= Fedora Comps =

comps is a XML file used by various Fedora tools to perform grouping of packages into functional groups.

== How comps is used ==

=== Installation ===

comps is used by the installer during package selection. At the Default Packages dialog , the user can choose to Customize Now, displaying the Category Selection dialog. 

In the category selection dialog , categories (as defined by the {{{category}}} keyword in {{{comps.xml}}}) are listed down the left-hand side. If a category is selected, any groups in that category with {{{uservisible}}} set are displayed in the right-hand pane. Groups have an icon associated with them. These icons come from the {{{comps-extras}}} package; icons are read from {{{/usr/share/pixmaps/comps/<group-id>.png}}}. If an icon does not exist for a group id, the one for the category that the group is in is used.


Once a group is selected, clicking the Optional Packages button shows the Package Selection dialog.


In any group, there are four levels of packages: optional, default, mandatory, and conditional:

 * {{{optional}}} are not automatic but can be checked
 * {{{default}}} are, but can be unchecked in a gui tool
 * {{{mandatory}}} are always brought in (if group is selected), and not visible in the Package Selection dialog.
 * {{{conditional}}} are brought in if their {{{requires}}} package is installed

Usually optional is the way, however if you feel that your package deserves a default or required level bring it up for discussion on the development lists.  Remember that this has effect on whether or not your package winds up on distribution media such as Live images and spins.

=== Running System ===

In dnf, groups are used by {{{dnf groupinstall}}} and {{{dnf groupremove}}} commands, and can be queried with {{{dnf grouplist}}} command.

In {{{PackageKit}}} (Add / Remove Software) the upper left quadrant shows Package collections.  When this is clicked, the grouping information is loaded from the configured software repositories, and the complete list of groups, stripped from their categories, are shown in the right hand pane. Selecting a group for installation causes only the default packages within the group to be installed.

=== Developing comps ===

{{{
git clone ssh://git@pagure.io/fedora-comps.git
}}}

=== Tree, Release, and Image Composition ===

The kickstart files in [https://pagure.io/fedora-kickstarts.git fedora-kickstarts] use the group definitions from comps to compose images and release trees.

== For more info ==

For more information, including rules on how and when to edit comps, see the [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/How_to_use_and_edit_comps.xml_for_package_groups Fedora project wiki].

Bugs against comps can be filed in [http://bugzilla.redhat.com/ bugzilla].