SUSE Linux 10

Currently in version 10.0, SUSE Linux is a state-of-the art desktop operating system that provides you with tools for productivity, a connection to the Internet, and much more. SUSE has always been well known for having the biggest distribution among the "majors." Hundreds of open-source applications are bundled with SUSE Linux so many that it takes five CD-ROMs (or 2 DVDs) to hold them all. Half of that includes the source code for the applications, but still more applications than you will probably ever use are available. Some of the available tools are meant for hard-core development of the system. If your personal or business needs change and you need some other software tool to get things done (one of the plethora of tools you have learned within this book, for example), odds are you do not have to pull out your checkbook to get the functionality you need. You need only to fire up YaST and search for the appropriate tool, and in minutes you're ready to go.

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You can view an online list of SUSE Linux's installed programs. You can also look at each package that comes with SUSE Linux and view the details.

http://www.novell.com/products/linuxpackages/professional/index.html

The product offerings keep expanding to include more office-based productivity and collaboration tools as well as programming, development, and networking tools; the list goes on.

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SUSE Linux also comes with two complete office suites (OpenOffice.org and KOffice), a minisuite (GNOMEOffice, with AbiWord word processor, gnome-db database, and Gnumeric spreadsheet), two industrial-strength open-source relational database management systems (PostgreSQL and MySQL), two financial programs (GnuCash and KMyMoney), two personal information managers (Ximian Evolution and Kontact), and just about everything you need to be productive.

You can also call SUSE Linux a very solid development tool for programmers who work with Linux and Unix, C++, LAMP, and so on. Programmers at all skill and experience levels will find practically all the necessary tools for their craft within SUSE Linux. There are text editors galore, starting with the venerable GNU Emacs and vim and including many others of more recent vintage, the GNU C Compiler (gcc), support for Perl, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, and just about any other language you can think of, and at least two integrated development environments (IDEs) in KDevelop and Eclipse. Manage your large projects with the Concurrent Versioning System (CVS) or Subversion, too.

In addition to all these applications, plus all the routine commands, fonts, and eye candy that you would want in a desktop system, SUSE Linux comes with extensive printed documentation. The Administration Guide covers the installation and other system administration tasks for those with root privileges. The User Guide is a friendlier manual that covers configuring and using a desktop environment, office applications, electronic mail, and other tools. You can read the full contents of both these books through the SUSE Help Center as well.

SUSE Linux is updated with point releases twice a year, but because applications get revised with bug fixes, security fixes, and feature enhancements all the time, you can stay on the cutting edge. Many developers package their applications using the Red Hat Package Management System (RPM). SUSE has always used this method to build its distribution, and many SUSE-specific RPMs have been written. You can use the YaST Online Update (YOU) or the Advanced Package Tool (APT) created for Debian systems and adapted for RPM as well, but RPM is definitely the most commonly used. Whichever you choose, you will be able to package your applications with ease using SUSE Linux.

Version 10.0

As of the writing of this book, SUSE Linux is at version 10.0. From the authors' experience with it, it's clear that version 10.0 is a solid, reliable, and secure desktop operating system. The current version is easy to install, easy to configure, and very stable.

Because SUSE Linux is primarily a desktop operating system, you can expect to see it function solidly as you browse the Web, send email, chat with friends via an Instant Messaging program, design and post web pages, organize digital photos, play movies, and create documents, web pages, and spreadsheets. You can even use it to host a blog or develop your own applications.

Although it's not intended for business deployments, SUSE Linux 10.0 provides corporate evaluators with an excellent first look at technologies such as XEN (virtualization), OpenOffice 2.0 (productivity suite), Beagle (desktop search), and Mono (open-source development environment). These technologies, when refined and fully supported, may appear in future Novell enterprise Linux offerings.

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While not yet finalized, as of this writing it is expected that SUSE 10.0 will be available in both a downloadable and a boxed version.