Qubes equivalence to Yast : any Suse user here?

Erica.vH · January 3, 2021, 2:22pm

Bonjour, hello,
As a Suse user for decades, (and Mandrak before that) I’m used to Yast for package management, install, remove, upgrade, etc …
I want to install programs like Kontact (kmail) and VLC, and Kleopatra and Brave and … and other soft like managing eBook library
-as you can see I’m a KDE formatted user, and I don’t know s**t other than Suse-

What would be the equivalent to Yast, or the cmd line equivalent to Zypper, zypper in, zypper up, zypper addrepo packman, etc …

Thks !
Èric

Erica.vH · January 3, 2021, 3:14pm

Erica.vH · January 3, 2021, 3:22pm

So I take it that I have to learn two “new” languages,

sudo Zypper in <PACKAGE_NAME> on Suse,
is sudo dnf install <PACKAGE_NAME> on Fedora,
and sudo apt install <PACKAGE_NAME> on Debian
That’s for the cmd line interface.
What about GUI ? Is there an equivalent to YAST on either Debian, or Fedora, or Whonix ?

Sven · January 3, 2021, 6:57pm

What about GUI ? Is there an equivalent to YAST on either Debian, or
Fedora, or Whonix ?

@deeplow recently commented on qubes-issue #6310

I can confirm dnfdragora works> without any extra modifications
(it is likely a true wrapper for dnf). I can also confirm that for
debian-based distros synaptic works as well (since it’s just an
aptitude wrapper)

For both of these, the user experience in not great, but I believe
it’s better than a terminal for novice users.

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Graphical Package Manager Support

opened 10:20AM - 26 Dec 20 UTC

deeplow

T: enhancement C: core C: templates P: major ux

**The problem you're addressing (if any)** The fedora template "Software" gra…phical installer does not work out of the box, despite being one of the default template shortcuts. This leads to [terrible advice like enabling internet access to the TemplateVM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=348&v=0BZFPh-mR9g). The current way of installing software is through the terminal, which constitutes a terrible user experience, especially for someone just coming from a windows background. **Describe the solution you'd like** To solve this problem, a graphical software installer like fedora's "software" or debian's synapse or other alternative ones and allow them to connect to the internet through the updates proxy, for exmaple. **Where is the value to a user, and who might that user be?** Software installation is something users can't do without. And for people without IT or linux background it's a big usability challenge they will have to overcome. Even if later on they end up learning to use the terminal, it is important that they can do basic stuff like installing software, without having to learn to use the terminal. **Describe alternatives you've considered** Fedora's software, debian's synapse. But there are probably many other software "stores". But there is a problem with fedora's "software" program in the sense that is is not just a wrapper to DNF. It gets things like images and software description probably from redhat's servers, I would imagine. **Additional context** Discussion stemmed from the forum: [GUI-only software installation: Thoughts? (fedora)](https://qubes-os.discourse.group/t/gui-only-software-installation-thoughts-fedora/1944/11) The following picture is what the user sees if they open the default "software" application on the fedora template. As you can see, it fails to fetch software because it can't reach the internet. ![874a5c52b598d5e1366f721863932b54abb5fc9f](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/47065258/103149681-9447cd00-4763-11eb-86ba-33898be5c669.png) On the picture bellow you can see what the user sees after enabling internet connection on the TemplateVM ![b4f5a5e0e2706dbc2fcf2af487110908d1cbaa17](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/47065258/103149700-c9ecb600-4763-11eb-9ba2-5c492c905b04.png) Contrast this with the daunting experience of opening a terminal for the first time and typing commands. **Relevant [documentation](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/) you've consulted** * removal of mention of software installer from the docs: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/commit/4202598824031b9ff3e025bc5ed6113dcaf8f98c **Related, [non-duplicate](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/reporting-bugs/#new-issues-should-not-be-duplicates-of-existing-issues) issues**

Erica.vH · January 4, 2021, 3:13am

Yeaah ! Thks a lot ! @Sven and @deeplow
Of course, the easiest way for me would be to get rid of debian and fedora and install Suse, but then … why bother with Qubes right ?
Ok, so … for now, and while I’m learning all over from scratch the codes for Deb and Fed,
How do I install dnfdragora in Fedora, and Synaptic in Debian ?
I’ve opened the regular Personal cmd and typed sudo and install dnfdragora but nothing happen, system error can’t find the package

Erica.vH · January 4, 2021, 3:19am

Arrfff silly newbe …
I tried with a cmd line in the template (rather than the VM) and hop ! Install works !
I’ve also sent a cmd for sudo apt/dnf install kontact and I see that fedora is much faster than debian like twice almost three times faster
While on the other hand, I find Synaptic (Debian) much faster than dnfdragora (fedora) on search and install VLC

Sven · January 4, 2021, 3:34am

How do I install dnfdragora in Fedora, and Synaptic in Debian ?

sudo apt install synaptic

sudo dnf install dnfdragora

I checked synaptic (via sudo apt search synaptic on debian), and used a
search engine for dnfdragora since I don’t run any fedora qubes. It
appears that at least fedora-32 should have it. You can also use sudo
dnf search dnfdragora to look for the packet.

Erica.vH · January 4, 2021, 1:23pm

Thks a lot, Sven, again !