To install, uninstall, and update software on your machine, use Software+Software Management. This opens a package manager dialog as shown in Figure 8.2, “YaST Package Manager”.

Figure 8.2. YaST Package Manager¶

In SUSE® Linux Enterprise, software is available in the form of RPM packages. Normally, a package contains everything needed for a program: the program itself, the configuration files, and all documentation. A list of individual packages is displayed to the right in the individual package window. The content of this list is determined by the currently selected filter. If, for example, the Patterns filter is selected, the individual package window displays all packages of the current selection.

In the package manager, each package has a status that determines what to do with the package, such as “Install” or “Delete.” This status is shown by a symbol in a status box at the beginning of the line. Change the status by clicking or selecting the desired status from the menu that opens when the item is right-clicked. Depending on the current situation, some of the possible status flags may not be available for selection. For example, a package that has not yet been installed cannot be set to “Delete.” View the available status flags with Help+Symbols.

The font color used for various packages in the individual package window provides additional information. Installed packages for which a newer version is available on the installation media are displayed in blue. Installed packages whose version numbers are higher than those on the installation media are displayed in red. However, because the version numbering of packages is not always linear, the information may not be perfect, but should be sufficient to indicate problematic packages. If necessary, check the version numbers.

8.3.1.1. Installing Packages¶

To install packages, select packages for installation and click Accept. Selected packages should have the Install status icon. The package manager automatically checks the dependencies and selects any other required packages (resolution of dependencies). To view other packages required for installation before clicking Accept, choose Extras+Show Automatic Package Changes from the main menu. After installing packages, continue working with the package manager by clicking Install More or close it by clicking Finish.

The package manager provides preselected groups for installation. You can select an entire group instead of single packages. To view these groups, use Filter in the left frame.

	List of All Available Packages
To display all packages on your installation media, use the filter Package Groups and select zzz All at the bottom of the tree. SUSE Linux Enterprise contains a number of packages and it might take some time to display this long list.

8.3.1.3. Installing and Removing Language Support¶

To find language-specific packages, such as translated texts for the user interface of programs, documentation, and fonts, use the Languages filter. This filter shows a list of all languages supported by SUSE Linux Enterprise. If you select one of these, the right frame shows all packages available for this language. Among these, all packages applying to your current software selection are automatically tagged for installation.

To uninstall a language from your system, select a language from the language list and uncheck the status box at the beginning of a line.

Because language-specific packages may depend on other packages, the package manager may select additional packages for installation.

8.3.1.6. Saving the Package Selection¶

If you want to install the same packages on several computers, you can save your configuration to file and use it for other systems. To save your package selection, choose File+Export from the menu. To import a prepared selection, use File+Import.

	Hardware Compatibility
Because this function saves the exact package list, it is only reliable when the hardware is identical on the source and target systems. For more complicated situations, AutoYaST, described in Chapter 5, Automated Installation, may be a better choice.

8.3.1.9. Searching for Packages, Applications, and Files¶

To find a specific package, use the Search filter. Enter a search string and click Search. By specifying various search criteria, you can restrict the search to display a few or even only one package. You can also define special search patterns using wild cards and regular expressions in Search Mode.

	Quick Search
In addition to the Search filter, all lists of the package manager feature a quick search. Simply enter a letter to move the cursor to the first package in the list whose name begins with this letter. The cursor must be in the list (by clicking the list).

To find a package by name, select Name, enter the name of the package to find in the search field, and click Search. To find a package by text in the description, select Summary and Descriptions, enter a search string, and click Search.

To search for the package that contains a certain file, enter the name of the file, select RPM "Provides", and click Search. To find all packages that depend on a particular package, select RPM "Requires", enter the name of package, and click Search.

If you are familiar with the package structure of SUSE Linux Enterprise, you can use the Package Groups filter to find packages by subject. This filter sorts the program packages by subjects, such as applications, development, and hardware, in a tree structure to the left. The more you expand the branches, the more specific the selection is. This means fewer packages are displayed in the individual package window.

8.3.1.13. Checking Dependencies¶

Some packages depend on other packages. This means that the software of the package only works properly if another package is also installed. There are some packages with identical or similar functionality. If these packages use the same system resource, they should not be installed at the same time (package conflict).

When the package manager starts, it examines the system and displays installed packages. When you select to install and remove packages, the package manager can automatically check the dependencies and select any other required packages (resolution of dependencies). If you select or deselect conflicting packages, the package manager indicates this and submits suggestions for solving the problem (resolution of conflicts).

To activate the automatic dependency check, select Autocheck, located under the information window. With Autocheck activated, any change of a package status triggers an automatic check. This is a useful feature, because the consistency of the package selection is monitored permanently. However, this process consumes resources and can slow down the package manager. For this reason, the automatic check is not activated by default. Regardless of the state of Autocheck, a consistency check is performed when you confirm your selection with Accept.

If you click Check, located under the information window, the package manager checks if the current package selection results in any unresolved package dependencies or conflicts. In the event of unresolved dependencies, the required additional packages are selected automatically. For package conflicts, the package manager opens a dialog that shows the conflict and offers various options for solving the problem.

For example, sendmail and postfix may not be installed concurrently. Figure 8.3, “Conflict Management of the Package Manager” shows the conflict message prompting you to make a decision. postfix is already installed. Accordingly, you can refrain from installing sendmail, remove postfix, or take the risk and ignore the conflict.

	Handling Package Conflicts
Unless you are very experienced, follow the suggestions of YaST when handling package conflicts, because otherwise the stability and functionality of your system could be endangered by the existing conflict.

Figure 8.3. Conflict Management of the Package Manager¶

Add-on products are extensions for your system. You can install a third party add-on product or a special extension of your SUSE Linux Enterprise, for example, the SDK add-on or a CD with binary drivers. To install a new add-on, use Software+Add-On Product. You can select various types of product media, like CD, FTP or local directory. You can work also directly with ISO files. To add an add-on as ISO file media, select Local Directory then choose ISO Images.

After successfully adding the add-on media, the package manager window appears. If the add-on provides a new pattern, see the new item in the Patterns filter. To view the list of all packages from the selected installation source, select the filter Installation Sources and choose the installation source to view. To view packages from a selected add-on by package groups, select the secondary filter Package Groups.

	Creating Custom Add-On Products
Create your own add-on products with YaST Add-On Creator. Read about the YaST add-on creator at http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/Creating_Add-On_Media_with_YaST. Find technical background information at http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/Creating_Add-Ons.

You can use multiple installation sources of several types. Select them and enable their use for installation or update using Software+Installation Source. For example, you can specify SUSE Software Development Kit as an installation source. When started, it displays a list of all previously registered sources. Following a normal installation from CD, only the installation CD is listed. Click Add to include additional sources in this list. Sources can be CDs, DVDs, or network sources, such as NFS and FTP servers. Even directories on the local hard disk can be selected as the installation medium. See the detailed YaST help text for more details.

All registered sources have an activation status in the first column of the list. Enable or disable individual installation sources by clicking Activate or Deactivate. During the installation of software packages or updates, YaST selects a suitable entry from the list of activated installation sources. When you exit the module with Close, the current settings are saved and applied to the configuration modules Software Management and System Update.

To get technical support and product updates, your system must be registered and activated. If you skipped the registration during installation, register with the help of the Novell Customer Center Configuration module from Software. This dialog is the same as that described in Section 3.14.4, “Novell Customer Center Configuration”.

Install important updates and improvements with YaST Online Update. The current updates for your SUSE Linux Enterprise are available from the product specific update catalogs containing patches. To add or remove catalogs, use the Software+Installation Source module, described in Section 8.3.3, “Selecting the Installation Source”.

Error on Accessing the Update Catalog

If you are not able to access the update catalog, this might be due to an expired subscription. Normally, SUSE Linux Enterprise comes with a one or three years subscription, during which you have access to the update catalog. This access will be denied once the subscription ends. In case of an access denial to the update catalog you will see a warning message with a recommendation to visit the Novell Customer Center and check your subscription. The Novell Customer Center is available at http://www.novell.com/center/.

To install updates and improvements with YaST, run Software+Online Update. All new patches (except the optional ones) that are currently available for your system are already marked for installation. Clicking Accept automatically installs these patches. After the installation has completed, confirm with Finish. Your system is now up-to-date.

8.3.5.2. Installing Patches Manually¶

The Online Update window consists of five sections. The list of all patches available is on the left. Find the description of the selected patch displayed below the list of patches. The disk usage is displayed at the bottom of the left column. The right column lists the packages included in the selected patch (a patch can consist of several packages) and, below, a detailed description of the selected package.

Figure 8.4. YaST Online Update

The patch display lists the available patches for SUSE Linux Enterprise. The patches are sorted by security relevance. The color of the patch name, as well as a pop-up window under the mouse cursor, indicate the security status of the patch: Security (red), Recommended (blue), or Optional (black). There are three different views on patches. Use Show Patch Category to toggle the views:

Installable Patches (default view)

Currently not installed patches that apply to packages installed on your system.

Installable and Installed Patches

All patches that apply to packages installed on your system.

All Patches

All patches available for SUSE Linux Enterprise.

A list entry consists of a symbol and the patch name. For a list of possible symbols, press Shift+F1. Actions required by Security and Recommended patches are automatically preset. These actions are Autoinstall, Autoupdate, or Autodelete. Actions for Optional patches are not preset—right-click on a patch and choose an action from the list.

If you install an up-to-date package from a catalog other than the update catalog, the requirements of a patch for this package may be fulfilled with this installation. In this case a check mark is displayed in front of the patch summary. The patch will be visible in the list until you mark it for installation. This will in fact not install the patch (because the package already is up-to-date), but mark the patch as having been installed.

Most patches include updates for several packages. If you want to change actions for single packages, right-click on a package in the package window and choose an action. Once you have marked all patches and packages as desired, proceed with Accept.

	Disabling deltarpms
Since rebuilding rpm packages from deltarpms is a memory and CPU time consuming task, certain setups or hardware configuration might require to disable the usage of deltarpms for performance sake. To disable the use of deltarpms edit the file /etc/zypp/zypp.conf and set download.use_deltarpm to false.

Another alternative for updating software is the ZENworks updater applet for KDE and GNOME. The ZENworks updater helps monitor new patches. It also provides a quick update function. For more information, refer to Section 9.2, “Managing Packages with the ZEN Tools”.

YaST also offers the possibility to set up an automatic update. Select Software+Automatic Online Update. Configure a Daily or a Weekly update. Some patches, such as kernel updates, require user interaction, which would cause the automatic update procedure to stop. Check Skip Interactive Patches for the update procedure to proceed automatically. In this case, run a manual Online Update from time to install patches that require interaction.

When Only Download Patches is checked, the patches are downloaded at the specified time but not installed. They must be installed manually. The patches are downloaded to the rug cache directory, /var/cache/zmd/web, by default. Use the command rug get-prefs cache-directory to get the current rug cache directory. For more information about rug, see Section 9.1, “Update from the Command Line with rug”.

On IBM System z systems, the Patch CD update option is not available.

The Patch CD Update module from the Software section installs patches from CD, not from an FTP server. The advantage lies in a much faster update with CD. After the patch CD is inserted, all patches on the CD are displayed in the dialog. Select the desired packages for installation from the list of patches. The module issues an error message if no patch CD is present. Insert the patch CD then restart the module.

Update the version of SUSE Linux Enterprise installed on your system with Software+System Update. During operation, you can only update application software, not the base system. To update the base system, boot the computer from an installation medium, such as CD. When selecting the installation mode in YaST, select Update.

The procedure for updating the system is similar to a new installation. Initially, YaST examines the system, determines a suitable update strategy, and presents the results in a suggestion dialog. Click Change or the individual items to change any details.

8.3.8.3. Backup¶

During the update, the configuration files of some packages may be replaced by those of the new version. Because you may have modified some of the files in your current system, the package manager normally makes backup copies of the replaced files. With this dialog, determine the scope of these backups.

	Scope of the Backup
This backup does not include the software. It only contains configuration files.

This YaST module allows you to install packages into a directory specified by you. Select where to place the root directory, how to name directories, and the type of system and software to install. After entering this module, YaST determines the system settings and lists the default directory, installation instructions, and software to install. Edit these settings by clicking Change. All changes must be confirmed by clicking Accept. After changes have been made, click Next until informed that the installation is complete. Click Finish to exit the dialog.

If you encounter any problems using the SUSE Linux Enterprise installation media, you can check the CDs or DVDs with Software+Media Check. Media problems are more likely to occur with media you burn yourself. To check that a SUSE Linux Enterprise CD or DVD is error-free, insert the medium into the drive and run this module. Click Start for YaST to check the MD5 checksum of the medium. This may take several minutes. If any errors are detected, you should not use this medium for installation.

Configure an infrared device with Hardware+Infrared Device. Click Start IrDa to begin configuration. You can configure Port and Limit Baud Rate here.

Configure graphics cards and monitors with Hardware+Graphics Card and Monitor. It uses the the SaX2 interface, described in Section 8.14, “SaX2”.

Configure a printer with Hardware+Printer. If a printer is properly connected to the system, it should be detected automatically. Find detailed instructions for configuring printers with YaST in Section 23.4, “Setting Up a Printer”.

Normally, the hard disk controller of your system is configured during the installation. If you add controllers, integrate these into the system with Hardware+Disk Controller. You can also modify the existing configuration, but this is generally not necessary.

The dialog presents a list of detected hard disk controllers and enables assignment of the suitable kernel module with specific parameters. Use Test Loading of Module to check if the current settings work before they are saved permanently in the system.

	Configuration of the Hard Disk Controller
It is advised to test the settings before making them permanent in the system. Incorrect settings can prevent the system from booting.

Display detected hardware and technical data using Hardware+Hardware Information. Click any node of the tree for more information about a device. This module is especially useful, for example, when submitting a support request for which you need information about your hardware.

Save the hardware information displayed to a file by clicking Save to File. Select the desired directory and filename then click Save to create the file.

Activate and deactivate the DMA mode for your IDE hard disks and your IDE CD and DVD drives in the installed system with Hardware+IDE DMA Mode. This module does not have any effect on SCSI devices. DMA modes can substantially increase the performance and data transfer speed in your system.

During installation, the current SUSE Linux Enterprise kernel automatically activates DMA for hard disks but not for CD drives, because default DMA activation for all drives often causes problems with CD drives. Use the DMA module to activate DMA for your drives. If the drive supports the DMA mode without any problems, the data transfer rate of your drive can be increased by activating DMA.

DMA (direct memory access) means that your data can be transferred directly to the RAM, bypassing the processor control.

To add a DASD to the installed system, there are two possibilities:

In either case, you must run the commands mkinitrd zipl to make the changes persistent.

To add further FCP-attached SCSI devices to the installed system, use the YaST ZFCP module (Hardware+ZFCP). Select Add to add an additional device. Select the Channel Number (adapter) from the list and specify both WWPN and FCP-LUN. Finalize the setup by selecting Next and Close. Verify that the device has been added by checking the output of cat /proc/scsi/scsi.

To make the changes persistent through a reboot, run the following commands: mkinitrd zipl

Configure a joystick connected to the sound card with Hardware+Joystick. Select your joystick type in the list provided. If your joystick is not listed, select Generic Analog Joystick. After selecting your joystick, make sure that it is connected then click Test to test the functionality. Click Continue and YaST installs the required files. After the Joystick Test window appears, test the joystick by moving it in all directions and pressing all buttons. Each movement should be displayed in the window. If you are satisfied with the settings, click OK to return to the module and Finish to complete configuration.

If you have a USB device, this configuration is not necessary. Plug in the joystick and start using it.

To configure the keyboard for the console, run YaST in text mode then use Hardware+Keyboard Layout. After clicking the module, the current layout is displayed. To choose another keyboard layout, select the desired layout from the list provided. Test the layout in Test by pressing keys on the keyboard.

Fine-tune the settings by clicking Expert Settings. Adjust the key repeat rate and delay and configure the start-up state by choosing the desired settings in Start-Up States. For Devices to Lock, enter a space-separated list of devices to which to apply the Scroll Lock, Num Lock, and Caps Lock settings. Click OK to complete the fine-tuning. Finally, after all selections have been made, click Accept for your changes to take effect.

To set up the keyboard for the graphical environment, run the graphical YaST then select Keyboard Layout. Find information about the graphical configuration in Section 8.14.3, “Keyboard Properties”.

When configuring the mouse for the graphical environment, click Mouse Model to access the SaX2 mouse configuration. Refer to Section 8.14.2, “Mouse Properties” for details.

To configure your mouse for the text environment, use YaST in text mode. After entering text mode and selecting Hardware+Mouse Model, use the keyboard arrow keys to choose your mouse from the provided list. Then click Accept to save the settings and exit the module.

Most sound cards are detected automatically and configured with reasonable values during initial installation. To install a card added later or modify settings, use Hardware+Sound. It is also possible to switch the sequence of the cards.

Figure 8.5. Sound Configuration¶

If YaST cannot detect your sound card automatically, proceed as follows:

To change the configuration of a sound card, go to the Sound Configuration dialog, select a displayed Card Model, and click Edit. Use Delete to remove a sound card completely.

Click Other to customize one of the following options manually:

The volume and configuration of all sound cards installed are saved when you click Finish in the YaST sound module. The mixer settings are saved to the file /etc/asound.conf and the ALSA configuration data is appended to the end of the files /etc/modprobe.d/sound and /etc/sysconfig/hardware.

Create a backup of both your system and data using System+System Backup. However, the backup created by the module does not include the entire system. The system is backed up by saving important storage areas on your hard disk that may be crucial when trying to restore a system, such as the partition table or master boot record (MBR). It can also include the XML configuration acquired from the installation of the system, which is used for AutoYaST. Data is backed up by saving changed files of packages accessible on installation media, entire packages that are unaccessible (such as online updates), and files not belonging to packages, such as many of the configuration files in /etc or the directories under /home.

With System+System Restoration, restore your system from a backup archive created with System Backup. First, specify where the archives are located (removable media, local hard disks, or network file systems). Click Next to view the description and contents of the individual archives and select what to restore from the archives.

You can also uninstall packages that were added since the last backup and reinstall packages that were deleted since the last backup. These two steps enable you to restore the exact system state at the time of the last backup.

	System Restoration
Because this module normally installs, replaces, or uninstalls many packages and files, use it only if you have experience with backups. Otherwise you may lose data.

To configure booting for systems installed on your computer, use the System+Boot Loader module. A detailed description of how to configure the boot loader with YaST is available in Section 21.3, “Configuring the Boot Loader with YaST”.

Find information about Heartbeat and high availability configuration with YaST in Heartbeat Guide.

The logical volume manager (LVM) is a tool for custom partitioning of hard disks with logical drives. Find information about LVM in Section 7.1, “LVM Configuration”.

The enterprise volume management system (EVMS) is, like LVM, a tool for custom partitioning and grouping of hard disks into virtual volumes. It is flexible, extensible, and can be tailored using a plug-in model to individual needs of various volume management systems.

EVMS is compatible with existing memory and volume management systems, like DOS, Linux LVM, GPT (GUID partition table), IBM System z, Macintosh, and BSD partitions. More information is provided at http://evms.sourceforge.net/.

With the expert partitioner, shown in Figure 8.6, “The YaST Partitioner”, manually modify the partitioning of one or several hard disks. Partitions can be added, deleted, resized, and edited. Also access the soft RAID, EVMS, and LVM configuration from this YaST module.

	Repartitioning the Running System
Although it is possible to repartition your system while it is running, the risk of making a mistake that causes data loss is very high. Try to avoid repartitioning your installed system and always do a complete backup of your data before attempting to do so.

Figure 8.6. The YaST Partitioner¶

	IBM System z: Device Names
IBM System z recognize only DASD and SCSI hard disks. IDE hard disks are not supported. This is why these devices appear in the partition table as dasda or sda for the first recognized device.

All existing or suggested partitions on all connected hard disks are displayed in the list of the YaST Expert Partitioner dialog. Entire hard disks are listed as devices without numbers, such as /dev/hda or /dev/sda (or /dev/dasda). Partitions are listed as parts of these devices, such as /dev/hda1 or /dev/sda1 (or /dev/dasda1, respectively). The size, type, file system, and mount point of the hard disks and their partitions are also displayed. The mount point describes where the partition appears in the Linux file system tree.

If you run the expert dialog during installation, any free hard disk space is also listed and automatically selected. To provide more disk space to SUSE Linux Enterprise®, free the needed space starting from the bottom toward the top of the list (starting from the last partition of a hard disk toward the first). For example, if you have three partitions, you cannot use the second exclusively for SUSE Linux Enterprise and retain the third and first for other operating systems.

8.5.7.1. Partition Types¶

	IBM System z: Hard Disks
On the IBM System z platforms, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server supports SCSI hard disks as well as DASDs (direct access storage devices). While SCSI disks can be partitioned as described below, DASDs can have no more than three partition entries in their partition tables.

Every hard disk has a partition table with space for four entries. An entry in the partition table can correspond to a primary partition or an extended partition. Only one extended partition entry is allowed, however.

A primary partition simply consists of a continuous range of cylinders (physical disk areas) assigned to a particular operating system. With primary partitions only, you are limited to four partitions per hard disk, because more do not fit in the partition table. This is why extended partitions are used. Extended partitions are also continuous ranges of disk cylinders, but an extended partition may itself be subdivided into logical partitions. Logical partitions do not require entries in the partition table. In other words, an extended partition is a container for logical partitions.

If you need more than four partitions, create an extended partition as the fourth partition or earlier. This extended partition should span the entire remaining free cylinder range. Then create multiple logical partitions within the extended partition. The maximum number of logical partitions is 15 on SCSI, SATA, and Firewire disks and 63 on (E)IDE disks. It does not matter which types of partitions are used for Linux. Primary and logical partitions both work fine.

	Hard Disks with a GPT Disk Label
For architectures using the GPT disk label, the number of primary partitions is not restricted. Consequently, there are no logical partitions.

8.5.7.5. More Partitioning Tips¶

The following section comprises a few hints and tips on partitioning that should help you in taking the right decisions while setting up your system.

	Cylinder Numbers
Note, that different partitioning tools may start counting the cylinders of a partition with 0 or with 1. When calculating the number of cylinders, you should always use the difference between the last and the first cylinder number and add one.

If the partitioning is performed by YaST and other partitions are detected in the system, these partitions are also added to the /etc/fstab file to enable easy access to this data. This file contains all partitions in the system with their properties, such as the file system, mount point, and user permissions.

Example 8.1. /etc/fstab: Partition Data¶

/dev/sda1    /data1    auto      noauto,user 0 0
/dev/sda5    /data2    auto      noauto,user 0 0 
/dev/sda6    /data3    auto      noauto,user 0 0
   

The partitions, regardless of whether they are Linux or FAT partitions, are specified with the options noauto and user. This allows any user to mount or unmount these partitions as needed. For security reasons, YaST does not automatically enter the exec option here, which is needed for executing programs from the location. However, to run programs from there, you can enter this option manually. This measure is necessary if you encounter system messages such as “bad interpreter” or “Permission denied”.

8.5.7.6. Partitioning and LVM¶

From the expert partitioner, access the LVM configuration with LVM (see Section 7.1, “LVM Configuration”). However, if a working LVM configuration already exists on your system, it is automatically activated as soon as you enter the LVM configuration for the first time in a session. In this case, any disks containing a partition belonging to an activated volume group cannot be repartitioned because the Linux kernel cannot reread the modified partition table of a hard disk when any partition on this disk is in use. However, if you already have a functioning LVM configuration on your system, physical repartitioning should not be necessary. Instead, change the configuration of the logical volumes.

At the beginning of the physical volumes (PVs), information about the volume is written to the partition. To reuse such a partition for other non-LVM purposes, it is advisable to delete the beginning of this volume. For example, in the VG system and PV /dev/sda2, do this with the command dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda2 bs=512 count=1.

	File System for Booting
The file system used for booting (the root file system or /boot) must not be stored on an LVM logical volume. Instead, store it on a normal physical partition.

	IBM System z: Continuing
For IBM System z, continue with Section 8.5.12, “System Services (Runlevel)”.

Each kernel driver contains a list of device IDs of all devices it supports. If a new device is not in any driver's database, the device is treated as unsupported, even if it can be used with an existing driver. With this YaST module from System section, you can add PCI IDs. Only advanced users should attempt to use this YaST module.

Figure 8.7. Adding a PCI ID¶

To add an ID, click Add and select how to assign it: by selecting a PCI device from a list or by manually entering PCI values. In the first option, select the PCI device from the provided list then enter the driver or directory name. If the directory is left empty, the driver name is used as the directory name. When assigning PCI ID values manually, enter the appropriate data to set up a PCI ID. Click OK to save your changes.

To edit a PCI ID, select the device driver from the list and click Edit. Edit the information and click OK to save your changes. To delete an ID, select the driver and click Delete. The ID immediately disappears from the list. When finished, click OK.

The System+Power Management module helps you work with saving energy technologies. It is especially important on laptops to extend their operational time. Find detailed information about using this module in Section 28.6, “The YaST Power Management Module”.

Powertweak is a SUSE Linux utility for tweaking your system to peak performance by tuning some kernel and hardware configurations. It should be used only by advanced users. After starting it with System+Powertweak, it detects your system settings and lists them in tree form in the left frame of the module. You can also use Search to find a configuration variable. Select the option to tweak to display it on the screen along with its directory and settings. To save the settings, click Finish then confirm it by clicking OK.

Create, manage, and switch among system configurations with System+Profile Management, the YaST system configuration profile management (SCPM) module. This is especially useful for mobile computers that are used in different locations (in different networks) and by different users. Nevertheless, this feature is useful even for stationary machines, because it enables the use of various hardware components or test configurations.

Configure runlevels and the services that start in them with System+System Services (Runlevel). For more information about the runlevels in SUSE Linux Enterprise and a description of the YaST runlevel editor, refer to Section 20.2.3, “Configuring System Services (Runlevel) with YaST”.

The directory /etc/sysconfig contains the files with the most important settings for SUSE Linux Enterprise. Use System+/etc/sysconfig Editor to modify the values and save them to the individual configuration files. Generally, manual editing is not necessary, because the files are automatically adapted when a package is installed or a service is configured. More information about /etc/sysconfig and the YaST sysconfig editor is available in Section 20.3.1, “Changing the System Configuration Using the YaST sysconfig Editor”.

The time zone is initially set during installation, but you can change it with System+Date and Time. Also use this to change the current system date and time.

To change the time zone, select the region in the left column and the location or time zone in the right column. With Hardware Clock Set To, set whether the system clock should use Local Time or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). UTC is often used in Linux systems. Machines with additional operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, mostly use local time.

Set the current system time and date with Change. In the dialog that opens, modify the time and date by entering new values or adjusting them with the arrow buttons. Press Apply to save the changes.

The primary and secondary languages for your system are set during installation. However, they can be changed at any time using System+Language. The primary language set in YaST applies to the entire system, including YaST and the desktop environment. This is the language you expect to use most of the time. Secondary languages are languages that are sometimes needed by users for a variety of purposes, such as desktop language or word processing.

Figure 8.8. Setting the Language¶

Select the main language to use for your system in Primary Language. To adjust the keyboard or time zone to this setting, enable Adapt Keyboard Layout or Adapt Time Zone.

Set how locale variables are set for the root user with Details. Also use Details to set the primary language to a dialect not available in the main list. These settings are written into the file /etc/sysconfig/language.

To configure a DSL, ISDN, or network interface or a modem, select the appropriate module from the Network Devices section. For a device that is detected automatically, select it from the list then click Edit. If your device has not been detected, click Add and select it manually. To edit an existing device, select it then click Edit. For more detailed information, see Section 30.4, “Configuring a Network Connection with YaST”. For wireless network interfaces, see Chapter 29, Wireless Communication.

	CDMA and GPRS Modems
You can configure supported CDMA and GPRS modems as regular modems in the YaST modem module.

You can configure your mail settings in Network Services+Mail Transfer Agent if you send your e-mail with sendmail, postfix, or the SMTP server of your provider. You can fetch mail via the fetchmail program, for which you can also enter the details of the POP3 or IMAP server of your provider. Alternatively, use a mail program of your choice, such as KMail or Evolution, to set your access data. In this case, you do not need this module.

To configure your mail with YaST, specify the type of your connection to the Internet in the first dialog. Choose one of the following options:

Activate virus scanning for your incoming and outgoing e-mail with AMaViS by selecting that option. The package is installed automatically as soon as you activate the mail filtering feature. In the following dialogs, specify the outgoing mail server (usually the SMTP server of your provider) and the parameters for incoming mail. Set the diverse POP or IMAP servers for mail reception by various users. Using this dialog, you can also assign aliases, use masquerading, or set up virtual domains. Click Finish to exit the mail configuration.

	LDAP-Based Mail Server Configuration
The mail server module of SUSE Linux Enterprise only works if the users, groups, and the DNS and DHCP services are managed with LDAP.

The mail server module allows configuration of SUSE Linux Enterprise as a mail server. YaST assists with the following steps of the configuration process:

Many other network modules are available in YaST Network Services.

Create and edit users with Security and Users+User Management. It provides an overview of users in the system, including NIS, LDAP, Samba, and Kerberos users if requested. If you are part of an extensive network, click Set Filter to list all users categorically. You can also customize the filter settings by clicking Customize Filter.

	Applying Configuration Changes without Closing the Module
Whenever you need to make multiple configuration changes and want to avoid restarting the user and group configuration module for every single one of these changes, use Write Changes Now to save your changes without exiting the configuration module.

8.9.1.5. Auto Login¶

	Using Auto Login
Using the auto login feature on any system that can be physically accessed by more than one person is a potential security risk. Any user accessing this system can manipulate the data on it. If your system contains confidential data, do not use the auto login functionality.

If you are the only user of your system, you can configure auto login. It automatically logs a user into the system after start. Only one selected user can use the auto login function. Auto login works only with KDM or GDM.

To activate auto login, select the user from the list of users and click Expert Options+Login Settings. Then choose Auto Login and click OK.

To deactivate this functionality, select the user and click Expert Options+Login Settings. Then uncheck Auto Login and click OK.

8.9.1.6. Login without a Password¶

	Allowing Login without a Password
Using the passwordless login feature on any system that can be physically accessed by more than one person is a potential security risk. Any user accessing this system can manipulate the data on it. If your system contains confidential data, do not use this functionality.

Login without a password automatically logs a user into the system after the user enters the username in the login manager. It is available to multiple users on a system and works only with KDM or GDM.

To activate the function, select the user from the list of users and click Expert Options+Login Settings. Then choose Passwordless Login and click OK.

To deactivate this function, select the user for whom to disable this functionality from the list of users and click Expert Options+Login Settings. Then uncheck Passwordless Login and click OK.

8.9.1.10. Changing the Password Encryption¶

Changes in password encryption apply only to local users.

SUSE Linux Enterprise can use DES, MD5, or Blowfish for password encryption. The default password encryption method is Blowfish. The encryption method is set during installation of the system, as described in Section 3.14.1, “Password for the System Administrator “root””. To change the password encryption method in the installed system, select Expert Options+Password Encryption.

To create and edit groups, select Security and Users+Group Management or click Groups in the user administration module. Both dialogs have the same functionality, allowing you to create, edit, or delete groups.

The module gives an overview of all groups. As in the user management dialog, change filter settings by clicking Set Filter.

To add a group, click Add and enter the appropriate data. Select group members from the list by checking the corresponding box. Click Accept to create the group. To edit a group, select the group to edit from the list and click Edit. Make all necessary changes then save them with Accept. To delete a group, simply select it from the list and click Delete.

Click Expert Options for advanced group management. Find more about these options in Section 8.9.1, “User Management”.

To apply a set of security settings to your entire system, use Security and Users+Local Security. These settings include security for booting, login, passwords, user creation, and file permissions. SUSE Linux Enterprise offers three preconfigured security sets: Home Workstation, Networked Workstation, and Network Server. Modify the defaults with Details. To create your own scheme, use Custom Settings.

The detailed or custom settings include:

Click Finish to complete your security configuration.

Certificates are used for communication and can also be found, for example, on company ID cards. To manage them or import a common server certificate, use Security and Users+CA Management. Detailed information about certificates, their technologies, and management with YaST are provided in Chapter 42, Managing X.509 Certification.

SuSEfirewall2 can protect your machine against attacks from the Internet. Configure it with Security and Users+Firewall. Find detailed information about SuSEfirewall2 in Chapter 43, Masquerading and Firewalls.

	Automatic Activation of the Firewall
YaST automatically starts a firewall with suitable settings on every configured network interface. Start this module only if you want to reconfigure the firewall with custom settings or deactivate it.

With Miscellaneous+CD Creator, you can create a customized installation CD from your original installation set. To start creation, click Add. Use the package manager to select the packages or an AutoYaST control file to use a preconfigured AutoYaST profile for creation.

For network installation, an installation server is required. To configure such a server, use Miscellaneous+Installation Server. Find more information about the configuration of an installation server with YaST in Section 4.2.1, “Setting Up an Installation Server Using YaST”.

The AutoYaST tool is intended for automated installation. In Miscellaneous+Autoinstallation, prepare profiles for this tool. Find detailed information about automated installation with AutoYaST in Chapter 5, Automated Installation. The information about using the Autoinstallation module is in Section 5.1.1, “Creating an AutoYaST Profile”.

Miscellaneous+Support Query offers the possibility to collect all system information needed by the support team to find your problem so you can get help to solve it as soon is possible. Regarding your query, select the problem category in the following window. When all information is gathered, attach it to your support request.

The release notes are an important source about installation, update, configuration, and technical issues. The release notes are continuously updated and published through online update. Use Miscellaneous+Release Notes to view the release notes.

View information concerning the start-up of the computer in Miscellaneous+Start-Up Log. This is one of the first places you might want to look when encountering problems with the system or when troubleshooting. It shows the boot log /var/log/boot.msg, which contains the screen messages displayed when the computer starts. Viewing the log can help determine if the computer started properly and if all services and functions were started correctly.

Use Miscellaneous+System Log to view the system log that keeps track of the operations of your computer in var/log/messages. Kernel messages, sorted according to date and time, are also recorded here. View the status of certain system components using the box at the top. The following options are possible from the system log and boot log modules:

Install device drivers from a Linux driver CD that contains drivers for SUSE Linux Enterprise with Miscellaneous+Vendor Driver CD. When installing SUSE Linux Enterprise from scratch, use this YaST module to load the required drivers from the vendor CD after the installation.

The following description of the control elements in the YaST modules assumes that all function keys and Alt key combinations work and are not assigned different global functions. Read Section 8.12.2, “Restriction of Key Combinations” for information about possible exceptions.

Figure 8.10. The Software Installation Module¶

If your window manager uses global Alt combinations, the Alt combinations in YaST might not work. Keys like Alt or Shift can also be occupied by the settings of the terminal.

The YaST commands for user management, unlike traditional commands, considers the configured authentication method and default user management settings of your system when creating, modifying, or removing users. For example, you do not need create home directory or copy skel files during or after the user addition. If you enter the username and password, all other settings are made automatically in accordance with default configuration. The functionality provided by the command line is the same as in the graphical interface.

The YaST module users is used for user management. To display the command options, enter yast users help.

To add multiple users, create a /tmp/users.txt file with a list of users to add. Enter one username per line and use the following script:

  #!/bin/bash
  # 
  # adds new user, the password is same as username
  #
  
  for i in `cat /tmp/users.txt`;
  do
   yast users add username=$i password=$i
  done
 

Similarly to adding, you can delete users defined in /tmp/users.txt:

  #!/bin/bash
  #
  # the home will be not deleted
  # to delete homes, use option delete_home
  #
  
  for i in `cat /tmp/users.txt`;
  do
  yast users delete username=$i
  done
 

Network and firewall configuration commands are often wanted in scripts. Use yast lan for network configuration and yast firewall.

To display the YaST network card configuration options, enter yast lan help. To display the YaST firewall card configuration options, enter yast firewall help. The network and firewall configurations with YaST are persistent. After reboot, it is not necessary to execute scripts again.

To display a configuration summary for the network, use yast lan list. The first item in the output of Example 8.4, “Sample Output of yast lan list” is a device ID. To get more information about the configuration of the device, use yast lan show id=<number>. In this example, the correct command is yast lan show id=0.

   0       Digital DECchip 21142/43, DHCP
  

The command line interface of the YaST firewall configuration is a fast and easy way to enable or disable services, ports, or protocols. To display allowed services, ports, and protocols, use yast firewall services show. For examples of how to enable a service or port, use yast firewall services help. To enable masquerading, enter yast firewall masquerade enable.

Adjust the settings for your graphics card and display device in Card and Monitor Properties. If you have more than one graphics card installed, each device is shown in a separate dialog reachable by a tab. At the top of the dialog, see the current settings for the selected graphics card and the monitor that is attached to it. If more than one screen can be connected to the card (dual head), the monitor on the primary output is shown. Normally, the card and display device are detected automatically by the system during installation. However, you can tune many parameters manually or even change the display device completely.

Figure 8.11. Card and Monitor Properties¶

	Autodetecting New Display Hardware
If you change your display hardware after installation, use sax2 -r on the command line to cause SaX2 to detect your hardware. You must be root to run SaX2 from the command line.

8.14.1.2. Monitor¶

To change the current settings for the monitor, click Change next to the monitor. A new dialog opens in which to adjust various monitor-specific settings. This dialog has several tabs for various aspects of monitor operation. Select the first tab to manually select the vendor and model of the display device in two lists. If your monitor is not listed, you can choose one of the VESA or LCD modes that suit your needs or, if you have a vendor driver disk or CD, click Utility Disk and follow the instructions on the screen to use it. Check Activate DPMS to use display power management signaling. Display Size, with the geometrical properties of the monitor, and Sync Frequencies, with the ranges for the horizontal and vertical sync frequencies of your monitor, are normally set up correctly by the system, but you can modify these values manually. After making all adjustments, click OK to close this dialog.

	Changing Monitor Frequencies
Although there are safety mechanisms, you should still be very careful when changing the allowed monitor frequencies manually. Incorrect values might destroy your monitor. You should always refer to the monitor's manual before changing frequencies.

8.14.1.4. Dual Head¶

If you have a graphics card with two outputs installed in your computer, you can connect two screens to your system. Two screens that are attached to the same graphics card are referred to as dual head. SaX2 automatically detects multiple display devices in the system and prepares the configuration accordingly. To use the dual head mode of a graphics card, check Activate Dual Head Mode at the bottom of the dialog and click Configure to set the dual head options and the arrangement of the screens in the dual head dialog.

The tabs in the row at the top of the dialog each correspond to a graphics card in your system. Select the card to configure and set its multihead options in the dialog below. In the upper part of the multihead dialog, click Change to configure the additional screen. The possible options are the same as for the first screen. Choose the resolution to use for this screen from the list. Select one of three possible multihead modes.

Cloned Multihead

In this mode, all monitors display the same contents. The mouse is only visible on the main screen.

Xinerama Multihead

All screens combine to form a single large screen. Program windows can be positioned freely on all screens or scaled to a size that fills more than one monitor.

Linux currently does not offer 3D support for Xinerama multihead environments. In this case, SaX2 deactivates the 3D support.

The arrangement of the dual head environment describes the sequence of the individual screens. By default, SaX2 configures a standard layout that follows the sequence of the detected screens, arranging all screens in a row from left to right. In the Arrangement part of the dialog, determine the way the monitors are arranged by selecting one of the sequence buttons. Click OK to close the dialog.

	Using a Beamer with Laptop Computers
To connect a beamer to a laptop computer, activate dual head mode. In this case, SaX2 configures the external output with a resolution of 1024x768 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. These values suit most beamers very well.

8.14.1.6. Testing the Configuration¶

Click OK in the main window after completing the configuration of your monitor and your graphics card, then test your settings. This ensures that your configuration is suitable for your devices. If the image is not steady, terminate the test immediately by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace and reduce the refresh rate or the resolution and color depth.

Regardless of whether you run a test, all modifications are only activated when you restart the X server.

Adjust the settings for your mouse in Mouse Properties. If you have more than one mouse with different drivers installed, each driver is shown in a separate tab. Multiple devices operated by the same driver are shown as one mouse. Activate or deactivate the currently selected mouse with the check box at the top of the dialog. Below the check box, see the current settings for that mouse. Normally, the mouse is detected automatically, but you can change it manually if the automatic detection fails. Refer to the documentation for your mouse for a description of the model. Click Change to select the vendor and model from two lists then click OK to confirm your selection. In the options part of the dialog, set various options for operating your mouse.

When you are satisfied with your settings, click OK to confirm your changes.

Any changes you make here take effect only after you restart the X server.

Use this dialog to adjust the settings for operating your keyboard in the graphical environment. In the upper part of the dialog, select the type, language layout, and variant. Use the test field at the bottom of the dialog to check if special characters are displayed correctly. Select additional layouts and variants to use from the list in the middle. Depending on the type of your desktop, these may be switched in the running system without the need for reconfiguration. After you click OK, the changes are applied immediately.

Use this dialog to configure a graphics tablet attached to your system. Click the Graphics Tablet tab to select vendor and model from the lists. Currently, only a limited number of graphics tablets is supported. To activate the tablet, check Activate This Tablet at the top of the dialog.

In the Port and Mode dialog, configure the connection to the tablet. SaX2 enables the configuration of graphics tablets connected to the USB port or the serial port. If your tablet is connected to the serial port, verify the port. /dev/ttyS0 refers to the first serial port. /dev/ttyS1 refers to the second. Additional ports use similar notation. Choose appropriate Options from the list and select the Primary Tablet Mode suitable for your needs.

If your graphics tablet supports electronic pens, configure them in Electronic Pens. Add eraser and pen and set their properties after clicking Properties.

When you are satisfied with the settings, click OK to confirm your changes.

Use this dialog to configure touchscreens attached to your system. If you have more than one touchscreen installed, each device is shown in a separate dialog reachable by a tab. To activate the currently selected touchscreen, check Assign a Touchscreen to Display at the top of the dialog. Select vendor and model from the lists below and set an appropriate Connection Port at the bottom. You can configure touchscreens connected to the USB port or the serial port. If your touchscreen is connected to the serial port, verify the port. /dev/ttyS0 refers to the first serial port. /dev/ttyS1 refers to the second. Additional ports use similar notation. When you are satisfied with your settings, click OK to confirm your changes.