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Distribution Watch: SuSE Linux 8.0 Beta
Wrapping Up
Kurt Wall
Thursday, April 18, 2002 10:26:40 AM
All told, SuSE have created another excellent rendition of their
popular Linux distribution. The installation, even (or, rather,
especially) on a laptop, was smooth and worked without a hitch -- no
small feat for installing Linux on a nearly new laptop, an undertaking
often more likely to end in aggravation than success. While I
personally don't care for a 4.4Gb installation and don't see the need
for that much redundancy in applications, I have to concede that one
of the chief attractions of Linux is not being locked into one
company's notion of what you should have on your computer, and SuSE
make sure of that.
KDE seems to be the most completely configured desktop available,
which isn't surprising when you consider that SuSE are one of the KDE
project's primary supporters. The good news is that SuSE's commitment
to giving you lots of choices means that you can also choose to use
GNOME, if you're a fan of "desktop environments," or a "mere" window
manager if, like me, you prefer something more lightweight. SuSE has
not yet put a great deal of effort into polishing the KDE
alternatives, but I imagine they will have fixed this oversight by the
time SuSE 8.0 goes gold later this month.
With the support for hot pluggable devices, XFree86 4.2, kernel 2.4.18,
KDE3, and GNOME 1.4, SuSE gets the prize for having the most cutting-edge Linux
distribution out there. If you like having an embarrassment of riches,
SuSE 8.0 is for you.
Kurt Wall first touched a computer in 1980 when he learned FORTRAN
on an IBM mainframe of forgotten vintage; things have only gotten
better since then. He has written all or parts of seven books
about Linux and UNIX programming and system administration, is working
on his eighth, and is the technical editor for over a dozen other
Linux- and UNIX-related titles. Currently, Kurt works for TimeSys Corporation in Pittsburgh and lives
in South Park, Pennsylvania.
« Back: Meet SuSE 8.0, The Beta
