[SOLVED] "zypper dup" Requests Installation DVD

rnturn · 05-05-2019, 06:50 PM

A laptop that I installed Tumbleweed on last month--the 20190403 'release'--notified me that there were 600+ updates available so I accepted the challenge and proceeded to issue a "zypper dup" command.

I was a little surprised that--after the process started--I was prompted to insert the 20190403 DVD. I've gone through a couple of other "zypper dup" commands since the initial installation and haven't been asked for the original DVD before.

* Is this normal?

* In what cases would the original distribution DVD be needed in order to proceed with patching?

The only thing I can come up with is that some software/package became deprecated and was being replaced by something else that was not installed during the initial Tumbleweed installation and then patched. But then couldn't the whole, up-to-date replacement package be pulled during the "dup" process rather than pulling the version from the 20190403 code and patching that? Calling for a download of the up-to-date package wouldn't require the installation media.

* What would one do if that DVD became unreadable?

Self-burned DVDs have been known to become unreadable over time. It seems silly to think that I might have to hope-n-pray that I can find the original ISO image file somewhere in order to burn a new DVD just so that the latest patches can be installed. I tend to remove them from my hard disk after burning to disc and the software has been installed onto a system. Eventually, I would tend to put such DVDs over to the side somewhere when they're no longer "useful". Eventually, these would be re-cycled. I might be updating an old desktop system soon and I doubt I'd use the 20190403 image to do that. So that 20190403 DVD needs to be kept around just in case this laptop needs additional patches---making it no longer "useful" but downright "essential"? Similarly, whatever version I use to update the desktop system will have to be kept in a safe place just in case zypper decides one day to ask for it?

* Who wrote this part of zypper? A former games programmer?

Any thoughts as to why this happened this way are welcomed. It didn't stop the updates from being installed--everything's fine--but it leaves me darned curious as to why the update process works this way.

--
Cheers...

ehartman · 05-06-2019, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnturn

* In what cases would the original distribution DVD be needed in order to proceed with patching?

When you still got the original DVD as active in your repo list.
Make sure it is set to being INactive or remove it altogether.

mrmazda · 05-06-2019, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnturn

A laptop that I installed Tumbleweed on last month--the 20190403 'release'--notified me that there were 600+ updates available so I accepted the challenge and proceeded to issue a "zypper dup" command.

I was a little surprised that--after the process started--I was prompted to insert the 20190403 DVD. I've gone through a couple of other "zypper dup" commands since the initial installation and haven't been asked for the original DVD before.

* Is this normal?

Why now if not before is a good question. Have you used yast to add/change/modify any repos? How long after the process started were you asked? For any configured repo set to auto-refresh, yes, as all repos so configured will normally be refreshed at the start of a dup. Use zypper or yast to disable or delete the DVD repo, or delete the DVD repo file from /etc/zypp/repos.d/, and you won't be asked for the DVD any more.

dc.901 · 05-06-2019, 08:31 AM

Here is a good reference: https://en.opensuse.org/images/1/17/...at-sheet-1.pdf

Code:

To list repos:
zypper lr

To disable DVD repo:
zypper mr -d <number for DVD repo>

rnturn · 05-08-2019, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

Why now if not before is a good question. Have you used yast to add/change/modify any repos? How long after the process started were you asked?

I had not modified the repository configuration prior to the zypper session that asked for the DVD. So I'm still a little curious about--as you describe it--the "why now if not before" behavior. I have disabled it in YaST so I won't get nagged about it again.

When I was asked for it, it was very near the beginning of the "zypper dup" process. Now that I think about it: why would the contents of a DVD even need to be checked? They're read-only. (Best to not think about that too much.)

Since I disabled the refresh of the DVD in YaST, I haven't noted any further requests to load the DVD. I did see something odd, though. The most recent "zypper dup" was started when I saw the mesage in the notification area that I had 600+ updates. But... when I ran the command the count had jumped to nearly 950. I'm assuming that meant that even more updates were dumped into the queue for patchers right as I started the process.

OK, all. I think I can call this issue "closed".

ehartman · 05-08-2019, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnturn

When I was asked for it, it was very near the beginning of the "zypper dup" process.

You weren't asking for a "normal" upgrade but a full distribution update (dup), NOT just updates of packages you already have installed. So it may want to NEWLY install packages you didn't have yet as dependencies and the DVD is the fastest source for them.