Bonum Certa Men Certa

Do-No-Evil Saturday - Part I: SUSE News, Including BrainShare Announcements

SUSE in Blue



There are buckets of reports owing to BrainShare. A day may not be enough to cover them all, so it's likely that BrainShare focus will come tomorrow. In the mean time, here are the news about OpenSUSE and SLED/SLES.

Let's start with something relatively entertaining. A new advert was coughed up at YouTube just under a day ago.



OpenSUSE



As you may already know, FOSDEM 2008 finished quite recently. A couple of week after it had ended, videos and slides were made available online. It's all about OpenSUSE.

The eighth Free and Open source Software Developers' European Meeting (commonly known as FOSDEM) takes place during the last week-end (23&24) of February 2008 in the city of Brussels, Belgium. It's an annual 2-day event hosting talks, tutorials, and booth for the free software/open source community. It is organized by volunteers at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. Access to all parts of FOSDEM is free of charge (but donations and sponsors are welcome to help fund the event).


More here about KDE4.

The video recordings and slides from the openSUSE dev room at FOSDEM2008 are finally up: http://en.opensuse.org/FOSDEM2008. You'll find some openSUSE KDE 4 slides there as well as many other interesting talks.


OpenSUSE 11.0 is now officially at alpha 3 phase.

After four regular weeks and one hack week after Alpha 2, we are very happy to announce openSUSE 11.0 Alpha 3.


Here is a good new review of OpenSuse 10.3.

All in all I am very impressed with openSuse 10.3. Its an improvement 10.2 and is definitely moving forward at a noticeable pace. I am using it as my current production RoR development environment and I haven’t stopped smiling since I installed it. openSuse 10.3 is definitely worth a look at if you are looking at an alternative to your current desktop OS.


Bill Beebe is optimistic about OpenSUSE this time around.

I'm still not sure about KDE 4. While I have no problem living on the bleeding edge, I tend to like my bleeding edge reasonably useful. KDE 4 is just different enough from KDE 3 that I would tend to install KDE 3 on openSUSE 11. But then again, my impressions are with a rapidly evolving desktop, and KDE 4 is advancing with incredible speed. Who knows how it might behave 30 days, or even a week from now?

I knowingly tempt the Fates by saying this, but based on what little exposure I've had to it so far, I think openSUSE 11 just might be a really good release.


And then there are the positive experiences with OpenSUSE on a Dell Latitude D505.

The quest to get GNU/Linux to run well on a laptop has been a long running challenge. In this piece, Ed looks at his success with OpenSUSE on a Dell Latitude laptop.


An OpenSUSE-based JeOS (pronounced juice) is now out there. The name was first heard when Canonical introduced it.

A new project called Lime JeOS (LInux Minimal Edition Just enough Operating System) has been created at the openSUSE community.


For KDE4 enthusiasts, a new version of KDE Four Live is now available.

It has been over a month since the last version and it's still a month until KDE 4.1 Alpha 1 so it seems a good time to create a new Live CD with the openSUSE KDE 4.0.66 snapshot packages.


More about KDE4 at BrainShare here. It's just a short blurb really.

The KDE Team here at Novell have worked our KPats off all over KDE 4 to make it great and the Novell customer base deserve to know about it.


Francis Giannaros has got some more bits of new information in the newsletter.




Issue 14 of openSUSE Weekly News is now out![0]

In this week's issue:

* Videos and Slides from FOSDEM 2008 * openSUSE to Participate in Google Summer of Code 2008 * Novell Free Hugs at CeBit 2008 * KIWI-LTSP 0.3.14 Now Out * LimeJeOS, the openSUSE-based JeOS is Born * Banshee 1.0Alpha1 is Available with 1-Click-Install * New KDE Four Live and updated KDE 4.1 Snapshot Packages * HP to preload SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on Notebooks, Desktops * In Tips and Tricks: Best Practices for Editing Configuration Files * Upcoming: openSUSE 11.0 Alpha 3 (today)

[0] http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSUSE_Weekly_News/14

Have a lot of fun! -- Francis Giannaros




Appliances



Here is an interesting new thing. Novell is now entering the field of custom-made/tailored appliances and applying these old principles to SUSE.

The next version of Novell's Suse Linux operating system will make it easier for ISVs to create software appliances, the company said at the Brainshare conference in Salt Lake City.


SLED



There is quite a lot here in terms of development. At risk of excessive repetition, let us go through some of the many reports. Fujitsu and SLED seem to have somewhat of a love affair which revolves around certification. Four of Fujitsu's laptops are listed.

Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation announced at opening day of BrainShare 2008 that the Fujitsu LifeBook U810, LifeBook T2010, LifeBook P1620 ultra-portable convertible notebooks and the LifeBook S6510 thin and light notebook have been YES Certified by Novell. The certification means the notebooks have been stringently tested for compatibility with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from Novell.


The bigger news are the preinstalls of SLED 10 by Hewlett-Packard. Steven Vaughan does not hold his breath yet.

I would have liked to have been able to tell you in great detail exactly what desktops and laptops will soon be coming from Hewlett-Packard equipped with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10.


We will probably elaborate on this tomorrow.

SLED 11



Novell has started previewing and throwing around some big hints about SLED 11, which had the press humming for a while. One reporter described it as some kind of a war on Sun and Red Hat (it makes an eye-catching headline, doesn't it?).

The next version of Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server will focus on migration technologies and virtualisation, in order to entice users from Unix and take market share from Red Hat, according to a roadmap announced at the company's BrainShare meeting in Salt Lake City.


Here is the promotional twist.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 to focus on innovation in mission-critical data center technologies, UNIX migration capabilities, virtualization, interoperability, green computing and desktop Linux


For your reading pleasure, here is a 'buffer overflow' comprising other reports:

1. Novell Starts Talking SLES 11

Among the company’s lofty goals is to make SLES 11 available as an appliance that will be supported by a new tool set.


2. Suse Linux Enterprise 11 – Lean, Mean and Green!

Novell announces development plans for the next generation of Suse Linux, promising mission-critical abilities in a power-friendly package.


3. Novell’s SUSE Linux 11 to come in appliance, embedded, real-time editions

Novell opened the kimono on its development plans for SUSE Linux Enterprise Linux 11 at Brainshare 2008 this week but let it be known the product won’t ship until 2009 or possibly 2010. In fact, the Cambridge, Mass. won’t even provide a planned ship date until the end of this year.


4. Novell previews SuSE Enterprise Linux 11

Novell has revealed details of the next version of its flagship SuSE Linux Enterprise 11 platform.

[...]

SuSE Linux Enterprise 11 will also run on desktops in thick- and thin-client modes and technical workstations.


5. Novell emphasizes integration with Suse Linux 11

The company president sits down with ComputerWorld Canada to discuss the latest update to its enterprise open source operating system, while a Canadian customer discusses his desktop deployment


To finish off, here is a new Geek My SLED video. It's part of a series that they had in previous years (at least one year back).



Linspire



This post is not about Linspire, but then again, there is not much to be said about it anyway. Here is a quick review of Linspire.

Having been round the houses with Linux systems I've eventually ended up back with Linspire.


The CNR press releases keep coming, but no reports appear to be covering these announcements, which are non-events really.

Linspire, Inc. developer of CNR.com, an easy-to-use, one-click digital software delivery service for desktop Linux software, and Basilisk Games, an independent game developer, today announced the immediate availability of Eschalon: Book I for Freespire 2.0, Linspire 6.0, Ubuntu 7.04 & 7.10 (32 bit) desktop Linux users.


As you can imagine, there's loads more to go through. Skip the "Do-No-Evil Saturday"-labeled posts if you have no interest in general Novell news.

Recent Techrights' Posts

[Video] Richard Stallman's Talk in Sweden, Attended by Nearly 700 People, is Now Online
The Web page is in Swedish, but the talk is in English
 
Gemini Links 25/10/2025: "The Highest Leader of The Global Civil Society Community", SSL Certificates Causing Bitrot
Links for the day
Links 25/10/2025: Target Layoffs and "Shutdown Sparks 85% Increase in US Government Cyberattacks"
Links for the day
"Big Data" Was a Big Lie
Remember "Big Data"? Remember "Data Scientists"...?
statCounter Has Been Broken for a Long Time
Considering the huge proportion of Web requests that come from LLM bots (more so this past year or two), statCounter may struggle to justify the operating costs
Techrights Anniversary Party on November 7th
Let us know if you need any accommodation-related arrangements
Trends That Must Alarm Microsoft and Mozilla
Expect Firefox to no longer be supported by various sites in the US
Why Microsoft Became the Layoffs Leader
The corporate media is projecting or signalling its own dishonesty when it tells us that Microsoft is a very "valuable" company while the data shows Microsoft is also a "market leader" in layoffs
Speaking for Ourselves and Letting the Facts Speak for Themselves
we've already published over 50,000 pages
For Second Time in a Day The Register MS Takes Money From Private Companies to Sell a Ponzi Scheme
Do not have empathy for those who have zero empathy towards you
IBM is Misleading IBM Shareholders
IBM is still all about vapourware and buzzwords
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 24, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, October 24, 2025
The Serial Slopper Starts Up - or Restarts - His Plagiarism Machine (LLMs)
Serial Sloppers like these don't belong in news sites. That's why he got sacked by BetaNews.
Links 24/10/2025: Esperanto Music History, Anxiety, and New Portals
Links for the day
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity.com, Linux Journal, and Pet Slopfarms of Google News
Why does Google News still advance these fake sites to the top of search results?
Links 24/10/2025: Inequality Grows, Billion-Dollar Scam Center Industry
Links for the day
Links 24/10/2025: "Independent Media in Cambodia is Collapsing" and Serious F5 Breach
Links for the day
Coping With the Site Going More Mainstream
Fame is no laughing matter
They Never 'Put Down' Corporations
There are "pests" that are traded in Wall Street
21 Pages in Less Than 7 Hours is No Joking Matter
We've become a lot more effective and efficient
Correct Information is a Valued Asset in the Age of Slopfarms and Public Relations (PR) or Spin
Publishing suppressed facts is never easy
The Register MS Continues to Bag Money to Promote a Ponzi Scheme, Even Money From China
Today in the front page
analytics.usa.gov: The Only Supported Version of Windows (This Past Week) is Only Used by About 13.9% of People in the US, the Home Base of Windows
Even Vista 7 is still used more
Rust is Very Secure
If only Rust itself is secure
Who Will be Held Accountable for Breaking Ubuntu by Imposing Rust on Otherwise-Functional Programs, in Effect Replacing GNU With Proprietary Microsoft (GitHub)?
they're practical people who merely point out that a bunch of buffoons not only ruin Ubuntu but also every future distro based on Ubuntu
Generation Chaff - Phase VIII: In Summary
Like "Science" with a capital "S", what we see here commercial interests usurping everything
Generation Chaff - Phase VII: Curtailing Alternative Media
There was always an obligation - a collective duty of sorts - to uphold independent journalism
Generation Chaff - Phase VI: Centralisation of Information (X, Cheetok/Fentanylware)
Would you trust information when controlled by such people?
Generation Chaff - Phase V: Censorship of Dissent (Painted as Harassment or Terrorism)
Censorship is all around us now
Generation Chaff - Phase IV: Apps Only Few Companies Decide On
Tools are being collectively confiscated, under the premise or false prospect of "security"
Generation Chaff - Phase III: Slop and Plagiarism
A lot of the current so-called 'economy' is built upon false valuations
Generation Chaff - Phase II: "Cloud", Blockchains and Other Hype
For those of us who turned down those propositions there was a struggle; we needed to justify not having skinnerboxes or "social" accounts in some site run by a private company
Generation Chaff - Phase I: Social Control Media
IRC predates the Web
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 23, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, October 23, 2025
More Clues Shed on Collapse of Microsoft XBox
XBox is basically circling down the drain as Microsoft implements 2-3 waves of layoffs each month
'Vibe Coding' Doesn't Work
In a lot of ways, so-called 'Vibe Coding' is already considered vapourware or a passing fad promoted in the media by managers who try to justify mass layoffs, especially ridding companies of "very expensive" software engineers
Links 24/10/2025: Microsoft's Killing of XBox Connected to Revenue/Profit Problems, "How Elon Musk Ruined Twitter"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 24/10/2025: 86,400 Seconds and "Society's Task"
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Google News and Slopfarms That Relay Nonsense From LLMs
Google News, which once prioritised or used to care about provenance and quality, is feeding slopfarms
Links 23/10/2025: More Health Concerns Over Dumb Chatbots (LLMs) and "Talking Cars" as Latest Buzz
Links for the day
Gemini Links 23/10/2025: Daylight Savings Time and Duration Shorthand
Links for the day
Links 23/10/2025: LLM 'Hallucinations' (Defects) in Practical Code 'Generation', China Becomes More Economically and Technologically Independent
Links for the day
Why We Support Richard Stallman and You Probably Should Too
It's not about being "Richard Stallman fan", it is about maintaining the right to hold positions (on technology) like his
Linux Foundation Uses LLM Slop to Promote Microsoft in Linux.com (Again), Rendering It a Linux-Hostile Slopfarm
Openwashing with slop by "Linux.com Editorial Staff", which basically seems to be a bot
Some Large German Media Covers Richard Stallman's Talks in Germany Earlier This Week
LLM-based chatbots are just "bullshit generators" (as he has long called them)
Links 23/10/2025: Windows TCO Galore and "The Internet Is Going to Break Again"
Links for the day
Trouble in Red Hat/IBM and a Retreat to Ponzi Economics in Search of Wall Street Market Heist
Would you invest your life savings in this kind of crap?
Who Asked Software in the Public Interest (SPI) for a Refund? ($100,000, Resulting in Losses of $267,201 in 12 Months, Highest-Ever Losses)
The IRS does not reveal who or what's tied to this refund (or the cause/reason)
Social engineering attack: Debian voted to trick you on binary blobs
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Techrights Will Always Stand for Women's Rights
We even invest money - personal savings that it - in our principles
Certified Lawyers Should Know Better (Than to Intimidate Us With Man Who Drives on Motorcycle Through a Really Bad Storm Between Distant Cities, Then Collects Photos of Our Home)
Mentioning someone was in prison for bad things isn't a crime, it's a public service
The "AI" (Slop) Bubble is Already Imploding
"ChatGPT Usage Has Peaked and Is Now Declining, New Data Finds"
The So-called "Sexy" Buckets (AI, Quantum) Cannot Save IBM From Reality, Shares Tank
"No matter how much financial hocus-pocus they use to reclassify revenues to land in the "sexy" buckets (AI, Quantum), it still smells old and musty - just like this company."
Paul Krugman is Wrong About the Scope of Mass Layoffs in the United States
A few years ago society was accelerating its journey towards feudalism, boosted by COVID-19
Links 23/10/2025: Proprietary Blunders and CISA's Latest Disclosure of Holes
Links for the day
Gemini Links 23/10/2025: Fast Past (F1), 99.9% Uptime
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, October 22, 2025