SuSE, openSUSE Archive

SuSE Linux 8.0 earned positive marks from us last summer for its strong feature set and low occurrence of bugs; will SuSE Linux 8.1 be able to keep up with its older sibling and win the Penguin Shootout? Find out all of that and more at OfB.biz.

"In this release SuSE has worked hard to create a version of their Linux distro that runs MS Office applications, and that is also generally more geared toward ordinary desktop users. This release is based on SuSE 8.1, but contains key additional desktop applications including StarOffice 6.0, and Codeweaver's CrossOver Office products that let Linux users run Windows programs, albeit older Office 2000 and Office 97 apps, not Office XP." Read the review at ExtremeTech.

"Over the last ten years, SuSE's distribution has matured into a polished product for the professional user. It is the fine detail which sets this distribution apart from the rest -- the little touches that make the system easier, and more enjoyable to use. 10 years ago, few dreamt that SuSE, and Linux, would be where they are today -- so, with that in mind, SuSE can look forward to the next ten years with a solid product base on which to build." Read the review at LinuxFormat.co.uk.

"A few weeks ago, I got my hands on the latest release from SuSE. After using it steadily since then, I can say that I'm pleased with 8.1, though it could use some refinements. Read on to find out what's in store for you with SuSE 8.1 Professional." Read the review at UnixReview. Update: "SuSE goes for the desktop" at Geek.com.

"SuSE is well known in Europe, though less so in the US. It is, however, often available in stores here, along with Red Hat and Mandrake versions of Linux. As a desktop OS, it offers a good installer, a vast selection of applications and an excellent set of utilities--features that make it an excellent business desktop choice. However, if you're a GNOME user looking for the latest 2.0 desktop, you'd better look elsewhere." Read the review at LinuxJournal.

Linux distributor SuSE is hoping to get desktop users to switch to its operating system with a new edition of its software specifically designed for office workers--including software that allows it to run Microsoft Office and other Windows applications. Read the report at ZDNews.

There is an editorial on ExtremeTech focusing on the Gnome implementation found on SuSE 8.1. The article is comparable to the critisisms against Red Hat for the way they delivered KDE to their users.

"Anyone wondering why MS execs Steve Ballmer and Brian Valentine are so bent out of shape about Linux should check out SuSE's most recent distro, 8.1, for insight. For a desktop PC or small-biz network it's already miles ahead of Win98-SE and ME and closing fast on XP for ease of installation and use by first-timers." Read the review at TheRegister.

"SuSE Linux 8.1 Pro is the latest Linux distribution release for the desktop and corporate users. With a wide variety of desktop applications, a sleek desktop, a dead easy to use control center and strong focus on security, this is one of the best Linux distros we've tried to date." Read the review at RatedPC.

"A new SuSE is always interesting in the way that life-threatening sports are interesting. It might seem to be going along just fine, but in an instant disaster can strike. So it was with the usual wariness that I put Suse 8.1 on a machine here. Nor was it just any old machine -- it was the one my wife uses. " Read the review at LinuxAndMain. OSNews published recently a review of SuSE 8.1 PRO. In the meantime, SuSE posted a "live CD" version of SuSE 8.1 ready to be downloaded, burned and run by everyone.

Today, SuSE Linux has announced the availability of the latest version of SuSE Linux for October 7th. Blending operating system and applications, SuSE's system assistant, YaST2 (Yet another Setup Tool), is the core element and administration center of this comprehensive package for first-time and experienced Linux users. Read the whole press release explaining all the new features. Also, SuSE Linux is the latest vendor to drop Sun Microsystems Inc.'s branded StarOffice 6.0 desktop productivity suite in favor of the free OpenOffice alternative. SuSE on Tuesday confirmed to eWEEK that it had decided not to include StarOffice 6.0 in SuSE Linux 8.1.

From SuSE Linux 8.1 on, YaST2 comes with a new, powerful package manager. It supersedes the classic YaST2 single package selection and integrates the YaST Online Update (YOU) and post-installation add-on selection at the same time. It lays the foundation for supporting multiple installation sources like a traditional set of SuSE CDs, add-on product CDs, patch CDs, FTP servers or even local directories - all of which may contain software packages to install. Specially optimized versions were implemented for both graphical user interface (the YaST2 Qt UI) or text interface (the YaST2 NCurses UI), providing each type of user with the tool that best fits his needs. Read more for the commentary.

"When my copy of SuSE Linux 8.0 arrived, I almost felt like I was coming home after a long trip. SuSE had been my primary Linux distribution for over two years, until last November, so it was exciting to see what they had been up to. SuSE 8.0 seems as good a way as any to come back to SuSE, after all it was the first distribution to ship with KDE 3, and it comes with a truckload of improvements over previous versions." Read the review at OpenForBusiness.

Ladislav Bodnar writes: "Before we start, here is the link: boot.iso. Click on it, then save it to your hard disk. By the time you finish reading this review the ISO image will have downloaded. It will only take a couple of minutes to burn the 16MB image onto a bootable CD, which upon boot, provides easy, logical and well-structured instructions. Several hours later, you will be greeted with a beautiful screen running on top of one of the most popular Linux distributions - SuSE Linux 8.0. The full review by DistroWatch."