System Info: I am running SuSE Open Enterprise Server version 9.0 w/o any GUI, so Yast2 runs in curses mode.

After running Yast Online Update and installing all the updates/patches, I keep getting a Package Dependencies "window" popping up when running the "Install and Remove Software" option in Yast2 that basically says that the packages novell-cluster-services-bigsmp and novell-sms-zapishim-bigsmp (both are already installed) required the package kernel-bigsmp. To be specific, it says they require kernel-bigsmp version 2.6.5-7.147. When I issue uname -r it says my current kernel is 2.6.5-7.252. I can press escape and make the depencies window go away, but I am still concerned.

So, here are my questions:

1. Are the cluster-services and sms-zapishim packages something I need?

2. Should I uninstall the cluster-services and sms-zapishim packages?

3. Why do the above packages require a "downgraded" kernel?

4. What would happen if I installed the older kernel?

The only thing I can think of that might have caused this is that my main install source is ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/suse/i386/9.1 (I mistakenly thought my version was 9.1, not 9.0) and I have installed various software packages from that source.

I thought that stuff was only available in NetWare, but anyway... SMS is Storage Management Services and it basically allows users to back up all kinds of data, filesystems, and other stuff.

SMP is Symmetric Multiprocessing. BigSMP just means that it allows for even more processors and memory.

Basically, unless this system is some big enterprise server that is part of a large network, you can probably uninstall that stuff. So really, it depends on what you're using this computer for.

Thanks pdeman2. I made the decision to delete the cluster-services and sms packages. No more dependencies show up. I am still slightly concerned about installing (and the fact that I have already installed) packages meant for SuSE 9.1 when I'm running SuSE 9.0. Should I be worried about this? Will I eventually run into problems?

Its best to stick with packages tailored for your distro release but when not available I have used older RPMs. The odds are that if there are no unmet dependencies it will work. I know people that ignore dependency issues but I haven't felt comfortable doing that.

Well, I guess as long as I'm backing things up, keeping up with patches/updates and resolving the dependencies one way or another I'm not going to worry too much about it. Thanks for the the tidbit of info, fragos.

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