“OpenSUSE 10.2 Beta1 contains a large number of enhancements and updates done by the open source community and Novell’s development teams. I’d like to point out especially the following significant changes for OpenSUSE 10.2 from our list of updates of all open source subcomponents, integration of new subcomponents and improvements in various areas: Linux Kernel 2.6.18.1; glibc 2.5; Firefox 2.0; GNOME 2.16.1; KDE 3.5.5; X11 R7.2 RC; both KDE and GNOME feature improved start menus compared to upstream; improved desktop effects (compiz 0.2).”
I can’t wait to try this beta. I tried OpenSuse for the first time with alpha5 and it was quite promising. I love the kickstart menu in KDE. Pure genius, and even though I’m a Windows user, I like it a lot more than Vista’s. I hate gnome but I remember the menu in SLED10 was decent too..much better than the normal one.
I can’t wait to try this one out 10.1 was really good but had lots of problems especially with the installer. I dreaded my first install but over all experience was great. As far as i read I think 10.2 will be a great release with plenty of new features to play around with. By the way does anyone know if kde 4 will be included in this release? It would be really interesting to see that.
KDE4 is nowhere near finished, only under the hood is in svn I believe.
Right.
The interface is the next step and is where designers can become creative and innovate new ideas.
I’m very excited to see how it all turns out.
This release is also built with –hash-style for better performance, just like fedora 6. Yay!
When I heard that suse had changed code bases for it’s pacakge manager I though “Oh, great this is not gonna be pretty.” I was right. YOU and zmd updater have been horribly slow and buggy. I have ended up using smart, which is no where up to par with the old style suse package manager.
YOU and zmd updater have been horribly slow and buggy. I have ended up using smart, which is no where up to par with the old style suse package manager.
Remove zmd, just uninstall it. Yast will revert back to it’s pre-10.1 functionality. It’s a beautiful thing.
The good news is that in 10.2, package management in Yast2 is much improved performance wise. It’s not only useable, I find it preferable to Smart.
Of course, that’s with zmd removed. Tried it once right after installing alpha 4 with the zmd crapola but within 5 seconds my fans went into hyperdrive, the poor laptop started hopping across my desk and the hard drive shot out across the room. That was enough for me so I uninstalled it, I just don’t see the point of it. Problem with updaing from factory is that it keeps trying to sneak back on my system, but good old Yast makes it easy to keep away.
“By the way does anyone know if kde 4 will be included in this release? It would be really interesting to see that.”
No, KDE4 won’t be included, since it’s a loooong time from coming out yet. In fact some KDE developers might start to turn pale reading your comment. Expect to see it bundled with distros at the end of 2007. At least, that’s my personal estimate (based on nothing more than some loose information I read on KDE.org, and some intuition)
No, KDE4 won’t be included, since it’s a loooong time from coming out yet.
If OpenSuse follow the practice Suse has historically followed the release will include a KDE4 version, in one form or another. Obviously marked experimental, and not intended for the main desktop.
Suse has always included alpha/beta versions of the next major KDE release, when such has been avaliable at release time.
Given that the second Krash prerelease is up for release soon, and more will come before the end of the year. So one included would not be a surprise.
Edited 2006-10-26 18:07
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but they don’t even have alpha builds of KDE4 yet. It’s a long long way off and people are still thinking of ideas and designs for it.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but they don’t even have alpha builds of KDE4 yet.
No alphas yet, but the second krash snapshot is days away. Lots of work has been done. Expecting a few more or a alpha before the end of the year is not to much.
Given that the second Krash prerelease is up for release soon, and more will come before the end of the year. So one included would not be a surprise.
Suse has made development builds of KDE 4 available in their build service for some time, predating the Krash release. But they are strictly for developmental use, building applications against and stuff ‘n such. They’re available for 10.1 and factory.
With some effort you can get the libraries installed alongside KDE 3.x in order to download the stuff from svn as it’s made available. But I wouldn’t even call it pre-alpha yet. It’s simply a collection of libraries. There’s still far too much work to be done before any sort of a useable preview version could be made available for general use, even as an alpha.
However, it’s a safe bet that Suse will be among the first distros to offer it as an unsupported package installation when it does happen, as they always have.
Just won’t happen for this release.
“I have ended up using smart, which is no where up to par with the old style suse package manager.”
That’s true, although there are now SuSe 10.1 “Remastered” CD’s out, which should solve the problems for most people. Or you can just wait to see how 10.2 turns out in the package-handling department.
the newest of the newest, oh dear…
There is a YaST-installer bug in Alpha 5 and now Beta 1 that prevents it from working on PowerPC machines like servers and earlier generation Macs.
Other than that, 10.2 looks to be a great release. Its going to even include Xorg 7.2!
As for compiz 0.2… Gnome 2.16 already includes a compositing window manager and 3D effects. It just has to be compiled in and enabled. I expect it will be supported by default (without extra build options) by 2.18, and easily enabled by the user with proper video drivers.
KDE 4’s Kwin is also planned to have compisiting support and 2D/3D effects.
KDE4 (and to a degree Gnome 2.18) herald the ‘real’ next-gen-linux desktop.
but until then, SUSE 10.2 seems perfectly timed with the inclusion of:
KDE 3.5.5.
Gnome 2.16
Kernel 2.6.18.1
Slab-style KDE/Gnome Menu bars
X.org 7.2
O.O.o 2.0.4
Koffice 1.6
Opensync 0.19 (0.20 in final?)
Digicam 0.9 (can it be confirmed?)
Gimp 2.4 (can it be confirmed?)
Firefox 2
Taskjuggler 2.3.0
Cups 1.2.5
Amarok 1.4.4 (seems to have reverted to 1.4.3?)
bugs withstanding, it will be a truly excellent release.
Edited 2006-10-26 20:05
metalinks (http://www.metalinker.org/) available from http://download.packages.ro/metalink/opensuse/
“However, it’s a safe bet that Suse will be among the first distros to offer it as an unsupported package installation when it does happen, as they always have.”
Okay, I stand corrected.
I interpreted the question as: when will <some distro> *feature* KDE4 as its (stable) desktop. I’m not a developer, so I didn’t think of it in that context and was unaware of them including cutting-edge stuff for developers to ‘mess around’ with.
KDE4 seems such a departure from the previous KDE’s, that I hope KDE takes its time for it though.
On a sidenote, SuSe offering (one of) the latest KDE versions is one of the reasons why I prefer SuSe over other distros.
Edited 2006-10-27 06:27
Okay, I stand corrected.
I interpreted the question as: when will <some distro> *feature* KDE4 as its (stable) desktop. I’m not a developer, so I didn’t think of it in that context and was unaware of them including cutting-edge stuff for developers to ‘mess around’ with.
KDE4 seems such a departure from the previous KDE’s, that I hope KDE takes its time for it though.
On a sidenote, SuSe offering (one of) the latest KDE versions is one of the reasons why I prefer SuSe over other distros.
Hey, I was backing you up, not disagreeing…
You’re right, it will be well into 2007 before a KDE 4 “final” is out and any of the distributions can use it as a core package, and Suse will be one fo the first distros supporting it.