OpenSUSE 11.1, the next major version of Novell's community-driven Linux distribution, is scheduled for release on December 18. The new version will include updated software and some important new features that enhance the quality of the distribution.
OpenSUSE 11.1 installation media is available in several different formats. There are installable Live CD images for both GNOME and KDE. Each one provides a complete stack with the major components of its respective desktop environment. There is also a conventional DVD installer image that includes packages for both desktop environments and a significant number of other popular programs.
The DVD installer, which we used for our own tests, is extremely polished and well-designed. The installer got a fresh new visual style in 11.0, and this has been refined in 11.1 to match the new theme. Although the installer has been refined significantly over the years, it still has a few eccentric queries that might intimidate some users. For example, it allows users to customize the password encryption method that is used by the system.
GNOME
The openSUSE 11.1 GNOME environment uses version 2.24, which was released in September. GNOME 2.24 introduced the Empathy instant messaging client and also added a few noteworthy enhancements to the Nautilus file manager, including support for tabbed file browsing and a new compact view. After reviewing Empathy, the openSUSE developers decided to retain Pidgin as the default instant messaging client for this version. Similar decisions were made by other distros, including Ubuntu and Fedora, because Empathy still needs a bit more time before it is ready for widespread use.
OpenSUSE includes several unique customizations that differentiate the distro's GNOME environment from the upstream version. The default configuration doesn't include the standard top panel, for example, and also replaces the regular panel menus with Novell's Slab menu. The Slab, which was introduced by Novell several versions ago after conducting desktop usability studies, provides access to recently-used applications and documents and also has an integrated search component.
The GNOME environment in openSUSE ships with the best selection of default applications. It includes Banshee 1.4, which was released last month and has some impressive new features, such as a new device management plug-in API that has enabled the developers to implement excellent synchronization support for T-Mobile's Android-based G1. OpenSUSE 11.1 also offers the latest version of the F-Spot photo management tool, tight integration of the Beagle search and indexing system, and several nifty new utilities. Some of the new additions are Tasque—a simple task management tool that integrates with Remember the Milk—and Monsoon, which is a nice BitTorrent client.
KDE
This version of openSUSE includes KDE 4.1, which serves up the first truly user-ready KDE experience in the 4.x series. KDE 4.1 is pretty usable by itself, but it's starting to feel a little bit stale compared to the latest KDE 4.2 beta. Fortunately, the openSUSE developers have backported some of the new hotness from 4.2 so that it can be included in openSUSE 11.1. A prominent KDE 4 feature that has landed in 11.1 is support for making the entire desktop behave like a folder view.
In the previous version of openSUSE, the KDE 3.5 legacy version was displayed prominently as an option on the main installation DVD. In 11.1 it has been moved so that it is accessible under the "Other" option that is displayed during the installation wizard. According to the developers, this is the last openSUSE release that will include officially supported KDE 3.5 packages in the main repositories. In the future, KDE 3.5 packaging will have to be done entirely by the community. For more details about the implications of the KDE 3.5 phaseout, see this statement by Novell's Joe Brockmeier.
OpenSUSE has traditionally given users the best possible KDE experience, and this release is really no exception. That is why openSUSE is the reference distribution for virtually all of our KDE testing.
Updated software
OpenSUSE 11.1 includes version 2.6.27 of the Linux kernel, which includes the ath9k wireless driver and brings improved compatibility with webcam devices. It also ships with Firefox 3.0.4, the latest version of the popular open source web browser.
For developers, it includes Python 2.6 and Mono 2.0, both of which bring significant improvements to their respective programming languages. Lots of great development tools are available from the openSUSE package repositories, including MonoDevelop 1.0 and Eclipse 3.4.
This version of openSUSE also includes OpenOffice.org 3.0, which was released earlier this year and added features like native support for Microsoft's Office Open XML format, a new zoom slider, and a few other features.
OpenSUSE ships a modified version of OpenOffice.org that bundles Novell's patchset, which includes some nice improvements that Sun has declined to accept upstream for various technical and licensing reasons. Many of Novell's improvements boost Linux integration by adding support for native file dialogs and other similar elements. Novell's patchset also includes some cool features like 3D animated slide transitions and support for embedding multimedia elements via the GStreamer framework.
Conclusion
We named openSUSE as one of our two picks for Distro of the Year in our 2008 awards because it really shines and has much to offer on the desktop. Our choice was also influenced by impressive changes that are transpiring in the openSUSE community, which is growing rapidly and is also becoming more open, inclusive, and transparent. Last month, the project announced its first community-elected board, a major milestone in its advancement towards community empowerment.
This is a very good openSUSE release and it delivers some very impressive enhancements. The distro has evolved tremendously in the past two releases and is becoming a very solid and usable option for regular users.
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