Introduction

Welcome to SUSE Linux 10 Unleashed! This book is going to help you get the most out of your SUSE Linux system, and it includes a fully functional copy of the operating system distribution.

Since SUSE Linux A.G. was acquired by networking pioneer Novell in 2003, more North Americans are becoming familiar with the SUSE Linux distribution that has long been popular in Europe. SUSE Linux offers an incredibly easy installation and a large number of applications that have been tested for stability.

SUSE Linux 10 marks a new way of doing things for both Novell and SUSE, and this book can help you join the excitement. SUSE Linux 10 is the first SUSE release built and tested through the OpenSUSE project. Thousands of people around the world downloaded and ran four beta releases, contributed bug reports, feature wish lists, and postings on the OpenSUSE mailing list. Novell has committed to opening up the process even further in 2006. You'll read more about the OpenSUSE project in the next chapter.

Whether you're completely new to Linux or coming to SUSE Linux from another distribution, you're going to find solid information in a slightly more relaxed style than you're used to in a computer book.

SUSE Linux has always been known as a distribution packed with applications, and version 10 is no exception. This book, as always, includes a complete copy of the distribution on CDs and DVD. The Linux kernel forms the core of a truly modern operating system that can power anything from wrist watches to supercomputers. SUSE Linux can run on computers running processors ranging from the Intel 486 through 64-bit processors from AMD and Intel.

This book will be especially helpful to the millions using Linux as their everyday desktop system. After first sweeping over the server landscape in the late 1990s, Linux is gaining ground in the desktop arena. More Linux developers have become interested in writing software for the masses of ordinary users. You'll learn how to use several open-source office productivity applications, access the Internet, work with digital music and video, and even play a few games.

SUSE Linux 10 Unleashed contains everything you need to get started and be productive.

Note

This book includes a copy of SUSE Linux 10, but readers owning earlier versions of SUSE Linux should find nearly all the advice contained here useful.

You'll get a little bit of Linux history before jumping into the preparation needed for a successful installation and long-term operation of SUSE Linux. Then you'll get step-by-step instructions in using the SUSE Linux standby, Yet another Setup Tool (YaST), to install SUSE Linux and configure your hardware. Next, you'll learn about the everyday applications you need to run Linux on the desktop, and then you'll learn about using the Internet, creating websites, and running web and FTP servers.

System administration is the next major topic, where you'll learn how to manage your files, users, and data, and how to keep your system current by updating it with the same tool you use to install the system.

Finally, because Linux has always been a playground for programmers, we'll cover both the classic tools for creating new programs and the newer scripting languages.