| Documentation / 3.3. Using the GTK+ Interface | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3.2. Using the Qt Interface | 3.4. Managing Software Repositories and Services |  | |
| Documentation / 3.3. Using the GTK+ Interface | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2. Using the Qt Interface | 3.4. Managing Software Repositories and Services | | |
Change the software collection of your system using YaST. In YaST's software management tool search for software components you want to add or remove. YaST resolves all the dependencies for you. Add additional software repositories to your setup to install packages not shipped with the installation media and let YaST manage them. Keep your system up-to-date by managing software updates with openSUSE Updater.
Start the YaST GTK+ interface on the command line with yast2
--gtk.
Software is available via RPM packages. Each package contains the program itself, the configuration files, and additional documentation. If you want to add more software to the system, proceed as follows:
Click + to start the YaST package manager.
In the package search field at the right window border enter the name
of the software you want to install (for example,
xpdf, a leightweight PDF viewer). YaST
starts searching for the package while you enter the name. When the
search is finished, select the desired package in the main pane and
click .
You are able to search for more packages and list them the same way.
When finished, click to perform the installation of the listed packages.
If you do not know the name of the software you are interested in, you can browse through the software catalog in various ways. For example, you can group by patterns, package groups, languages, or repositories. Group by patterns, if you are looking for software for a specific task:
From the grouping menu in the upper left corner, select . Now you see various pattern sets listed in the area below.
 |
From the patterns select one or more patterns you are interested in. If you click the name of a pattern, for example, , you see the packages it contains in the right frame. If you activate this pattern by clicking , the packages will get listed in the changes overview on the right side.
Click to install all selected packages.
Alternatively, group by package groups. The package groups feature offers a more detailed view of the software grouped by categories. Packages often depend on other packages; if you select a package, you might be requested to install additional packages to resolve possible package dependencies.
Grouping by languages is similar to grouping by package groups. Using the languages view enables you to select packages like translated program messages, documentation, or special fonts which are needed to support a specific language.
For installing corresponding source packages, use zypper. For more information, see Section 7.1.2, “Installing and Removing Software with Zypper”.
The software of one package might only work properly if the required package is also installed. If packages with identical or similar functionality use the same system resource, they should not be installed at the same time, because this would cause a package conflict.
When the package manager starts, it examines the system and displays the installed packages. When you select a packag to install and remove it, the package manager automatically checks the dependencies and selects any other required packages (resolution of dependencies). If you select or deselect conflicting packages, the package manager indicates this and suggests possible solutions to this problem (resolution of conflicts).
For example, sendmail and
postfix should not be installed concurrently.
Figure 3.2, “Conflict Management of the Package Manager” shows a conflict
message prompting you to make a decision.
postfix is already installed. Accordingly, you
can decide wheter to install sendmail or remove
postfix.
![[Warning]](admon/warning.png) | 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. | |
If you want to search for packages originating from one particular software repository, use grouping by . This view shows a list of all packages from the selected installation source.
To view a list of the all installed packages from the selected repository, click . From this listing select packages for removing. To accomplish the opposite action, click and select packages for installation.
If you want to remove software from the system, proceed as follows:
Make use of a search strategy explained in Section 3.3.1, “Installing Software”.
In the mark the packages you want to remove. To mark all of them with one click, right-click in the pane and and choose .
Click .
If you try to remove a package which is required by installed software, the conflict manager will complain about dependency issues and you must resolve the conflicts first as descripted in Section 3.3.2, “Checking Software Dependencies”.
When all conflicts are resolved, the package scheduled for removing is listed in the pane on the right side.
Click to perform all actions listed in the pane.
