As someone new to Linux I can agree with the above statement. Reinstalling the OS
when problems arise may not be what the experts do, but it does work. It also makes
one more knowledgable about HD formatting, bootloaders, and options with the install
process.

I'll try a manual install in the next week or so.

What I think is also a good idea and a pity they're not continuing it, is the personal edition. I think it's great to have a distro that can install from a single cd, as much as I love linux, having to switch cd's all the time tends to get annoying after years of installs.

I don't mind if for when i'm setting up a server, but when you just want a desktop OS that is only used for surfing and reading mail, you don't need all the extra server applications.

But SuSE Pro comes with an installation DVD, so there is no switching CDs involved.
Re SuSE Personal on one CD: most people, after a short lived enthusiasm realized that they had too few apps available.

I can't count how many times in other forums people have asked how to add extra programs or complained about missing ones.

well after 2 weeks of dealing with this i have had all sorts of problems. My laptop just freezes for no apparent reason either in kde or gnome. I tried to compile kernel 2.6.10 and boom, that was no good. Basically, i am hoping i have a laptop hardware issue as i am sending this back to ibm to have the equipment looked at. If it comes back clean, then i am moving off of suse for a long while. I hear good things about U.... Which i might be looking into while i wait for my thinkpad to return home.

In a nut shell, i have also had apps locking up, freeeezes all the time, vmware no longer loads, all kinds of stuff that makes me winder if switching from xp was a good choice? or, just a bad choice of distro?

The hardware of some PCs, especially laptops, can be very linux unfriendly. I had a laptop notorious for that reason.
It made me believe tha Mandrake 9.1 was rubbish, but then it runs fine in my desktop (more recent)
I suggest that you try a few more distros before making up your mind.
I'd suggest Libranet, which is notorious for running even in some of the most unusual hardware: 2.8.1 is a free download.

It would be better if it supported nvidia

What? Have you tried YOU it pretty much installs itself.

So far I've had quite a few problems, and I've never had any problems using SuSE; in reality thats why I use it from time to time. My preserverence is the only reason it's up and running right now with minimal issues (really weird issues). I'm actually typing on it right now. My opinon is it's definatly the best looking distro I've seen so far, and as far as the problems go if I decide to stick with it and wait I know they'll be patched. I mean in all honesty it seems like there are alot of people that are going through hell running updates etc..., if you wait it will be taken care of.

This will be a stumbling block for people switching to Linux from MS. As I am a linux newbie and spent the last weeks with SUSE, I have learned a great deal, but most people who are not tech savy will not have the patience or the want to fiddle to make things work. In my earlier post i have given up on SUSE for my thinkpad, I just do not have the time, I need a stable distro for now to actually work, then learn on it as i go. This I have to say is one advantage MS has, most hardware will take MS, thus the user can install it usually without a hitch, unlike Linux where mods are needed most of the time. I do have a question which i hope posted here will be answered honestly. I am looking at Xandros, more specifically Bus Edition. It costs 125 and I would like to know if anybody has used it and deem worth the $$$$$ for it. The whole concept of open source and then this 125 has me a bit confused, but from the site it does look promising for a newbie to be up and running at least from the install and allows you to use Office if one chooses to

This is a great site, for a newbie such as myself there is a wealth of info here and people seem willing to help out linux virgins a lot. I am not switching back to MS, Bill has enough of my money now, but I would appreciate insight to other distro's for newbies only that at least install nicely on most hardware (THINKPADS T42) LOL.

John

Have you tried Mandrake?

My version of suse 9.2 comes on 5 cd's, not all my machines have dvdroms yet, most just have the hand-me-downs as I upgrade.

Yes some people may not like the few applications that one cd may have, but for me the few the better. I just don't like to have 3 FTP or 4 messenger programs when 1 will do the job just fine, but like most things it all boils down to what you want out of your distro.

I prefer choices because I expect to find the software I want to use included in a distro and not just the ones chosen for me.
I have yet to see a distro that by default installs and uses every program I want.
Being realistic, to include what I want, and to include what any one else wants, more than one version needs to be included.
Using the "expert" or "advanced" installation of a distro allows only the version you want to be installed.

A special note to :

ubuntu-addict Member but he hasn't been for very long either .


OH dear --why do we always get these totally junked up posts by "probably 16 year old" net knowalls who have nothing better to with their time other than Troll.

-- there's not a lot wrong with SUSE --you might LIKE it or NOT like it as you see fit --but to say it's a load of dog-poo (and looking at the sig --Ubuntu --maybe you are trying to push another distro --OK but sell it properly) without giving PROPER reasons as to why it doesn't work just shows (a) your total immaturity, and b) If I had my way you'd be off the Net PERMANENTLY --PERIOD.

If stuff doesn't work --OK Post and let's know what hardware you are using --and some Screen grabs would also help.

On 99.9999% of Intel type PC's SUSE 9.2 DOES work --with some exceptions of eseorteric hardware and your wireless connection *Might* or *Might not* work but to say the whole Distro is JUNK just shows your TOTAL IMMATURITY and incapability of making a reasoned and logical argument --so unless you have a coherent point to make please TROLL SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Maybe ADSL / Broadband is getting too cheap -- or perhaps some of these forums should be made more restrictive to a maturer audience.

I'm not saying that SUSE 9.2 is perfect --but to say it's a load of Junk --please go away and listen to your cr***y music on your IPOD.

-K

Exactly. For instance instead of Konqueror, Kmail, KGet I prefer Firefox, Thunderbird or Evolution, D4X...
And there are tons of software I normally use missing from 9.1 Personal.

This happens all the time. Now and again a distro becomes very fashionable, surrounded by a lot of hype, and its teenager users must go to every forum to tell everybody that they have discovered the best thing after sliced salami.
Gentoo was the worst case. Then came Arch. And now it is Ubuntu.
What is the situation now? Gentoo is 8th at Distrowatch and still going down (to be noticed that apparently the majority of Ubuntu users came from Gentoo)
Arch? Almost forgotten.
Ubuntu? Decent, but definitely not my cup of tea: I prefer KDE and I want full Debian compatibility. I find their implementation of Gnome depressing (I have 2.8 from Debian proper and I find it so much better) and I can't stomach that newly installed software doesn't appear in the menu.

Yes that's true that there will always be missing some program you prefer, maybe i'm just happy with a ot of the defaults. I like using Konqueror, Kmail, although I did have Evolution on one distro and I thought is was a nice program. Haven't tried Firefox yet so I could comment on that one.