Difference between @System and @cauldron-x86_64

[svzrd]

Hi,
Could someone please explain what is the difference between `@System` and `@cauldron-x86_64` for the installed packages when we do `dnf list installed`? I checked online but did not find anything useful. The one that had good match for the question, confused me more. To quote the answer given there,

The "@System" repository indicates the packages that you have installed not from any repos but from files on the disk [manually] via dnf install package.rpm.

I definitely have not installed packages like, `xli.x86_64`, `userdrake.x86_64` or `tinysparql.x86_64` to name a few.

Of the things I manually installed using ,

kwin-x11.x86_64 - shows as @cauldron-x86_64
docker.x86_64 - shows as @System

[doktor5000]

Could someone please explain what is the difference between `@System` and `@cauldron-x86_64` for the installed packages when we do `dnf list installed`?

@System are packages that were installed during the initial installation.
Anything else is the name of the repo where it was installed from.

You can also view the transactions with

Code: Select all

dnf history list

or

Code: Select all

dnf history list packagename

[svzrd]

@System are packages that were installed during the initial installation.

But, of the packages I installed afterwards, only kwin-x11 (and the dependencies pulled during that install) is showing as `@cauldron-x86_64`, rest all of them are showing `@System`!

Code: Select all

[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf history list
ID     | Command line                                  | Date and time    | Action(s)      | Altered
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5 | install kwin-x11-6.4.4-1.mga10.x86_64         | 2025-08-14 02:58 | Install        |    4  <
     4 | remove libreoffice*                           | 2025-08-14 00:52 | Removed        |   17 ><
     3 | install fira-code-fonts                       | 2025-08-13 13:23 | Install        |    1 >
     2 | install google-noto-sans-mono-fonts           | 2025-08-13 13:21 | Install        |    1  <
     1 | install sudo                                  | 2025-08-11 20:28 | Install        |    1 >
[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf history list kwin-x11
ID     | Command line                                  | Date and time    | Action(s)      | Altered
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5 | install kwin-x11-6.4.4-1.mga10.x86_64         | 2025-08-14 02:58 | Install        |    4   
[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf list installed | grep -i google-noto-sans-mono-fonts
google-noto-sans-mono-fonts.noarch                  20180905-4.mga10                     @System         
[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf list installed | grep -i fira-code-fonts
fira-code-fonts.noarch                              6.2-3.mga10                          @System         
[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf list installed | grep -i kwin-x11
kwin-x11.x86_64                                     6.4.4-1.mga10                        @cauldron-x86_64
lib64kwin-x11_6.x86_64                              6.4.4-1.mga10                        @cauldron-x86_64
[sv@vbox ~]$


[ngompa]

@System is used to reference installed packages at the time of transaction.

[svzrd]

I still did not understand. Does it mean any package already installed at the time of new install/remove operation will show as '@System'?

I installed three more packages 'fastfetch', 'rxvt-unicode' and 'ranger'; 'fastfetch' shows as @System while 'rxvt-unicode' and 'ranger' show as '@cauldron-x86_64'.

If I do `dnf info <pkg>` I see that those which report as '@System' only have 'Repository: ' field, whereas those which report as '@cauldron-x86_64' have 'Repository: ' and also 'From repo: ' field.

Code: Select all

[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf info rxvt-unicode
Last metadata expiration check: 0:37:28 ago on Sun 17 Aug 2025 11:46:08 PM UTC.
Installed Packages
Name         : rxvt-unicode
Version      : 9.31
Release      : 5.mga10
Architecture : x86_64
Size         : 3.1 M
Source       : rxvt-unicode-9.31-5.mga10.src.rpm
Repository   : @System
From repo    : cauldron-x86_64
Summary      : A color VT102 terminal emulator for the X Window System
URL          : http://dist.schmorp.de/rxvt-unicode
License      : GPLv2+
Description  : Rxvt-unicode is a clone of the well known terminal emulator rxvt, modified
             : to store text in Unicode (either UCS-2 or UCS-4) and to use locale-correct
             : input and output. It also supports mixing multiple fonts at the same time,
             : including Xft fonts.

[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf info ranger
Last metadata expiration check: 0:37:44 ago on Sun 17 Aug 2025 11:46:08 PM UTC.
Installed Packages
Name         : ranger
Version      : 1.9.4
Release      : 0.20230823git.136416c.3.mga10
Architecture : noarch
Size         : 2.2 M
Source       : ranger-1.9.4-0.20230823git.136416c.3.mga10.src.rpm
Repository   : @System
From repo    : cauldron-x86_64
Summary      : A flexible console file manager
URL          : https://ranger.github.io/
License      : GPLv3+
Description  : Ranger is a free console file manager that gives you greater flexibility and a
             : good overview of your files without having to leave your *nix console. It
             : visualizes the directory tree in two dimensions: the directory hierarchy on
             : one, lists of files on the other, with a preview to the right so you know where
             : you'll be going.

[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf info fira-code-fonts
Last metadata expiration check: 0:41:04 ago on Sun 17 Aug 2025 11:46:08 PM UTC.
Installed Packages
Name         : fira-code-fonts
Version      : 6.2
Release      : 3.mga10
Architecture : noarch
Size         : 1.7 M
Source       : fira-code-fonts-6.2-3.mga10.src.rpm
Repository   : @System
Summary      : Monospaced font with programming ligatures
URL          : https://github.com/tonsky/FiraCode
License      : OFL
Description  : Monospaced font with programming ligatures

[sv@vbox ~]$ dnf info fastfetch
Last metadata expiration check: 0:38:49 ago on Sun 17 Aug 2025 11:46:08 PM UTC.
Installed Packages
Name         : fastfetch
Version      : 2.49.0
Release      : 1.mga10
Architecture : x86_64
Size         : 3.1 M
Source       : fastfetch-2.49.0-1.mga10.src.rpm
Repository   : @System
Summary      : Like neofetch, CLI system information tool written in c
URL          : https://github.com/fastfetch-cli/fastfetch
License      : MIT
Description  : fastfetch is a neofetch-like tool for fetching system information and
             : displaying them in a pretty way. It is written in c to achieve much better
             : performance, in return only Linux and Android are supported. It also uses
             : mechanisms like multithreading and caching to finish as fast as possible.



[doktor5000]

Just for reference, why does it bother you so much whether it displays @System or @cauldron-x86_64 ?

[svzrd]

I just want to know. It is intriguing.