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Announcing openSUSE 10.3

Oct5th
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

The openSUSE team is proud to announce the release of openSUSE 10.3. Promoting the use of Linux everywhere, the openSUSE project provides free, easy access to the world’s most usable Linux distribution, openSUSE. openSUSE is released regularly, is stable, secure, contains the latest free and open source software, and comes with several new technologies.

openSUSE 10.3 will be supported with security and other serious updates for a period of 2 years.

This version contains new beautiful green artwork, KDE 3.5.7 and parts of KDE 4, SUSE-polished GNOME 2.20, a GTK version of YaST, a new 1-click-install technology, MP3 support out-of-the-box, new and redesigned YaST modules, compiz and compiz fusion advances, virtualisation improvements, OpenOffice.org 2.3, Xfce 4.4.1, and much more! Read on for details of what is new and available in openSUSE 10.3, and for all the necessary download links.

On the desktop

There are many visual changes throughout this release, and they are also well-presented in the openSUSE 10.3 Screenshots on the wiki.

Beautiful Green Artwork

This release, as always, will have a full, new collection of artwork, and for openSUSE 10.3 it has gone back to the classical and much-loved green theme. It is all finished off with a polished and professional look:

103_cdboot.png 103bootsplash_thumb.png suse103-1600×1200.jpg

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openSUSE: Important URLs for Newbies

Oct4th
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

The openSUSE community has created a number of web pages, for the specific purpose of helping newbies.It is definitely worth while for newbie SuSE users to take a look at these (below) openSUSE community URLs, which provide guidance as to how to improve one’s SuSE, to go beyond the initial limitations in the “as delivered” version of SuSE :

http://opensuse-community.org/Welcome_to_o…E-Community.org

In particular I recommend looking at this page:

http://opensuse-community.org/Package_Sources

New SuSE-10.3 users, go for the SuSE-10.3 link:

http://opensuse-community.org/Package_Sources/10.3

A guide on installing restricted formats (ie mp3, video codecs, etc …)

http://opensuse-community.org/Restricted_Formats

and for SuSE-10.3 (follow for “one-click” guide on installing openSUSE-10.3 multimedia):

http://opensuse-community.org/Restricted_Formats/10.3

and don’t forget to look at the FAQ:

http://opensuse-community.org/FAQ

And some more related with hardware and drivers:

Wireless under openSUSE

http://en.opensuse.org/Ndiswrapper

ATI Graphics Driver Custom Install

http://en.opensuse.org/ATI_Driver_HOWTO

Nvidia Graphics Driver Custom Install

http://en.opensuse.org/NVIDIA

Intel Graphics Driver under openSUSE

http://www.suse.com/relnotes/i386/openSUSE…OTES.en.html#12

Installing a Webcam under openSUSE:

http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Web_Cameras

Scanner working under openSUSE

http://en.opensuse.org/YaST_Scanner

Checking for hardware compatiblity under openSUSE

http://en.opensuse.org/HCL

Basic openSUSE concepts for the Windows users migrating to openSUSE

http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts

NTFS under openSUSE

http://en.opensuse.org/NTFS-3g

General guidance for printing under Linux

http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts#Philosophy…printing_format
http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

Source: Linux & openSource Blog

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openSUSE 10.3 Ready for Download!

Oct3rd
2007 2 Comments Written by Sathya

Ahead of its October 4th release date, the ISO images of openSUSE 10.3 have been quietly released to download mirrors over the weekend. The official release announcement should follow on Thursday, but it’s nice to see that the download infrastructure is being set up several days in advance to prevent any bottlenecks when the great download rush starts. Just remember that if you have fast Internet connection, you no longer need to download the large openSUSE DVDs; instead, just get the single-CD installation media with either KDE or GNOME for basic installation and add any software packages you need in a post-installation step. openSUSE 10.3 is the project’s first release in nearly 10 months; it comes with Linux kernel 2.6.22, X.Org 7.2, a KDE desktop that is based on version 3.5 but includes applications and elements from the upcoming version 4.0, GNOME 2.20, OpenOffice.org 2.3.0, and a long list of other cutting-edge software applications (here are the release notes).

Source: DistroWatch

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Ten Side Effects of Switching to Linux

Oct2nd
2007 1 Comment Written by Sathya

Studies done by a prestigious think tank in Silicon Valley have identified the most common behavioral changes in people who have switched to Linux. They were nice enough to share their information with us. According to them, these are the ten most side effects offrequent of Linux use with us.

Number 10: You start talking about ‘killing’ programs instead of forcing them to quit

Number 9: You keep reminding yourself that you don’t have to save your work every five minutes

Number 8: You start substituting C for K in your normal writing (Did you know that Pizarro konquered the Inkas?)

Number 7: You talk your grandmother into open-sourcing her secret cookie recipe

Number 6: People give you strange looks when you brag about your uptime

Number 5: You cause Bill Gates’ fortune to decrease by 0.0000001 percent

Number 4: The only viruses that bother you are the ones that cause the flu

Number 3: The blue screen of death only appears to you in nightmares

Number 2: You actually get some serious work done

And the number 1 side effect of switching to Linux is:
Your problems meeting members of the opposite sex disappear

Source: Michael J. Jordon at Linux.org

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Sneak Peeks at openSUSE 10.3: A Plethora of Improvements

Oct2nd
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

With this last article the Sneak Peak series comes to an end for this release. But don’t worry: it’s tightly packed with an extra share of information on the latest openSUSE 10.3 goodies! Today we’re going through all those things that either didn’t get the chance to have their own article, or are extra convenient small improvements that haven’t been properly covered. As you will know, it is all those extra little things that really contribute to a great user experience on the Linux desktop.

Today we’ll be taking a look at: the new updater applet; redesigned network card module; OpenOffice 2.3; Xfce; the new Kontact; Giver, an easy file sharing tool; KIWI, a system image generator; and much more! We’ll also be getting some closing thoughts from Andreas Jaeger, director of openSUSE, to find out about plans for the future and community contributions.

openSUSE Updater as an Upgrade Tool too

RPM “updates” are specifically defined to refer to RPM patches; for example, as issued in the openSUSE 10.3 Update Repository. RPM package “upgrades” refer to any newer, full RPM package, as you would see in Packman or the openSUSE Build Service.

In openSUSE 10.2, the openSUSE updater acted as just that — simply an updater, providing you with all the official RPM updates. In openSUSE 10.3 however, it provides you with he option of acting like both an updater and an upgrader.

Guru Repository Merging into Packman

Pascal Bleser (yaloki) has long since been one of the most prominent, helpful, and commited openSUSE community developers, providing the whole community with thousands of extra packages in his Guru repository — undoubtedly the second-most-popular 3rd-party repository.

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Ship It Prepares for Shipping Gutsy Gibbon

Oct2nd
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

ShipIt prepares to start shipping Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) CDs

If you are an Ubuntu fan you would have tried out their ShipIt service which delivers the Ubuntu CDs for free at your door step.

The service is currently down as they are preparing to start the shipment of the upcoming release of Ubuntu which would be Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon).

The homepage of the site confirms that they would be shipping the CDs of the upcoming version.

After logging in however, the user is told that the service is currently down and it would be back in a couple of days.

ShipIt Down For Shipping

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Blender compared to other major 3D Applications

Oct1st
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

Recently TDT 3D published a comparison of the major 3D digital content creation applications such as Maya, 3DS Max, and XSI, and of course Blender. Blender came out surprisingly well, although it definitely still has some weaknesses.

Here’s what TDT 3D had to say about Blender

“A good all around application first for freelance. Blender downside’s is on interface, who is not today “industries” common (no drag & drop, poor intuitive tools,…) and structured / centralised documentations, so it’s the best free all arround solution.”

More on TDT3d

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GPLv2 and GPLv3 for beginners

Sep29th
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

Do you find open source licenses a puzzle? Does reading stories about the legal side of open source give you the heebie-jeebies? If so, then we have the document for you.
A couple of years ago, I was bemoaning the fact that I’d gone from writing about technology to the law. Lord knows I hadn’t planned on it. I’d come into technology journalism by being able to translate from techno-babble to English.

Patents? Copyrights? Trademarks? Ten years ago, I knew next to nothing about IP (intellectual property) law. Today, well I still don’t know that much, but at least I know who to ask to get the right information, anyway.Unfortunately, today, if you do anything with open source, you really need to know a little something about IP law. Or, at least, you need to know a bit about the GNU GPL (General Public License).More on LinuxWatch

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First Ubuntu 7.10 (‘Gutsy Gibbon’) beta arrives

Sep29th
2007 1 Comment Written by Sathya

Ubuntu fans rejoice! The first beta of the next Ubuntu 7.10, aka “Gutsy Gibbon,” arrived on Sept. 27, complete with corresponding releases of its variants: Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu desktop editions, as well as a server edition.

Gutsy Gibbon continues Ubuntu‘s tradition of combining its own code with Debian, by integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a cutting-edge user-friendly Linux distribution. While best known as a desktop distribution, Ubuntu 7.10 also includes significant improvements to its server side.

Starting with the desktop, though, Ubuntu has moved to the brand spanking new GNOME 2.20 for its primary desktop environment. Ubuntu developers have also decided to enable Compiz Fusion, with its 3D desktop and translucent windows visual effects, by default. Ubuntu 7.10 tries to automatically detect whether the hardware is capable of running compiz; if not, it falls back to the normal GNOME desktop. You can also disable the effects entirely, or enable additional effects can be enabled in “System/Preferences/Appearance” under the “Visual Effects” tab.

Compiz Fusion is a very new open-source project. It builds on top of the Compiz compositing windows manager foundation. To this, Compiz Fusion adds features from the, now merged with Compiz, Beryl composite window manager and Compiz Extras, a community set of improvements to Compiz.
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Google Goes After Open Source Licensing Cruft

Sep28th
2007 Leave a Comment Written by Sathya

Google has secret plans to put out its own open source software license, according to this story in The Register. Apparently, Google’s efforts will center around developing a simplified open source license that makes it easier for developers to stay “within the spirit” of the license in addition to the law. Chris DiBona at Google was asked about the plans but won’t budge with details yet. Still, The Register claims that Google’s efforts could improve the license proliferation issues facing the OSI.”
More on the podcast at The Register

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