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Here's the deal. First, read the fine article. It does say that it's both the desktop and SLES. You'll also see that the SUSE Desktop--the community version you can grab at

http://www.opensuse.org/

will continue to support both KDE and GNOME.

SLES, the server version, and Novell Linux Desktop, the commercial distributions. though, will be built to use GNOME as its primary interface.

Now, if one is at all clever, you can certainly run put KDE on SLES or NLD. After all, besides the fact that it's not that much trouble to add *any* of the Linux GUIs to any distribution, in the case of SLES and NLD, the integration work will still largely have been done in the community SUSE desktop.

The real difference is that Novell isn't going to be spending any of its own dollars trying to support two interfaces.

Steven

Yes, I know its a bit strange.

Here's the deal: Both OS X and Windows use static DPI settings for font rendering. As you move to higher DPI monitors, the fonts, icons, and everything just get smaller. On X, fonts/widgets are adjusted for your DPI. As you move to higher DPI monitors, you get _better_ font rendering at the same size.

On most distributions, this setting is ignored for some reason.
On SuSE, it attempts to autodiscover it, using an internal database (SaX2) and DDC information. Barring that, it allows you to put in the size of your monitor (15, 17, 19, whatever) and the aspect ratio (4:3, 5:4, 16:9). Or, you can just enter the size of the monitor in MM.

I cannot stress how MUCH of a difference this makes in font quality. It's shocking; trust me.

Here's a link showing a properly configured screenshot: http://www.opensuse.org/Optimal_Use_of_Fonts_on_Su SE

Strangely, the author likes Trebuchet font (which I think it butt ugly), and he turns anti-aliasing off, which I think is dumb.

Optimum settings in my mind (superior rendering to OS X, comparing my powerbook to my desktop, side by side):

1. in /etc/sysconfig/font-config, set BYTECODE_BW_MAX_PIXEL to 18. You can do this in YaST, like the above link indicates
2. Turn on anti-aliasing in KDE. Exclude the range 0-7 points. Turn ON subpixel hinting, using RGB. 99% of monitors look great with RGB. Set the hinting strength to 'Slight'.
3. Install Tahoma. You can download (use google), or you can steal it from your windows install.

Enjoy!

When I get home, if you post a reply to this post, I'll give you a screen shot of my desktop. The font rendering is absolutely gorgeous.

Before you wipe your Linux install completely, try SuSE 10.0 (http://opensuse.org/

Ndiswrapper, and WPA_supplicant, IIRC are part of the base install. You'll have to use ndiswrapper commandline, but the instructions are in the documentation (avaliable on your Kicker as the help icon). Then use YaST2 to configure your network WPA password.

SuSE does the best job regarding wireless configuration of all the linux distributions I've tried. It's not perfect; the Kwireless applet they use to a bit clunky for switching networks. OS X has it soundly beaten in that regards. But it works, WPA included.

By default SUSE's fonts are anti-aliased and, oddly, the toggle box in KDE has no effect on this. But here is a quick way to get great fonts without anti-aliasing.

Novell/Suse ... (what do they name their ongoing dev repo?)

Do you mean OpenSUSE?

Anyway to get the fonts looking like windows you need to follow the instructions here:

http://www.opensuse.org/Optimal_Use_of_Fonts_on_Su SE/

You have three choices of font source:

1. Windows install (thats what I used)
2. Webcore MS fonts (were/are freely availible, but I don't know where from since I used 1)
3. Free fonts that are rendered well without AA at low point sizes. (this link should help.. http://avi.alkalay.net/linux/docs/font-howto/Font. html/

Hope this helps someone. :)

1-CD Installs (performance-patched with Minimal, KDE and GNOME-centric sets) in particular are very welcome as the official SUSE and SUSE-OSS DVDs or 5-CD sets are on the heavy side and most users don't need anywhere near the full set of packages included there. The 1-CD Install set, as Ubuntu has already shown, keeps the user experience simple (while allowing for future expansion) and lowers the barrier for user-to-user proliferation of the distro.

The growing community around the OSS distro versions also helps Novell/SUSE to grow the momentum and mindshare of their commercial and supported releases. It'll be easier for Novell/SUSE to sell systems and support to businesses and other institutions when there may already be people around who are familiar and comfortable with their widely available free-for-all offerings. It'll also encourage third parties to pay more attention to making SUSE compatible packages.

I hope they'll get around to creating the planned liveCD version of SUPER as well, as an easily redistributable alternative to the current liveDVD offering.

FWIW, since Ubuntu stormed the scene I've mainly promoted it to people interested in trying out Linux, but for the technically-inept I've still recommended a SUSE box. These new OSS versions, and in particular the planned liveCD version, would dramatically lower the barrier of trying SUSE out but I'd still recommend a box set for the inexperienced users due to their better QA, less breakage and availability of official support.

1-CD Installs (performance-patched with Minimal, KDE and GNOME-centric sets) in particular are very welcome as the official SUSE and SUSE-OSS DVDs or 5-CD sets are on the heavy side and most users don't need anywhere near the full set of packages included there. The 1-CD Install set, as Ubuntu has already shown, keeps the user experience simple (while allowing for future expansion) and lowers the barrier for user-to-user proliferation of the distro.

The growing community around the OSS distro versions also helps Novell/SUSE to grow the momentum and mindshare of their commercial and supported releases. It'll be easier for Novell/SUSE to sell systems and support to businesses and other institutions when there may already be people around who are familiar and comfortable with their widely available free-for-all offerings. It'll also encourage third parties to pay more attention to making SUSE compatible packages.

I hope they'll get around to creating the planned liveCD version of SUPER as well, as an easily redistributable alternative to the current liveDVD offering.

FWIW, since Ubuntu stormed the scene I've mainly promoted it to people interested in trying out Linux, but for the technically-inept I've still recommended a SUSE box. These new OSS versions, and in particular the planned liveCD version, would dramatically lower the barrier of trying SUSE out but I'd still recommend a box set for the inexperienced users due to their better QA, less breakage and availability of official support.

Linux is easy and can do everything Windows and Mac can, with some exceptions such as games - for people who like anti-aliasing. For those who can't stand the fuzzy fonts, Linux is far from usable.

On Windows, if you like clear fonts, you just find the little check-box for anti-aliasing, uncheck it, maybe reboot, and the interface is *beautiful*, *perfect*. Every letter is crisp with clean, sharp edges, and well-formed, well-hinted at any size.

On Linux, if you can't tolerate the blurry look, you're in for a long ordeal to even try to get readable fonts without anti-aliasing. Getting rid of the a-a, and getting decent hinting are *both* daunting tasks even for techies.

Most "newbie" tutorials are on trivial things like changing the background images or playing media files. You have to locate relatively obscure pages like this and this.

Then you have to find out how to first tweak, and then compile source packages on Linux. Then you have to somehow get the system to use the one set of fonts and version of X rather than the other.

I'm beyond expert status on Windows, yet I still haven't got fonts looking readable after hours of messing with Suse 10. For the non-technical user it's unrealistic to imagine they would ever figure it out, or even find someone to fix it for them.

Evidently most people like anti-aliasing. And that's fine for them. For the rest of us, Linux has a *huge* obstacle to usability.

Here are 10 or 11 repositories of SuSE compile RPM's: http://www.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Re positories Here's how to install then as sources for YaST: http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/11504. html I recommend Packman's excellent package site, from the first link. Once you add the sources, YaST performs essentially the same apt-get (or synaptic), resolves dependencies, and doesn't break stuff when you add new packages.

If performance issues worries you, maybe you would want to try SUPER (SUSE Performance Enhanced Release). Is one of the nice things of being open, that people start to build around it new approachs.

I'd say SUSE 10. Here is a link to download it, especially a Live-DVD image, so they can either run away screaming, or go all the way and install it to disk (they'll need to get the other ISO's here.)

This is absolutely painless. OpenSuse http://opensuse.org/ and probably most other distros, will automatically detect how much free space is in the current NTFS/FAT partition and allow you to resize it, I'd recommend creating around a 10G partition for a full install (90 min). Opensuse has a DVD ISO for a swapfree install,and a easy install time KDE/GNOME GUI selection. Opensuse is anexcellant distro for 1st-time dabblers.
HTH

But i agree that is far shorter to do "apt-get install firefox" than do the long way of loading yast, going to the install programs module and pick it... luckily, suse 10 have apt included, and there are a nice number of apt repositories in i.e. http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/apt/SuSE/10.0-i3 86/ and you can choose to do the yast way (there are yast repositories in this list) or the apt one.

hi

has anyone seen mirrors containing this file?
http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/SL-10.0- OSS/inst-source/boot/boot.iso

roy

http://ftp.opensuse.org/pub/opensuse/distribution/ SL-10.0-OSS/jigdo/

They're considered "experimental" and the ftp servers are still more or less hosed (torrents are working fine though) but for anyone who wants to give Jigdo a shot, it's there.

The official anouncement can be found here:
http://lists.opensuse.org/archive/opensuse-announc e/2005-Oct/0003.html

If you are more interested in speed, because you thought SUSE was slow, look at http://www.opensuse.org/SUPER where they are waiting for developers to make thinsg even faster.

The official anouncement can be found here:
http://lists.opensuse.org/archive/opensuse-announc e/2005-Oct/0003.html

If you are more interested in speed, because you thought SUSE was slow, look at http://www.opensuse.org/SUPER where they are waiting for developers to make thinsg even faster.

The eval is not a live DVD. The Eval is ths OSS. Naming is a bit of an issue at this moment and should be sorted out with the next version.

If you don't trust it (or want Alpha or Beta CD's as a DVD) use http://www.opensuse.org/Making_a_DVD_from_CDs

Java and other things that are not OSS are on the boxed set and can also be installed by adding sources in Yast. http://www.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Re positories

if you are installing make shure to check out:

Why not go to the source itself:
http://www.opensuse.org/Communicate
http://www.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Re positories

if you are installing make shure to check out:

Why not go to the source itself:
http://www.opensuse.org/Communicate
http://www.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Re positories

Gold Master

"I'm glad to announce the final version (aka the Goldmaster) of SUSE Linux 10.0. Developing 10.0 as part of the openSUSE project with an open bugzilla was a new and great experience. Thanks a lot to everybody that contributed in testing, reporting and fixing bugs, discussions etc."

source

I wasn't able to find anything under the mirror list on the site, but if you go to http://www.opensuse.org/Mirrors_Released_Version and pick a mirror, you should be able to go to suse/[architecture]/10.0/iso and download from there.

Some of the mirrors have them and some don't.

You might want to take a look at Suse's Hardware Compatibility List http://www.opensuse.org/HCL. Still needs to be expanded, but the notebook section is already quite populated. Remember, it's a wiki, so you can easily add stuff.

• Graphics (AGP, DRM, 3D) don't work or even crash the machine
  
• Hardware support is still limited (e.g. no PCMCIA)
  
• ACPI support in Domain-0 is limited (e.g. no cpufreq)
  
• 32 Bit kernel is not PAE enabled
  
• Full virtualization on VT not well tested
  
• Other Operating System support on top of Xen and VT not tested
  

1) It is easy
2) If you just do your own changes, you must do them one page at a time. Now they did all of the pages.

So even if you went to http://www.opensuse.org/Making_a_DVD_from_CDs you would see the kacked site.

It's not being hosted in Iran. It's hosted in the US by Virtuoso Net Solutions inc. I sent this email to abuse@virtuosonetsolutions.com yesterday about 7 PM (I sent them my real info, obviously):

        Dear Sir/Madam:
The OpenSuSE website was defaced either today or yesterday by an Iranian
hacker clan whose website is located on your servers. I checked the
whois data for the hacker clan's domain (ihsteam.com):

      Majid NT
      Bl Sajjad-milad 7 no. 12
      Mashhad 8735452575
      Iran

IP of the website (according to whois records of the ip, it is owned by
your company):

        147.202.64.138

References:

http://www.opensuse.org/
http://www.ihsteam.com/

In case the sites above have been changed, I've attached an compressed
archive saves of their main pages. I hope you'll see that ihsteam.com
is in direct violation of your AUP.

        Sincerely,
        Name
        Phone
        Email

They haven't replied yet, and the website is still up. But it IS a weekend.

You should checkout the SUPER SUSE project. It is an i686 optimized 10.0 RC1. It is a 1 cd install at http://www.opensuse.org/SUPER . You need the regular 10.0rc1 install cds to get gcc and other needed tools, though.

echo "KDE_NO_IPV6=true" >> /etc/environment

But I think they did something about it anyway; I've recently installed SuSE again and at first forgot to set the variable but I've yet to find a page with the painfully slow rendering that was caused by the ipv6 lookup lags in earlier versions.

Also SuSE (well their performance enhanced version; get it here) has the fastest KDE I've ever seen.

Obviously, if they're right Novell hopes that turn will be toward SUSE Linux.

I have just now downloaded OpenSuse 10. I'll install it and hope to see some improvements.

I hope you realize that it is a RC1, so not a finished product. As you seem not to like to much stuff, try out http://www.opensuse.org/1_CD_install

If you have problems of some software not included and other included and not wanted, just make your own ISO.

The way of SUSE has always been that the choice is yours and then add as many programs on the DVD as possible. This will only increase, but this does not mean that the default has everything installed. I certeainly have not seen that much things as you said with a standard instalation.

But a lot will depend on how Novell can package desktop management.

Take a look yourself how they do it. http://opensuse.org/ where RC 1 is available. There also are several 1 CD versions in development.

One of the things that drove me away from Fedora was that it is publically acknowledged to be public grounds for vetting Red Hat's technology which will be the basis for RHEL.

also from the FAQ:

Why is Novell starting the openSUSE project now? (last sentence)

"They will also ultimately influence the commercial SUSE Linux products businesses use to run their applications."

and

What is the relationship of the openSUSE project to Novell? (last sentence again)

"The SUSE Linux operating system and associated open source applications are used by Novell as the basis for its fully supported and hardened enterprise Linux offerings (for example, Novell Linux Desktop)."

if this is your reasoning for (not) choosing a distro, guess you better find a new one (again).

One of the things that drove me away from Fedora was that it is publically acknowledged to be public grounds for vetting Red Hat's technology which will be the basis for RHEL.

also from the FAQ:

Why is Novell starting the openSUSE project now? (last sentence)

"They will also ultimately influence the commercial SUSE Linux products businesses use to run their applications."

and

What is the relationship of the openSUSE project to Novell? (last sentence again)

"The SUSE Linux operating system and associated open source applications are used by Novell as the basis for its fully supported and hardened enterprise Linux offerings (for example, Novell Linux Desktop)."

if this is your reasoning for (not) choosing a distro, guess you better find a new one (again).

One of the things that drove me away from Fedora was that it is publically acknowledged to be public grounds for vetting Red Hat's technology which will be the basis for RHEL.

also from the FAQ:

Why is Novell starting the openSUSE project now? (last sentence)

"They will also ultimately influence the commercial SUSE Linux products businesses use to run their applications."

and

What is the relationship of the openSUSE project to Novell? (last sentence again)

"The SUSE Linux operating system and associated open source applications are used by Novell as the basis for its fully supported and hardened enterprise Linux offerings (for example, Novell Linux Desktop)."

if this is your reasoning for (not) choosing a distro, guess you better find a new one (again).

The OpenSuse home page links to a sensibly large mirror list. So it doesn't really make sense for you to link straight to the Göttingen mirror from here, does it?

Please change that link to the download page, and let your readers select the mirror closest to them.

Sheesh.

The OpenSuse home page links to a sensibly large mirror list. So it doesn't really make sense for you to link straight to the Göttingen mirror from here, does it?

Please change that link to the download page, and let your readers select the mirror closest to them.

Sheesh.

sigh

Released Version

SUSE Linux 9.3 features an easy-to-install Linux operating system that lets you browse the Web, send e-mail, chat with friends, organize digital photos, play movies and songs, and create documents and spreadsheets. You can even use it to host a Web site or blog, create a home network, and develop your own applications. It is the most recent stabilized, fully integrated edition of SUSE Linux. If you are looking for a stable version of Linux to run on your personal computer or home server, this is the best choice.

        Note: This version of SUSE Linux contains some proprietary components such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, RealNetworks RealPlayer, Sun Java Runtime Environment and Macromedia Flash Player.

============

Development Build

Currently, SUSE Linux 10.0 Beta 1 (code name: Prague) is an unsupported, open source only, preliminary edition of SUSE Linux that contains bleeding-edge packages and represents the latest development snapshot. If you intend to test for bugs or contribute patches, this version is for you.

        Note: Development snapshots are sometimes unstable. Before installing the latest development build, we recommend that you read the list of most annoying bugs. ...

Please note that the OSS edition or SUSE Linux 10.0 do only contain open source software. Therefore some packages do miss in SUSE Linux 10.0 OSS distribution. This does include Java and all depending packages like OpenOffice.org.

Java and OpenOffice.org packages can get installed afterwards by adding the following repository to the installation sources in YaST: ftp://ftp.opensuse.org/pub/opensuse/distribution/S L-10.0-OSS-beta1/inst-source-java/

========

Geeze if you won the lotry when it was 1 million bucks you'd comaplin that it was 2 million last week.

Okay,

How is having to update just to get Java and Open Office user friendly? I smell marketting BS *holds nose*

From:
http://www.opensuse.org/index.php/Download
Please note that the OSS edition or SUSE Linux 10.0 do only contain open source software. Therefore some packages do miss in SUSE Linux 10.0 OSS distribution. This does include Java and all depending packages like OpenOffice.org.

Java and OpenOffice.org packages can get installed afterwards by adding the following repository to the installation sources in YaST: ftp://ftp.opensuse.org/pub/opensuse/distribution/S L-10.0-OSS-beta1/inst-source-java/

From the FAQ:
The openSUSE project explicitly looks beyond the technical community to the broader non-technical community of computer users interested in Linux. The openSUSE project creates--through an open and transparent development process--a stabilized, polished Linux distribution (SUSE Linux) that delivers everything a user needs to get started with Linux. (SUSE Linux is consistently cited as the best-engineered Linux and the most usable Linux.) To fulfill its mission of bringing Linux to everyone, the openSUSE project makes SUSE Linux widely available to potential Linux users through a variety of channels, including a complete retail edition with end-user documentation. Only the openSUSE project refines its Linux distribution to the point where non-technical users can have a successful Linux experience.

Okay,

How is having to update just to get Java and Open Office user friendly? I smell marketting BS *holds nose*

From:
http://www.opensuse.org/index.php/Download
Please note that the OSS edition or SUSE Linux 10.0 do only contain open source software. Therefore some packages do miss in SUSE Linux 10.0 OSS distribution. This does include Java and all depending packages like OpenOffice.org.

Java and OpenOffice.org packages can get installed afterwards by adding the following repository to the installation sources in YaST: ftp://ftp.opensuse.org/pub/opensuse/distribution/S L-10.0-OSS-beta1/inst-source-java/

From the FAQ:
The openSUSE project explicitly looks beyond the technical community to the broader non-technical community of computer users interested in Linux. The openSUSE project creates--through an open and transparent development process--a stabilized, polished Linux distribution (SUSE Linux) that delivers everything a user needs to get started with Linux. (SUSE Linux is consistently cited as the best-engineered Linux and the most usable Linux.) To fulfill its mission of bringing Linux to everyone, the openSUSE project makes SUSE Linux widely available to potential Linux users through a variety of channels, including a complete retail edition with end-user documentation. Only the openSUSE project refines its Linux distribution to the point where non-technical users can have a successful Linux experience.

Check out my new hat http://www.opensuse.org/images/e/eb/Xgonzo.jpg