Im a long time Kubuntu user and have been thinking about checking out OpenSUSE is it worth it and is OpenSUSE better or worse than Kubuntu? Just looking for some opinions.

Yes, but if you have some patience, I would wait for the new release (10.3) in October.

I find that OpenSuse allows for much more flexibility when it comes to package management... I had bad experience with *buntu's package management removing bulks of stuff when all I wanted was one thing removed.

10.3 which is in its first beta phase has already significantly decreased boot time and sped up package management. They will now offer 1 cd installations as well for kde and gnome.

Its looking very promising, along with the awaited KDE4 which will be released not too long afterward!

Thanks Guitarist88 for the advice Ill look into it once the new edition comes out. I too am greatly looking forward to KDE 4 and all that it will offer.

OpenSUSE 10.2 is one of several that are in the "waiting room" on my drive. When Mepis 6.5 developed a printing issue, I started to set up SUSE, but there was some issue that led me to instead bring PCLinuxOS 2007 to the front. Both of these are very good, and it was a random event that put PCLOS in front.

There is no "better"--each has its little quirks and you just have to choose which quirks to deal with.

The last 2 releases have had problems with the software updater (worked great before Novell), and the latest start menu is "an interesting experiment". The issue of the Novell/Microsoft deal is left to each to decide as they see fit.
I am backing off on (Open)Suse which I was quite fond of in favor of Ubuntu even though I very much prefer KDE.
If you have only used Kubuntu, investigating any on the more "classic" Linux distributions may be worthwhile. One of the things I dislike about *buntu are the propagation of the belief that a seperate version is necessary for each desktop. It really is not. "Classic" Linux distributions allowed the installation of any or all desktops desired. Although these can be added later with *buntu, many posters seem to believe these are all separate operating systems.
Trying a distribution such as Opensuse or Mandriva will show what I consider the more "classic" way of allowing any user choices during install.
Slackware 12 is also really good and worth a look. By adding "slapt-get" and following the "12.0 and HAL" sticky I have the easiest Slackware ever installed.
It does not really matter if you try Opensuse, or Slackware, or something else. Trying another version of Linux shows you what is available and can help you see if what you are using is what you really want to be using.

I've never tried it... And does not plan to...
So I can't give you much suggestion...

So why post this response?

2damncommon I know what you mean by the *buntu thing with people thinking they need seperate distros for each environment and i know this not to be true. I found that out early in my linux walk. I first started out using linspire and got tired of its restricted feeling. I dont really remember what perked my interest in Kubuntu but have been using it ever since. I like the start menu in OpenSUSE. I'm gonna keep looking around and see what else I can find that may perk my interests.

I have tried several distros in the past six months, but find openSuSE to be the easiest of all.

I have been using Windows for so many years, & have found OpenSuSE very much close to it. No other OS will give you such stability & security plus the look & feel of Windows (with a little customization, I use KDE).

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Regards,

Devang.

As a fairly long user os Suse I'd say each distro is diff and each takes a bit getiing used to - I tried Kubuntu but somehow corrupted the .deb db and couldn't fix it so went back to Suse.

Suse has some problems (imho) such as slow boot, slow mediocre package management and some non-standard package names - all of which are supposed to improve (iirc) in 10.3.

The things that keep me on OpenSuse are Yast (the Kubuntu control center is trivial in comparison) and the recovery utilities on cd1 as I have a habit of having to fix what I broke and I break a lot of things. Suse has a long history as a server and desktop (user and corporate) and that allows for a true multipurpose distro.

But remember if your comfortable with what you have and it works fine for you then .............. but Suse is (as are others) free and just a download away.

Well I tried SUSE and couldnt for the life of me figure out how to do alot of things so i decided to reinstall kubuntu but alas i forgot i lent my brother my cd so I ended up installing Xubuntu.

What couldn't you figure out?

I would highly recommend openSUSE and even SLED 10.

I've been using SUSE for a very long time now, and of course i've dabbled into Ubuntu / Kubuntu since it seems to be the craze, but I always go back to openSUSE and KDE (I don't care for Gnome on a machine I use Daily as my workstation, on a server it's fine.. ).

One downfall of openSUSE is the package management, and it seems to be getting better. A instant recommendation I would make is removing ZMD.

http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_remove..._OpenSUSE_10.2

Just couldnt get used to Yast i guess. I love the kickoff menu an stuff. I couldnt figure out how to configure anything. I guess I am just to used to Kubuntu. I like both KDE and Gnome right now I am on Ubuntu. Ill give it another go someday when i get a bigger hd and a new computer.