background

YaST gtk The YaST gtk front end isn't supported any longer, see yast-yast2/commit.

For former distributions, openSUSE13.2, SLES-12 we had several issues/bugs reported concerning the Software Managemant UIs:

• YaST Qt package selector UI has installed recommended packages for already installed packages by default bnc#902394 which led to behaviour that many unwanted packages got installed.

Solution: Let the libzypp default unchanged (don't install recommended packages for already installed packages) for YaST. Offer the possibility to "Install packages for already installed packages" as an action (which correlates to command 'zypper inr'), do not store the setting.

libzypp option:  	ignoreAlreadyRecommended

/etc/sysconfig/yast2:	PKGMGR_REEVALUATE_RECOMMENDED (obsolete/removed)

• There wasn't a possibility to disable the installation of recommended packages, the 'weak' dependencies (boo#900853), which made it impossible to install a minimal system.

Solution: Add an option "Install recommended packages" and save the setting in /etc/sysconfig/yast2

/etc/zypp/zypp.conf:	solver.onlyRequires
/etc/sysconfig/yast2:  	PKGMGR_RECOMMENDED  (newly added)

• Qt and textmode ncurses UI read/wrote different config files and saved different values; led to inconsistent behaviour when using other UI.

Solution: Use /etc/sysconfig/yast2 for Qt and ncurses UI

/etc/sysconfig/yast2
QT UI:
~/.config/YaST2/YQPackageSelector.conf (completely removed)

• The options "Allow Vendor Change" and "Cleanup when deleting" are not saved any longer (were saved from QT UI) because it's not recommended to change the libyzpp default "no" of these options (see comment in /etc/zypp/zypp.conf). These options can be changed in UIs but are reset to zypp.conf settings for next run of the Package Selector.

/etc/zypp/zypp.conf:  solver.allowVendorChange, solver.cleanupdepsOnRemove
                      read from UIs to get initial value
UI settings are not saved (neither in zypp.conf nor in /etc/sysconfig/yast2)

This changed behaviour led to new bug reports: bsc#954117, bsc#948134

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Related Release Notes:

SLES-12 Release Notes

  2.1.1
  When adding a module repository such as Public Cloud the graphical 
  installer (YaST Qt UI) automatically selects recommended packages. 
  Often this is not expected by the user.

  To work around this bahavior, disable the installation of recommended 
  packages in the installer (YaST Qt UI) or use the text-mode installer 
  (YaST ncurses UI) that by default does not autoinstall recommended packages
  ("Install Recommended Packages for Already Installed Packages" is deactivated).

SLES-12-SP1 Release Notes

   3.2.2
   YaST Qt packager UI no longer defaults to installing recommended packages
   for already installed packages. The persistent option controlling this was
   moved to a one-time command Extras/Install All Matching Recommended 
   Packages. (boo#902394)

(For ncurses UI available in menu 'Dependencies', 'Install Recommended Packages for Already Installed Packages Now')

For newly installed packages, the weak dependencies are still installed 
by default, but newly this can be disabled in the UI with the option 
Dependencies/Install Recommended Packages (boo#900853).

(Also for ncurses UI in menu 'Dependencies', 'Install Recommended Packages')

  The YaST Qt packager UI is also using the same configuration file as the
  ncurses packager UI:
    /etc/sysconfig/yast2     (boo#900853).

  We do not recommend to disable installing recommended packages during 
  installation unless you are trying to install a really minimal system. 
  If you do so, make sure to review the package selection; the functionality
  associated to patterns expects recommended packages to be installed, too, 
  and if any of them are missing, some functionality of the patterns may 
  not be available. 

Related bugs/feature:

• YaST package manager not respecting "installRecommends=no" boo#900853
• Qt package UI should ignore recommended packages for already installed boo#902394
• Don't install recommends for minimal pattern bnc#797304
• Possibility to install with "no recommends fate #318099