Fri, 15 Mar 2024 18:28:24 -0400 Patrick Shanahan <paka@opensuse.org> :
another "workaround" would be to fetch subject file manually and install locally or by adding to a locally created repo (I do this).
I have a plain-rm-files local directory mostly for packages that are not part of the offering. OFF-TOPIC, all this discussion is making me re-evaluate my policy and I think I have come up with one that will fly. I will do a fresh install of Distro-X, immediately copy to another partition as well, both bootable/usable. Tweak one of them until everything I want works and back it up before continuing to use it WITHOUT EVER UPDATING while in use. A month later update the other copy that was never used, tweak it and then roll it into the current operational slot while the previous operational system takes a rest for a month, and so on. This would not be very different from what I'm doing now, having one or more backup images of each all the time, but it would mean a more defensive handling policy.