Should we abandon SUSE?

After the recent fiasco generated by Novell getting into an agreement with Microsoft and the whole Open Source Community planning to fight Novell both in and outside the court, will it be sensible to shift over to another Linux distribution? There are other distributions that are as good or better that SUSE so which will be best one to migrate to?

http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,...331777b,00.htm
http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/06/11/09/149259.shtml
http://www.linux.org/news/opinion/novell_microsoft.html

Originally Posted by o2se3tak (snip...) There are other distributions that are as good or better that SUSE so which will be best one to migrate to?

That's what I would like to know. It is too easy to dismiss the political developments as unimportant. We ignore politics to our peril.

I would consider kubuntu as a simple alternative. If Europe declines to own a progressive distro, South Africa may well prove to be the next best choice.

OldAl in Down-Under Canberra.

it is really a matter of choice.... a few personal recomendations:

Kubuntu
http://www.kubuntu.org/

Uses KDE desktop, one CD install works both as a live and Install CD. Be wary it is a bit bloated.

Mandriva
http://frontal2.mandriva.com/en/downloads/mirrors

This is what PCLinuxOS is based on it is a BIG distrobution with all you will ever need


PCLinuxOS .92
http://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/metalab/dist...glish/preview/
ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/metalab/distr...glish/preview/

This is the distro I use and recommend, Why because it works right out of the box. No need to configure Everything, everything just works. It also comes as a 1 CD install that is a live CD that you can install later if you wish.

BeatrIX
http://www.watsky.net/download.html

This Distro is small fast and effective, the ultimite Workers CD

Blag
http://www.blagblagblag.org/download/

is A one CD install of Fedora Core

Mephis
http://www.mepis.org/

Everything you will ever need on 1 CD. Hardware detection is exelent, as is the feel and look of the distro

or try Xrandros OCE (needs Bitorrent)

if you are still unsure of the distro try these Linux distro choosers

http://eedok.voidofmind.com/linux/chooser.html
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/

But I mean look This is a ploy by Microsoft to try to infiltrate the opensouce market. If you feel strongly enough about it, then switch, if your happy using SUSE then continue using it

hope this helps,

Jake

o2se3tak, please post your thread in only one forum. Posting a single thread in the most relevant forum will make it easier for members to help you and will keep the discussion in one place. Your duplicate threads have been merged.

Since you're new here I suggest you read the LQ Rules and adhere to them.

Kubuntu is bloated and mandrivia isn't? Never mind.

I think it is early days yet - so far this is about IP, and the deal is for 5 years (what happens after that?) Mostly benifits Novell's business customers (there are other distros which include proprietary drivers etc for a cost - so far no ill effects).

Lets face it, most of us are using someones IP without their permission anyway.

I'd council a "wait and see" approach.
The real danger for SUSE users lies with getting locked into one (or a narrow range of) solution. If Novell avoid that, and manage to integrate the proprietary components with the GPL, things should be fine. Lets see how they do it.

To answer to original topic, No. (at least not yet)

Depending on what you choose to believe at this time you could (quite probably) be over-reacting or just simply playing into MS's plan (killing a competitor)

Read Novell's responses to some questions regarding the agreement.

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsof...pensource.html

If I had to restructure my entire orginization based on Microsoft's agreements or purchases I'd _never_ get anything done. My linux servers (all SLES) still function perfectly, even after the agreement, and I suspect that they will continue to work properly regardless of what MS's intentions are. I can say the same for the several hundred Netware servers in my environment as well (even though many claim that MS killed Netware years ago)

Time will tell, but I'm not doing a knee-jerk reaction today because Microsoft is being Microsoft.


Oh, and if I 'had' to make a switch in the near future, it would most probably be to Redhat or Solaris since my employeer runs it's business on eDirectory (and quite nicelly too).

I'm sticking with openSUSE! There are a lot of very skilled and dedicated developers contributing to the openSUSE project who were probably blind sided by this deal just like the rest of us. When I download/use openSUSE I'm supporting them, not NOVELL. So unless the developers start abondening ship, then I'm not. It remains one of the more polished and professional distros.

Have to agree with ccin1492. I have finally made the move from Windows to Suse and it was the ease of use of Suse that for a newbie like me made the difference - it has also helped me to 'sell Linux' in the educational establishment in which I work. I am happy to try new Distros, but for now, I'm sold on Suse. Maybe there will be some benefits in the deal with Microsoft? If not, I'll eventually go to another distro that offers more, but for now, I'm staying put!

You should note, however, that there's a possibility that Novell has violated the GPLv2 by (implicitly) admitting that their contributions have included MS patented software functionality. And because the "agreement" excludes both users who did not purchase support from Novell and users who acquired their distribution from repackager.

If this is the case, they will be barred from further distribution of any GPL software. And no other distribution of the software by others will be permitted. Thus SuSE users will be left "high and dry" with neither support, bug fixes, nor updates.

Even if this is a remote possibility, is a risk any business or user needs to take?

As anyone can read throughout news releases, the reaction of Opensuse crew shows a surprise. I for one appreciate their hard work and creations. If at all possible, I want to see Opensuse survive this and continue in some form or other. It is premature to cry the downfall of this project.

fogcat

It's not that crucial (MS and SuSE -pack, that is); if you feel like betrayed, feel free to use something else. The users will make the difference in the end anyway, and neither Microsoft nor SuSE will stand till the end of the days.

Once upon a time, before Microsoft Windows grew big, a guy wrote a book where it was said that Unix is the last great operating system, and that no other operating system could outrun it (not easily, anyway). Well, actually this is not that long ago, and we've seen the difference already - no, it's not MS, but Linux. It stands against three of the "rules" the book mentioned why Unix is and will be the greatest; this only shows that no matter what the thoughts are, nobody can say what the future brings along. Ok, Microsoft is already planning the release of their follower for Vista, but it doesn't mean they're hanging around forever. That's why it's just utterly stupid, in my opinion, to start a huge war against SuSE; their intentions are in making money, as any company has that is willing to stay alive without Daddy, and they are just making choices. And those choices won't affect you forever.

If the community is supporting people who are working for companies that make money, without getting paid, why couldn't the community support SuSE users, even if their OS provider does work with Microsoft, which is thought to be a devil of some kind? I find this odd. It was said that Linux eventually dies (even quickly) since it's not profiting, but time has showed it didn't go that way - not yet, at least. So I don't think SuSE could harm the community that badly that users should quit using it and stop helping out the rest, it just seems too many of you have become too proud of being Linux users - you can't share your knowledge without limits anymore, can you?

I didn't like the news when I heard it, but for other reasons, and I don't think anybody should quit using SuSE, not for this matter. It might prove to be good too - in the long run.

Originally Posted by Simon Bridge I'd council a "wait and see" approach.

Great idea. That's the sort of diplomatic solution people like Neville Chamberlain tried with Hitler.

Originally Posted by DavidTangye Great idea. That's the sort of diplomatic solution people like Neville Chamberlain tried with Hitler.

Unlike Bush's rush to war in Iraq. Why wait for the facts, especially if they don't meet your purposes.

If you think that there's a better distro let us know and maybe we'll move to it, in the mean time from what I've read, seen and experienced (limited as it might be) Suse is currently the best desktop solution.

Suse happens to be a wonderful distribution. I'm afraid it's too easy to let agreements with Microsoft to cloud that reality. If you like the convenience an stability of Suse, I would stick with it.