Comment # 1 on bug 1189024 from Dominique Leuenberger

(In reply to Tammo Oepkes from comment #0)
> Reproduce:
> - install Tumbleweed, choose server install (to get minimal system)
> - modify `/etc/zypp/zypp.conf`: `solver.onlyRequires = true`
> - modify `/etc/zypp/zypper.conf`: `installRecommends = no`
> - run dist-upgrade
> - run `zypper install sway`
> 
> This will attempt to install the sway _pattern_ (with 196 packages,
> consuming 343 MiB).
> 
> For comparison, an i3 installation attempt on the same (minimal) system
> attempts to install 23 packages, weighing only 6.9 MiB.
> 
> I tried to install sway package (instead of pattern) explicitly with `zypper
> install --type package sway`, but this yields the same result as omitting
> the switch.

That rather sounds like a zypper/libzypp bug not being able to handle the same
names.