Ubuntu vs Opensuse?

Ubuntu and SuseLinux
which is better and why?

 

I've tried Ubuntu, not Suse. I like Ubuntu

 

Suse is cooler than Ubuntu. Better? What's better for you? What does better mean? What do you need?
Try this to find out what suits you.
Ubuntu is made for absolute noobs (Windows style, but flawed). So if you don't know a thing or you just want to check it out, go for it.

 

Ubuntu installation is slightly easier but the Suse installer gives you the option to configure a lot more things during installation (even though, you can always go with the default if you're unsure).

A point rarely made in this forum: if you intend to use open-source or closed-source software provided by commercial vendors, or need a solution that is "certified" for a certain purpose, opensuse has a slight edge. That is because it is very similar to Novell's commercial Suse Linux.

However, things are changing in this regard, a lot of vendors have started supporting Ubuntu.

As for community support, Ubuntu is the clear winner with excellent forums. opensuse has great support forums as well but these are slightly less frequented by noobs. There are also not quite as many FAQs and Howtos available for opensuse as there are for Ubuntu.

Ubuntu's package management system is faster but I find suse's package management easier and more reliable.

 

I have used Suse mostly because at the time I started using Linux, Suse had better compatibility with Windows shares and networked printers than most distros. It is easy to install either from disc or over a network if you have a fast connection available, but package selection (while customizable) can be confusing. I had excellent hardware compatibility using OpenSuse 10.3. Have not tried Ubuntu.

 

I tried both and decided to stay with Ubuntu. In brief, apt-get works much better than the several online update mechanisms offered by SuSE, and Ubuntu is known for much better performance (faster boot-up, for example) in general.

 

I'm using Ubuntu, and will stick with it or some iteration of it probably. I tried Suse, it is sophisticated for sure, I liked it but it seemed so sluggish on my laptop compared to Ubuntu. I would probably use Suse if I was to put it on a much faster machine. Mine is no slouch though.

 

Ubuntu 7.10 runs faster on my machine than openSuse 10.3. Then factor in the package management and community and Ubuntu is a clear winner.

 

the first question is depend what are you going to do with these two system?
but ubuntu is my first choose , then itz suse.


but i think ubuntu is more easy to use ,suse is more reliable to trust being a workstation.

i think it depend to who use it , and you may to try it both^^/

 

Ubuntu 7.10 and Suse 10.3 are both installed on my cheap eMachines desktop (Windows is gone! I would personally prefer Suse (this machine is connected with ethernet; I've never tried wireless with Suse) except that text is just not quite as crisp, no matter what I do to make corrections, as it is with Ubuntu (graphics look fine). Correct drivers are installed and all the screen settings are as I like them. Don't understand why there's a difference, but there is.

If any of you gents has a suggestion, or explanation, I'm interested in hearing from you.

 

Ubuntu defaults with a customized interface, while SUSE doesn't from what I've seen. This may be a reason for a different look.
However I tend to disagree when it comes to performance: all distributions perform the same with the same drivers.
I agree that it's much more better designed. I got annoyed by the fact that I was asked if I was sure about my root password about five times. Of course I'm bloody sure, I know what I'm doing...

 

What DE are you using? KDE? Gnome? I know in KDE there's a font aliasing setting you can tweak with in the control panel. Xft should be installed by default under both distros. It could be that the Aliasing is properly configured on Ubuntu but not SuSE, which I believe uses KDE by default.

I don't use SuSE, mostly because I don't like some of Novell's political decisions, and also because after a number of distros I have found the Debian-style packages and management apps are much superior to RPM and anything else out there. This is from a guy that started on slackware, had a FreeBSD desktop for a while, and has seen the continuum from end to end I haven't tried the latest versions of Fedora and SuSE, but I haven't ever found an RPM I liked.

 

Hardware support might be an issue too, especially if you got a brand new notebook. I suggest get a live cd's of both distros and test them out before you install any of them.

None of the live cd's work on my ifl90(sager 2090).When installed from regular cd(non-live) open suse 10.3 did not play nicely with my vista partition after install, so I have not tested anything else, and went for ubuntu 7.10, almost everything works(including wireless) out of the box, some need manual configuration(sound, memory cord reader), guided can be found on forums.

 

Pita, I fixed the problem for the most part. The text clarity is just about equal now, with perhaps the slightest edge to Ubuntu. You'll love the problem: I installed the wrong drivers. LOL My machine has an AMD processor, 64 bit. Not sure if I installed a 32 bit AMD originally, or drivers for Intel. What a dumb mistake! Anyway, the view from here is now much better.

Oh, I use KDE, but just used a few nVidia adjustments on the screen and fonts. Too easy to overstress the meager integrated graphics in this machine at 1920x1200. LOL

BTW, I recently tried to install Slackware and Gentoo a while before that. Damn, I couldn't even get started! Gentoo was especially confusing. My IQ is approximately 50-60 points too low for either.

Thanks for your response.

 

Ubuntu 8.04 beta (just out) works just fine on my Compal IFL90.

 

I feel ubuntu is better.Openususes Yast is slooooooooooooow!

 

Suse 11 is going to replace Yast with something else? Is that right?

At any rate, I've always preferred Ubuntu.

In about a year or so we'll see if any of these up and coming distros can displace Ubuntu and PCLinuxOS.

 

ubuntu or opensuse? hmm tough one ..just debian
(ps: opensuse is smth like hmm... don`t pay us and we`ll give you a bullsh*t)

 

I'm surprisingly happy with OpenSuSE. It's the standard where I work, and I find it really easy to make it do what I want. I've decided that I greatly prefer KDE to Gnome and don't care for the 2nd class nature of KUbuntu.

 

Novell signed a pact with Microsoft by which they agreed to pay them money so that Microsoft wouldn't sue its users. Yeah, uh?, right? Why would a user be sued for using a product in good faith? In all cases it would be the producer of the infringing product that would have to pay if they illegally used someone's copyrighted or patented work. So, why did Novel agreed to pay that money? Well, one reason is that they would be privy to interoperability information (which now MS has been forced to share with every one any way thanks to the EU). Also because in return MS would encourage everyone else to use SUSE, even paying them to do so, and would threaten to sue every other Linux user unless they used SUSE. Also, MS would threaten to sue every Linux developer whose work did not end up on SUSE. In other words, Novell gave MS fuel to be able to scare Linux Enterprise users into the MS/Novell corral.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/steve/2006/11-02NovellInterop.mspx

With that in mind, I personally avoid Novell and its products. I know some of you don't care about this and are just looking for the product that best fits your needs (and in most cases SUSE is not it). That is fine by me, we all make our own choices in life. I am just saying why *I* and people who are likewise repulsed by such behavior avoid Novell and their products.

 

As mentioned, YaSt is terrible as package manager. Once you set up Smart as file-manager and with community repos enabled, OpenSUSE is pretty good KDE centric distro.

I use Arch with KDEmod myself, though.

 

As a Gnome, Xcfe fan, I feel the same way about Ubuntu. PCLinuxOS and Mepis would tempt me if they actually supported the Gnome remaster projects.

 

I think this is a significant reason to not support Open Suse.

 

Its not a question of which is better, but which do you prefer.
I prefer openSUSE, but I still use Ubuntu.

 

I feel the same, Thomas. Am in the process, as I type, of reinstalling Suse and Ubuntu. Spent the day trying out several different distros (failing miserably to install AGAIN, Slackware, and also Arch). Going back to what seems to work best for me. Guess I'm too dumb and lack the patience required to cope with the more difficult distros.

 

Really, Me too, I've been through about 4 today. I have to say though, I like KDE better then Gnome but I'm fine with Ubuntu.

 

I disagree with your statement that Ubuntu is made for noobs. It is easier to use, yes, but the user can use Ubuntu to delve as far into Linux's intricacies as they wish. Ubuntu can be as easy as you want it to be, or as complicated as you want it to be. The point is flexibility. Just because its easy to use, doesn't mean that its for noobs.

As for my preference, I have always returned to Ubuntu after trying Fedora Core, PCLOS, OpenSUSE, Mint, Mandriva, and Knoppix. Sure, the other distros are good, but not as familiar to me as Ubuntu. I have a particular dislike for OpenSuse because of their ties to Novel.

 

The patent deal is pointless for normal users since microsoft could not sue you without massive legal fees from the sheer magnitude of teh number of lawsuits it would have to do. Secondly, knowingly using an illegal product (which is what the software would be if it the patents were valid) is illegal. This deal is really about business who use SUSE - any talk of patents is bad.

A home user can use openSUSE or Ubuntu without any fear. Stop spreading FUD.

Also, you probably should stop using Evolution, Mono and any products based on them, if you don't want to use Novell products. Also the GNOME menu is from them.

 

If the patent deal had had the success MS wanted, it would have scared developers away from contributing to Linux for fear of becoming a target. That would have impact on the users since the speed and breadth of development would be reduced.

If the patent deal had had the success Novell wanted enterprise customers would have flocked to SUSE and dropped Ubuntu and Red Hat which would have meant that a lot of FOSS developers would be out of a job and less able to continue providing us with their talents. We would have become dependent on Novell for Linux development.

Sure I am extrapolating a lot, but to the degree that the patent deal succeeds is the degree that this becomes true.

To my knowledge MS has not disclosed any patent infringements yet. Most people believe that if there are any they will be worked around rather rapidly as soon as they are revealed. That is why they will likely never be revealed. Undisclosed (or unexisting) patents are more efficient since they provide a tool for creating FUD around Linux. The MS/Novell deal is a perfect example of this.

Therefore, end users will never have to worry about patents. Currently there are no patents that have been shown to infringe. Sure, there has been speculation, but most Linux vendors, including Novell, have been saying that there are no patent infringements. So, the users are currently safe. If and when some patent(s) are shown to be infringed by Linux, all users will have to do is apply a patch that fixes the infringement.

Excuse me, are you asking me to stop spreading FUD? Would you care to explain what FUD are you referring to?

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't use any of those tools. And I feel very good about it!

 

Extrapolating a lot = FUD. You are making baseless claims that Novell wants only SUSE developers. Where has Novell come out and said this? You do realize that the patents are only valid (and by valid i mean having a remote chance of being valid) in the US, and a lot of linux devs are not based there? Secondly, you link to a press release instead of an unbiased analysis.

I found a link of all software you probably should avoid, to stay away from Novell: http://www.novell.com/company/affiliations/

 

In my view, Novell is guilty by association. Ron Hovsepian stood there smiling while Ballmer made the claim. They afterwards shook hands right before the whole world. Sometimes it is not what you say, but what you do that counts.

Does a thief get a break for robing a bank with a gun full of blanks instead of real bullets? If so, then I guess we should give Novell a break.

I believe what I linked to was a word for word transcript of the even at which Novell and MS explained their deal. Where is the bias in that?

Edit: If you prefer the actual video, here it is:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...105&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5

Yes, they have contributed to a lot of things over the years. It is too bad that they had to go and ruin their reputation because of greed. Many projects now only accept their contributions after careful scrutiny to ensure that no possible relation to MS code exists. There are those that refuse any code from them.

 

This is a false analogy; Novell didn't "steal" anything. The deal was simply business, and has happened before. LG and Microsoft have shared patents; nobody made a stink about that. Xandros signed a deal; nobody made a stink about that either.

Well since the flagship open-source project and the one most concerned about avoiding taint is ok with accepting Greg Kroah-Hartman's contributions (you probably should try out Debian/Hurd!), so this is a non-issue.

Seriously, this whole patent thing is blown out of proportion, and the patents will be invalidated by the courts or by the 20 year lifespan. Sure, Novell made a deal with devil, but the devil was all talk. It means nothing in practical terms, and only zealots want to argue that it has real meaning. If it really were that horrific, wouldn't openSUSE be bereft of developers and dead in the water?

 

Alright. Let me put it to you this way. Say you own a corner store. Across the street is another corner store. The bully from the town then comes to your store to sell you "protection" so that "some, undisclosed, nefarious occurrence" does not happen to your store. You refuse on the grounds that that would be paying extortion money. The bully then makes an announcement from the plaza. He gathers all the towns people and tells them that they should all buy from the store across the street from you because "something" may happen to those that buy from yours. He explains that the store across the street has purchased protection from him. In fact he brings the owner of the store across the street who, smiling giddily, agrees and welcomes everyone to their protected store. The bully then says, "This protection deal does not apply to any other stores in town. Others will still have issue."

Does that sound familiar? I don't know about you, but I would never put a foot on the corner store across the street after that for having caved to the bully and for trying to use him to scare people into his store.

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3641676

http://www.sourceimp.com/read.html?year=2007&month=5&topic=microsoft-claims-linux-violates-patents

Basically, because nobody cared about them, they had no influence.

As I said, their contributions are carefully being scrutinized.

Some prominent people did leave.

http://boycottnovell.com/2006/12/21/more-novell-goings-jeremy-allison-leaves-novell/

http://boycottnovell.com/2008/03/10/martin-buckley-quits/

Not everyone has the courage to do so. Besides, since openSUSE developers are covered under the protection scheme they may be able to more easily rationalize their reasons for continuing with the project. Of course, every individual is different. I don't know what they each thinks. All I know is how I feel about it.