I decided to take the plunge and go from SUSE 9.1 to SUSE 10.1 ... I'm beginning to think this was a bad idea, What I'm trying to do is install a downloaded RPM (the result is the same with any downloaded RPM):

• I click on the rpm.
• I then click on the "Install Package with YaST" button.
• I enter the root password when requested.
• A message box telling me "Reading package information" appears.
• Then another message box telling me "following package haven't been found on the medium" comes up.

A little research said I should have clicked on the "Use Directory as a source with YaST" button, which I did:

• I enter the root password when requested.
• I then get a message telling me that the Yast source has been added.
• After clicking the OK button, I then click on the "Install Package with YaST" button.
• I enter the root password when requested.
• A message box telling me "Reading package information" appears.
• Then another message box telling me "following package haven't been found on the medium" comes up.

A little more research suggested changing the installation source within YaST:

• I enter the root password as requested.
• I then click on Installation Source.
• I click on the Add drop-down menu.
• I select Local Directory.
• I click on the Browse button.
• I select the directory and click on the OK button.
• I then get a message box saying "Unable to create installation source from URL dir:///<you_name_it>"

Yet more searching has suggested using KPackage, SMART, rug, "rpm -i", etc, etc. Has anyone managed to get around the issues I've listed above, without resorting to another package?

I'm considering upgrading from SUSE 10.1 to SUSE 9.1 at this rate

Yes, it seems almost everyone has those problems. SuSE 10.1 has a lot of issues. Personally I use KPackage to install RPM's, sometimes just rpm -i. I've never used SMART, but if you do use that, you will also have the ability to update through that software.

If you don't use SMART, you can also use APT, but just has a CLI.

Bugger!! I was really hoping someone was going to say "Look again, grasshopper ..."

It would seem the SuSE developers haven't followed the maxim "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.", but have followed the more commercial "If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features."

It would seem Novell and SuSE wasn't a marriage made in heaven ... but there again I can still remember Unixware (and Univel). If I can rid myself of these intermittent hangs, I think I'll give SMART a go ... otherwise I think I'll upgrade to SuSE 9.1 (again ).

Command line:

rpm -ivh packagename.rpm (to install)
rpm -Uvh packagename.rpm (to update)
rpm -e packagename.rpm (to uninstall)

Or you can use Kpackage, SMART as listed above.

There is also y2pmsh (YaST 2 Package Manager Shell)

YaST is a bit buggy

I have the same problems here. The problem that I've found is that if you use the c/l rpm -Uvh etc it doesn't load any of the other needed files.

I think am going back to 10.0 tomorrow!

A bit??? That's like saying Bill Clinton fibbed a bit when he said "Ah did not improper sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one considering an "upgrade".

I am considering an upgrade to another distro though.

I put everything I had on 10.0. Send Suse a message that you will not accept this buggered up a release. Skip it.

I'm not ready to change distros yet but I went to Suse for stabilty. I started out on Mandrake much of which I love but I hated the 200 patches I had to download on the day of new release. Now Suse seems to be heading to the same boat.

Yast was working just fine. It's the best such tool in Linux.

Glad to see people still talk about Bill Clinton.

I still consider SuSE to be superiour to distro's (call me stupid). Just because YaST doesn't work well, doesn't mean I wuold ditch the distro, just forces me to learn command line

Or just consider SMART and KPackage like others have used. I am guessing there will either be an update that will fix YaST, or at least it'll be MUCH better in 10.2 (Broad statement)

Another cli option is to use "yast -i rpmfile". If you don't have the dependent RPMs, then none of the options would work. You could try searching for the RPM package as http://rpm.pbone.net. They list the dependencies. The dependency lists are links to the needed packages.

I would recommend y2pmsh instead of yast command line.

I have gone from SUSE 9.1 to SuSE 10.1. I have to say i am satisfield with the last distros from 9.3 to 10.1. I have no problems with update/upgrade until SuSE 10.1. I used mosly apt and synaptic which is not working with SuSE 10.1. But I use SMARt, YAST and also rug. I must say that the last version 10.1 is very stable, that everything is working fine. But, yes, there are some small bugs which can be solved by the help of the people here on the LQ Forums. i am using the system for my everyday work, OpenOffice is excellent. I still have WIN XP Pro as the second OS, but only to run AutoCAD there.
And if there were no bugs and some minorproblems, it will be boring. I really am happy when something happened and i cant wait to go deep into the problem to solve it.

regards

The Clintonian " ... but I didn't inhale.", will remain a classic for many years.
I have no problem with the command line (slight objection to typing though ), however the people this distro is aimed at, might (have a problem). I too considered SuSE superior, my main reasons being ease of install (it's still easy to install) and ease of use (here I'm afraid SuSE 10.1 fails miserably), the "ease-of-use" factor has caused me a major re-think in my allegiance (to SuSE).

But you forgot the major thing that works.. UPGRADES

Funnily enough, this is where I cut the SuSE developers a shed-load of slack ... I tried an upgrade from 9.1 to 10.1 and it didn't quite work:

The "upgrade" went through smoothly enough ... until the second reboot, then the soft brown faecal material hit the electrically-powered spinning fan-blades.

First problem:
As soon as the X-Server started the machine hung (even Caps-Lock didn't work), I managed to get round this by hitting Ctrl-Alt-F1 before the machine started the X-Server.

Second problem:
Some program (didn't investigate) was hogging memory, to the point that the only solution was to reboot.

So after that I did a "clean" install ...

Hey at least you got it to install... I tried it on 3 different machines. Two would lockup during the install even with APCI switches and the like thrown. The third would install but it didn't have drivers for several hardware items that 10.0 does have and it worked very slow and with lockups and random reboots.(First time any Linux has ever spontaneously rebooted on me). ICK.

I've had too many good years with Suse to let one bad release make me drop it but I am going to judge 10.2 very hard. It had better be VERY stable or I'll move on. For now I'll stick with 10.0