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Software

As usual for a new distribution version, the development team have updated the software to current versions – and sometimes even a little further. They have, for example, back ported a number of features from KDE 4.2 into their version of KDE 4.1.3 in order to improve the desktop environment's stability and ease of use. Where the KDE desktop is selected, a number of KDE 3 programs are also installed to the hard drive. Standard audio player Amarok is carried over from KDE 3. A beta version of the recently released version 2.0 of the audio player is included on the DVD and can be installed separately. There are two new Plasma applets, kpower and knetwork, which display information on energy settings and the network. During our tests, KDE 4.1.3 was extremely stable, and the once common Plasma interface crashes, now appear to be a thing of the past. The only things to crash were a few applications, such as quick start window krunner – happily, however, after having started the required application. Gnome version 2.24.1 is included, which differs only slightly from version 2.24, primarily through bug fixes.

Firefox is used as the default browser, with OpenOffice 3 available for text and spreadsheet tasks – it is not however the 'vanilla' edition from the project website, but a 'Novell edition'. In contrast to the original, it is able to import SVG vector graphics and MS Works documents and offers full Gstreamer integration, making it easy to integrate MP3 files or videos, into a presentation. A detailed list of the differences can be found online.

On the DVD alone, there are more programs than you can test out in one weekend, with many more available from the online repositories. Users have a choice of alternatives for every task, from image editing, publishing, musical notation and bookkeeping to server software for networks. A little rummaging turns up exotica such as ksimus for simulating electrical circuits, or drum machine Hydrogen.

System

As well as the revamped partitioning tool, Yast also has new printer setup and security modules. Both have been substantially revised to good effect, especially in the case of the printer module. The setup window has a better layout and still offers good auto-detection. On our test network, it automatically configured a printer connected via USB, and in order to set up a network printer, we merely had to enter the IP address and printer model.

The new partitioner in OpenSuse 11.1

In addition to security software AppArmor, OpenSuse for the first time also includes Red Hat's SELinux. It is deactivated by default and OpenSuse does not include any profiles, but it does at least allow users to use SELinux without first having to worry about a suitable kernel.

The hardware plug and play feature will come as a considerable relief to users. If the user connects, for example, a webcam or WiFi dongle, for which appropriate drivers are not installed, OpenSuse 11.1 searches through the package sources for a driver for the device with the detected ID and installs it. This saves the user having to work out what chipset is lurking in the device, whether Linux drivers are available for it and in which package they are to be found.

The new Zypper log file /vat/log/zypp/history, in which the package manager logs its actions, lets OpenSuse 11.1 users see what software has been installed or removed and when. The log not only records which packages have been added or removed, it also records information, such as which configuration files have been changed or created, in the /etc/sysconfig directory.

A well-rounded system

With version 11.1, the OpenSuse team has created a pleasing system in almost every respect, which in particular scores highly for its huge range of available software and ease of use. KDE 4 seems to have overcome most of its teething troubles and is sufficiently stable for everyday use. Nevertheless, it is a good move that the developers have decided to continue to maintain KDE 3 and have not, in contrast to Mandriva 2009, exiled it from the DVD.

The fact that the system installs new device drivers based on device IDs will make life easier, in particular for users new to Linux. Old hands will need a little time to adjust to the three revamped Yast modules. With the printer wizard and security settings modules this is not difficult, but the partitioning tool is a little more opaque.

(amu)

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