Suse--What do you think?

[mooreted]

I have tried RedHat, Mandrake and Slackware. I figure I'll just keep trying different distros from time-to-time just for the hell of it. Someone is sending me Suse and I was wondering what you all thought about Suse.

I don't understand why some are saying there are too many choices. Different distros. Different window managers. They say we should have standards so the average home user doesn't have to think about anything. I love all the choices... Something for everyone. And personally, I don't care if Linux takes over the desktop market. Leave Linux to us geeks who want to know how computers operate and let those who don't want to know or think use Windows.

Later,
Ted.

[kshim5]

As my professor said before i graduated college


Point and click is not a skill

[deanrantala]

Lack of choice is one of the things that has crippled windows IMHO. And for most people, there is a pretty much standard in desktops: KDE and Gnome.

SuSE is one of the nicest distros I have used in terms of everything just "working" and user freindlyness. Configuration for everything is really easy (better then mandrake) and far more reliable than mandrake. It is my top choice when I biuld linux boxes for customers new to linux. Never a dissapointed customer.

My credo: Slackware for work, SuSE for play:)

[mooreted]

Sweet! Sounds like I'll have a good experience.

Thanks,
Ted.

[DerekKraan]

I've heard good things about it. But what I think of it is that there isn't a freely downloadable CD available that'll install it for you. Only 'evaluation' copies. I'm not sure if that's really a full copy that you're only 'supposed' to use for a certain period of time or what, but that's what they offer. I'm partial to Slackware of course.

[CMonster]

Run on 5 PCs and one Laptop, I've used every SuSE since 7.0 -I continue to use 8.1 and 8.2 . The best were 7.3, 8.1, and 8.2, which is excelent.

Pros: great manuals, excelent out-of-box hardware detection and support, easy YaST configuration tools that work, "SuSE Professional Edition $79" comes with a plethora of software, and SuSE has a solid installation routine

Cons: Pricey/ no free downloadable ISOs (FTP install is a hassle), "SuSE Personal Edition $39" is sparse on software and utilities as compared with other freely downloadable distros. YaST is too system invasive, SuSE doesn't always structure their Linux by defacto standards which can make compiling software difficult, RPMs specifically for SuSE are difficult to find in the wild -such as when searching rpmfind.net

[deanrantala]

They do not offer a freely availble "quick and dirty" iso for a normal install, but you can have a fully working SuSE system up and running by doing an ftp install. Just head on over to http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=2 and download the "ftp install" iso. Burn the (16 meg) image to CD and install as normally would but from FTP - free of charge and with no limit..

[o0zi]

There are full ISOs freely downloadable from edonkey, or you can find them on http://www.filemirrors.com/. Still, it's best to give some money to the Open Source movement and buy a boxed set.

[deanrantala]

Originally posted by CMonster
Run on 5 PCs and one Laptop, I've used every SuSE since 7.0 -I continue to use 8.1 and 8.2 . The best were 7.3, 8.1, and 8.2, which is excelent.

Pros: great manuals, excelent out-of-box hardware detection and support, easy YaST configuration tools that work, "SuSE Professional Edition $79" comes with a plethora of software, and SuSE has a solid installation routine

Cons: Pricey/ no free downloadable ISOs (FTP install is a hassle), "SuSE Personal Edition $39" is sparse on software and utilities as compared with other freely downloadable distros. YaST is too system invasive, SuSE doesn't always structure their Linux by defacto standards which can make compiling software difficult, RPMs specifically for SuSE are difficult to find in the wild -such as when searching rpmfind.net

True, but.....

1) FTP install is really not that much harder. Only extra step is loading an ethernet driver, typing the server IP, entering the directory, and hitting enter. From there on out - it is like a normal install. If anyone needs help installing SuSE OR Slack - feel free to PM me.

2)The included software available - even via FTP - is so comprehensive, that you will not need much except maybe a couple of custom themes and that elusive decss plugin to watch some movies:) And once the system is up and running, the Yast software installation program lets you select A lage list of SuSE rpm's via FTP for download/installation.

Before purchasing the boxed set, I downloaded the whole SuSE ftp install directory onto an old 10 gig HD and used that for installing SuSE on other PC's:)

[mooreted]

Well, it sounds nice except the part about not following the standard file structure. RedHat was good at that. Compiling from source was often a pain. But I'll give it a try.

Ted.

[CMonster]

FTP install isn't bad if you have broadband connection -not everyone does- and if you are not in the least bit paranoid.

I just buy the box.

[deanrantala]

I hear that the latest pro release (boxed set) even has winmodem support! A really nice touch if you ask me.

[deanrantala]

I belive so. So does the mandrake power pack http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/features.php3 - scroll dowl about a third of the way on that page. I mean, them things are so common today, why can't more distros just include that as standard software?

[JusKickNit]

Originally posted by deanrantala
I hear that the latest pro release (boxed set) even has winmodem support! A really nice touch if you ask me.


I know 8.2 Personal Edition has Conexant HSF Modem support out of the box. It's pretty much a winmodem. Between Redhat,Mandrake, and Suse I like Suse the best. Also I believe that there evaulation copy is a Live CD don't think it can be installed. And there FTP install is just like a boxed set with no manual and support of course(I Could be Wrong).