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More SUSE Linux 9.1 Reviews
JoshuaTreeCA writes "Adam Doxtater of Mad Penguin has published another excellent review... this time on the newest SUSE Linux 9.1 beta-release. This release comes complete with the latest GNOME and KDE enviroments as well as being the first distro to present a retail package built on kernel 2.6.4 Check out the review, with screenshots."
rokzy also wrote in with another review from NeoLink Computers.
> I'm guessing USB mouse support still hasn't made it's way into Linux in a robust form yet?
I've been using my USB mouse totally flawlessly on my laptop for the better part of the year. I've grown out of distributions like SuSE and Redhat exactly because of your reaction. Selecting "USB mouse" doesn't work, must be Linux's crappy support!
I recognize that's what most people are looking for, I'm just saying, I hate the feeling of not knowing how something works on my computer, and worse yet is not knowing how something is broken on my computer.
driver integration for ATI like with nVidia. ATI has had linux drivers for a while now and I think not providing proper card support is one of the major show-stoppers for people trying linux.
since the drivers are proprietary there are "issues", but with nvidia SUSE YOU provides a automatic download link. I want one for ATI!
Oh, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I should have known better than to give Linux a chance again. Apparently I'm supposed to know all that crap you ramble on about just to move my mouse?
And you say Windows' USB mouse support is flaky? Are you on drugs, perhaps? Just because XP doesn't support a Compaq Presario 1700 series mouse, you say it's flaky? My mouse is a Logitech Optical USB - which is a little more popular than the pucilanimous compaq mouse you've dug up to support your flaky argument.
I am a Windows user "because stuff just works", but I have fond memories of Debian in the 2.0 and 2.2 kernel days, and install the latest Linux every now and then to see if it's worth switching to yet. Every time, though, I'm usually disappointed with basic things like mice not working, which drives me back to Windows.
Bruce Perens and company are going to have to retract their wishes about Linux being destined for the world's desktops if everyone has to go frigging with those settings you mentioned.
What? No editing config files, checking symlinks, or compiling HID support into one's kernel? This Windows XP thing might just catch on ;-)
Which means that they have to release the sources to the testers, nobody else. What they likely do, if they send them a CD/DVD.
> This article's been up for over quarter of an hour now and...
> where's the KDE v Gnome flamewar?
The flamewar is included in the article, no need for a flamewar at slash dot.
The reviewer should have called his article^W^Wflamewar not "First Look at SUSE LINUX Professional 9.1" but "My First Look at SUSE LINUX from a Gnome's point of view".
Let's start the flamewar with Yast (there is a QT-based (->evil) GUI for it)
My only concern (and this has been a standing concern for some time now) is that the YaST-based (Yet another Setup Tool) installation process is too lengthy. The installer asks a lot of configuration -related questions which could most likely be automated or, at the very least, give the user an option for a 'beginner' install.
Huh? If you want, you only need to click "Next" and "Yes". OK, you have to type your root password and login+password for a user account, but that's it.
I really don't mind the more complicated questions during installation, but it might be a bit intimidating for new users to Linux.
Of course, because there are no complicated questions for beginners to answer.
I half expected Ximian GNOME to be the desktop of choice with this release. Instead, a very vanilla GNOME 2.4.2 was included.[...]You can definitely tell that far more effort was put into KDE development as there was into GNOME, as it look very 'stock' and unattended to.
Maybe you should say that to the gnome people? Is it Suse's problem if Gnome looks bad?
Granted this software is in beta4 release, so there is still room for improvement, but so far all of the development effort has been on KDE. Even still, it hasn't gone unnoticed. KDE has never looked better.
Can you prove that "all" of the development effort has been on KDE? Hey, the reason for KDE looking better is not Suse, but the release of KDE 3.2.x! ->Screenshot
SUSE, as usual, has spent some time tweaking the KDE desktop to look the best it can.
Nice try, but the KDE-Menu of Suse 9.1 looks like a KDE-3.2 standard-menu.
None of the visual effects (drop shadows, transparency, etc.) are turned on by default but can easily be adjusted within the KDE Control Center (Kcontrol).
That should give Gnome an edge over KDE.
The K Menu (similar to the Windows Start menu) has been reworked and organized to an extent that it makes many other distros look pale in comparison.
It looks like the K-Menu from Suse 9 or Suse 8.2 or any other distro. Welcome to KDE 3.2!
As I stated earlier in the review, I chose the default system configuration to see how well it equipped me to do everything I would need to do on a daily basis. Well, I was not pleased with the results.
Let's see...
While it had several very useful applications, and very well could satisfy most users needs, I found it lacking a few key components. For one, the Mozilla web browser was noticeably missing, as was Gaim instant messenger.
Mozilla is missing because there is Konqueror 3.2.1 and Firefox. Gaim is missing because there is Kopete, which offers more features and better integration.
There was also no graphical FTP clients available such as KBear or gFTP.
Welcome to KDE 3.2. KBear or Gftp is not installed by default, because there is KWallet + Konqueror. With KDE 3.2 there is nearly no need for a stand alone Gui-FTP-Client.
Sure, they are technically GNOME applications (on a certain level anyway), but that's no reason to leave them out of the configuration.
There are good reasons, see above.
YaST has been tightly integrated into Kcontrol (see the screenshots below) to allow centralised administration of all system settings. This is an excellent modification to the package.
NEWS?? Have you ever look
I think that if Novell bought out some small PC manufacturer, threw this version of SUSE on it, and sold it, Linux would evolve a lot faster than anyone would think.
The only thing Linux really needs now is ATI drivers, easy-configurable WineX-style software, and smart users. I guess we maybe can get 2/3 of those in the future though...
All in all though, I'm looking forward to getting this as soon as it comes out -- I'm actually going to buy the commercial version! I just wish it had more support for GNOME... but at least it HAS it!
"Instant gratification takes too long." - Carrie Fisher