As a long time GNU/Linux user I was trying a lot of distros and OpenSuse was one of them several years before. But now, as a laptop user I want mobility and stability of system and of course good appearance – OpenSuse team made it as well!
This release is using KDE 4.4 or Gnome desktops by default, but I remain by KDE all times with OpenSuse because it’s stable as well and has a beautiful appearance, not like a ancient non-changed Gnome 2 (I’m not a hater, I’m using it with Ubuntu as well). Moreover, it has very easy installer, which has a lot of features not only for newbie users, but for advanced as well.
Because I installed from KDE based live CD, after installation process I was able easily install flash and java plugins just upgrading the system via Yast ( in DVD version it’s already included). Also you can easily install multimedia codecs just downloading Yast Meta Package file, which will make everything for you (just confirm keys and replace packages choosing first options). You can also upgrade distro to factory version, install new desktops or just use bleeding edge software, it’s very flexible distribution and I think everybody can fit their needs.
But what I missed during this release: knetworkmanager by default – even if you changed, applet in the notifications bar doesn’t appear automatically on startup, I’ve tried to search in google, but I wasn’t successful over there, but after analyzing related programs I found how to do it very easily – just typing network in search bar on the menu and pressing on the networkmanager icon called Other (like you see in the picture). Then find tab Tray icon (should be opened by default) and place a tick on Show Tray Icon. Everything’s working just fine and I have no more problems with distro – just happy with it.
Pros:
- Beautiful and modern distro.
- Well pointed for newbie users.
- Many applications and other stuff
- One of the best communities in the Linux world.
- User spaces and lot of repositories.
- Mobility (you can build your own distro using Suse Studio).
Cons:
- Little bit heavy (a lot of applications which are not needed for a single user).
- Yast installer is more for advanced users, not for newbies.
- No multimedia codecs by default (because of open source standards).
In conclusion, it’s very good distro for everyday use. If you want a stability of the system, I would definitely recommend it for you! Feel free to comment! Or just visit http://www.opensuse.org/ for more details.