Yum.
 

Hello gentlemen. Since I am currently unable to find a stable wireless network in my neigbourhood I can't use Yast's packet manager, and everything I've been installing in my SUSE- equipped laptop has been transferred via a usb stick from my Windows PC and installed by using the ./configure, make and make install commands. Now a friend has informed me that use of these commands is highly not recommended, because you can't check where your files go, so uninstallation is only feasible if the files are manually deleted from the installation folder. He recommended, therefore, that I use YUM to install my stuff.

My question is: What is YUM? Is it another packet manager? Because if it is, I just don't need it and am just gonna have to find a way to connect my laptop to the internet. Also, any particular version I should be watching for? And, how do I use it?

Thanks ;)

The information you got is a bit misleading. Things you compile yourself usually go into /usr/local unless you have stipulated a different prefix. When you run "./configure --help", it gives you a clue about the prefix where the files will be installed. Most apps can be uninstalled by doing "make uninstall" although there are some (not many) that have no means of uninstalling them, so you have to delete the files manually.

YUM is not going to be of much use if you do not have an internet connection because by default it searches for packages on internet repositories.

Yum is fedora's package manager.

I see. Well it seems then that I'm gonna have to find a way to share my adsl wirelessly with my laptop. Thanks guys! :)