On not finding anything, see if OpenSuse has anything like apt-cache. On Debian-based systems, it helps a bunch, as it looks for packages (programs) containing in the name or description the keyword you are looking for. Regarding messing the installation, making back ups periodically and keeping the more volatile stuff you do not want to lose on different physical drives could help.
Tried flashing an USB stick and putting the system ISOs in the stick afterwards?