Free Software Linux

A couple of days ago I installed openSUSE 11 [GNOME version] on my casual use laptop. I only installed it out of curiosity as I was interested to see how it compared to my regular Ubuntu set-up. I was not really expecting to be as impressed as I have been, openSUSE is really nice. The good stuff Here is a short list of features I like about openSUSE:

• The default look and feel is really professional and very slick. I know it is only a cosmetic issue, but first impressions count, or so I have been told.
• The single GNOME panel and main Slab menu make for a good combination. I did not think that I would be overly enamoured with it, but I found myself liking its simplicity. It only took a few minutes to make myself familiar with how it operates and when it is used in conjunction with the next impressive feature, it works well.
• GNOME Do is installed by default. I have been loving the speed advantage this application has given me, to quote the website, GNOME + Do = Crazy Delicious :)
• Both Compiz and PulseAudio are integrated into the desktop environment. I did not have to install any additional packages to make the most of Compiz as CompizConfig Settings Manager was installed by default.

The not so good stuff Unfortunately, my time spent with openSUSE has not been all good, here is a short list of stuff I noticed which is not so impressive:

• During the installation I was unceremoniously dropped to the console and presented with a login prompt. This was slightly disconcerting and I nearly rebooted as I thought the install process had failed; then, just as I was about to restart my system, X popped back to life and the installation continued. I am not sure what that was all about?!
• I have experienced numerous application-level crashes. Banshee seems particularly unstable on my system and often disappears from my desktop without so much as a bye-your-leave — most disappointing as I was expecting good things from Banshee :(
• openSUSE's package management is fine, but it is not APT. I miss APT.

Conclusion I have not been using the system long enough to make any solid conclusions; however, from what I have experienced so far, openSUSE 11 is definitely worth a look. If I was not so attached to APT, I would maybe consider keeping it installed. Having said that, it really is not too difficult to set-up Ubuntu to mimic and take advantage of the features I like in openSUSE. Tags: linux, opensuse, ubuntu

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