Hi Curtis, On Friday 15 August 2008 02:31:16 am Curtis Rey wrote:
I was complaining of the same thing and all I get is canned answers. The package management system is not only confusing it's very kludgy IMHO. (but then again, I still miss the original yast1).
There was many times question by developers, what users prefer, asking for proposals how to organize YaST user interface, and there were some discussions, and some proposals: http://en.opensuse.org/YaST/Development/New_Control_Center so something was done. Also if you search http://lists.opensuse.org you will find large threads with very confusing messages for developers.
Not only is this a confusing package system - I'm still confused as to actually how many different "package management" programs there are (yum, smart, etc,,,).
Much more if you count other package formats than RPM.
Though with 11.0 seem to be whitled down to just libzypp, zypper, and PackageKit.
That's for openSUSE, only, and Kevin explained that in his answer.
Ironically, the SuSE updater program is tied to kde4 (not kde3 as before)
I use kde3 most of the time, moving some stuff to kde4, but I can't say it is tied to one of them. I use different user accounts for each, running KDE4 as parallel session to KDE3. I have to manually turn off one of the instances of openSUSE updater to prevent race/colision, as they work on the same underlaying system. So, they are updater is not tied to any desktop.
and my experience with kde4 has been less than pleasant -
I can believe that. It was jerky on occasions, but if you take KDE4 for what it is, a platform in development, than unpleasant surprises can be expected. Now at version 4.1 it is in much better shape than few months ago, with a lot of functionality from KDE3 ported to KDE4, but it is not replacement, yet.
this may explain why the update applet just cycles through check for updates,...
The fact that you used it with KDE4 doesn't explain anything.
it checks for updates, informs you of them, ask for root password and upon receiving the root password, proceeds to check updates again - and round and round we go.... never really installs anything though (kinda defeats the purpose of an update applet?)
Did you check what is installed and is it up to date with YaST or 'zypper if
I wish when they would have had a backup so people could revert to something more stable... Oh well, I not a corporation or client - so Novell likely could care less.... pity really.
Pity is to accuse based on wrong, or missing information, or misinterpretation of reality. First, what kind of backup or reverting to more stable we are taliking about. At the package level rollback exists for years. In YaST select update and select version, than package will be updated or rolled back, depends what version you selected. Those that want to rollback software to previous working version and miss to click on version tab don't exist. Problem is just word update, but even than rolling trough options what one can do with package and trying to provoke change leaves only this as option. The backup tools are present, so telling that some 'they' should have backup is shifting responsibility, from users that have to create backup, as they are the only people that know what to backup, to developers that still don't use crystal ball to guess what one would want to remember, ie. backup. To find backup tools is as complicated as to open YaST Software Management and type word backup in a search field to see the offer? On the other hand you can't push down the throat of every user solution that is asking him to learn how to use backup software. Not many will be happy with system asking for bunch of DVDs to make backup, and hard disk is not real solution. The general option to provide, as one of YaST modules, tool to roll back harmful changes was discussed on development mail lists, but even Novell can't develop all at once. There have to be set priorities. -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org