What does:

yum groupinfo -v "System administration tools"

...say?

This is odd... On one server, after having installed many more packages, it's showing as an installed group. So I went to another, freshly installed server that shows it as uninstalled. When I try to install it, it fails.:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root@an-node01 ~]# yum groupinfo -v "System administration tools"
Loading "rhnplugin" plugin
Not loading "blacklist" plugin, as it is disabled
Loading "refresh-packagekit" plugin
Not loading "whiteout" plugin, as it is disabled
Config time: 0.039
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6]
Yum Version: 3.2.27
Setting up Group Process
rpmdb time: 0.002
group time: 0.228

Group: System administration tools
 Group-Id: system-admin-tools
Setting up Package Sacks
pkgsack time: 0.025
 Description: Utilities useful in system administration.
 Optional Packages:
   conman-0.2.5-2.3.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   crypto-utils-2.4.1-24.2.el6.x86_64   rhel-x86_64-server-6
   dtach-0.8-4.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:hardlink-1.0-10.el6.x86_64         rhel-x86_64-server-6
   lsscsi-0.23-2.el6.x86_64             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:mc-4.7.0.2-3.el6.x86_64            rhel-x86_64-server-6
   mgetty-1.1.36-8.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:rdist-6.1.5-49.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.i686             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   screen-4.0.3-15.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   scrub-2.2-1.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   symlinks-1.4-2.1.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   tree-1.5.3-2.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   vlock-1.3-31.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-1.1.4-8.el6.i686              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-1.1.4-8.el6.x86_64            rhel-x86_64-server-6

[root@an-node01 ~]# yum groupinstall "System administration tools"
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin
Setting up Group Process
No packages in any requested group available to install or update

[root@an-node01 ~]# yum groupinstall system-admin-tools
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin
Setting up Group Process
No packages in any requested group available to install or update
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I add the "Development Tools" group, it works (missing dependency?):

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root@an-node01 ~]# yum groupinstall "Development tools" "System administration tools"
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin
Setting up Group Process
Package 1:make-3.81-19.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package patch-2.6-6.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package 1:pkgconfig-0.23-9.1.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package gettext-0.17-16.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package binutils-2.20.51.0.2-5.11.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package elfutils-0.148-1.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package cvs-1.11.23-11.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Package git-1.7.1-2.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check

<snip>

Install      38 Package(s)
Upgrade       0 Package(s)

Total size: 66 M
Total download size: 60 M
Installed size: 0  
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:

<snip>

Installed:
  autoconf.noarch 0:2.63-5.1.el6  automake.noarch 0:1.11.1-1.2.el6       
  bison.x86_64 0:2.4.1-5.el6      byacc.x86_64 0:1.9.20070509-6.1.el6
  cscope.x86_64 0:15.6-6.el6      ctags.x86_64 0:5.8-2.el6
  diffstat.x86_64 0:1.51-2.el6    doxygen.x86_64 1:1.6.1-4.el6
  flex.x86_64 0:2.5.35-8.el6      gcc.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6
  gcc-c++.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6   gcc-gfortran.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6
  indent.x86_64 0:2.2.10-5.1.el6  intltool.noarch 0:0.41.0-1.1.el6
  libtool.x86_64 0:2.2.6-15.5.el6 patchutils.x86_64 0:0.3.1-3.1.el6
  rcs.x86_64 0:5.7-37.el6         redhat-rpm-config.noarch 0:9.0.3-25.el6
  rpm-build.x86_64 0:4.8.0-12.el6 subversion.x86_64 0:1.6.11-2.el6    
  swig.x86_64 0:1.3.40-5.el6      systemtap.x86_64 0:1.2-11.el6_0       

Dependency Installed:
  apr.x86_64 0:1.3.9-3.el6                apr-util.x86_64 0:1.3.9-3.el6
  cloog-ppl.x86_64 0:0.15.7-1.2.el6       cpp.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6
  gettext-devel.x86_64 0:0.17-16.el6      gettext-libs.x86_64 0:0.17-16.el6
  glibc-devel.x86_64 0:2.12-1.7.el6_0.3   glibc-headers.x86_64 0:2.12-1.7.el6_0.3
  kernel-devel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-71.7.1.el6 kernel-headers.x86_64 0:2.6.32-71.7.1.el6
  libgcj.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6            libstdc++-devel.x86_64 0:4.4.4-13.el6
  mpfr.x86_64 0:2.4.1-6.el6               neon.x86_64 0:0.29.3-1.2.el6
  pakchois.x86_64 0:0.4-3.2.el6           ppl.x86_64 0:0.10.2-11.el6        

Complete!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immediately after which I get:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root@an-node01 ~]# yum groupinfo -v "System administration tools"
Loading "rhnplugin" plugin
Not loading "blacklist" plugin, as it is disabled
Loading "refresh-packagekit" plugin
Not loading "whiteout" plugin, as it is disabled
Config time: 0.633
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6]
Yum Version: 3.2.27
Setting up Group Process
rpmdb time: 0.002
group time: 0.251

Group: System administration tools
 Group-Id: system-admin-tools
Setting up Package Sacks
pkgsack time: 0.025
 Description: Utilities useful in system administration.
 Optional Packages:
   conman-0.2.5-2.3.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   crypto-utils-2.4.1-24.2.el6.x86_64   rhel-x86_64-server-6
   dtach-0.8-4.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:hardlink-1.0-10.el6.x86_64         rhel-x86_64-server-6
   lsscsi-0.23-2.el6.x86_64             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:mc-4.7.0.2-3.el6.x86_64            rhel-x86_64-server-6
   mgetty-1.1.36-8.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:rdist-6.1.5-49.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.i686             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   screen-4.0.3-15.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   scrub-2.2-1.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   symlinks-1.4-2.1.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   tree-1.5.3-2.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   vlock-1.3-31.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-1.1.4-8.el6.i686              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-1.1.4-8.el6.x86_64            rhel-x86_64-server-6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I confirmed that it is still listed as an available group, rather than an installed one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root@an-node01 ~]# yum grouplist
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin
Setting up Group Process
Installed Groups:
   Additional Development
   Arabic Support
   Armenian Support
   Base
   Bhutanese Support
   Chinese Support
   Console internet tools
   Debugging Tools
   Desktop
   Desktop Debugging and Performance Tools
   Development tools
   Dial-up Networking Support
   Directory Client
   E-mail server
   Ethiopic Support
   FCoE Storage Client
   Fonts
   General Purpose Desktop
   Georgian Support
   Graphical Administration Tools
   Hardware monitoring utilities
   Hebrew Support
   Internet Browser
   Inuktitut Support
   Japanese Support
   Khmer Support
   Konkani Support
   Korean Support
   Kurdish Support
   Lao Support
   Large Systems Performance
   Legacy UNIX compatibility
   Legacy X Window System compatibility
   Myanmar (Burmese) Support
   NFS file server
   Network Infrastructure Server
   Network file system client
   Networking Tools
   Performance Tools
   Perl Support
   Scientific support
   Server Platform
   Storage Availability Tools
   Tajik Support
   Venda Support
   X Window System
   iSCSI Storage Client
Available Groups:
   Afrikaans Support
   Albanian Support
   Amazigh Support
   Assamese Support
   Azerbaijani Support
   Backup Client
   Backup Server
   Basque Support
   Belarusian Support
   Bengali Support
   Brazilian Portuguese Support
   Breton Support
   Bulgarian Support
   CIFS file server
   Catalan Support
   Chhattisgarhi Support
   Chichewa Support
   Compatibility libraries
   Coptic Support
   Croatian Support
   Czech Support
   Danish Support
   Desktop Platform
   Desktop Platform Development
   Directory Server
   Dutch Support
   Eclipse
   Emacs
   English (UK) Support
   Esperanto Support
   Estonian Support
   FTP server
   Faroese Support
   Fijian Support
   Filipino Support
   Finnish Support
   French Support
   Frisian Support
   Friulian Support
   Gaelic Support
   Galician Support
   German Support
   Graphics Creation Tools
   Greek Support
   Gujarati Support
   Hiligaynon Support
   Hindi Support
   Hungarian Support
   Icelandic Support
   Indonesian Support
   Infiniband Support
   Input Methods
   Interlingua Support
   Irish Support
   Italian Support
   Java Platform
   KDE Desktop
   Kannada Support
   Kashmiri Support
   Kashubian Support
   Kazakh Support
   Kinyarwanda Support
   Latin Support
   Latvian Support
   Lithuanian Support
   Low Saxon Support
   Luxembourgish Support
   Macedonian Support
   Mainframe Access
   Maithili Support
   Malagasy Support
   Malay Support
   Malayalam Support
   Maltese Support
   Manx Support
   Maori Support
   Marathi Support
   Messaging Client Support
   Messaging Server Support
   Mongolian Support
   MySQL Database client
   MySQL Database server
   Nepali Support
   Network Storage Server
   Northern Sotho Support
   Norwegian Support
   Occitan Support
   Oriya Support
   PHP Support
   Persian Support
   Polish Support
   Portuguese Support
   PostgreSQL Database client
   PostgreSQL Database server
   Print Server
   Printing client
   Punjabi Support
   Remote Desktop Clients
   Romanian Support
   Russian Support
   SNMP Support
   Sanskrit Support
   Sardinian Support
   Security Tools
   Serbian Support
   Server Platform Development
   Sindhi Support
   Sinhala Support
   Slovak Support
   Slovenian Support
   Smart card support
   Somali Support
   Southern Ndebele Support
   Southern Sotho Support
   Spanish Support
   Swahili Support
   Swati Support
   Swedish Support
   System Management
   System administration tools
   Tagalog Support
   Tamil Support
   TeX support
   Technical Writing
   Telugu Support
   Tetum Support
   Thai Support
   Tibetan Support
   Tsonga Support
   Tswana Support
   TurboGears application framework
   Turkish Support
   Turkmen Support
   Ukrainian Support
   Upper Sorbian Support
   Urdu Support
   Uzbek Support
   Vietnamese Support
   Virtualization
   Virtualization Client
   Virtualization Platform
   Virtualization Tools
   Walloon Support
   Web Server
   Web Servlet Engine
   Web-Based Enterprise Management
   Welsh Support
   Xhosa Support
   Zulu Support
Done
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, so the "problem" here is that the group has no mandatory or default entries ... so it's "installed" if _any_ of the optional packages are installed. However groupinstall is specified to install _all_ of the packages in the mandatory and default sections (which is none, in this case). Installing _all_ of optional is possible (but I doubt many people would want that) by doing:

 yum --setop=group_package_types=optional groupinstall blah

...or changing the yum.conf in a similar way.

Ok, given that this wasn't closed, do you anticipate that the group will be changed to behave as expected?

Thanks

--setopt not --setop

Upstream I've added a warning:

# yum install @web-development
[...]
Warning: Group web-development does not have any packages.

...if we ever get groups as objects, that'll fix this too (but we'd been saying that for a long time now).

This is currently causing problems with an automation script as I call the
group install, then check to see that it installed successfully. With this bug,
the script thinks that the groupinstall call failed. For now, I've added a
specific exception, but this is obviously sub-optimal.

I understand that my problem does not translate into Red Hat's problem. That
said, anything that could be done to fix this sooner rather than later would be
very much appreciated. :)

Try to install the "education" group, it is the same (Fedora 14).

More than that, the GUI installer not only refuses to install this group, but also refuses to install a selection of multiple groups (including education group) with no user-friendly error.

Possible fixes:

1) Avoid or even disallow groups without mandatory/default packages.

2) Do not allow user to select a group without selecting at least one package in it. (The selection is a missing feature anyway.)

3) Ignore empty group selection with a user-friendly warning.

I have also posted a loosely related bug #664804.

I have just got a message about "needinfo" flag. What's going on with this bug regarding Fedora versions?

I have tested the behavior with yum..-13 and this is the summary:
When yum is going to really install Optional package(s), it doesn't print any warning. 
When you is not going to install Optional package(s) because of missing requirement, the warning is printed.
E.g. "Amazigh Support" laguage group is reported to be installed in case the conditional package (the only package in the group) is installed.

Old behavior was that the warning was printed in both cases.
Current behavior seems perfect for me. 

@James, 
I thought that you said in #c17 that this behavior is not possible.
Could you please confirm that my summary above is correct?


[root@rhel61 ~]# yum groupinfo "Amazigh Support"
Loaded plugins: product-id, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
Setting up Group Process

Group: Amazigh Support
 Language: ber
 Conditional Packages:
   hunspell-ber

-----------------------------------------------------------------

[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -q yum
yum-3.2.29-13.el6.noarch
[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -q hunspell
hunspell-1.2.8-16.el6.x86_64
[root@rhel61 ~]# yum groupinstall "Amazigh Support"
Loaded plugins: product-id, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package hunspell-ber.noarch 0:0.20080210-3.1.el6 will be installed
...

[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -e hunspell
[root@rhel61 ~]# yum groupinstall "Amazigh Support"
Loaded plugins: product-id, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Warning: Group amazigh-support does not have any packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update

-----------------------------------------------------------------

[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -q hunspell
hunspell-1.2.8-16.el6.x86_64
[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -q yum
yum-3.2.29-10.el6.noarch
[root@rhel61 ~]# yum groupinstall "Amazigh Support"
Loaded plugins: product-id, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Warning: Group amazigh-support does not have any packages.
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package hunspell-ber.noarch 0:0.20080210-3.1.el6 will be installed
...

[root@rhel61 ~]# rpm -e hunspell
[root@rhel61 ~]# yum groupinstall "Amazigh Support"
Loaded plugins: product-id, subscription-manager
Updating Red Hat repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Warning: Group amazigh-support does not have any packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update

Oh, I type Optional package but I mean Conditional... therefore:

Let's say we have a group with conditional packages only, e.g.  "Amazigh Support" with conditional package hunspell-ber.

In case the huspell package is installed, yum is really going to install the conditional package "hunspell-ber" and the warning is not printed (see the console log in previous comment).

In case we remove hunspell, yum groupinstall "Amazigh Support" is not going to install any package (because hunspell-ber needs hunspell) and the warning is displayed.

James, could you confirm that this is the intentional behavior? For me this is great. With previous patch the warning is displayed in both cases.

> @James, 
> I thought that you said in #c17 that this behavior is not possible.
> Could you please confirm that my summary above is correct?

Kind of, it's confusing ... what it used to do is:

1. Install any packages marked for direct install.

2. Install any packages marked for conditional install, where the condition was already met.

3. Save any conditional packages not matched by #2 so the depsolver can add them later.

...the first patch then added:

1.5. If no packages marked for direct install, issue warning.

...the change that I just did remove 1.5, and did:

4. If no packages have been installed directly, or via. conditionals, issue warning.

5. If warning was issued in #4, and some conditional packages were added at #3, then tell the user that too.

...so what you said is correct (assuming some packages where installed via. #2) but if that isn't the case, what I said initially is correct :).

An advisory has been issued which should help the problem
described in this bug report. This report is therefore being
closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information
on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files,
please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report
if the solution does not work for you.

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2011-0602.html

I'm seeing this behavior still with yum 3.2.29-22.

yum-3.2.29-22.el6_2.2.noarch

Fresh install of 6.2 on a new server, with an update after installation.

# yum groupinstall system-admin-tools
Loaded plugins: product-id, refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin, security, subscription-manager
Updating certificate-based repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Warning: Group system-admin-tools does not have any packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update

[root@ds4 root]# yum groupinfo -v "System administration tools"
Loading "rhnplugin" plugin
Loading "product-id" plugin
Loading "refresh-packagekit" plugin
Loading "security" plugin
Loading "subscription-manager" plugin
Updating certificate-based repositories.
Config time: 0.073
Looking for repo options for [main]
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Looking for repo options for [rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Repo 'rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6]
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Yum Version: 3.2.29
Setting up Group Process
rpmdb time: 0.000
group time: 0.122

Group: System administration tools
 Group-Id: system-admin-tools
Setting up Package Sacks
pkgsack time: 0.084
 Description: Utilities useful in system administration.
 Optional Packages:
conman-.2.5-2.3.el6.x86_64                                                                                                                           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   crypto-utils-2.4.1-24.2.el6.x86_64   rhel-x86_64-server-6
   dtach-0.8-4.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   expect-5.44.1.15-2.el6.x86_64        rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:hardlink-1.0-10.el6.x86_64         rhel-x86_64-server-6
   lsscsi-0.23-2.el6.x86_64             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:mc-4.7.0.2-3.el6.x86_64            rhel-x86_64-server-6
   mgetty-1.1.36-8.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   pexpect-2.3-6.el6.noarch             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   1:rdist-6.1.5-49.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.i686             rhel-x86_64-server-6
   rrdtool-1.3.8-6.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   screen-4.0.3-16.el6.x86_64           rhel-x86_64-server-6
   scrub-2.2-1.el6.x86_64               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   symlinks-1.4-2.1.el6.x86_64          rhel-x86_64-server-6
   tree-1.5.3-2.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   vlock-1.3-31.el6.x86_64              rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-.1.4-8.el6.i686               rhel-x86_64-server-6
   xdelta-.1.4-8.el6.x86_64             rhel-x86_64-server-6

Same problem with "Directory Server".

Should I clone this to a new bug, or is this the best place for this?



# yum groupinfo -v "Directory Server"
Loading "rhnplugin" plugin
Loading "product-id" plugin
Loading "refresh-packagekit" plugin
Loading "security" plugin
Loading "subscription-manager" plugin
Updating certificate-based repositories.
Config time: 0.073
Looking for repo options for [main]
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Looking for repo options for [rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6]
Repo 'rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Looking for repo options for [rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6]
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6' setting option 'enabled' = '1'
Repo 'rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6' setting option 'gpgcheck' = '1'
Yum Version: 3.2.29
Setting up Group Process
rpmdb time: 0.000
group time: 0.124

Group: Directory Server
 Group-Id: directory-server
Setting up Package Sacks
pkgsack time: 0.084
 Description: Machine and user identity servers.
 Optional Packages:
   krb5-server-1.9-22.el6_2.1.x86_64     rhel-x86_64-server-6
   krb5-server-ldap-1.9-22.el6_2.1.i686      rhel-x86_64-server-6
   krb5-server-ldap-1.9-22.el6_2.1.x86_64      rhel-x86_64-server-6
   migrationtools-47-7.el6.noarch   rhel-x86_64-server-6
   openldap-servers-2.4.23-20.el6.x86_64  rhel-x86_64-server-6
   samba-3.5.10-116.el6_2.x86_64       rhel-x86_64-server-6
   ypserv-2.19-22.el6.x86_64      rhel-x86_64-server-6

]# yum groupinstall "Directory Server"
Loaded plugins: product-id, refresh-packagekit, rhnplugin, security, subscription-manager
Updating certificate-based repositories.
Setting up Group Process
Warning: Group directory-server does not have any packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update

Hi Addison,
could you be more specific about the issue you are facing? 
Please not that the mentioned groups have only Optional packages which are not going to be installed if their requires are missing. Therefore the warning "Group directory-server does not have any packages."

Karel:

Specifically, "yum grouplist" generates lists of groups - some of which aren't installable candidates.  Nor does the error message give a IMO correct warning - after a night of sleeping on it, and re-re-re-re-reading the man page, now I understand what it _means_.  And understanding that, the man page makes more sense, but it doesn't if you don't.


I should be able to install that list of packages - or at least get a better error - but those 2 groups _won't install_.  The message is confusing, at best.


If you list groups, then tell yum to install a group, and it then installs nothing (and claims there's nothing there), that's counterintuitive.


groupinstall
Is  used  to  install  all  of the individual packages in a group, of the specified types (this works as if you’d taken each of those package names and put them on the command line for a "yum install" command). The group_package_types configuration option specifies which types will be installed.


I see now what that the "fix" is to change /etc/yum.conf to include group_package_types=default,mandatory,optional


But that's very indirectly hinted at, and very counterintuitive to the groupinfo listing.  

The only reason I knew to check for optional packages was this bug listing - which took a while to find.



I'd suggest at the least to change the return message to either include the notice that there are optional messages (acknowledging that the command ran correctly and there was correct input/processing) and passing either info as to how to change it, or to possibly change yum to accept an "install-optional", and have the warning illustrate that.

Or, in a case like this, prompt for "install optional candidates".


"Warning: Group directory-server does not have any packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update"


This in no way hinted to me that there was a _configuration_ issue.  And that it was processing correctly.  Or that there were optional packages.  

I might suggest at least he warning be changed to:

Warning: Group directory-server does not have any mandatory or default packages.
No packages in any requested group available to install or update.
To install groups with only optional packages, add to /etc/yum.conf "group_package_types=default,mandatory,optional"

(if you changed it to group_package_types=optional then _only_ optional would be installed, correct, overriding the default of 'default, mandatory'?)


I'd also suggest being more explicit with this in the man page, rather than having this info be in yum and yum.conf man pages exclusively.

Thank you for the reply.

> I might suggest at least he warning be changed to:
> 
> Warning: Group directory-server does not have any mandatory or 
> default packages.

Actually, I was proposing similar change but the developer thought it would not be more informative than the current version (well, your version is longer and therefore more descriptive than mine).

According to yum man page:

  groupinstall
    Is used to install all of the individual packages in a group, of the
    specified  types (this works as if you’d taken each of those package 
    names and put them on the command line for a "yum install" command).
    The  group_package_types  configuration  option  specifies  which 
    types   will be installed.

while the yum.conf man page says:

  group_package_types List of the following: optional, default, mandatory.
    Tells yum which type of packages in groups will be installed  when
    ’groupinstall’  is  called. Default is: default, mandatory


Since I have some knowledge about this report I found man page explanation sufficient but now I can see that it still might be confusing and hard to understand. May I kindly ask you to report a new bug report against yum with your proposal?

I would propose to update the yum.conf man page with the Warning text and probably also update the warning itself with a reference to man page or group_package_types directly.