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New Financing And Fewer Staff @ SuSE
jdfox writes: "According to this press release from SuSE, they have just received another 15 million Euros (about 14 million $US) venture capital, with some big names listed in the consortium's membership. They have also announced that a quarter of their 500 staff will be let go, following on from similar recent cuts. This excellent distro deserves to succeed: I hope this move will see them through the current slowdown." The upcoming release (needs babelfishing from German) of SuSE's version 7.3 promised for October 13th is loaded with a ton of goodies, too -- Kernel 2.4.10, KDE 2.2.1 and GNOME 1.4.1 beta2, among other things.
I'm more surprised that anyone is still willing to invest $14 million on a Linux distro...
We're all busy trying to beg, steal, beg, or borrow the new StarOffice beta 6.0 ;-)
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
I've run almost 10 different distros (counting the BSDs) and I always come back to SuSE. With the crypto now in the kernels by default and the firehose of apps, SuSE kicks it mack daddy fresh.
I hope they can pull out of the general slump and get profitable again or we'll all be running RedHat XP.
Good to see that some Linux firms are still managing to get new money after all the paranoia that's hounding the Tech industry these days. Sure, we've seen a lot of "We Can Do Linux Too!" chaff getting swept away lately (with a few really good companies getting taken out with them). Now it's time for the real companies to start delivering on the "Linux Rules" promises we all heard the last couple of years.
Your Servant, B. Baggins
No one 'deserves' to survive. It's capitalism, sell your product, make money, or go bankrupt.
While SuSE does have some good things going for it, whether or not it "deserves" to survive is a matter of natural selection in the marketplace. It might be the best damned Linux distro ever -- but if people don't buy it, it will go the way of other "deserving" but unsuccessful products.
Perhaps SuSE can persevere by gaining a rabid following that doggedly and vehemently defends "their" distribution in fora like Slashdot... zealotry can be a potent force for survival.
Me? I'm a distro agnostic; I've bought SuSE, and Red Hat, and Mandrake, and I've downloaded Debian, Slackware, and Mandrake (yes, again) for various projects. And that may be part of SuSE's problem: all distros have their good and bad points, but there isn't much in the way of overwhelming distinction.
For my stuff, I prefer Debian, Slackware, and Mandrake, depending on circumstances. Your mileage may vary -- and SuSE needs to get better mileage if it wants to be here in five years.
All about me
look at linuxweeklynews.com and visit their weekly roundup of distributions.
:)
Yes, a lot of them are small, and a lot are unmaintained. That there aren't hundreds of commercially successful distro makers isn't surprising -- what *would* be surprising is if no new ones emerged to take advantage of market openings when they become glaringly obvious
timothy
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
As often as I voice an opinion that M$ needs competition (which they really don't have in a Win* compatible format, which is why the OS is such a bloated, unstable mess) I like to seel SuSE as a strong alternative distribution to RedHat. In a few months I'll be building up another machine and would like to run them head to head.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
That announcement won't need babelfishing: It's the english version ;-)
SuSE puts out a very nice mail server product (I'm running our 40 user office on it) using Cyrus IMAP, LDAP and IMP web access. So easy, all our netscape users get LDAP access via their netscape address book so our mail lists are centrally administrated and current. Upon ordering their server, I got a quick call from Suse customer support asking for input about things I'd like to see in their future products and asking for feedback regarding any problems I may have. Very responsive. Their linux distro is current and top notch. I've been using it exclusively for 6 months. The Yast utilities can make things VERY easy for newbies, but you can stick to the CLI and completely forego the Suse utilities entirely. I believe that they're getting major funding from IBM and Intel so those outfits can get into the server room on the IA-64 cpu's. Here's hoping this distro has legs...
Check it out here in English.
"I hope this move will see them through the current slowdown"
I hope you don't have the idea that it's temporary?
Many companies (dotcoms, open source etc) gave away their products for free or charged insuffient for them. They still got huge amount of $$$ from VC's and the public and what is best described as gambling.
This is gone and will hopefully never come back.
Why is it that SuSE gets a relatively large amount of money for a smaller company, and then they slash more employees. I understand they want to "stay in the game" and want to save alot of that money, but are we going to notice the quality of their output lessen as more and more workers get slashed, and yet they get more financial support from other companies? Cutting 500 jobs from a company such as SuSE sounds like quote a bit. Does anyone know how many people are currently employed with SuSE?
void women (int money, time_t time);
how do you pronounce SuSE? sue-see? sue-zee? sooz?
People want the latest software at times, even if it isn't stable. Kind of like when Windows XP RC1 was accidently placed on the anonymous FTP, and the location was leaked. Everyone wanted it.
SuSE is more of a desktop OS, and often the desktop market isn't looking for awesome stability and high uptimes.
void women (int money, time_t time);
SuSE Linux 7,3 - entering and driving off
Available starting from 13 October
The new SuSE Linux - simply, independently, stably, surely!
Select between the personnel edition - Linux for the whole family and the Professional edition - Linux without boundaries . The new SuSE Linux 7,3 in the overview .
With its function abundance, its proverbial stability and its efficient protective mechanisms against bad accesses SuSE Linux 7,3 is the umfassendeste, most stable and safest operating system, which was developed ever for the privatgebrauch.
SuSE Linux 7,3 - fast and simply like never before!
Within minutes you operate with an operating system to serve that very easy are and at it stably and safe like no different one. Look forward to a system, which makes the work with its graphic surface so comfortable and simple that it is a true joy. Profited from the new A riser over the experienced home user up to the system administrator, everyone from the new features , the life with Linux becomes still simpler - for all! With SuSE Linux 7,3 applies now finally:
Linux - now everyone understands!
Linux and Windows on a PC? - naturally!
The best is: They do not have to transfer at all , you must only enter ! They do not need to do without your used Windows *. SuSE Linux 7,3 can be installed fast and problem-free beside other operating systems on your computer. None is impaired by the other one!
Fall and viruses? - not under Linux!
Perhaps they know that:
Blue display with incomprehensible messages over protection violations , which request for the restart of the computer?
Overruns by viruses , which happened to you by Mail?
Attacks by hackers on your computer?
All things, about which you can smile only tired from now on, if to you your acquaintance ensureful on it report.
Linux only for Freaks? - the times are past! From now on applies:
Linux for the whole family!
SuSE Linux 7,3 is an operating system for the whole family . Linux in the hands of your children? No problem:
very easy : SuSE Linux 7,3 is to be served with its surface KDE very easy.
: No system file can be damaged by mistake or in the case of doubt intentionally.
playful : SuSE Linux 7,3 contains a large number of plays, the play series was strongly extended and improved. Likewise Multimedia applications were improved, like television under Linux and sound applications substantially extended and.
multimedially : DS burn, videos see and processing, sound to mix, cut schnittstudio, Synthesizer are only some the many Multimedia possibilities.
privately : Each user has his own private environment, which no different one sees when desired, let alone to change or delete may.
interlaced : Do not create your own family network, with SuSE Linux, to the network operating system par excellence, a problem.
A riser or old hare? - for everyone the correct version!
Are you already a new A riser or an old Linux hare? - you have the selection: Personal or Professional . Decide, what you need! As a risers you will likewise estimate the high comfort of the operation the personnel edition as as an expert the many Client and server applications in the Professional edition .
Maybe they got a haircut and a real job? :)
With its function abundance, its proverbial stability and its efficient protective mechanisms against bad accesses SuSE Linux 7,3 is the umfassendeste, most stable and safest operating system, which was developed ever for the privatgebrauch.
Linux only for Freaks? - the times are past! From now on applies: Linux for the whole family!
Now before I get modded down, I be to remind whoever might read this that what I am saying is FACT. - bogaboga
The popularity of SuSe is great in Europe and it wouldn't be as great of a challenge to convert users and organizations to Linux.
If they gave corporations and govt. incentives to purchase SuSe, like deals w/the OEMs to make systems that were preinstalled and came w/loads of Tech Support, they could throw a monky wrench in the Software licensing scheme.
Say for instance the incentives that companies had with Compaq 7 years ago. My dad got a 386/sx with windows 3x for about 1500 - a cost that was footed by the company.The same thing could be done for Linux today. Get a significant cash incentive, install some killer apps, along with a smooth game (Quake) for after hours and a internet connection and you can hook the average consumer on Linux. Next time they go out to buy a box, the consumer will most likely stick with SuSe.
Worked for MS, should work for SuSe.
All I'm saying is that you already have a product that is good, it's time to put it on display. Let it sink or float according to its merits.
Don't spend too much more time on a near perfect product. It's time to let it out to play with the big boys.
http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
1. You don't /need/ all 6 CDs. Indeed, I've installed (SuSE6.2) with just the first.
/is/ fun. Using windows is a pain in the rear.
2. To each his own, yes YAST is proprietary but that doesn't mean it sucks.
3. You are making this up.
4. Who says work can't be fun? For me, using Linux
5. That beep is probably caused by an alert -- something that couldn't be shut down (normally) for instance. I suggest looking at your shutdown scripts.
Why is it that many people who claim to support standards have such atrocious spelling and grammar?
Why can't someone say. "these guys are doing it right, they deserve the rewards of their labor," without an economic Darwinist coming up with this scrap of useless dogma?
Regardless of economic point of view, one can truthfully say, "I like these guys, I like what they are doing, it's right for the market -- they deserve success." I don't see where this violates the cutthroat principles you seem to hold so dear.
I survived the Dick Cheney Presidency 7 to 9 AM 7-21-07
No iso. They only have that pitiful eval crap. Now I know you don't have to have an iso to install it but thats the only way its getting on one of my machines. And I am certainly not buying it without having it on machine first.
I am not sure what goes on in that suse brain, not sure if I want to, either.
Nice attempt to troll.
1) SuSE doesn't provide everything (I've installed a lot of stuff I found via freshmeat and apps.kde.com), but they do choose to provide a reasonable selection of apps, which produces a few cents of extra cost for them and gives the user more choices. I'd rather have more than less, but a lot of the old stuff they provide could be removed. On the other hand, they do provide reasonable standard selections.
2) I like the installer, especially for online security updates, but obviously apt-get has its advantages. However, yast2 is not "proprietary" (exclusive property). SuSE provides the sources under an open license and only requires that you send them any changes you publish and do not derive profit from their use.
3) I only had to use one or two CDs in SuSE 7.2. "It completely defies reason" is nonsense since it obviously depends on the packages you choose. Optimizations may be possible.
4) "Have a lot of fun!" is no more or less professional than "Where do you want to go today?" or any other slogan of your choice. In fact, I like the familiar feeling of it since it's been in there for quite some time. That work should not be any fun is the typical attitude of slaveholders.
5) I could care less.
If you believe these are reasons for failure, you are exactly the kind of person who should never make business decisions.
I love SuSE.
I've been using it for years and it just keeps getting better and better. As much as I like the distro though, the main user mailing list (suse-linux-e) just rocks, it's probably the nicest online community that I have ever participated in except perhaps ISCA in it's day.
~~ What's stopping you?
I prefer to have it on DVD and I leave it on my laptop as well as store the entire thing on a server. If I need a package, I can open up YaST and do a search. I much prefer SuSE RPMs because they seem to pay a lot of attention to detail, making sure that everything integrates nicely and is easy to setup. Do note that you're not representative of their big customers, who *do* want the kitchen sink approach, and often use Alice, a great system, to do mass installations. It all saves a lot of time in a big company.
The installer is great. Dselect has a *horrid* user interface and Kpackage is not an installer. I'm also sick of the "proprietary YaST" FUD I see around here. Did you actually *read* the license? Not only did I read it, but I agree with it. You obviusly have no idea that it is extremely customisable, either. Each YaST2 module is a perl script, which you can mess with. You can also make your own, if you want. It's really cool, and well documented. All of the source is there for the binary parts, as well, and you can modify it all you want, as long as you don't modify it *and* sell it. One or the other is just fine.
You're totally wrong. Not much more to say here.
I'm having trouble understanding you here. You think 'redneck' dialogue is professional and the single phrase "Have a lot of fun!" isn't? If anybody uses that phrase for their prime criteria for dumping a solution they should be fired on the spot.
Speaking as someone who works for a company that sells servers, we did the same thing. An ascending beep for startup and a descending beep for shutdown. Why did we do this? Reason 1 was that our customers asked for it. There are usually no monitors hooked up to servers and if you're shutting down from a ssh connection, it would be really nice to know when it's safe to turn the server off.
The management from SuSE and Mandrake are actually competing to see who can manage a company worse.
Mandrake:
(1) Hand over control of operations to an American group who decide that Mandrake is now all about E-Learning. Later, fire said group when it becomes obvious that MandrakeExpert won't be bringing in the bacon.
(2) Hire an elementry school child to design the Mandrake logo and graphics.
SuSE:
(1) Waste and overspend existing investment dollars by building a consultancy group that is about 1/3 larger than the market can support.
(2) Original school child who designed logo and marketing material is stolen away by rival distro.
I think you are missing one of the reasons they include "everything and the kitchen sink". Starting out as a european distribution, where at the time everybody was on slow dialup, and paid by the minute for connectivity....having all this included made one HELL of alot of sense in my opinion.
-=Mongr=-
I picked up a copy of 6.1(?) many many months ago, as a possible alternative to Windows (which I despised). Ended up buying a Mac (needed a reliable comp for school), and never really used it. Trashed that particular PC, pieced together a new one from Frys, and picked up a copy of Mandrake 7.0 'cause it was on sale. Gotta admit, I really like Mandrakes setup app. PartionMagic is pretty slick, IMHO. However, whenever Mandrake would try to 'query' any of the expansion slots (PCI and ISA), it'd lock up. Windows 98SE has similar problems (won't shut down, sees things that aren't there, and doesn't see stuff that is). Think I got mainboard problems. But I have NONE of these problems with SuSE. Not a one. And while yast may be kinda clumsy, it works. I look forward to SuSE's latest offering. They will be getting my $$$.
-Peter
"We don't inherit the land from our ancestors"
"We borrow it from our children"
Ignorance and prejudice and fear
Walk hand in hand
My problem with SuSe is that I have not yet found a way to download ISOs of it's full installation.
Because of this I am not prepared to leave the distribution that I have worked with for nearly seven years (here).
I've heard a lot of good things about SuSe, but as Linux can be a finneckety thing to get used to I am not prepared to spend money on it until I know what it's like, including exactly what packages come with it. (I'm a bit stubborn when it comes to console text editors... hear that, Patrick?)
I'm not a Linux freeloader - I've pumped more money into Slackware than I have Windows, and I'm proud of it.
But until SuSe join the Open Source Revolution it's unlikely that they'll be seeing my $
According to the changelog on news.gimp.org there were updates in the last 24 hours. The news site is also still up, maybe you can reach somebody there?
AC, look up the word "misnomer," first of all. An idea cannot be a "misnomer," only a word can.
Secondly, markets don't determine shit by themselves. For the market to be the true arbiter you would need an ideally free market, and a "frictionless" system. We don't have that.
Inferior products vanquish superior ones thanks to superior market positioning and distribution all the time. To say that these superior products "deserved" better postitioning, "deserved" better distribution, is fine. To say they "deserved" to win, therefore, is fine.
Unless, of course, one is in love with the Darwinist (I understand what it means, it's you that apparently do not) mantra.
"this is capitalism, nothing deserves to win except what the market says wins" totally bankrupts the meaning of the word "deserves." Deserves refers to merit -- ANY kind of merit. There are kinds of merit that exist apart from the market.
So, when someone says this or that "deserves" to win, it would be nice if the keepers of the mantra would butt out.
I survived the Dick Cheney Presidency 7 to 9 AM 7-21-07
A complete miscomprehension of the market also ignores the fact that true free markets don't exist in real life. That's why we have 'monopolies' and 'price fixing' and 'shitty products for high prices' - because companies that could compete under a strict free market model are snuffed out by more powerful competitors, *regardless of the quality of product*, on a regular basis.
Max
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
Replace the .de with .com and the /de/ with /en/ and bingo! You have the English version of this link. No Babelfish needed.
http://www.suse.com/en/produkte/susesoft/linux/ind ex.html
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The story is a dupe, the topic is boring, the facts weren't checked. WE GET IT!!
I just bought the latest Suse, yes I actually pay for linux distros these days, And I have to admit, it's pretty sweet. I also purchased the latest RH(as of 6 months ago) and between those two, Suse was the easiest to install, and Yast was very nice and easy.
I would love to see there accounting sheets, because I would like to know the details. they sure have recieved a lot of money recently.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Have you looked ever actually looked at ftp.suse.com? Distros back to version 6.3 on seven architectures are all there. Here's 7.2 for x86.
- If you don't want to cycle through 5-6 cds picking and choosing your software (which I love, btw - I can install arcane-but-useful items that no one else cares about w/out having to hunt them down on the net) you can choose the standard install. You did know there's more than one install option, didn't you?
- You only need to cycle through the cds if you went through the custom install piece-by-piece. Choose the standard install and you don't have to. You did know there's more than one install option, didn't you?
- The installer is fine. Not sure what you're bitching about here. And you can modify it to your hearts content if something about it annoys you.
- Unprofessional prompts? *That's* a big beef? Jesus H. Christ, man, if you get this wigged over a screen that tells you to 'have fun' it's time to reduce the caffeine intake....
- Any computer that makes noise without my telling it to do so is annoying. I think the same thing about most people, too. Fortunately in the case of the computer I can tell it to shut up, and it will. So can you, if you like.
I love SuSe for the install, the easy GUI system controls, and the fact that the kitchen sink *is* on the cds. But I'm just old and lazy and not much into crack cocaine, so SuSe takes the cake over other distros for me any day of the week.
I just purchased my copy. Even though I'll have to wait another two weeks for it to be released. Even though I have versions 7.1 and 7.2. Why? Because I'm old and lazy and not much into crack cocaine, and it's worth the $80 not to have to track down the software upgrades on the net and burn them to cd. For me $80 is worth about two hours of my time and since I'm sure it'd take me longer than two hours to get what I'd want and burn it buying 7.3 makes more sense for me.
Max
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
In addition to the german and general engliush info, there's UK specific info here.
Listening for the sound of the coming rain...
1. It's - what ever Anti-YaST-FUD(TM) may say - very well organized. Even if you havn't got a DVD drive you won't get a stiff arm from changing CDs for a normal install. If you do have a DVD, you can use that all-on-one disk. (iirc that was SuSEs idea)
:-) )
:-), got me to ditch Mickeysoft for good)
2. It's transparent! Again, that Anti-SuSE talk is nothing but FUD. They come great lengths to tell people what they do and change and why - much unlike lots of other people who tend to spread their apps across tons of directories and seem to have no sense for tidyness. The X-Window desaster has a nice remark on this somewhere in the middle. (Allthough it's not quite up to date
3. It has top-of-the-pops documentation. Half of my Linux-specific bookshelf are made up of those books that come with that heavy box. And they are the ones I go for the most, because they offer answers fast!
4. Since 7.2 you can update with a couple of mouseclicks. YOU (YaST Online Update) implements that buisnessmodel that Mickeysoft thries to achieve with XP, to the full extent. And for once, it makes sense to do a speedy update of of an app or system component inbetween. Even third partys are starting to make dowloads YOU compliant (nVidia for an instance).
5. Even though it IS transparent and easy to modify for expierienced users, it's extremly easy to handle for anybody who is used to a GUI based OS. I consider SuSE the most likely candidate to get Windozers to see the advantage fo using a modern and professional OS. (After all, they, along with E and Loki
Just my observations, but I think they make some points. If you're considering to purchase a distro or have a friend who is, get SuSE, you'll like it.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
SuSE is the cat's ass and all that but WTF do they make a distro which is the bowlegged whore of all distros from a security standpoint? SuSE is unique in that almost everything is turned on by default and hardening an installation is very time consuming and error prone. Once we have a standard build locked down we are loathe to change anything because of all the handwork involved. If SuSE could do one thing I would ask that they change their policies so that the default install is locked down at least as tightly as RH.
I agree. Suse is the most bloated Linux distro I ever saw.
What is worse, its whole look, think and feel is so incredibly 'microsoftian' it really hurts. Config change ? Fire up Yast, change settings, reboot.
I live in Geramny, Suse is kinda 'default' Linux here - everyone has it. Every now and then i get asked for help with someone's Suse - both in the office and privately. The empty stare of those Suse users when you tell them something utterly simple is so incredibly frustrating.
These are people administrating Suse Linux systems (even professionally) who have never ever heard of a route command, don't know netstat or ifconfig, you name it. Recently one of these guys actually aked me how to reset a password for one of his users on his multiuser Suse box - he didnt find that function in Yast. I showed him passwd - he was mightily impressed.
Then, there's Yast. When you get called to do something on a Suse box, just refuse. Whatever changes you make, be confident that Yast will erase them immediately after. Yast overwrites essential config files on a whim, run piles of unecessary scripts at random and will just generally behave badly. Yes, I know there are arcane settings in obscure config files that can prevent Yast from touching certain areas of the system - but if you aren't a Suse buff, you don't know them - and the Suse buff who called you for help surely doesn't know them as well. He usually doesn't even know they exist, and probably doesn't even understand what you are talking about when you ask for them.
To sum it up, Suse is founder, chief sponsor and president of the League For The Dumbing Down Of The Linux Using Masses. And they are successfull there.
f.
I'm not talking about Free Software... SuSe either don't know how to make ISOs or they intentionally want to avoid the traditional distribution methods that all the other distributions use.
you, sir, are confused, as is the idiot of a moderator who thought that my original post was "flamebait"...
Well; if opinions other than the accepted norm for a discussion are not tolerated then I'm obviously wasting my time.
After all, without a difference of opinion, there is nothing to discuss.
same press release, only on the us site. most've probably found it, but here 'tis. http://www.suse.com/us/products/susesoft/suse73/in dex.html