Life After YaST
Myrlyn & Cockpit

What's actually happening to YaST?

After almost 30 years, SUSE has stopped developing YaST. It's not being removed overnight — it's still in Tumbleweed and Slowroll as of mid-2026 — but it's in maintenance mode with no one working on it. When the next Ruby version update lands (typically December), things will likely start breaking.

YaST's job is being split three ways:

Timeline

• November 2024: Myrlyn (then YQPkg) started during SUSE Hack Week
• May 2025: Leap 16 beta drops YaST entirely, ships Agama + Cockpit
• July 2025: Myrlyn appears in Tumbleweed as an official package
• January 2026: Myrlyn 1.0 released — feature-complete and stable
• March 2026: cockpit-client launcher released for openSUSE, making setup much simpler
• Late 2026 (expected): Next Ruby version update likely breaks YaST modules in Tumbleweed

Installing Myrlyn & Cockpit

Install Myrlyn

# Myrlyn may already be installed on recent Tumbleweed/Slowroll
# Check:
which myrlyn

# If not installed:
sudo zypper install myrlyn

# Run it (needs root for changes, read-only without):
sudo myrlyn

Install Cockpit

As of March 2026, openSUSE now has a cockpit-client launcher that simplifies the entire setup. The launcher icon even uses legacy YaST colours so it feels familiar.

# Install the full Cockpit stack with the openSUSE launcher
sudo zypper install patterns-cockpit

# This installs:
# - cockpit (core)
# - cockpit-networkmanager (network config)
# - cockpit-storaged (disk/storage management)
# - cockpit-machines (virtual machine management)
# - cockpit-podman (container management)
# - cockpit-client (the launcher)

# Enable and start
sudo systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket

# Open the firewall for Cockpit
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=cockpit
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Now open your browser and go to https://localhost:9090. Log in with your normal system username and password. Or use the new cockpit-client launcher from your application menu.

YaST → New Tool Cheat Sheet

The big table. Find what you used to do in YaST and see exactly where it lives now.

Task	YaST (Old)	New Tool
Install/remove packages	YaST → Software Management	Myrlyn sudo myrlyn
Search for packages	YaST → Software Management → Search	Myrlyn Search bar, or zypper zypper search name
Manage repositories	YaST → Software Repositories	Myrlyn Configuration → Repositories tab
Add Packman / NVIDIA repos	YaST → Software Repositories → Add	Myrlyn Repos → Add Community Repos (auto-detects TW/Slowroll/Leap)
Install patterns/groups	YaST → Software Management → Patterns	Myrlyn Patterns tab, or zypper sudo zypper install -t pattern name
Lock/pin a package	YaST → Software Management → right-click → Taboo/Protected	Myrlyn Right-click → Taboo or Protected
System updates	YaST → Online Update	zypper sudo zypper dup or Myrlyn Update tab
Network configuration	YaST → Network Settings	Cockpit Networking section
Firewall rules	YaST → Firewall	Cockpit Networking → Firewall, or firewall-cmd
User management	YaST → User and Group Management	Cockpit Accounts section
Service management	YaST → System Services	Cockpit Services section, or systemctl
Storage / partitioning	YaST → Partitioner	Cockpit Storage section (cockpit-storaged)
Set hostname	YaST → Network Settings → Hostname	Cockpit Overview → click hostname, or hostnamectl set-hostname
Date/time/NTP	YaST → Date and Time	Cockpit Overview → System time, or timedatectl
Printer setup	YaST → Hardware → Printer	CUPS web interface at http://localhost:631
Boot loader (GRUB)	YaST → Boot Loader	Edit /etc/default/grub then sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
Virtual machines	YaST → Virtualisation	Cockpit Virtual Machines (cockpit-machines)
System logs	YaST → System Log	Cockpit Logs section, or journalctl
SELinux / Security	YaST → Security Center	Cockpit SELinux section, or sestatus / semanage
Installation	YaST Installer	Agama — web-based installer (Leap 16 default, coming to TW)

Myrlyn — The YaST Software Replacement

Myrlyn was built by the same developer who created YaST's Qt package selector — so if YaST Software Management felt comfortable, Myrlyn will feel familiar. It's a standalone Qt 6 application with zero YaST or Ruby dependencies.

Launching Myrlyn

# With root privileges (for installing/removing)
sudo myrlyn

# Read-only mode (browsing only, no root needed)
myrlyn

You can also launch it from your application menu — it appears as Myrlyn in the System category.

The Interface

Myrlyn opens with your repos auto-refreshing (with a progress indicator). Once loaded, you'll see tabs across the top:

• Search: Find packages by name. Toggle between "Starts With" and "Contains" modes. New in 1.0: search within RPM Recommends to understand why packages were pulled in.
• Patterns: Browse and install pattern groups (like devel_basis, kde_plasma, etc.)
• Update: View available updates. Click "Package Update" to apply them.
• Repositories: Manage your repos — enable/disable, set priorities, add community repos.

Installing a Package

1. Run sudo myrlyn
2. Click the Search tab
3. Type the package name in the search bar
4. Click on the package, then click Install (or right-click for more options)
5. Click Accept to commit changes
6. Myrlyn shows a four-panel view during installation: To Do, Downloading, In Progress, and Done

Adding Community Repos (Packman, NVIDIA)

This is where Myrlyn shines compared to doing it manually. It auto-detects whether you're on Tumbleweed, Slowroll, or Leap and offers the correct repos:

1. Open Myrlyn's Repositories tab
2. Click Add Community Repos
3. Select the ones you want — Packman Essentials, Packman Full, NVIDIA, openh264, libdvdcss
4. The correct URLs for your distribution are filled in automatically
5. Click OK — repos are added and refreshed

Viewing Package History

Myrlyn 1.0 has a completely rebuilt history browser. Navigate by year → month → day, and events are grouped by transaction — so you can see exactly what happened in each zypper dup, install, or removal operation. You can also filter by package name, repository, or event type.

Running Updates via Myrlyn

1. Open the Update tab
2. Review the available updates in the left panel
3. Click Package Update (equivalent to zypper up) or use the dist-upgrade option for full zypper dup behaviour
4. Click Accept

Cockpit — The YaST System Config Replacement

Cockpit runs as a web interface at https://localhost:9090. It feels different from YaST — it's a browser-based dashboard rather than a desktop application — but it covers the same ground and adds remote management capabilities YaST never had.

First Login

After installing and enabling Cockpit (see Setup section above), open https://localhost:9090 in your browser. Your browser will show a certificate warning — this is normal for a self-signed local certificate. Accept it and continue. Log in with your system username and password.

The Dashboard

Cockpit's main page shows system health at a glance — CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network activity. From the left sidebar, you access each module:

Networking (replaces YaST Network Settings)

• View all network interfaces, IP addresses, and connection status
• Edit interface settings — DHCP, static IP, DNS, MTU
• Manage bonds, bridges, and VLANs
• Firewall section lets you open/close ports and manage zones — same as YaST Firewall but with a cleaner interface

Accounts (replaces YaST User Management)

• Create, edit, and delete user accounts
• Set passwords, SSH authorised keys, and account locking
• Manage group membership

Services (replaces YaST System Services)

• View all systemd services with status (running, stopped, failed)
• Start, stop, restart, enable, disable services with one click
• Filter by running, enabled, or failed services
• View service logs inline

Storage (replaces YaST Partitioner)

Requires cockpit-storaged (included in patterns-cockpit).

• View all disks, partitions, and filesystems
• Create, resize, format, and mount partitions
• Manage RAID, LVM, and NFS mounts
• Monitor disk health and I/O

Logs (replaces YaST System Log)

• Browse journald logs with filtering by priority, service, and time range
• Live log streaming — watch logs update in real time
• Much more powerful than YaST's log viewer

Virtual Machines (replaces YaST Virtualisation)

Requires cockpit-machines.

• Create, start, stop, and manage KVM/QEMU virtual machines
• Access VM consoles directly in the browser
• Manage virtual networks and storage pools

Containers (bonus — YaST never had this)

Requires cockpit-podman.

• Pull, run, stop, and manage Podman containers from the browser
• View container logs, inspect images, manage volumes
• Something YaST never offered

Terminal Access

Cockpit has a built-in terminal. Click Terminal in the sidebar and you get a full shell session in your browser. Useful for running zypper dup or any other commands without switching to a terminal emulator.

Zypper — Your Reliable Fallback

Through all of this change, zypper hasn't changed at all. If you were already comfortable managing your system from the terminal, you can ignore the entire YaST transition. Here's the essential reference:

# System update (ALWAYS use dup on rolling releases)
sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper dup

# Search for a package
zypper search firefox

# Install
sudo zypper install firefox

# Remove
sudo zypper remove firefox

# Info about a package
zypper info firefox

# Install a pattern
sudo zypper install -t pattern devel_basis

# Add a repo
sudo zypper addrepo --refresh URL name

# List repos
zypper repos -d

# Remove a repo
sudo zypper removerepo name

# Lock a package
sudo zypper addlock package-name

# Unlock a package
sudo zypper removelock package-name

# List locked packages
zypper locks

# Clean cache
sudo zypper clean

# View orphaned packages
zypper packages --orphaned

What's Still Missing

We're not going to sugarcoat it — the transition isn't seamless yet. Some YaST functionality doesn't have a direct Cockpit equivalent as of mid-2026:

• Boot loader configuration: YaST had a GUI for GRUB settings. Currently you need to edit /etc/default/grub manually and run grub2-mkconfig. A Cockpit module for this is on the community wishlist.
• Printer setup: YaST had a printer module. Now you use the CUPS web interface at http://localhost:631 — functional but less integrated.
• Hardware information: YaST's hardware browser had a nice overview. Use inxi -Fxz or hwinfo --short from the terminal. Cockpit shows basic hardware info on the Overview page.
• AutoYaST (unattended installs): Being replaced by Agama's API-driven deployment, but migration isn't 1:1 yet.
• AppArmor/SELinux policy editor: YaST had a module. Cockpit has basic SELinux support. For detailed policy work, use the command-line tools (semanage, setsebool).
• Samba server setup: YaST had a module. Configure via /etc/samba/smb.conf manually or use the openSUSE Handbook's networking section.

The community is actively working on filling these gaps. An October 2025 Hack Week project specifically targeted bringing missing YaST capabilities into Cockpit, and a public spreadsheet tracks what's been done and what's still needed.