Just in case you wonder why a simple `sudo zypper install
` sometimes loads dozens or more unneeded, but possibly related packages, its not a bug, its a feature!
While Debian by default only hints you to these additional packages during the install phase, openSUSE installs them all by default. Try it with `git` and you’ll get everything here: `cvsps git git-core git-cvs git-email git-gui gitk git-svn git-web libpurple-tcl subversion-perl tcl tk xchat-tcl`.
There are two ways to get rid of this nasty behaviour:
1. Temporarily by adding the `–no-recommends` option to your call
2. Permanently by editing `/etc/zypp/zypper.conf` and configuring `installRecommends = no` in the `[solver]` section.
Hey, at least they have an option to disable it, though its completely beyond me why somebody wants to have this enabled by default. Maybe they get a cookie for every additional package download…?
Just image you need to install Cacti, or Hobbit. After installation, it prompt you to install a list of other packages. After the extra installations, it still doesn’t work. As a Uni grade from IT, I find it fustrating. How much else will that appear to normal users?
The success of windows and now mac/iphone is because it make task simpler for ppl to use. How many people out there are willing to spend money on a piece of software and still need to spend hours to figure how to use it?
Well, wouldn’t it make more sense to create some kind of software group for these packages then? I mean, if I only want to use git to clone some repository and do not migrate from either svn nor cvs or anything else, whats the point waiting on all the cruft to be installed, beside that it not only bloats the system, but also makes updates more time consuming because of the many unneeded packages?
And I doubt some Linux software will be easier to use just because a bunch of “recommended” packages have been installed at the same time. Intelligent software would probably signal / hook into the software fetching process and install the needed additional packages if and only if their need arises. IIRC some of the Yast modules do that – why shouldn’t this be opened up e.g. via dbus for other applications as well?