Chapter 21. Keeping Your System Current: Package Management

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Installing Software with YaST

• The Basics of the Red Hat Package Management System (RPM)

• Updating Your System with YaST Online Update (YOU)

• Updating Your System with apt

• Updating Your System with Red Carpet

• Compiling Software from Source

SUSE Linux makes hundreds of Linux applications available to you with just a few clicks of your mouse. Many of these are installed along with your system, but you can install many more at any time.

New and updated applications are released constantly. Most applications developed for Linux are not produced by a single company needing to get out a new version on a given date to make this quarter's sales projections. They are released when they are ready.

When security issues are discovered in an application, patches can appear within hours. Keeping up with all these changes could be an administrative nightmare, but SUSE Linux makes it easy for you. YaST is, after all, Yet another Setup Tool. The Install/Remove Software and YaST Online Update (YOU) modules are designed exactly to make it easy to install the tools you need and keep them as up-to-date as possible.

In this chapter, you'll learn everything you need to know about installing, removing, and updating your system and its applications. In addition to the YaST software tools, you'll learn how to update your system with the Advanced Package Tool (apt), originally created for the Debian distribution and adapted for use with SUSE Linux.