I have been using SUSE 10.1 for about a year now, I am just about to install 10.3 on another HDD. When I installed 10.1, as a complete newbie, there were a whole list of packages listed, all the names meaningless to me, so I selected all of them for installation. 10.1 is great, but I think takes far to long to boot, because I suspect, that I have installed far to many packages. When I install 10.3, I do not wish to make the same mistake, I would like to install only the packages that I need. Where can I find a list of all the available packages, including a description of each package and giving it's purpose. Can anyone suggest a set of packages to start with, to give a good working system, I assume that I can always add packages as required. Any suggestions welcomed, thanks.

At some point early in the installation, you may have a screen in which you may select the type of installation, such as Minimal, Default, or Custom. If you select Custom, you should be presented with a list of software Categories. Click on the plus sign to the left of the Category to see a list of the software in that category. I don't remember that you will get a synopsis of what the package is for.

As far as a guide of what to install to get a minimum working system is concerned, I don't think SuSE supplies that. As an alternative, you could go to the LFS (Linux From Scratch) website, and peruse the LFS Book, which details which packages to install, in the correct order, to get a minimal working LFS Linux installation. The same set of packages ought to work for SuSE (keeping in mind that LFS installs packages from source code, and Suse installs binary rpms instead. The name of the package is what you need).

You are correct in that you can install packages later. SuSE uses YaST package manager. So, two of the packages you should install are the SuSE User Guide and Suse Administrators Guide. You can find instructions for using YaST there.

Thanks bigrigdriver, I'll try that, regards.

First off thanks up front... i used to be into this hardcore, then had to get out of it... so kinda weening my way back in.... Did the install on a dual doot Windows XP/ SUSE 10.3 and SUSE boots to this point then locks...
/dev/sda2/ on Windows/D type vfat

if i load the SUSE 10.3 into its "SAFE MODE" (sorry can't remember correct name right off the bat) it boots to the terminal fine but xwindows loads and the sound like flips out and then Xwindows locks, any ideas?

Do this for now:

1) edit /etc/fstab
2) put a # in front of the /dev/sda2 line
3) reboot. Does everything work now?

We'll fix the Windows problem later. It might be because the type should be ntfs and not vfat

/dev/sda2 /mnt/Windows/D ntfs

/dev/sda2 /mnt/Windows/D auto defaults 0 1

should work for any type of filesystem.

And what exactly is happening when X locks?