I asked SuSE customer service why I keep reading about an "upgrade" version of SuSE 9.1 for those of us who bought SuSE 9.0 recently, and here is there response. I hope this customer service agent is full of it and just doesn't know better, but I am disappointed and thought people should be aware of this before the release next month.


Message begins here:

Hello,

There will be no upgrade for the 9.1. We have been told it will
release around May 9th. There really is no pre-ordering, it will be
available to order at the time of release.



Thank You!

Novell, Inc., the leading provider of Information Solutions
Customer Response Center
1-888-321-4272
crc@novell.com

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>>> <myemailaddress> 4/1/2004 2:51:50 PM >>>
Subject: SuSE Linux 9.1 release
Salutation: Mr.
Language: english
Name: Pcghost
Mail: myemailaddress
Product: SUSE LINUX 9.0 professional
Feedback:

I notice that the next version is on pre-order right now, set to
release in a few weeks. I have also heard rumors that an upgrade edition
(for users of SuSE Linux 9 Pro) will be available. If that is true, why
isn't it available for pre-order? When will it be available for order?
Thanks. Keep up the good work.

wonder why they are discontinuing the upgrade version? sort of seems like thay might keep customers if they provide the upgrade version since the professional version is nearing $ 100

what do you need that comes in 9.1 that you cant get for free?

The free time associated with recompiling a 2.6 kernel for SuSE 9, which has been troublesome from my experience. Additionally, the path changes in the new kernel mean reinstalling a few more crucial packages, and I require a patch for the wifi card in my laptop which is also time consuming.

Kernel recompiles were a simple thing in Red Hat, but have been a pain in SuSE I have found. In short, I need the free time.

As someone who paid for SuSE 9 just 4 months ago, I am not too happy with having to shell out the full price for the 9.1 version. But my time is valuable enough right now to warrant the expense. I am just disappointed that they wont cut their current customers a break and demand $90 from people who just gave them $90 recently.

I got SuSE 9 for free via ftp sever installation so I wouldn't mind paying for the Distro. I prefer Suse 9 over Mandrake 10 because it seems to be harmonious with my computer's hardware. I have Mandrake 10 I wasted 3 hours downloading the ISOs and another 15min burning them, and then 2 days trying to get things to work. Now its Monday and I am @ work and gald that I got Suse back on my HDD.

Suse appears to still have their update version.
I don't think that was the question though.

Cool. Thanks 2damncommon. Novell tech support stands corrected. I am pre-ordering that immediately. Woohoo.

9.1 pro is available on Amazon.com for $84.95 with free shipping. The upgrade isn't listed yet, however. I sent off an e-mail asking why; hopefully it will soon be available for pre-order there as well.

$90 is worth *possibly an hour of two? you must make quite a bit of money there man...

You are assuming that it will only take an hour or two to compile the 2.6 kernel, reinstall ALSA (or OSS), as well as the other known issues with adding a 2.6 kernel to SuSE 9. I read the thread at linuxforum and have attempted the compile twice unsuccessfully. I figure it is worth the money to save the headache. I would rather recompile the 2.6 to include my wifi driver with a distro that is based originally on the 2.6 kernel, which SuSE 9.1 will be.

And I consider my free-time to be worth a lot more than a measly $45/hour. :-)

I find it suprising that you, as a "LQ Addict", have problems installing/configuring the linux kernel. It takes me less than 10 minutes to compile the kernel, and I cant see taking much longer than that to configure it. And as far as Alsa, you can build your driver support into the kernel(so you dont have to build your modules again), and once you install alsautils once, how many more times do you need to do it? As far as your wifi driver, I would also assume that you are familiar enough with your own hardware to not spend too long installing it. Ive recompiled so many times Im my two linux systems it takes less than a minute to configure it and still under 10 mins to compile it.

If you feel that you have supported SuSE by purchasing their 9.0 package, then you should be afraid to look for a torrent at release or shell out $5 on ebay.

Do you all not think the 2.6 kernel will be availible in rpm form when 9.1 comes out? Obviously it will be, just like every other package that will be in 9.1. And now that YaST is becoming GPL, whats the point of paying for SuSE at all?

"And now that YaST is becoming GPL, whats the point of paying for SuSE at all?"

Yeah, why bother paying the developer anything? They create the software I love to use simply to make me happy. They can always find work somewhere else.

"I find it surprising that you, as a "LQ Addict", have problems installing/configuring the linux kernel."

I have compiled kernels for many distributions just fine. I find SuSE distros to be a pain to deal with (with respect to the kernel) and I am too busy at this point to waste my time creating something I can buy in two weeks.

In conclusion, I will BUY SuSE 9.1 for the following reasons. Follow along.

1. I don't want to be a free-loader.

2. I want to help Novell/SuSE

3. I have virtually ZERO free time at this point.

4. I dig the SuSE manuals, they are great quick reference guides.

5. I spend all day maintaining 9 Linux servers at work, I don't like the idea of coming home to build my laptop from the ground up, and neither would my wife.

6. I don't want to be a free-loader. I have a job because I am paid for my work, I expect the same for the developers of my OS.

If you want to build your own SuSE distro, then do it, it is simply not worth my time to do the same.

My rule of thumb is that I use download or Linux Central CDs for distributions I am trying out.
I purchase the main distribution I am running. I have never felt gypped (sp per websters) by doing so. Nor have I felt guilty for trying a distro out.
While the printed documentation is nice when you are newer to Linux, I wish all distros had an option for documentation on CD and no printed docs.
I will be purchasing Suse 9.1
My FTP download 9.0 has been working very nice.
I will also pick up the next Slackware (assuming it has 2.6), and a donation to Debian is called for soon.

Would it make sense if I said I dislike both the "...whats the point of paying for SuSE at all?", comment from arrruken, AND the "I don't want to be a free-loader.", comment from Pcghost?

Oh well...