APT and SuSE 9.2, a mini how to for the newbs

[swannema]

Here we go again. I hope it helps.

APT and SuSE 9.2

This is a small how-to for newbs in that field.
I did my best to cover all aspects; the how-to should be read entirely before you start doing any foolish things. Please don’t blame me if things go wrong. Make sure you have a back-up, just in case.

1. General

To use a tool like APT a general knowledge of Linux is necessary. Lucas Maximus has done a good overview, so I don’t have to cover that again.
Software installation in Windows and Linux is very different, you can’t just click on an exe file in Linux and sit back like in Windows, would be too boring anyway.
In Linux, programs have certain dependencies, these have to be resolved or the software won’t work correctly or can even break your system.
To avoid solving these dependencies by “hand” a tool like APT comes into place.
APT helps to solve dependencies when you like to install a software package.

Example:
We all know K3B. K3B is only a front-end for other software; it wouldn’t be able to do anything without the other software.
If you would try to install K3B in a system that has not the other software already installed, then YAST would complain about missing software.
If you would use APT to install K3B, then all necessary software would be installed as well.

Enough small talk, lets start.

2. Apt

This is valid for SuSE 9.2Pro, if you use another SuSE version you have to make adjustments everywhere the name SuSE 9.2 appears.
We have started SuSE 9.2 and are just a user, do not log in as root yet.

Step 1

Download from

http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/ap...PMS.suser-rbos

the following packages "apt-0.5.15cnc6-rb.suse092.6.i586.rpm"
and "apt-libs-0.5.15cnc6-rb.suse092.6.i586.rpm"

(the version can vary, I haven’t checked for the latest)
Important: make sure you get both, the apt and apt-libs. There is no need for the develop package.

I suggest putting the files in its own directory.

Time to install the two packs we just downloaded.
Important: The apt-libs come first.

Two ways: Simply click on the files and then install them with YAST (I take it that you know how to do that)
Alternative:
We open a terminal. Make sure you cd to the directory there the files have been downloaded to.
Now become we become root by typing
su and hit enter, enter your password and hit enter again.

To install both packs at the same time simply type
"rpm -i *.rpm" (without the quotes) and hit enter.

That will only work when only the two apt files are in that directory. If you have more when these two then we change that to:

"rpm -i apt-libs-0.5.15cnc6-rb.suse092.6.i586.rpm apt-0.5.15cnc6-rb.suse092.6.i586.rpm" (without the quotes)

Make sure the version# matches what you have downloaded.

Tip:
Write rpm -i apt-lib and hit Tab. Since you have only one file with the name "apt-libs-xyz" then entire name will be filled in.
If you would use just "apt-" and hit the Tab key nothing would happen because we have 2 files that start with apt, if you would type "rpm -i apt-0" the rest would be filled in again.

OK, both packages should now be installed. If you used YAST you need to open a shell and become root, like shown above

Type "mc" (without the quotes) and hit enter. Mc stands for midnight commander, a file manager for the shell.

Move the green bar to the two dots and hit enter, with that we change to the next higher directory. We keep on doing that till you can’t see any more double dots.
It should then look similar to this:

/bin
/boot
/etc
/home
.
.
etc.

Important for us is /etc. OK, move the green bar over it and hit enter. Now move the green bar to /apt and hit enter, and again to /apt.conf.d

Here we have to edit 2 files.

1. gpg-checker.conf

Highlight that file with the green bar and hit “F4"
Look for "GPG::Check true" und change that to
"GPG::Check false". You can also use “no” as an option. Save with "F2" and hit "F10" to leave the file.


2. apt.conf

Same thing, highlight the file and hit "F4".
Look for "ignore {"gpg-pubkey"; };" , move the cursor to the beginning of that line and hit enter.
We created an empty line, in which we write

Hold { "kernel-default"; "kernel-source"; };

Herewith we make sure that kernel will not be updated automatically and without our input. Save it.


Almost done. We need to tell APT where it can get the packages that we like to install. That information is in the "sources.list" in /etc/apt .
This file contains the so called repositories, which tell APT where to look for the packages.

The easiest would be to get the source list from
http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/ap...i386/examples/
and to copy it to /etc/apt (you need to be root for that). The problem is that some of the repositories can cause serious damage to a system because it points to packages that are either in beta state or simply unsafe to use for the not so savvy Linux user like myself

It’s better to have a script for that.

Someone else was friendly enough to provide that script:

http://free.pages.at/gimpel/apt-sorti-1.1.tar.gz

Save that file into your home directory and extract with (in a shell that you newly opened)

"tar -zxf apt-sorti-1.1.tar.gz" (without the quotes)

Now change into the new directory (if they got extracted in your home directory then create a new directory and call it apt) and run

"./abgleich.sh" (without the quotes)

in a shell. If everything works, then you will see some action and you will be prompt for your root password

Password:

Enter your password and hit enter. The repositories will now be installed.
Once that is done we will become root again.

Enter su hit enter and enter your password.
Now we run
"apt-get update" (without the quotes) to bring the database up to date. That can take some time, depending on your internet connection.

We made it, apt should now be installed.

Let us try it. (We are still root, in the same shell from above)
Type "apt-get install synaptic" (without the quotes) and hit enter

Apt is searching now in the database for the software synaptic, checks for the dependencies and solves them on the fly, downloads the necessary files and installs them.

What is synaptic?
Synaptic is a graphical front end for Apt, it makes the use of Apt a lot easier.
You should find synaptic in the kmenu under system-configuration after it got installed

That’s it.


Word of caution, if you are in super user mode (su) you have full power over your system, now that is good but it can also have some undesired results if you are not careful.

[swannema]

After you have apt installed you can get all kind of software, update your system with it.
Just don't do an update all, always check what you mark for update.

[ChAsM]

Hello swannema! I think I'm going to have to check out SuSE again. I've been using apt-get on debian boxes for quite a while now. Great tool!!

Great guide! Keep 'em coming, bud!

[Alakazam]

Thanks a lot swannema, I'm a new user to Suse and once I digest some more of how things work in it, this will come in very handy.

[switch_abx]

swannema, well done! A great many thanks for explaining.

[Fish_abx]

Wow! That is really really helpful.

Just to add that you can also get some info on using apt for SuSE at this url: http://linux01.gwdg.de/apt4rpm/ - also with a bit of info on unoffficial apt sources like funktronics or suser-gbv, and stuff on how to set up apt for use with checksig/rpmkeys. But as Swannema says, you can turn off the checksig stuff anyway.

Plus, you can use, say, "apt-cache search xine" to see what you've already downloaded if you need to check. Files are all stored in /var/cache/apt/archives.

The apt system soon shows that there is far more stuff out there for SuSE than may first appear if you're only using YOU, and it's a painless way of keeping up with all the multimedia/DVD/audio stuff via the packman apt source.

[swannema]

Update for SuSE 9.3:

If you upgraded from 9.2, run the script from above

. abgleich.sh

in a shell, it will update your apt source list.

There is also a new version for APT available, but the old version works as well.

[switch_abx]

Thanks for updating! Super.

[switch_abx]

this is a great thread. I installed apt exactly as described in here and I must admit this is absolutely the best way to keep a SUSE system up-to-date.

I recommended to install apt immediately after a fresh SUSE Linux install has been made from DVD or CDs and update using apt only afterwards. The GUI for apt, by the name of synaptic, is highly recommended for installation as well.

I had a problem with an rpmkey, however I was able to resolve this by installing the rpmkey of the rpm packager separately, as described in http://linux01.gwdg.de/apt4rpm/home.html#signatures

Moderators, can this thread be made a sticky?

[swannema]

Here is a link that will show you the newly available rpms in APT.

http://linux01.gwdg.de/apt4rpm/freshrpms.html#suse93

change 93 to whatever SuSE version you have.

[switch_abx]

thanks, swannema. BTW, did you get Beagle running in 9.3? I get error messages. http://beaglewiki.org/ could not help me out. Weird.

I'll sent you by separate email the updated apti-sorti.conf file, dated 28.04.2005. I just added Kernel-of-the-day repository is also available in 9.3 and 9.3-64. The apt-sorti conf has this set to disabled, so my latest version doesn't change the working.

Originally Posted by swannema

Here is a link that will show you the newly available rpms in APT.

http://linux01.gwdg.de/apt4rpm/freshrpms.html#suse93

change 93 to whatever SuSE version you have.

[swannema]

Small tip.
Due to the high download traffic at the SuSE servers it can take awhile to get the packackes with apt.
A small change in the abgleich.sh or apt-sorti.sh script can speed up things again. Simply change the line with
ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/....
to ftp://ftp4.gwdg.de/...
then run the script and you are back to full speed.