openSUSE 10.2 Linux Has Been Released!
Submitted by Ross Kendall on Thu, 07/12/2006 - 1:31pm.
Well, the day has come, and just like they said openSUSE 10.2 has been released.
One of the primary FTP mirrors for downloading SUSE has been GWDG, which I have usually found has the files ready for download before anywhere else. So even though the official openSUSE website has not yet made mention of the release, you can download the ISO images here.
So like many other enthusiastic openSUSE users, I have my bittorrent client fired up and busy downloading this new improved release. So while I am quite busy with work at the moment, as soon as I get a break I will have the DVD ready to test out :)
Watch this space and I'll post a note on how things go and what I think.
Up and running
Just to say that I have openSUSE 10.2 installed, and after a couple of days I am very happy with it. While still very similar to what I was used to with SUSE 10.1, a lot of smaller improvements add up to a more usable and enjoyable system. The Beagle Search and the new start menu are a couple of highlights.
Novell has done a good job at integrating software like Flash Player, Real Player and Adobe Reader, although they have been quite conservative about including open source software that might have any legal (patent) questions over them. What this means in practice, is that Amarok does not play MP3 files, and you can't watch encrypted video DVDs, and a few other multimedia restrictions. (Note: all open formats work fine, and I think this is good choice to encourage their use)
It is not problem to get full multimedia support, just simply add the packman repository in Yast, and install the software you need. Now that package management issues are sorted out, this works like a breeze.
My recommendation is to install openSUSE 10.2 and "Have a lot of fun!"