GeekTimeLinux

Drivel is a GNOME client for working with online journals, also known as weblogs or simply blogs. It retains a simple and elegant design while providing many powerful features.

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Writing about XANDROS is somewhat like writing about an old friend. I have used various distributions of XANDROS for the past few years including their Server Edition.

When XANDROS Desktop was released as the “Platform for Your Digital Life” I felt that they had finally brought the Linux Desktop to the mainstream. Now, I find that they have made it even easier for Novice and experienced Linux users with their all new, just released XANDROS DESKTOP PROFESSIONAL VER 4.

For those that have never done a XANDROS install, it couldn’t be easier. Boot from CD, and answer simple questions like; install?…share disk with a windows installation?…time…password…and suddenly the installer is whirring away with first boot of the new system within 15-20 minutes depending on the speed of your processor.

Based on Debian, XANDROS has joined a group of distributions that are attempting compatibility with Windows. In my opinion (for whatever its worth) they may be the closest. Desktop Professional provides businesses with full network integration, advanced 3D, Blue tooth wireless, desktop search and ISV support.

XANDROS Desktop Professional Ver. 4 seamlessly integrates into existing Windows-centric networks with automatic access to shared Windows folders and printers. It also has the ability to write to NTFS partitions. Add automatic Samba authentication, a Network Connections Manager for wired, wireless, mobile and VPN network communications and security profiles.

For the home user, XANDROS incorporates free SKYPE calling worldwide, the full featured OpenOffice suite compatible with Microsoft Office and the latest version of CrossOver Office to run Microsoft Office 2003 and other critical Windows programs.

With all this computing power, XANDROS has not forgotten the casual user with Drag and Drop DVD burning, IM and a host of games.

OK, enough of the specs and technical stuff. My install was on a 950Mhz Pent III. After dropping the CD in and re-booting the total install took 22 minutes (not including the applications disk). I then tried an install on an old Windows machine that has Win 2K Pro using NTFS. XANDROS ask if I would like it to make room on the Windows partition…I responded yes and 25 minutes later, I was again looking at a full install and yes, Windows was still working!

Since the original machine has both an E-net and Wireless card, I decided that I should try the Wireless. Going to Launch>Applications>Connection Wizard, selecting Wireless Lan and entering my information, I was running wireless.

I mentioned the applications disk earlier. XANDROS comes with an applications disk that includes several programs not included on the install…GIMP. ADOBE READER, etc. After inserting the CD, I selected the programs I wanted included and the installer went to work. Again, without problems.

The XANDROS NETWORK MANAGER has long been known for its ease of install and keeping the system updated and this version is no exception.

Next, I went to Lunch>Applications>CrossOver and installed a windows program. The system worked flawlessly. While there are a few restrictions on which windows programs can be installed, most are a snap.

I have now worked with XANDROS PROFESSIONAL DESKTOP Ver. 4 for about 4 days. I have added programs, removed programs, used the word processing capabilities, installed Windows programs, connected with our server and have in general pushed the system looking for the bugs. At this point I have found nothing.

XANDROS deserves credit for creating a distribution that is easy for a Windows user to transition too, while providing most, if not all, of the tools needed for both home and office. While I don’t like the numbers rating system, XANDROS PROFESSIONAL DESKTOP Ver. 4

HERNDON, Va. – June 27th, 2006 – Parallels Compressor, released today, is a powerful, easy-to-use, universally compatible management tool that helps companies using almost any server and workstation virtualization platform conserve valuable hard disk resources and optimize the performance of their virtual workstations and servers by reducing the size of virtual hard disks by 50 percent or more,

Compressor works by automatically deleting temporary and unnecessary files within Windows, and then compressing the actual virtual hard disk image file.

As part of its goal to bring virtualization to everyone, Parallels is making Compressor available to any individual or enterprise using Parallels, VMWare and Microsoft solutions running Windows 2000, 2003 and XP. The company plans to expand its portfolio of tools over the coming months, and pledges to make those tools compatible with all of the industry’s major virtualization solutions, including the open-source Xen hypervisor, and a broader variety of operating systems.

“Virtualization is all about maximizing utilization and increasing productivity,” said Ben Rudolph, Parallels’ Marketing Manager. “Our growing suite of powerful, broadly compatible tools - like Compressor - takes the benefits of working in any virtual environment one step further by allowing Parallels, VMWare and Microsoft customers to streamline the use of their computer’s resources and fine-tune their virtual machines to achieve the highest performance.”

Compressor is available in two versions. Compressor Workstation, which retails for $49, is specifically optimized for virtual workstations. It is compatible with any Parallels, VMware and Microsoft virtual workstation running Windows 2000 or XP. Compressor Server, available for $179, is a professional-grade tool that optimizes any virtual server built using Parallels Server (due late 2006), VMware GSX Server, VMware Server, Microsoft Virtual PC, or Microsoft Virtual Server, or any virtual workstation built with Parallels Workstation 2.1 for Windows or Linux, Parallels Desktop for Mac, or VMware Workstation. Compressor Server is compatible with Windows 2000, 2000 Server, XP, and Server 2003.

Parallels, Microsoft and VMware users can purchase either version at http://www.parallels.com/en/buyonline. Free 15-day trial versions of both versions are available at http://www.parallels.com/en/download/compressor.

Just 2 weeks ago, Parallels introduced Parallels Desktop for Mac, the world’s first virtualization solution that allows Mac users to run Windows and OS X side-by-side without rebooting. To compliment Desktop and its Windows and Linux Desktop virtualization solutions, Parallels is a suite of server virtualization products for Windows, Linux and Mac. Parallels Server is targeted at small- and medium-size businesses looking to maximize hardware resources and curb IT costs, while Parallels Enterprise Server is a high-end server virtualization solution designed to help large enterprises effectively virtualize and manage their server resources. Both products are due to reach beta testing in 2006.

About Parallels
Parallels is a server and workstation virtualization solutions company committed to building powerful, user-friendly, cost-effective products that can be used by any Windows, Linux or Mac user 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 quick set-up and usage. Additionally, every Parallels solution fully supports Intel Virtualization Technology, 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

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.

New to Linux? Intermediate user? Need good information that is not buried in the middle of a 1200 page text? No matter how I say this it is going to sound like a sales pitch and it really isn’t, but it is a bit of advice. Try TUX MAGAZINE.

TUX is an on-line magazine that is designed for the Linux NOOB. The magazine, now in its 13th Issue has a lot of information that removes the mystery of many programs and in many occasions, provides tips to get more out of your computing experience.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the best part…IT’S FREE! Visit their site and begin enjoying TUX MAGAZINE on-line.

The Shoreline Firewall, more commonly known as “Shorewall”, is a high-level tool for configuring Netfilter. You describe your firewall/gateway requirements using entries in a set of configuration files. Shorewall reads those configuration files and with the help of the iptables utility, Shorewall configures Netfilter to match your requirements. Shorewall can be used on a dedicated firewall system, a multi-function gateway/router/server or on a standalone GNU/Linux system. Shorewall does not use Netfilter’s ipchains compatibility mode and can thus take advantage of Netfilter’s connection state tracking capabilities.

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Parallels Issues Release Candidate 2 for Workstation 2.1
RC1 Named as Finalist for “Best Digital Office Solution” at the Spring 2006 Intel Developer Forum

HERNDON, Virginia – March 16th, 2006 – Parallels, Inc., (http://www.parallels.com) today announced the availability of the Parallels Workstation 2.1 Release Candidate 2 (RC2). This version, which fixes RC1 bugs and offers better performance and smoother operation, immediately precedes the products GA release, which is scheduled for release in the second half of March.

The release of Parallels Workstation 2.1 RC2 comes only days after Parallels Workstation 2.1 RC1 was named as a finalist for “Best Digital Office Solution” in the coveted Technology Innovation Accelerated Awards (TIAA), presented at the Spring 2006 IDF conference to the most groundbreaking companies and products that use cutting-edge Intel technologies.

“Parallels Workstation 2.1 is simple to setup, and even easier to use,” said Stephen Charsky, President of GreenSkys Unlimited and an IDF attendee. “Coupled with a great price point and full support for next-generation technologies like Intel VT® and new multi-core processors, it is easy to see why Parallels Workstation 2.1 was the only virtualization solution named as a TIAA finalist for ‘Best Digital Office Solution at the Spring 2006 Intel Developer Forum.’”

New and existing users are welcome to download and evaluate a free, fully functional 45-day trial of Parallels Workstation 2.1 RC2 at http://www.parallels.com/download/21/rc2/. Testers can submit comments, suggestions and feedback by visiting http://www.parallels.com/support/21/rc2/, or by sending an email to 21RC2@parallels.com.

A full description of the RC2 release as well as a complete list of Workstation 2.1’s new features, functions and fixes is available at http://www.parallels.com/products/workstation/21/rc2/.

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

HERNDON, Virginia - March 3rd, 2006 - Parallels, Inc., (www.parallels.com) today announced the availability of the Parallels Workstation 2.1 Release Candidate. This is the final test version of Parallels Workstation 2.1; the final release version is scheduled for release in mid-March.

New and existing users are welcome to download and evaluate a free, fully functional 45-day trial of the Parallels Workstation 2.1 Release Candidate at www.parallels.com/download/21/rc/. Testers can submit comments, suggestions and feedback by visiting http://www.parallels.com/en/supoprt/21/rc, or by sending an email to 21rc@parallels.com.

Parallels will be holding live demonstrations of the Release Candidate of Parallels Workstation 2.1 at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco’s Moscone Center as part of IDF’s Virtualization Community. The demonstration will highlight a number of important features and functions, including:

• The product’s improved look and feel
• New hardware support (USB support, PAE-mode support, wireless networking support)
• Support for SUSE 10 and Sun Solaris
• Virtual machine performance and stability improvements powered by stronger support for Intel Virtualization Technology®.

The 2006 IDF Virtualization Community is designed to bring third-party virtualization software vendors together under one roof to discuss the growing importance of virtualization in today’s desktop and server computing environment and to showcase the impact that hardware virtualization technologies will have on the industry. Parallels users can register for a free pass to the Thursday, March 9th session of the Virtualization Community Technology Showcase by visiting www.intel.com/idf/us and entering the promotional code “FOSE”.

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

A Geek is a Geek is a Geek! There, I’ve said it and I feel somewhat better. I have been a Linux geek for sometime and have loved the journey into a world I had never known. Going to a place where I could modify programs, write my own, work with command line or icons. It has been a major learning experience. For that I am known in the family as a “GEEK”!

I am continuing with my Linux learning while getting involved with another project. This week, I was given two Mac G3s (beige case..I think…color blind you know) and a Power PC which my Google search tells me is a Mac clone.

I have fired up, or attempted, all three. One G3 and the Power PC both come up with no problem, the third appears to have a bad video board. OK, so they fire up, do they work? Well, the one G3 appears to have some programs on it and I went to the library today to see what I could find on the unit. I also have a copy of UBUNTU PPC burning as I write this.

The Power PC has beautiful graphics, boots very quickly and appears to have everything I could want on it with one caveat…it is password protected. Everything looks good at boot, but when I attempt to access anything…I am requested to enter a password. I have tried several I have been told are common, but to no avail. I am thinking about reloading the Mac OS on this machine and then going from there with upgrades or whatever

As crazy as this sounds, I wanted a G3 for the sole purpose of installing Yellow Dot Linux. I have heard many good things about the distro, but have never had the hardware to run the system. In researching, I find that Fedora Core is also a great distro for PPC use as is Suse and the list goes on.

I am going to document my progress (or lack thereof) and will be posting about in the coming weeks or possibly months.

I don’t want anyone to think that this is my only project. I will continue to work with new distros and do all the things we do with Geektime, but this is a new challenge and at my age, I need a new challenge everyday. It’s why I get out of bed every day!

Developing a great Linux distribution can be a test of patience. You work until you have the latest programs and everything is tweaked and it works in the lab, but when it hits the testers, bugs begin to show. You are very aware of the reputation your distro has built, so you admit that there are some bugs and roll up your sleeves.

You release a version that has corrected the bugs from rc1 and suddenly rc2 shows different bugs. At this point you have two choices. Number 1, roll up your sleeves again and correct the problems or Number 2, keep your mouth shut and release.

If you live in or near Morgantown, Wv, you have probably seen a man with his sleeves rolled up on a regular basis lately. Warren Woodford is not a man that will let a little bug ruin a GREAT distro. Since founding MEPIS LLC in 2003, the computer veteran has continued to produce an easy to install, easy to use, very stable product. Not only has it gained a reputation for ease with home users, more and more businesses are finding it their first choice.

I mention all of this because when Simply Mepis final hits the mirrors, the bugs found in rc1 and rc2 will not exist and both current Simply Mepis users and newbies to the distro will find a polished, easy to use Linux distribution. Something that has been “de-bugged” by a master.

I have been using Simply Mepis 3.4.3 rc3 since it hit the mirrors. I’ve been a Simply Mepis user for some time and this distro holds the same excitement that the original.

If you are worried about installing your first Linux distribution, use the live CD. It boots quicker than past versions and appears to call programs faster throughout. The new Splash Screen is quite attractive and should you decide to install, the easy install continues to be one of the quickest anywhere.

This Debian based distro includes the latest in stable programs including; Firefox 1.5 and OpenOffice 2.0.1-1. If you are an iPod user or have a Palm Pilot, the distro recognizes these and many more pluggable devices.

While using the distro for several hours on multiple nights does not constitute an extensive test, the reputation and reliability of the distro and the commitment to excellence of the programmers indicates this is going to be a wonderful distro.

Simply Mepis 3.4-3rc3 is now available for download with a final version coming in days. When the final version hits the mirrors, you can bet we will be in line for a download!

Is this the “official” announcement that Microsoft has officially become a political entity? Since they seem to be calling the shots for the state of Massachuttets, it would only seem the timely thing to do.

http://lobby4linux.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=27

The list of Windows programs that run in Linux just increased. CROSSOVER OFFICE has announced they are shipping version 5.

The newest version of this GREAT product includes some visible changes, with the biggest being “under the hood.” They include:

A rewrite of the Window manager code so WINE can provide the correct Windows experience regardless of the X11 windows manager.

A new implementation of the Microsoft Installer service, which most Windows applications use to install. This should enable far more applications to successfully install than ever before.

Implemented full featured COM and OLE support, which has been critical to most applications written in the past 5 years. This will improve applications across the board.

This project, taking more than a year, offers initial support for Microsoft Office 2003 and adds a new feature called “bottles.” This process allows easier management of your Windows applications and dramatically improves the installation and execution process of nearly every Windows program.

Further information is available on the CodeWeavers web site.

As many know, I have used CrossOver for several years and find it one of the MUST programs when installing Linux for day-to-day use. I have also heard from several Sys Admins who feel the same. I would recommend you take a look!

Having followed Mandriva Limited Edition 2005 through its various development cycles, I was anxious to install Mandriva 2006. This would be the first release combining the technologies of Conectiva, Lycoris and Mandrake. It promised many new features. It delivered in most areas.

MANDRIVA is one of the most powerful, yet simple Linux distributions on the market. While you can download from several mirrors, the push is for you to become a Mandriva Club Member. With the membership, you receive some additional privileges including earlier download of new releases at a price. You select the level. If you are not a member, you get the download version at a little later date.

The shiny new MANDRIVA 2006 is full of new touches and new software. The new Blue Penguin on the splash screen is a bit of a shocker as are the penguins on the screen saver! As for software, MANDRIVA 2006 is loaded with the latest; KDE 3.4.2 and GNOME 2.10.2 head the list. Both offer excellent performance and some new features. I have KDE on one lab machine and GNOME on another and truly like both. Version 2.6.12.11 of the Linux kernel is an excellent choice. It offers excellent performance. Other software includes; Firefox 1.0.6, Gaim ( the instant messaging program) version 1.5.0, Evolution 2.2.3 and a host of other new versions of popular software. One of the interesting choices is Kat. For those that have never used it, Kat is a desktop search engine that can index a directory or your whole system for comprehensive searching.

One of the packages I have been waiting to work with is Smart package manager. While I have not had the time to really devote to Smart, that is my next project, I will report back. Smart differs from other package managers in it has configurations available for urpmi repositories, rpm directory, apt-get repositories, apt-rpm repositories Slackware repositories as well as deb directories. If you opt to remain with Mandriva’s original package manager, it remains in place.

The MANDRIVA installer continues to be a thing of beauty. I mention this because it is simple and very quick. Simply boot to disc 1, answer a couple of questions and settle back with a good cup of coffee or tea. You will be prompted to change discs and in a short time, you will be booting into your new system. It is the simplicity of this installer that has always made MANDRIVA a joy to install.

If you are one that likes to have plugins in your browser, you will be pleased to know that MANDRIVA has Real Player (helix), Java and Adobe included in the install. Other software can be added by simply going to: SYSTEM>CONFIGURATION>PACKAGING>SOFTWARE and selecting a package or searching those available. The process is quick and easy.

At this time,I do not have an Intel Mobil Centrino machine in the lab, however, MANDRIVA has been talking up their Wi-Fi setup with the system and based on what I see, they are probably in the forefront of Linux Wi-Fi.

My assessment of MANDRIVA 2006 is very simple. It is a well known distribution that has gone the extra mile to insure the latest software, is simple to use and provides a feel that is polished and professional.

MANDRIVA 2006, is now available for download. Give it a try!

Puppy live certainly wags the tail of my 9 year old lap top. With only 64 megs of ram and a 3.8 gig hard drive, it has been setting by the side doing little. Regular live cd’s won’t run on it because they require more ram to settle into. Puppy romped. With dial-up and even a slow dial-up at that, I started a Puppy download and went to bed. When I got up, I had a Puppy .iso on hand. After some dinking around with burning, a disk finally worked.

Install on the old laptop was simple and easy. Now, I’ve read some of the Harry Potter magic books and I think there must be magic in the code for Puppy. It’s not possible to get all that’s in there on 50 megs. Once you get the screen sized properly, and the puppy looking at you, it’s hard to believe what you are seeing. 50 megs??? Someone needs to get over to Microsoft and teach them how to code. Install is so easy I loaned the .iso cd to a friend who has never run Linux and has a brand new, state of the art laptop and he ran it easily first try and was impressed enough to make a copy to take along. How’d you guys (and girls) do that?

It found all my hardware, I can reach my data files, and it connected to the internet. I had to get out an old serial modem since there is a winmodem in the laptop and it wouldn’t be found. Puppy was a bit slow on the old laptop but was blazing fast on my friend’s new laptop. I won’t make a list of the features, you just need to look them up or better yet, get your own puppy. You won’t regret having that puppy around.

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.