YaST Online Update

Contents

4.1. Installing Patches Manually Using the Qt Interface
4.2. Installing Patches Manually Using the GTK Interface
4.3. Automatic Online Update

openSUSE offers a continuous stream of software security updates for your product. By default openSUSE Updater is used to keep your system up-to-date. Refer to Section “Keeping the System Up-to-date” (Chapter 3, Installing, Removing and Updating Software, ↑Start-Up) for further information on openSUSE Updater. This chapter covers the alternative tool for updating software packages: YaST Online Update.

The current patches for openSUSE® are available from an update software repository, which is automatically configured during the installation. Conversely, you can manually add an update repository from a source you trust. To add or remove repositories, start the Repository Manager with Software+Software Repositories in YaST. Learn more about the Repository Manager in Section 3.4, “Managing Software Repositories and Services”.

openSUSE provides updates with different relevance levels. Security updates fix severe security hazards and should definitely be installed. Recommended updates fix issues that could compromise your computer, whereas Optional updates fix non-security relevant issues or provide enhancements.

Procedure 4.1. Installing Patches with YaST Online Update

  1. Run Software+Online Update in YaST

  2. All new patches (except the optional ones) that are currently available for your system are already marked for installation. Click Accept or Apply to automatically install them.

  3. Confirm with Finish after the installation has completed. Your system is now up-to-date.

[Tip]Disabling deltarpms

By default updates are downloaded as deltarpms. Since rebuilding rpm packages from deltarpms is a memory and CPU time consuming task, certain setups or hardware configurations might require you to disable the usage of deltarpms for performance sake. To disable the use of deltarpms edit the file /etc/zypp/zypp.conf and set download.use_deltarpm to false.

Installing Patches Manually Using the Qt Interface

The Online Update window consists of four sections. The list of all patches available is on the left. Find the description of the selected patch displayed below the list of patches. The right column lists the packages included in the selected patch (a patch can consist of several packages) and below, a detailed description of the selected package.

Figure 4.1. YaST Online Update

YaST Online Update

The patch display lists the available patches for openSUSE. The patches are sorted by security relevance (security, recommended, and optional). There are three different views on patches. Use Show Patch Category to toggle the views:

Needed Patches (default view)

Non-installed patches that apply to packages installed on your system.

Unneeded Patches

Patches that either apply to packages not installed on your system, or patches that have requirements which have already have been fulfilled (because the relevant packages have already been updated from another source).

All Patches

All patches available for openSUSE.

A list entry consists of a symbol and the patch name. For a list of possible symbols, press Shift+F1. Actions required by Security and Recommended patches are automatically preset. These actions are Autoinstall, Autoupdate and Autodelete. Actions for Optional patches are not preset—right-click on a patch and choose an action from the list.

If you install an up-to-date package from a repository other than the update repository, the requirements of a patch for this package may be fulfilled with this installation. In this case a check mark is displayed in front of the patch summary. The patch will be visible in the list until you mark it for installation. This will in fact not install the patch (because the package already is up-to-date), but mark the patch as having been installed.

Most patches include updates for several packages. If you want to change actions for single packages, right-click on a package in the package window and choose an action. Once you have marked all patches and packages as desired, proceed with Accept.

Installing Patches Manually Using the GTK Interface

The Online Update window consists of two main sections. The left pane lists all patches and provides different filters for the patch list. See the right pane for a list of changes that will carried out once you Apply them.

Figure 4.2. YaST Online Update

YaST Online Update

Patch List Filters

Available

Non-installed patches that apply to packages installed on your system.

Installed

Patches that are already installed.

All

Patches that are either already installed or available.

Severity

Only show Optional, Recommended, or Security patches. By default, All patches are shown.

Repositories

This filter lets you display the patches per repository.

Packages Listing

Apply your custom filter here.

Click on a patch entry to open a row with detailed information about the patch in the bottom of the window. Here you can see a detailed patch description as well as the versions available. You can also choose to Install optional patches—security and recommended patches are already preselected for installation.

Automatic Online Update

YaST also offers the possibility to set up an automatic update. Open Software+Online Update Configuration. Check Automatic Online Update and choose whether to update Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Some patches, such as kernel updates, require user interaction, which would cause the automatic update procedure to stop. Therefore you should check Skip Interactive Patches if you want the update procedure to proceed fully automatically. Having done so, you should run a manual Online Update from time to time in order to install patches that require interaction.