Differences (content) between download and boxed SUSE
 

I'm trying to evaluate whether SuSE will work for me. I started trying the download version ('9.1 free'), but it took almost 12 hours on a high speed line, so I went and bought the boxed 9.2 'pro' version at the store. Money is not the issue, neither is support at this point. So this got me wondering ... what are the actual, 'content' differences between the download version(s) and the boxed version? And, for that matter, the 'Enterprise' version too - I downloaded the 6 ISO's for the Enterprise Edition evaluation version but again, in the interest of time, it was quicker to buy the boxed set.

I understand that the 'personal' version is limited, but what differences are there between 9.1 free and 9.2 professional, other than 9.1->9.2 changes, and support issues? Assuming 9.2 becomes available as a 'free' (ftp) download soon, what then will the differences be between the d/l and the box version? Are there kernel differences, app differences, or what?

My ultimate goal is to load Oracle products, and they only 'certify' the Enterprise versions. But for test purposes, I'm hoping I can get away with installing the 'pro' (or 'free') version. For production/customers, of course, they would be buying the Enterprise version simply due to support issues.

Thanks!

Ooh, Oracle (I work for Oracle...). I believe that the only differences between the bought version, and the downloaded version is the applications that come with it. There are more 3rd party apps with the store bought version (ones that you aren't suppossed to get for free). I have never downloaded a version of SuSE, so I cannot say for sure, but that's what I have heard multiple times.

Good luck!

Don't forget the kick *ss Administration manual, which is twice as large in SuSE 9.2 than in previous versions.

I agree with these guys
 

Just to add to the already good comments, the downloaded version of SuSE (9.1 Personal) comes complete, but without some of the "exras" as well as many of the manufacturer's drivers, programs, and extra utilities. In addition, you can only boot to KDE. Gnome and others do not work as there is no integrated desktop loader.

SuSE 9.2 Professional has all of the options and lots of extras, including the most up-to-date versions of many apps.... Evolution, KDE, and Firefox (at the time of release). It has been posted here that you could go to the FTP server and download everything you need to "upgrade" the downloaded 9.1 Personal to make it a full system. I guess that the choice is in what you want your box to do and how much configuring you want to get involved in...............

Barney

My 2 cents contrib ...

I use 9.1 ftp for some time and can log in windowsmaker, gnome xfce and more ...

I quickly evaluate SLES 9 compared to 9.1 and was able to install fully HP/Compaq management tools and drivers aimed specificaly at SLES 9, on 9.1 ftp with quite nothing but changing the file /etc/SuSERelease. Hardware is an Proliant ML350 2.8 P4 Xeon with raid controler ...

looked at the respective stock kernels compile options and they were the same except for two things un-important like sound support ...

The thing with SLES seems to be that you have to pay for one year specific security updates ...

MaNU

9.2 won't have a personal version. So, you'd really be comparing 9.1 Pro, 9.2 Pro and the FTP version of both.

Well, we don't know if there will be an FTP version of 9.2 Pro yet. But, I loaded FTP 9.1 Pro and seemed to get everything that everyone who bought 9.1 Pro got. I now have 9.2 Pro 5 cds. Again, it seems exactly the same at 9.1 Pro FTP, but with newer packages, of course.

Except for one main and big difference. Tuxracer crept at a snail's pace on 9.1 and now flies on 9.2. I think SuSE now uses the same version as Fedora does. *That's* worth going to your store and buying 9.2 Pro right now, alone! :)

Barneyt said ...
And Rory said ...
When I go to download, the only name I see is '9.1 Free' - not 9.1 Personal, or 9.1 Pro.

So this gets back to the root of my question ... is the download of 9.1 the personal version or the professional version?

From reviews I've read, the Personal version (9.2, at least) is very limited. I'm guessing that '9.1 Free' is more equivalent to the 'Pro' version, but that's what I'm trying to verify. I downloaded the whole thing to my local ftp server, and it was about 7 gigs, which is pretty big ...

Thanks!

go to ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386

there you find 9.1 which is 9.1 pro without 3rd parties software with copyrights, that's all!

MaNU

If you download an ISO, it's the Personal-version (reduced by a lot of packages) or an illegal rip of the original CD's. If you install via FTP or download the installation directory from the SuSE servers, you have a Professional-version minus commercial packages, as eescar said already (I don't know which packages are affected, but I never missed any of them).

My ultimate goal is to load an Oracle product. Oracle's website (and Suse's) both suggest that you need Suse Enterprise Edition to run Oracle; however, I'm pretty sure this is simply because they (Oracle) want to only support a limited set of linux flavors, and by picking RH Enterprise and Suse Enterprise, they are picking predictable versions. I can't imagine oracle won't actually load on (eg) professional - but I'm testing that now and will soon find out!

Thanks