I have 2 versions of SUSE, 10.3 witch is awesome and a broken 11.1.

I downloaded 11.0 when it came out and have had nothing but problems with it as it appears everyone else has. So, yesterday I downloaded SUSE 11.1 (torrent download) data was verified and installed it this morning as a new installation. After the install I tried to add a widget (battery). It did nothing but "delete" the status bar!
So a right click and add status bar did nothing but give me a "flash look" of a status bar witch it placed at the top of the screen. Absolutely could not get a status bar at the bottom of the screen. So I figured it screwed up in the installation (using automatic), so I installed it again (as new installation). I get the same screen installation as the 1st installation with no way to get a status bar.
It evidently uses settings/programing/whatever from the first install so trying to do additional installs even as "New" will get you nowhere.
So does anyone have any ideas, I'm just sorta fed up right now.

Which desktop?

I have used open SUSE 11.0 with KDE 3.5 without problems. I installed 11.1 with KDE 4.x and found it interesting for the future. What I had of it was without sound.

You might try 11.0 with KDE 3.5 or Gnome, or 11.1 with KDE 3.5 or Gnome, or either with any of the other desktops available from the installation DVD.

You did not mention what hardware you were using as the basis for this troublesome system you are so unhappy with.

http://en.opensuse.org/Released_Version

Like you I have had various problems with early versions of Suse 9.x, 10.x, and now 11.x. I am currently running 10.3 on four different boxes and find it very stable. My only objection is Yast's slow speed on new and upgraded software. I am always curious about innovations in newer versions, but generally speaking I believe in the principle "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Of course if you buy this week's newest model of computer it's difficult to use last years versions on new hardware. My question is, if 10.3 works for you why not wait a little longer, say until 11.3 rolls around? It's like buying a new model of a car you like the looks of only to find that they haven't worked out all glitches yet.

By the way, what useable features does 11.1 have that you are missing in 10.3?

Lola Kews, I feel your frustration.
Because only someone who is frustrated would post something like that. I'm not everyone else. I'm sure I had a few problems with 11.0 but overall it was ok. But 11.1 is definitely better.

Sounds to me like you need to slow down and take some methodical steps towards configuring your system. During the install, when you get to the point where it tests your internet connection, the installer will ask you if you want to install updates that are available. Did you do this?

After a fresh install, the first thing you should do is wait for the openSUSE updater to advise you of all the updates that are available and then install them. Then you need to launch the YaST software tool and click accept, which will install some more updates which will already be cued up.

It sounds like you're using KDE, right? The first thing you need to do is update it to the latest version, 4.2.3. Don't try to configure anything until you do this. Post back if you need help on adding the KDE 4.2 repos.

I have had issues with 11.1 as an update; I think most of those wouldn't have happened if I had done a clean install, but I can't be exactly sure.

Arguably, more important, if you are using the version of kde 4 that comes with 11.1, you need to consider not doing that. KDE 4 is still in a state in which it has rather too many little gotchas and missing features for it to be the system of choice for all users; the more adventurous users may well like it and want to be at the bleeding edge generally, but there are some users for whom KDE 4 is still the wrong answer (I'm guessing 4.3 for the first, widely reccomendable, release, but YMMV).

At this point KDE 4 is still a bit tricky with some of the settings, and I have seen some attempts to reconfigure things go wrong (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't). Did you try right click on the desktop and add a panel?

Right click on the panel and change panel settings.


When things get really bad, if you delete the tree 'kde4' under your home directory the next login should re-create a clean kde4 tree for you (note that this is a hidden tree; so its actually called .kde4). This is a measure of the last resort, but not as painful as what you actually did...

An alternative is to use yast to de-install and re-install the gui that is badly configured, but this isn't as low impact as just removing the tree.

To be honest, my best guess as to what will solve this problem is to try kde 3.x for the moment (11.2/kde 4.3 ought to be better for you, in a few months time). You could try a 'lastest and greatest, snapshot release' of kde, which will be better than the kde that you currently have, but I haven't yet tried that and I'm not sure how much better that would be; I wouldn't go for a non-SuSE generic KDE release, which is what would probably get you the very latest release, because I like some of SuSE's customisations, but YMMV (again).

Alternatively, Gnome or XFCE might be more to your taste. And you seem to be too willing to go for dramatic 're-install everything' solutions when there are (many) less painful solutions to the problem that you actually have; so you need to calm down a bit, spend a few minutes thinking rather than panicking, and maybe post problems here before re-installing everything.

I can't be without an operating system terefore I run the 2 versions, SUSE 10.3 witch has been very good for me and one of there newer versions 11.0 not stable at all (64 bit version). So I downloaded 11.1 (64 bit version) by way of a torrent, evidently the download was corrupted in some way as it was a total mess. I am going to download it again today from the LQ wsb site and see if it will install.
The install I did yesterday was the automatic install witvh appeared to go fine, but didn't. So the person telling/implying I am not installing correctly doesn't know what he is talking about. He should try to be helpful instead of so condescending.

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3500, 1 gig ram, 2 70 gig hard drives.

Yes I am upset.

Just so you understand better I came back to say this:

When I say trash, that is exactly what I received from a automatic installation. By automatic I mean accepting what the installation menu's suggested, oh I did correct the time.

When it booted to the start up screen the only thing I did was add (try to ) a battery widget. That was it.
It is now absolutely locked up, I can boot it over and over and get the same thing a locked screen. There is a icon for firefox, but it's locked.

I tried the options on the installation disk to fix, reinstall, check data, everything there following the instructions. When you boot back up to 11.1 it is just as I said above locked. You can't open yast or anything else.

10.3 works fine. What I need to know is a way to delete 11.1 from 10.3?

How did you install opensuse 11.1 as separate OS ?
Meaning you two OS opensuse 10.3 and opensuse 11.1
Or did you do a fresh install of opensuse 11.1

I did a fresh install of SUSE 11.1 (I already had 10.3 installed).

Unfortunately I used the KDE 4.* that came with the 11.1.
It totally trashed the entire setup, I lost everything!

So, I reinstalled 11.1 using KDE 3.5 and it loaded OK. That is now the only OS I currently have.

THe fresh install is it working properly ?
How did you do the fresh install ?
Using the space that opensuse 11.1 was using before ?
Or did you let opensuse decide for you ?
I only ask this questions if you like to get opensuse 10.3 back
If you like to get opensuse 10.3 back ask for a terminal as su or root
and run the command fdisk -l and give the out put
Normally during the first install of opensuse 11,1 on the auto pilot
she shrink the partition of opensuse 10.3 , but is still there.
To get it back you have to repair the file system of opensusew 10.3

ronlau9, I thank you, but unfortunately it's 2 late for that. I monkeyed with things to much. I'm very impatient by nature, unfortunately!

I have the SUSE 11.1 set up somewhat to my liking, still to early to tell actually.
My advise to everyone else would be to stay the heck away from early introductions of anything in the world of computing. These guys seem to want to let the public dissolve problems, not exactly a great idea!

Thanks ronlau9 for your input and help.