Installing "KDE Plasma Workspaces" from Everything ISO always includes KDE PIM and KDE Media groups, even if user deselects them

Ask Fedora
, , ,
1

I used the Fedora 42 Everything ISO to try to perform a slightly customised KDE Plasma install, like this:

  • Selected “KDE Plasma Workspaces” as the environment in the left-hand panel of the Software Selection screen in Anaconda
  • In the right-hand panel, deselected “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support”. So the remaining selected options were Firefox, LibreOffice and KDE Applications.

The install went ahead without errors. But in my installed system, I found that the packages from the deselected “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support” had actually been installed. I was able to recover a bit over 1 GiB of space by uninstalling what I didn’t want.

Relevant extracts from the packaging.log from my install:

  1. The initially logged “packages selection” correctly reflects my UI selection
INFO:anaconda.core.threads:Thread Done: AnaTaskThread-SetUpDNFSourcesTask-3 (139772526851776)
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf:The DNF manager is set.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf:Repositories are set to: []
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf:Packages selection is set to 'PackagesSelectionData(core_group_enabled=True, default_environment_enabled=False, disabled_modules=[], environment='kde-desktop-environment', excluded_groups=[], excluded_packages=[], groups=['firefox', 'kde-apps', 'libreoffice'], groups_package_types={}, modules=[], packages=[])'.
  1. A few lines later, the spec still superficially appears correct
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf_manager:The software selection has been cleared.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.validation:Collecting selected specs.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.validation:Collecting required specs.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.validation:Resolving the software selection.
INFO:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf_manager:Including specs: ['@kde-desktop-environment', '@core', '@firefox', '@kde-apps', '@libreoffice', 'kernel']
INFO:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf_manager:Excluding specs: []
  1. But a little later, the groups kde-media and kde-pim have been inserted into the selection.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.utils:The install and download space is required.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.utils:The package installation requires 9.67 GiB.
DEBUG:anaconda.modules.payloads.payload.dnf.dnf:Packages selection is set to 'PackagesSelectionData(core_group_enabled=True, default_environment_enabled=False, disabled_modules=[], environment='kde-desktop-environment', excluded_groups=[], excluded_packages=[], groups=['firefox', 'kde-apps', 'kde-media', 'kde-pim', 'libreoffice'], groups_package_types={}, modules=[], packages=[])'.

So it appears that everything marked as default in the environment’s optionlist in the comps file gets forcibly included, even if the user deselected it.

(Note, the kde-education group, which is in the optionlist but not marked as default, did not get installed.)

I’m planning to raise this as an Anaconda bug in RHBZ. But does anyone think it’s instead an issue with dnf or somehow with the construction of the comps file?

2

as far as I understand, its how the comps definitions works.

it would be nice to have a more minimal plasma selection option,

3

I use the same method as you to install Fedora KDE, only I deselect every KDE package group in the right hand window. So @kde-apps, @kde-media and @kde-pim are deselected. The only package groups I have selected are @firefox and @libreoffice. I then install what KDE/QT apps I want manually.

I just did an install last night and had no issues with the installer pulling in deselected package groups. The only issue for me right now is software packages from RPM Fusion clashing with older versions.

Edit: I just span up a VM and installed KDE again. This time the package groups I selected were @firefox, @kde-apps and @libreoffice. My thinking was maybe leaving @kde-apps seletced would pull something in which would then pull the @kde-media and @kde-pim groups in, but it didn’t. So something is going wrong with your install, but I don’t think it’s the actual software selection portion of the installer.

2 Likes
4

I have only ever had the same experience as @brianallenby above. deselecting all three of Apps, Media & PIM.

1 Like
5

Thanks very much for taking the time to check that!

6

After playing a bit more (and tracing through the Python code a bit to see what triggers those “Packages selection is set to…” events in the logs), I’m leaning towards this being a front-end Anaconda issue rather than dnf or comps.

I booted the Everything ISO on a different machine and saw this sequence of events:

  • Went into the software selection screen and replicated what I did in my original install (i.e. “KDE Plasma Workspaces” install, minus “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support” groups)
  • Exited the software selection screen, then went back into it. The selection had reverted to the “KDE Plasma Workspaces” install with all the default groups, including the “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support” that I had removed.
  • Re-removed the “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support” and added the (not selected by default) “KDE Education” group.
  • Exited the software selection screen, then reentered it. The selection now did include the non-default “KDE Education” that I had added, and also included “KDE PIM” and “KDE Multimedia Support” that I had removed.

I repeated this with different combinations of optional groups, and even different environments (like Xfce) and the pattern seemed consistent. Additions of non-default optional packages do “stick”; removals of default optional packages don’t stick.

Now, that test doesn’t distinguish between two different possibilities:

  1. The removals are lost when you exit the software selection screen
  2. The removals are remembered on exit, but reset to default when you re-enter the software selection screen. In that case, installing directly after exiting the screen would work fine, you’d just need to be careful to re-apply your removals if for some reason you go back into the software selection.

However, I’m fairly sure that when I did my install, I didn’t go back into the software selection screen.

But that doesn’t explain why @brianallenby and @burgess-m haven’t seen the same thing.

I’ll experiment more with this when I get some time.

1 Like