Using zen-updater

From openSUSE

There are three GUI programs available for zmd: zen-updater, zen-installer, zen-remover. zen-updater is used for selecting and applying updated for packages already installed and can notify when new updates become available. It can be run by clicking its icon in your system tray. zen-installer is used to install new packages and is found in the "Computer" menu under SLED 10 and SLES 10 as "Install Software." zen-remover is used to uninstall packages and is found in the "Computer" menu under SLED 10 and SLES 10 as "Remove Software." Let's get started using them!

Adding a service

Both zen-installer and zen-updater give you the same user interface for adding a new service. For simplicity we'll use zen-updater since it's easily available through the system tray icon.

1. First click on the tray table icon.

2. Click "Configure" in the next window.

3. Now click "Add Service"

4. Fill out all the appropriate information. We'll use the same information from when we learned rug.

Subscribing to a catalog

Here again both zen-installer and zen-updater have interfaces for adding a new catalog.

1. After clicking "Configure" in the zen-updater dialog box, select the "Catalogs" tab.

2. Then check the catalog you want to subscribe to.

Finding, Installing, Updating, and Removing Packages

Finding and installing software can both be done through zen-installer. Simply enter the package you are looking for (or scroll down the list) and check the packages you want to install. When you've checked all the packages you'd like just click the "Install" button. Note: A package may be listed multiple times in the zen-installer package list, this is because you may have multiple versions of packages from multiple catalogs. This isn't a bug.

To update software either click the zen-updater icon in your system tray or locate the "Update Software" application in the SLES or SLED application browser. If there are updates available select the updater you would like then click the "Apply" button.

To remove a package locate the "Remove Software" application in the SLES or SLED application browser. Then simply check the applications you would like to remove and click the "Remove" button.

When zen-updater crashes

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

For SUSE 10.1 and 10.2 In some situations, an error message shows on. It's easily fixed if you have root access and can be ignored in other situations. See the whole discussion in the thread on the subject on the factory list

If you get an error that looks like this

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
in <0x003d6> Novell.Zenworks.Gui.ZenTrayIcon:CheckUpdatesLoop ()
in (wrapper delegate-invoke) System.MulticastDelegate:invoke_void () 

This is how you can solve it

su
killall zen-updater
/etc/init.d/novell-zmd stop
rm -f /var/lib/zmd/zmd.db
/etc/init.d/novell-zmd start
logout
zen-updater &