Chapter 6. Installing Packages From the Internet

Chapter 6. Installing Packages From the Internet¶

Contents

6.1. 1-Click Install
6.2. YaST Package Search

By default, it is only possible to install packages from configured and enabled repositories. Apart from the official repositories that are configured during the installation, numerous other repositories exist. The openSUSE® Build Service hosts several hundred ones and a lot of third party repositories exist, too—see http://en.opensuse.org/Additional_package_repositories.

openSUSE offers two easy ways to install from these repositories without the need to first subscribe to them. The 1-Click Install method allows you to install packages directly from a Web browser, while the YaST Package Search lets you query almost all known repositories for openSUSE. You can directly install any package found by the package search module.

	Trusting External Software Sources
Before installing from any external software repository, make sure it can be trusted. openSUSE is not responsible for any potential problems arising from software installed from third-party software repositories.

6.1. 1-Click Install¶

Installation using 1-Click Install is available from a lot of repositories available on Web interfaces. A very popular interface is the openSUSE Build Service software search.

Procedure 6.1. Installing Packages from the openSUSE Build Service via 1-Click Install

Start the openSUSE Build Service search interface at http://software.opensuse.org/search.
Select your system version from the drop-down menu, for example openSUSE 11.4.
Enter the name of the package you want to install, for example the OpenStreetMap editor josm.
To refine the search, adjust the Search Options according to your wishes.
Click Search.
From the results list select the preferred item by clicking its 1-Click Install button.
In the Web browser's download dialog, select to open the file with the YaST Meta Package Handler.
The 1-click installer opens the Additional Software Repositories dialog. It shows the repositories providing the packages you want to install per 1-Click Install. They are activated per default. To proceed with the installation, keep the repository selection. By default, you remain subscribed to these repositories after the installation has finished and you will receive updates from them in the future.
If you want to use the new repositories only once instead, uncheck Remain Subscribed to These Repositories after Installation. Click Next to proceed.
Now select the software packages that should be installed. Normally there is no need to change the default selection. Click Next to proceed.
The Proposal screen summarizes the choices you made. Click Customize to restart the configuration steps from above. Click Next and Yes to proceed with the installation.
Enter the root password to start the installation. In case a new repository has been added you also need to confirm the import of the repository's GnuPG key. During the installation several progress pop-ups appear that do not need any interaction. After reading the “Installation was successful” message, click Finish.

Disabling 1-Click Install Feature

	Disabling 1-Click Install Feature
If you want to disable the 1-Click install feature, uninstall the `yast2-metapackage-handler` package using YaST. Alternatively, enter the following command as `root`: rpm -e yast2-metapackage-handler

If you want to disable the 1-Click install feature, uninstall the yast2-metapackage-handler package using YaST. Alternatively, enter the following command as root:

rpm -e yast2-metapackage-handler

6.2. YaST Package Search¶

Provided you are connected to the internet, you can also search and install packages from almost all known repositories for openSUSE directly via YaST's Package Search. This module is a YaST frontend for the Webpin package search available at http://packages.opensuse-community.org/. The YaST module is not available by default—you need to install the package yast2-packager-webpin first.

Procedure 6.2. Installing Packages Using the YaST Package Search

Start the Package Search from the YaST Control Center via Software+Package Search.
Search for a software package by entering it's name into the Search Expression field and clicking Search.

The search result is listed on the Found Packages tab. Click on a package name to see the repository URL, the package version number and the architecture in the Package Description pane.

	Double Check the Package Information
Make sure to double check whether the software is hosted on a repository you trust before you install it. Also check if the architecture complies with your system (x86_64 packages can only be installed on 64bit systems).

Mark a package for installation by activating its checkbox. You can mark several packages at once. You can even start a new search for other packages without losing your current selection, which is always available on the All Selected Packages. Once you have finished the package selection, proceed with Next.
The Additional Software Repositories dialog shows the repositories providing the packages you want to install. They are activated per default. To proceed with the installation, keep the repository selection. By default, you remain subscribed to these repositories after the installation has finished, so you will receive updates from them in the future.
If instead you want to use the new repositories only once, uncheck Remain Subscribed to These Repositories after Installation. Click Next to proceed.
Now select the software packages that should be installed. Normally there is no need to change the default selection. Click Next to proceed.
The Proposal screen summarizes the choices you made. Click Customize to restart the configuration steps from above. Click Next and Yes to proceed with the installation.
Confirm the next dialog. In case a new repository is used, you will also need to confirm the import of the repository's GnuPG key. During the installation several progress pop-ups appear that do not need any interaction. After reading the “Installation was successful” message, click Finish.