-testing was needed before the new software was released as part of a final update.
One reason why I have liked SuSE in the past is the relative ease of getting the security updates promptly. A broken rug means one’s running, on at least one machine, a potentially insecure setup. (Yes, of course all setups are potentially insecure, but there’s no reason to make it worse gratuitously. That a really determined burglar will kick my door down is not an adequate reason for skipping window locks).
I installed smart package manager to avoid the problems I was having with Yast in Suse 10.1 and to speed up the update process. When doing an online update in Yast it showed all the updates I’ve already installed (with a tick beside them) and those I haven’t yet installed (with no tick).
The problem I’m having with Smart when trying to do a Suse updates is this I get the following error: Can’t install MozillaFirefox-1.5.0.4-1.3@i586: no package provides libbonobo-2.so.0 this is the same report for any of programs that I would like to update.
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I’m glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assit as far as possible.