GeekTimeLinux

(Via Linux Today.)

Software in Review: “Novell’s openSUSE 10.3 is an exciting desktop operating environment that includes or supports nearly every program you need for work and play…”

(Via Linux Today.)

EarthTimes: “Novell today announced the availability of openSUSE 10.3, the newest version of the award-winning community Linux distribution…”

I was noting today that the latest version of Open Suse has been released. Reportedly, it was released to the mirrors over the weekend and you can imagine how excited many loyal Suse users are. The problem is that the fine folks at Novell/Suse opted to release the full version to the world…except for the USA and the Americas.

At this writing, only a partial version is available. What have we done? Was it something we said or are the Linux users in the USA more difficult to deal with than those in Europe? Anyone else feel slighted?

The cpio command is one of the most commonly used Linux back up tools.

The cpio command has two unusual features

Unlike tar , in which the files to back up are typed in as part of the command, cpio reads the files to work with from the standard input (in other words, the screen).

This feature means that cpio must be used as part of a multiple command or with a redirection pipe. Examples of this usage are shown in the tables below.

cpio must always be used with one of three flags. Flags are options that set the mode in which the command runs. Only one flag can be used at a time, and it must come before any other options. In addition, the choice of flags limits the options that can be used. Each flag also has a gnu option that can used in its place. The gnu option gives a convenient name for each flag: extract, create, and pass- through.

Read Full article here

Everyone is aware of my love for SUSE. First Linux distro, etc., etc., etc. SUSE 10.0 has been a solid, hardworking distribution since its release and truthfully, I hated to destroy something that had worked so flawlessly. After some thought, I decided to clean up an old machine…AMD 950 with about 500MB of RAM and see how this new release performed. I wasn’t disappointed!

For those choosing to install SUSE for the first time, something to note. First, the distro needs 64MB of RAM as a bare minimum with 128MB needed for a graphical install, 500MB is even better. Secondly, you should have about 1Ghz of Hard-drive space as a minimum and much more if you intend to make this your daily work horse.

Installing SUSE 10.1 is like riding a bicycle to old SUSE users. Insert the disk, answer a couple of questions and grab a cup of coffee. To a “NOOB” with shaky hands, the install is a piece of cake, especially if you download and burn your install on a DVD. While I have done many installs from CD, the convenience of a DVD is unbelievable.

No matter what your choice of media, the install starts with selecting a language, and a couple of additional questions and away you go. In my case, I was not putting SUSE along side another operating system, so installation meant using the entire hard drive.

For those installing for the first time with CDs, fear not when the first CD ends and the system reboots. It is a part of the process that does not occur with the DVD!

Prior to partitioning you are ask to select a desktop. GNOME 2.12 is a beautiful desktop as is KDE 3.5.1. My preference is KDE.

As your installation reaches its final stages, you will see the configuration set by SUSE. These can be changed by clicking on the title bar and following the prompts. An example is my video card comes up with 1280 x 1040. Now I am an old man and that is a little smaller than I prefer so I reset to 1024X768 and the SAX2 program lets me see what I have selected. If I am happy, I tell it to proceed and the changes are made. Once you are satisfied with your LAN operation, screen resolution and sound card selection, you are ready to log in for the first time.

SUSE 10.1 contains much cutting edge software. GIMP and OPEN OFFICE 2.0,carry a NOVELL branding on the splash screen which is a nice custom touch. Other software includes; Firefox 1.07, SUSE’s great search program…BEAGEL.

Are you an audio junkie? If so, you will love Banshee, the mono-based music player that has the ability to rip, organize and burn music and will work with many iPods. While not quite equal to iTunes, it works great.

Using KDE, I found that Konqueror now has ad-blocking capabilities and with the integration of SuperKaramba it offers webcam support for MSN/Yahoo.

SUSE 10.1 comes with AppArmor, which was originally one of Novells closed-source projects. Now it provides a security and intrusion detection framework letting you specify programs and monitor activity in a manner similar to SELinux. Setup is simple via the Yast module.

I could ramble for pages about the many features of SUSE 10.1, but the best way to become familiar with it is try it!

You might notice that some of your favorite programs are missing; Thunderbird, GAIM, Mplayer, etc. While this might seem shocking, it is not without a fix. One of my favorite reads, with fixes is “THE JEM REPORT.” Jem Matzen has done an excellent job of describing how to make SUSE 10.1 one of the best Linux desktops yet.

I have now spent a lot of time with the distro, have done installs with both CDs and DVD and have played with both slow and fast machines and I find SUSE 10.1 to be a distro that will be in my lab for many months.

The tar backup program is an archiving program designed to store and extract files from an archive file known as a tarfile. A tarfile may be made on a tape drive; however, it is also common to write a tarfile to a normal file.

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HERNDON, Virginia – March 22nd, 2006 – Parallels, Inc. today announced the general availability of version 2.1 of its desktop virtualization software, Parallels Workstation. The upgraded version delivers faster performance, better stability, and stronger isolation of virtual machines.

Additional improvements and new features in the popular, easy-to-use, cost-effective virtualization software include:
- A completely re-designed interface
- Better hardware support, including USB and wireless networking support, and support for PAE-enabled machines
- Better functionality, including the ability to suspend and resume VM (virtual machine) activity, a new “compact hard disk” feature that helps users manage available hard disk resources, and a more robust tools package that lets users personalize their experience
- Primary and guest support for SUSE Linux 10
- Guest OS support for Sun Solaris.
- Improved performance for guest OS/2 virtual machines

A complete list of Workstation 2.1’s new features and functions is available at http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/21/newfeatures/.

“Parallels Workstation 2.1 is everything you need in a virtualization solution; it offers superlative performance, stability and ease of use, and on top of that, it is by far the most cost-effective solution available,” said Benjamin Rudolph, Parallels’ Marketing Manager. “This release’s impressive performance, feature set and industry-leading, low price point, coupled with free upgrades for current customers and responsive support, reinforce our across-the-board commitment to building virtualization solutions that work for anyone, regardless of computer savvy or budget.”

Additionally, Parallels announced that future versions of Parallels virtualization products will offer full support for Intel’s next generation of hardware virtualization technology, Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d), which extends virtualization support into the platform by making it possible to robustly assign IO devices to virtual machines (VMs) in a virtualized system. This enables devices to be driven “directly” by the native/physical driver when assigned to a virtual machine, resulting in significantly faster virtual machine performance.

“Intel is delivering relevant innovations for virtualization solution providers including Intel Virtualization Technology for CPU (VTx) and Directed IO (VTd), Dual Core microprocessors and Intel(R) Core(R) Microarchitecture,“ said David Tuhy, General Manager of Intel’s Desktop Products Division. “Parallels has taken full advantage of VTx in Parallels Workstation 2.1, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Parallels on enabling new platform capabilities such as VTd which will help improve the reliability, performance and flexibility of I/O devices on virtual machines.”

As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to build powerful products that meet any IT budget, Parallels is offering registered Workstation 2.0 customers a free upgrade to version 2.1. Registered users will be receiving an email with instructions on how to receive their 2.1 permanent license key.

New users can purchase licenses at the industry-leading low price of $49.99 directly through the company’s online store at www.parallels.com/buyonline. New users are also welcome to download and evaluate a free, fully functional 15-day trial by visiting the Parallels Download Center at www.parallels.com/download.

About Parallels
Parallels is server and workstation virtualization solutions company committed to building powerful, user friendly, cost-effective products that can be used by anyone, from an experienced developer to a computer “newbie” to improve efficiency, lower hardware costs, and reduce operating expenses. The company’s products all feature hypervisor technology for strong, stable virtual machines, and an intuitive web-like interface that facilitates zero-training operation. Additionally, Parallels solutions fully support Intel Virtualization Technology architecture, which is optimized to provide superior virtual machine performance. The company is rapidly growing and employs a global team of experienced technical and business professionals. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com.

Media/Analyst Contact
Benjamin H. Rudolph
Marketing Manager, Parallels
703.234.5549 (direct)
202.437.6701 (mobile)
ben.rudolph@parallels.com

If Paul Revere had been a Linux person, he would be riding tonight shouting “THE DISTROS ARE RELEASED…THE DISTROS ARE RELEASED.” What that really has to do with anything, I don’t know. I just thought it would be funny!

This is the time for the Distro race with SUSE 10 being released earlier in the week. I was fortunate to get on the servers before their problems and get a download completed. I must admit it is a strong distro to challenge as you can see from the review already posted.

UBUNTU, 5.10, “Breezy Badger” was released today and I am currently working on the download. It should complete shortly and we will begin our usual round of burning, install, attempting to break, etc. From having used the Beta for a short time, I am really curious as to how the final product will play.

Finally, MANDRIVA released today. Their latest version is 2006 and combines the minds of Mandrake, Conectiva and Lycoris. This review will be coming in days as well.

As you can see, this is a hectic time. It is also one that I truly enjoy. Please have patience with me and within days, I should have the reviews finished and published on GTL.

Enjoy!

In August, Novell SUSE announced a community based development operation called OPEN SUSE. This on the heels of a very successful Suse Pro 9.3. The new distribution would be built on Novell’s SUSE Pro Line and would become the successor to that line. Through several test releases, watching the distribution take shape has been enjoyable and when the release of SUSE 10.0 was announced it came without fanfare. SUSE 10.0 or if you prefer OPEN SUSE 1.

The distro, as with the Pro Line is cutting-edge, using the latest, proven packages. KDE 3.4.2, GNOME 2.12, OpenOffice.org 2.0. These are just a few of the cutting-edge packages in SUSE 10.0.

The new SUSE also includes the latest Firefox and Opera browsers as well as E-mail and IM clients. The new and much talked about “Beagle” desktop search engine and Amarok music player have also been included.

While SUSE 10 comes in two versions, I chose the one with Adobe Acro Reader 7, Real Networks RealPlayer 10, Sun’s JRE (Java Runtime Environment) and Macromedia’s Flash Player. The second version is for the purist and includes only open-source components.

When I found that 10.0 had become official, I immediately began looking for a mirror that was not over burdened. It took some doing, but once I began downloading, all went smoothly. Five .isos downloaded…five .isos burned and it was time for an install. Since this is the first of its kind, I decided to put it on an old machine and see how it performed.

The install on an old 1.2G AMD with 348K of RAM went flawlessly. While a bit on the slow side, the install progressed without a hitch. (I later installed on a much newer machine with 1G of RAM and the install seemed to fly!) The usual questions; language, licensing agreement, choice of install (KDE or GNOME), time zone, etc. Once answered, it was time for the install to begin. End of Disk 1, system rebooted and the install continued.

Once the install concluded, a root user and user log-in was created and it was time to look at the new system. SUSE has done an excellent job of polishing their font system and that combined with the new KDE Icons makes for a very easy to view system. (I am sure the GNOME look is also highly polished). I’m sure that the polish is second only to the stability of this distro. I have been into every program, have had multiple screens and programs open and have yet to have a freeze up, or glitch!

SUSE has used YAST for years and this control system works! From YAST, you can configure almost anything from installing or upgrading software to doing system backups to configuring hardware. YAST also offers YOU (Yast Online Updates) which will check, automatically for program and security updates. This is another extremely simple program to set up and let run.

For those that haven’t felt the bite of BEAGLE, you can with this distro. BEAGLE is a desktop search tool. You need to let it index the directories of interest then you can comprehensively search for any application, file or term. BEAGLE will display a nice window as links with short descriptions that when clicked open them in the appropriate window.

I feel that having reviewed the Betas of this distro, I may be rambling and probably am, but when a distribution delivers as much for newbie and experienced user as SUSE 10 does, I won’t be the only one!

SUSE 10 will be used in 2006 as the foundation for the next version of Novell’s enterprise operating systems: SLES (Suse Linux Enterprise Server) and its related systems such as Open Enterprise Server.

If you prefer a box set, the retail version of Suse Linux 10 will be offered globally via all of Novell’s major retail channels at a suggested retail price of $59.

I admit to being a long time SUSE user and have seen many of the changes that have taken place over the past few years with the OS. On the heels of Suse Linux Pro 9.3, this is a MUST distro.

In October, when we released a Pre-Release review of SUSE 9.2 PRO, it had the most hits ever recorded on Geektimelinux! Since I know it wasn’t the writing, it had to be the distro and the interest in SUSE LINUX.

Having now had the distro on one of our lab machines for 5 months, I can honestly state that it has performed exceptionally well. But, when SUSE announced it would be releasing SUSE LINUX Pro 9.3 this month, I couldn’t wait to see what it had and how it performed, compared to 9.2.

First, lets take a look what’s new.

OPEN OFFICE VER 2.0:

Open Office has become somewhat of a standard in the Linux community.
It includes word processing, spread sheet functionality, an HTML editor, presentation and drawing tools and now for the first time – a data base application. In addition, the Novell edition has been enhanced to include improved Microsoft-Office-file compatibility and integration with Novells Evolution and Kontact.

KDE 3.4/GNOME 2.10:

No matter which desktop you prefer, 9.3 has it. Either has contemporary functionality and provide excellent graphical design.

In addition to the new versions of Open Office and KDE/Gnome, SUSE 9.3 Pro builds its system around the 2.6.11 Kernel and offers improved WLAN support as well as Bluetooth support.

SECURITY:

Something that appears to be an ever increasing problem is that of Security. SUSE has recognized the security problems today’s computer users face and offer AntiVir virus scanner, SpamAssasin spam filter and the SUSE firewall.

MULTIMEDIA:

Today’s computer users demand the latest in multimedia programs and SUSE 9.3 Pro doesn’t let them down. Whether it’s CD/DVD burning with K3b or loading your iPod or simply listening to music on the internet or your CD player, there is a full suite.

OK, so I have droned on too long about the features…How does it work?

One of the first things I noted was Mozilla Firefox was installed as a browser. If you haven’t been keeping track, Firefox is becoming the most downloaded browser out there and when I checked the plugins, it already included Java, Flash and Helix player installed. I’ve always liked the browser and was impressed with the speed. The speed up option from an earlier Geektimelinux article was just the right tweak.

The hardware detection was superb, something SUSE users have come to expect.

As I continued to browse the software included, I ran across a program called XEN 1.0. XEN is a virtual monitor (VMM) for the x86 processor architecture. What it means is that multiple virtual machines can execute on a single physical system. Do I
have it figured out yet? Nope, but am working on it so we can do an article for Geektimelinux!!!

Having used many SUSE distributions, I am amazed by the continued improvements being made. 9.3 is no exception! Ease of installation, software selection, choice of desktops, WLAN support…makes it hard to not give SUSE 9.3 Professional a hard look. On a scale of 1-10, I think Novell Suse has a hard 9 working.

Remember you can log in and create a forum on SUSE 9.3 on the Geektimelinux forum site.

When I posted the Suse Linux 9.2 Professional Pre-Release, I was unsure how it would be received. To date, it is the most active article on the site.

I would encourage all Suse users and individuals interested in Suse to take advantage of this forum

Dave

Anyone that has visited this site and read my review of SUSE 9.1 Personal knows, I really like SUSE. It was my first Linux distro , it was my learning tool, etc. With that in mind, I’m proud to be able to review SUSE 9.2 PROFESSIONAL prior to its release to the general public.

SUSE Linux Professional 9.2, as the Novell-Suse Distribution is known, has updated much of the distributions core technology. This includes the new Linux kernel now 2.6.8 from version 9.1’s version 2.6.4. In addition, 9.2 has shifted the distribution from Xfree86 to the X.Org Foundation’s X Window System.

If you are a KDE user, you will be happy to know that SUSE has upgraded to version 3.3. GNOME users are not quite as fortunate as version 2.8 was released in September and the timing did not work for this release. 9.2 PRO has GNOME version 2.6. While not the newest, this is still a very feature filled release.

SUSE Linux Pro 9.2 also has new redesigned interfaces to make the setup of network services like Samba, DNS, and DHCP easier than before.

Other advancements in this distro include; GIMP 2, a comprehensive image processing and graphics creation tool, INKSCAPE, a new vector graphics application that is advertised to outperforms all other Linux alternatives, Nvu, a Web authoring system that combines Web file management and easy -to-use WYSIWYG Web-page editing, Open Office 1.1.3 and a host of other cutting edge programs.

An area that Linux, in general, has needed to improve upon has been WIRELESS. Version 9.2 Pro now offers “Bluetooth” wireless support including automatic recognition of Bluetooth-devices via the YaST configuration and admin tool. Bluetooth configuration is simple using YaST making it easy to connect to and move between wireless LANs (WLAN) and other network connections. There is even a suspend-the-disk feature that makes it easy for laptop users who require increased mobility.

WHAT ABOUT INSTALL AND USE?

Those that have installed SUSE before are familiar with the Green Screen. The new SUSE 9.2 Pro has a very pleasant blue and grey screen, but beyond that, the installation is as smooth as always. Couple of questions, auto partitioning (I always turn the entire hard drive over to the distro) and the installer goes to work. Not unlike every SUSE install, after Disc 1 has been installed, the installer reboots. A couple of disc changes and you are ready to boot into your new system.

Hardware detection is excellent. SUSE 9.2 PRO correctly detected all my hardware including my old HP printer and did the full set-up without problems.

I booted into KDE and was quite pleased with the speed, quality of fonts and graphics. Using the Suse icon, I went to the Control Center and selected a screen saver and then checked Internet to see what was available for browsing. KONQUEROR was my only choice, so I went to YaST and selected INSTALL SOFTWARE. With YaST, if you have never used it, you can search for software in a number of ways. I chose to enter Mozilla into the search block and it came up with Mozilla and a host of plugins. Also offered in this distro is Mozilla’s Firefox.

After install, I checked to see what plugins had been installed, as I have a couple of sites on the Web where I go to play games! No JAVA! Not a problem, I made a directory and downloaded. Installing java in SUSE is a little different from other distributions. If you are using a Red Hat, Mandrake or a Debian distro, you can go to /usr/lib. Find Mozilla and install into the plugin directory. SUSE uses /opt/mozilla. If you are creating a simlink, your path to Mozilla becomes:

/opt/mozilla/lib/plugins

Once the symlink had been created, it was off to the Web to give it a spin. The system worked flawlessly and I noted how quickly the system responded to commands.

Sound would be the next check. I went to one of the Web music services and selected a genre. Immediately, I had music playing using Real Time Player 10.0.

So far, so good. The next test would be logging into my home network. The network consists of multiple LINUX machines in the Lab and a couple of WINDOWS XP machines in the household. The Windows machines are both wired and wireless (although it doesn’t matter). Log in went flawlessly.

First look appeared as expected…EXCELLENT! For those that had fears when SUSE was purchased by Novell, this distribution should eliminate any doubts that SUSE is going to continue bringing an excellent product, featuring many cutting edge programs. Their release schedule is aggressive with a new distro planned for every 6 months.

SUSE Linux 9.2 Pro offers ease of install and configuration for “newbies” and with its vast software library, there is more than enough programs for the Linux Professional.

While this distro will not be released until November, 2004, now is the time to begin keeping an eye on your favorite software site for pre-release ordering. In fact, the SUSE Store has pre-release ordering now!

The first Linux distro I used was SUSE. I had been trying to get another flavor installed, when I happened to stop at a “Big Box” store, saw SUSE on the shelf and took it home. I installed it as a dual-boot with the current version of Windows.

During the weeks that followed, I found myself booting back and forth between the two when finally I decided it was time to do one or the other. SUSE won! I rebooted, dropped in the install CD and Windows was no more. Thus my exit from a “world of windows!”

Several generations of SUSE have come and gone and the latest Ver. 9.1 is very interesting. First, the personal version is freely downloadable from SUSE . Second, it is easy to install and comes with enough software to keep the average tinkerer or the hard core computer junkie busy for some time.

SUSE is now owned by Novel as is Ximian Evolution. But don’t let the networking giant scare you away. They continue to produce a product that is easy to install, easy to use and loaded with features.

Installation is simple. One CD! Drop it in, reboot and answer a couple of questions. YAST (Yet Another System Tool) will analyze your system, probe the hardware and give you some simple options regarding; time zone, type of mouse, etc. Nothing you have to study for! Next, YAST will partition your hard drive and install.

Within 20-30 minutes, you will be in the post install phase and preparing to launch SUSE for the first time.

While YAST does an excellent job of detecting hardware, my last install was the hardest. One of the machines in our little lab has two E-net cards. YAST had difficulty determining which one I wanted to use and when I went in to manually configure the card, YAST was not the only one confused. It took a couple of times for me and all was good.

While KONQUEROR is the default browser, by clicking on YAST and selecting “install/remove software” I was able to install Mozilla Firefox, fully configured with Java, Shockwave/Flash and Real Player 8. Not bad for a 1 CD install, but there’s more. SUSE supports some scanners with Xsane and is loaded with programs for CD recording and playback.

SUSE also features an automatic update. When you set up this feature, you can simply select a mirror site that produces a good speed for you and if you are on a broadband connection, tell it what time you would like to have it connect, download and install all the latest patches. You don’t have to touch a thing.

Printer configuration is also a snap using YAST. In fact, YAST is used for all configuration within the system and once you have used it and begin to understand it, you will be a believer.

SUSE continues to be a favorite in Europe and with many Linux users in the USA. While the 9.1 Professional adds to the software, those starting out will find the downloadable 9.1 truly a wonderful learning tool.

For more info, contact SUSE.