Gnome-Software

[grsaunz]

I am new to Centos. I have installed a system from the DVD I downloaded. I have then installed the Workstaion group. The network is working. I hve installed the RPM Fusion repository files as indicated atbthe RPMFusion web site. I can install packages using dnf
My question related to the Gnome-Software package and repositories.

When Gnome-Software is started I see the opening screen bu there are NO Editors picks. Is this Normal? (when start the same pacakge on a Fedora system I see several rows O Editors picks).

When open one of the package categories there are very few packages to choose from. Eg. Productivity on shows the Libre Office packages, Scientific.Engineering only shows 1 package all other categories onlt have 1 row of packages and all but a few of these are packages that have already been installed. (Compared to the gnome-software package on a Fedora machine, Centos has nothing to offer, There are pages of apps to choose from in the Fedora version.)

It seems that if I install an App using dnf or yum, as it is not showing in Gnome-Software lists then it will show up in the lists as installed.

I think I should be seeing listed th Apps available from AppImge, Centos-base RPMFusion and others If I read correctly.

Can anyone thow any light on what I need to do to make the Gnome-Software App work as it seems to in Fedora. I am sure what I have got is not what what is intended.

[gerry666uk]

Assuming this referrs to the "software" applet on Gnome desktop where you see "categories" of things like "Graphics and Photography".

As far as I know, this has always been close to empty, except for when you go to "add ons" which has tabs at the top and a huge number of add ons.

As you say, for anything serious, you'd need to use DNF anyway.

The thing is, I'm not sure how the software applet could ever work in an enterprise environment like CentOS? If it allowed you to install software that was not approved by RHEL, it would be dangerous and "not supported" anyway, not to mention hundreds of conflicts in DNF later. Similar issue with FlatPack and Snap. How do you know it's not SpyWare for example?

[grsaunz]

Thank you for the response.
Yes it is the "software" applet I am referring to.
I have posted a pic of the screen I get when I start the app.

Screen shot

Screenshot from 2020-07-15 12-20-09.png (207.38 KiB) Viewed 1519 times

I can not see the "add ons" tab and the pic also shows the error message I get when the APP starts.
Note also that there are no Editors picks showing.
Note that when the Software app starts it shows briefly a couple rows of blank square, where one would normally see the Editors App picks. These blank square disappear and the screen above results.

I can do a dnf update and that seems to work fine but it can not be done from the Gnome-software package.

So it would seem there is something not right

[TrevorH]

Not really a solution but the best thing is to abandon it and just use dnf.

[gerry666uk]

The error message is saying there's something wrong with your AppStream repo, which (if true) would normally affect AppStream in dnf too.

When you say you can't see the add-ons tab, I can see it in your screen shot, the last of the six big buttons; once you click on it, it should take you to a new page with tabs at the top.

Maybe "Editoros Picks" has been disabled. I've never seen it in CentOS.

[TrevorH]

The end of that error message says it's a DNS problem. Fix that.

[grsaunz]

mmmm....I guess I am blind. For some reason I had it in my mind the "add Oc"'s was a pull down menu from the top area of the app window.
With that resolved yes I agree there are some pps showing in the first tap "Codecs" about 4 then there are many Fonts, three harware drovers, a number Localization and a link to extensions. If one looks in the Engineering & Scientific tab there s only one app showing. Perhaps as you say they have disabled something. Be good f there was information on it because if one looks at the gnome-Softare app on other Distros All of the catagories such as Enginering & Scientific have lots of App showing. I understand the concern re others installing what they want rather than a fixed install as wold be desirable in an enterprise system but I believe that could be disabled as required.

With regard to my DNS as far as I can tell the DNS is working. ran a number of tests and are satisfied that the DNS resolution working. I also installed, using dnf Xsane which is in he AppSream. So why O get the error message as seen in the pic I sen in my previous message I do not know.

I guess I;ll gie it away and just use "dnf" All I ave to do now is find he repository that has the electronic engineering, Ham radio, Scientific annd software radio App in ti so I can get them installed.

Thanks for the help

[gerry666uk]

Something looks wrong with that error anyway.
Can you double check which version of CentOS 8.x you are using, and also the kernel version?

[TrevorH]

"Could not resolve host: mirorr.centos.org" seems fairly self-explanatory to me.

[grsaunz]

Thanks again.
The Kernel I am using is 4.18.0.193.6.3.el8_2.x86_64
The Centos version is Centos Lunux Release 8.2.2004 (core)

I am sure the DNS is working as it should. I have run all the diagnosis I can find and all seem normal.
I can not help feeling the problem is something to do with Gnome-Sodtware. I think I will uninstall it and then re install and see if anything changes.

The I will see if I can find the EDA, ham radio and scientific type applications I am looking for and just use dnf