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Novell News Summary - Part I: Build Service, OpenSUSE 11.2, and Teradata

Novell Unix
Really bizarre Novell Web page (real screenshot)



Summary: News about OpenSUSE, SLE*, and a little update from Linspire

OpenSUSE



TWO weeks ago we saw the formation of the OpenSUSE Boosting Team. They sure have a good sense of humour:

[...]

Busily,

The Propaganda Minister


Looking at coming events, Zonker will attend the Linux Fest in Ontario, Canada. OpenSUSE will also have presence at Encuentro Linux 2009.

Yes, I am going to Encuentro Linux 2009, and so does openSUSE!.


OpenSUSE 11.2 is almost ready to roll now and it will come with the excellent KDE 4.3.2 as the default desktop environment.

The 4.3.2 release of KDE came too late to be included in openSUSE 11.2. As the distribution release gets closer, there is a certain point after which only reviewed changes should be allowed in, in order to reduce the possibility of these changes causing unexpected breakages that might go unnoticed within the relatively short time until the release. This can happen and it wouldn't be very good to fix something small and break something bigger for the release because of some unnoticed mistake. So openSUSE 11.2 will not officially include KDE 4.3.2.


To say more about the looming launch:

There is a lot of buzz in the tech media world about the upcoming Ubuntu Karmic Koala release, but it's not the only Linux release on its way from a major vendor. Novell's (NASDAQ: NOVL) community-driven openSUSE project is nearing completion of its next major release, version 11.2

The first release candidate for openSUSE 11.2 was released this week and includes the latest Linux 2.6.31.3 kernel, social networking support and the inclusion of the GNOME 2.28 desktop, among other new features. While both the latest GNOME and KDE desktops are part of the openSUSE 11.2 release, the KDE desktop will now become the default choice for desktop GUI instead of GNOME. The move to make KDE the default choice is not seen by openSUSE as a shift, but rather a choice for users.


On the technical side, Andreas Jaeger weighed in on packaging contributions and Pascal wrote about OpenSUSE Build Service.

We are currently switching from OBS (openSUSE Build Service) version 1.6.0 to the latest SVN trunk HEAD, which requires some experimentation and also caused a complete rebuild (for unknown reasons).


Here is an analysis of how free (as in Freedom) OpenSUSE Build Service really is.

Aaron Seigo, one of my favourite blogger, recently wrote a text titled freedom services where he highlighted aspects of freedom of online services. Aaron found four bullet points which need to be fulfilled to form a free service. I was thinking about how good the openSUSE Buildservice is in this regard. The Buildservice might not be a ‘classical’ online service yet, but who knows how things develop and where and how the OBS gets integrated. There are plenty of ideas around in that direction.


Scott Morris from SUSE Rants writes about "When 1-Click Install Bites the Dust."

In OpenSUSE Linux, we have a wonderful thing called One-Click Install. This is a marvelous thing for new users. I love it to death, and care for it as I would my own child. Almost everyone knows that this is very cool except for maybe Christer, as he is not a believer (nuttin but love bro, loved your presentation @ UTOSC). That said, what happens when it stops working or gets broken?


AutoYaST is already here and when it comes to RPM, a Novell employee writes about "interoperability efforts" (more of a Microsoft-esque term, typically used when standards are neglected).

Bubli said that it might be a good idea to write an article of a very basic step by step instruction for AutoYaST and I had to agree with that. So this is more for people who don't ask questions like "can I use the 'ask' feature for 'rules' in AutoYaST?" ;)


Repository branching takes place ahead of the official arrival of OpenSUSE 11.2:

As you might know, Contrib is a universal repository for third-party packages. Branching of this repository to openSUSE:11.2:Contrib is going to happen on October, 30, so if you want to have your favorite application or tool included in openSUSE:11.2:Contrib, please submit your request as soon as possible.


More packages are being built for OpenSUSE and there is even a Firefox Personas entry for it.

Moving on with this technical side of things, except for some OpenSUSE instructions we have also found some raves, such as a recommendation from SJVN, who loves SLED.

OpenSUSE

OpenSUSE, like Fedora, is also a major distributor's community Linux. In this case, Novell (http://www.novell.com) is the company behind the distro. Unlike Fedora, however, openSUSE tends to be less bleeding edge and more stable. It also includes software like Mono, which brings .NET programs to Linux, along with other Windows-friendly software. Free-software purists hate this and so tend to avoid Novell and openSUSE. Personally, I have little problem with that, and I like openSUSE a lot. The latest version, openSUSE 11.2, is almost ready to go. I'm not ready to review it quite yet, but I can tell you already that it's a winner.

Also, if you're looking for PCs for a business, Novell is the only company that offers a Linux desktop, SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) with all the enterprise support trimmings and Windows domain and AD (Active Directory) compatibility. If I were running a business today, my desktops would probably be running SLED.


OpenSUSE is also mentioned in this roundup of distributions that will soon be released, amongst other similar lists.

- openSuSE 11.2: Due just over a week after Mandriva 2010, on 12 November. Once again, Linux kernel 2.6.31, KDE 4.3 and Gnome 2.28, and a variety of other new packages. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like openSuSE has made some huge strides forward in usability, flexibility, reliability and even cosmetics over the past couple of releases, and this one looks like it will be no exception. I've had it loaded on various of my systems since about Milestone 3, and it has been interesting to watch how the diversity of systems on which it installs and runs easily has improved.


Here is the latest OpenSUSE Weekly News, as well as a reminder and announcement of a translation tool for it.

SUSE (SLES/SLED)



Last week we wrote about SUSE support in new Compaq/HP computers and there is still some coverage of that.

This week we have Teradata, which came out with the following press release that includes:

Teradata Express Cloud Offerings

The two new Teradata Express cloud offerings are built on Teradata Express, which is a free, non-production version of Teradata Database software intended for developers and evaluation scenarios. The cloud versions of Teradata Express support up to one terabyte of data and are powered by Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10.


Here is some news coverage of the SUSE part:

Teradata will add cloud versions of Teradata Express to support up to 1TB of data and powered by Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10.


SP3 of SLE* 10 is still being mentioned in some Web sites:

Novell announced the availability of SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Service Pack 3, offering customers the latest fixes, patches and updates issued for the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 platform, as well as support for the latest hardware.


As a minor last note about Linspire, the fight against Michael Robertson carries on as he loses his case [1, 2]. And in other Robertson news, the media industry wants to sue personally. Tough times for him. His Linspire identity got lost inside Xandros.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Comparing U.E.F.I. to B.I.O.S. (Bloat and Insecurity to K.I.S.S.)
By Sami Tikkanen
New 'Slides' From Stallman Support (stallmansupport.org) Site
"In celebration of RMS's birthday, we've been playing a bit. We extracted some quotes from the various articles, comments, letters, writings, etc. and put them in the form of a slideshow in the home page."
Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
Desktop Operating System Market Share Thailand
António Campinos is Still 'The Fucking President' (in His Own Words) After a Fake 'Election' in 2022 (He Bribed All the Voters to Keep His Seat)
António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
Adrian von Bidder, homeworking & Debian unexplained deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
 
People Don't Just Kill Themselves (Same for Other Animals)
And recent reports about Boeing whistleblower John Barnett
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 18, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 18, 2024
Suicide Cluster Cover-up tactics & Debian exposed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 19/03/2024: A Society That Lost Focus and Abandoning Social Control Media
Links for the day
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE: Plagiarism & Child labour in YH4F
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
Examples of boasting about the association
Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
"I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
[Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
fake elections
Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
Windows TCO?
Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 18/03/2024: Putin Cements Power
Links for the day
Flashback 2003: Debian has always had a toxic culture
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
[Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
Catspaw With Attitude
The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
'Clown Computing' Businesses Are Waning and the Same Will Happen to 'G.A.I.' Businesses (the 'Hey Hi' Fame)
decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
Free Software Needs Watchdogs, Too
Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, March 17, 2024
Links 17/03/2024: Microsoft Windows Shoves Ads Into Third-Party Software, More Countries Explore TikTok Ban
Links for the day
Molly Russell suicide & Debian Frans Pop, Lucy Wayland, social media deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Our Plans for Spring
Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
Open Invention Network (OIN) Fails to Explain If Linux is Safe From Microsoft's Software Patent Royalties (Charges)
Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
This is totally normal, right?
USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
Not joking!
The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
Jim Zemlin Says Linux Foundation Should Combat Fraud Together With the Gates Foundation. Maybe They Should Start With Jim's Wife.
There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
Not About Linux at All!
nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
Links 17/03/2024: Abuses Against Human Rights, Tesla Settlement (and Crash)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, March 16, 2024
Under Taliban, GNU/Linux Share Nearly Doubled in Afghanistan, Windows Sank From About 90% to 68.5%
Suffice to say, we're not meaning to imply Taliban is "good"
Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
Links for the day