Hi there. I'm kind of new to openSUSE (mainly Debian user), but i don't think it really matters regarding the following several problems i've encountered using (trying out) openSUSE that i'm about to describe now. First of all, you might probably wanna know why i chose 11.4 and not 12.1. Well, the answer is simple: Gnome 2.32. And yes, just like many others i can't use Gnome 3, that's unbearable to me. I've heard that it's kinda possible to get Gnome 2.32 on openSUSE 12 using 11.4 repos, but i doubt that it's really a good thing to do. As for other WM's, they don't please my sight too much. And that's not all. SUSE 11.4 software seems to be quite updated even today. At least it's twice as newer than even on Debian stable that i'm still using, and having less probs than i had trying out openSUSE with newer kernel (2.6.37) and lotsa other stuff. So, obviously, lack of updates is not the issue here. And also it should be just fine for my hardware.

Now, for the problems i've discovered on SUSE 11.4. Of course, as usual they're all simply ridiculous, but i won't refer to SUSE as such now, 'cause all linux distros have such things. Most of them can be solved though, but like always you have to find out first how to accomplish that. Ok, here goes:

1) Couldn't turn off mic monitoring, could hear myself speaking/blowing into microphone. There was no option to turn it off, only to reduce it, but still audible. Probably some audio glitch as usual. That's a minor problem, yet complementing the rest of it.

2) Sun JAVA 7 or openjdk wouldn't work properly (mainly java plugin). Again, some sound glitch. Applets tend to swallow bits and pieces of sound while running. Has been encountered on Debian too, but successfully solved. Same approach whatever it was has no effect on SUSE. The problem persists. Perhaps incorrect installation method, but i tried all i could. I think it's something else.

3) VLC player launches with quite a long delay for a lightweight player, that usually appears in a flash on any other platform/distro. Here it's slow. Ran from the terminal - no errors. It's simply delayed. When clicking through buncha clips that might be quite obstructive. Maybe launcher properties, dunno.

4) No GKSU to my surprise. I need that BAD.

5) For some reason most of apps refuse to run as root from the terminal reporting various errors.

6) If turn compiz desktop effects on i get partial text corruption on some screens. Usually in browsers. Like bits and pieces were cut off the page.


Maybe it's all lack of experience, but honestly, it just doesn't look like that Anyways, i'd be glad to receive any help on the given above issues.

Now for my hardware just in case:

AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 240 Processor (2800Mhz)
RAM: 4gb
Video: Nvidia GeForce GT240
Audio: onboard HDA Intel

For all multimedia and sound related issues:
Use the packman repository.
Can be easily added with YaST/repos. In the repo management klick "community repos" and it will show up.
Having it added goto YaST/installing software.
Set the selection to repos (don't know the correct name) and choose the packman repo.
There is a link to change all packages to the packman repo.

DO NOT USE a vlc repo. Use packmans vlc!

Some information about gksu

Can't help with compizz. Never used it. And i am using KDE. The desktop effects are already included with KDE, working properly.

I'm also not using java.
But you can easily install some versions of java and use "update-alternatives" to try them all out, and then keep the best.
Or using a little script, that calls the fitting version directly or make via "update-alternatives" the fitting being called.

And join on freenode.net channel #suse .
Very helpful people. There are more channel about openSUSE in different languages

dude, thanks a lot. You won't believe it, but i WAS using packman's vlc. But now as you told me that there's vlc repo too i got VLC 2.0 from there and it works just wonderfully! Opens up in a flash. So after all that ain't such a bad thing to get VLC from official repo, is it... anyways, thanks for all suggestions, and yes, i know about #suse, i've been hanging out on freenonde for quite a while.

Brave man! Using vlc 2
:-)

The vlc issues were related to V 1.x
I'm wondering why you got problems with the vlc version from packman...

I dunno, it was just starting up slow. And by the way, it's not only with me, some other people reported the same thing.

not sure about the mic so....

multimedia -- as others have stated use "packman"
DO NOT use the oss or suse-repo

do to legal issues with codecs and things like libdvdcss
suse tries to default AWAY from packman
but things will stable down
the wiki is a good start
http://en.opensuse.org/Restricted_formats
http://software.opensuse.org/codecs
and
http://opensuse-community.org/Main_Page


JAVA
it looks like you are thinking "the MS way"

suse and almost all major distros are using "alternatives"

that openjdk java plugin in /lib64/browser-plugins is a link to the 32 bit usr/lib/browser-plugins
that in turn is a link to the alternatives folder
and that ( again in turn) ......

this allows for BOTH Oracle's java and openjdk to be installed
you use alternatives to switch between them ( like gcc 3.3,gcc4.3,and gcc 4.5 )

this can cause some confusion for a FF plugin if you ARE NOT using the default firefox3.6 in 11.4

Now I decided not to even play the distros game with the 32 bit FF on a 64 bit suse
i run the 64 bit custom Fierfox 10 and the 64 bit ff plugins
100% custom install

so before going into YOUR java issues .I would need to know
32 bit opensuse11.4 or the 64 bit ?
if 64 bit then the 32 bit FF or the 64 bit FF ?
and what java plugin the 32 bit or the 64 bit ( if 64 bit os)

-- yes it is a bit confusing ---

VLC
it is in packman use that version - do not use 2 yet unless you are building it form source

gksu
for the gnome ONLY ( if kde is also installed there is a launch root terminal using sudo )
but i dislike sudo on a single user ( well two people) system
i use "su -"

there is yast ( looks like the windows "start" menu)
it will ask for a root password before launching the gui

I am guessing you are using " su"
that will NOT work
Use " su -" with the dash

as to compiz
i got that out of my system back in the fedora 6 to 8 days

you have a nvidia card so WHAT driver are you using
the DEFAULT nouveau or the rpm from suse
OR
the nvidia.run( "the hard way" )
see the wiki
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA

I use the nvidia.run and rebuild the boot image ( "the hard way" ) with my gts 240
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_the_hard_way

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA#Proprietary_drivers

Thank you for such a wide query regarding my issues, i do really appreciate that

Ok, step by step...

I SOLVED mic issue by installing PulseAudio manager, so dismissed!

I've already solved that, thank you very much. Have no probs with multimedia at the moment.

opensuse 11.4 x86-64.
Firefox 10 x86-64
Java also x86-64

And no, it's not confusing at all, good thing there's at least some discussion on the subject questioned, 'cause i really dunno what to think. Listen, all javas here work kinda funky, everyone of them behaves differently, but usually that goes for audio. It either stutters, or swallows bits and pieces or comes late etc etc etc.

But why?.. It works good. Well, i haven't tested it thoroughly, but it seems to be working just fine, i played a couple of videos in it, it's ok. I repeat - version from packman is slow on startup! It takes like 4 seconds till it appears. I dunno why, but that's what it is, and it's kinda annoying. If i get any troubles with VLC 2.0 i'll revert to packman's one, but for now it's quite satisfactory.

Thanks, i've solved that too. I mean people told me about "su -" and also someone gave me a repo to a REAL gksu (same as gnomesu, but i'm used to gksu since i'm a debian user) It's ok.



Got out what? Compiz or the issue? If the first one then understand please, that i simply need compiz for a few things, not much for eyecandy though, but for things like window centering etc which normally is not provided by metacity only. That's why i want it work properly. And it works pretty well on Debian, no big troubles. But here it's kinda... disturbing.

I got a driver this way: zypper ar -f ftp://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/11.4/ nvidia
And then i didn't even bother installing it myself, YasT suggested me that. This driver is marked as G02.
And it seems to be pretty much ok, except for the compiz.


Also one extra question here... "search file" thing works weird in opensuse 11.4 gnome... i mean, i can't really search for files, it just shows this: http://s7.postimage.org/6fvtqtucr/Screenshot.png