Distribution Watch: SuSE Linux 8.0 Beta

Meet SuSE 8.0, The Beta

I'm a minimalist when it comes to my Linux boxes. They all run Slackware and XFCE, with nary a single bit of KDE or GNOME to be seen. Why? Because I want to save my RAM, CPU, and disk for real computing, not eye candy. So, as I began my review of SuSE 8.0, I was skeptical that it would have much that really wowed me. And, to be clear, I finished my review as firmly entrenched in my minimalism as when I started. Naytheless, SuSE impressed me, especially the painless, perfect installation -- an element difficult to get right during a beta. Those of you who prefer or rely on feature-rich, beautiful desktops won't be disappointed in SuSE 8.0.

The Hardware

I carved out an empty 7GB partition on my Toshiba Satellite 1805, Pentium III 850, 115Mb RAM, 14Gb Toshiba ATA hard disk, an ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive, Intel Pro/100 Fast Ethernet NIC on-board, IDE disk, a Trident CyberBlade Ai1d video adapter with 8Mb of SDRAM, a more or less generic Toshiba LCD screen capable of 1024x768 at 32bpp, and an on-board eraser mouse. Disliking eraser rodentia, however, I used a Logitech USB PS/2 optical wheel mouse, which YaST2 detected without incident. The on-board sound is some variety of AlI PCI sound chip which, again, YaST2 detected and configured automatically.

Information Product SuSE Linux 8.0 Manufacturer SuSE Linux Availability N/A Price $39.95 (US) Personal $79.95 (US) Professional

Features
Speed
Value
Usability
Overall