10.2 Alpha 2 Released

http://lists.opensuse.org/archive/opensuse...6-Jul/0002.html

it has been intimated before that 10.2 may not get released until start of 2007, and this was backed up by a roadmap that listed alpha releases until 5th Oct 06, this appears to be confirmed by the press release above stating that Beta 1 would only see the light of day in Nov 06.

So here are a few tentative questions in search of some well informed speculation on the packages that will make up 10.2:

1) X.Org 7.2 with improved XGL support is due to be released in Oct 06........................?
p.s. let us hope nVidia don't release their bi-annual driver update before they can accomodate the new X.Org version.

2) KDE4 is due as a 'technical preview' in Oct 06. Can this be considered a release candidate suitable for integration into SUSE safe in the knowledge that problems will be sorted before 10.2's own release candidates escape into the wild in January 07?

3) I have heard mention of a K.Office 1.6 (assuming that KDE4/Koffice2 do not arrive in time) is going to be released sometime........ any idea when?

4) Gnome 2.16 is due for around Oct 06, i presume this should make it in? will we also get the SLED10 Desktop style in openSUSE 10.2?

regards

Dimble

They should concentrate on existing problems: unified config settings, PM (get rid of zen/mono), hardware support.

Otherwise it is going 10.1 again: a lot of useless software and pretty ****py system base.
XGL should be removed from oficial CD unless this is final release, otherwise users will ask why it does not work as described..
If they want to compete with other distros/OSes then first is a quality, not quantity

They should concentrate on existing problems: unified config settings, PM (get rid of zen/mono), hardware support.

Otherwise it is going 10.1 again: a lot of useless software and pretty ****py system base.
XGL should be removed from oficial CD unless this is final release, otherwise users will ask why it does not work as described..
If they want to compete with other distros/OSes then first is a quality, not quantity
[/b]

Well Put broch

They are not going to get rid of zen, so let's just accept it.

Based on what I have seen in the factory tree, (kde-3.9.x) I'd say KDE 4 would be included.

XGL will still be in 10.2, and I doubt this will be a "final" release of XGL.

Me thinks that broch has some good comments..but I also get the feeling that this is the way things
are going:

Novell's "quality" release is going to be the Enterprise releases. With the 10 release
a couple of weeks ago....and a 40 buck price tag....it will be the one for people who want
a completely stable and well running system.

OpenSuse is now an official Distribution starting with 10.2. I am thinking that anything
coming out of OpenSUSE will be less stable, even with final releases....(hopefully
not as bad as 10.1 was with the installer and update system)...and always free.

Although I cannot BACK this up with anything I have seen....I see the retail version of
SUSE Linux as going by the wayside...probably 10.1 was the last one.

Bottom line: If you want a SUPER-distro....go with Enterprise...it's actually CHEAPER
than SUSE Retail was anyway.

If you like cutting edge and can take a little risk....go with the upcoming OpenSUSE releases.

Personally. OTHER than the installer/update problems, most of which have been corrected
by now in 10.1, I haven't had any trouble with 10.1...which broch thinks is ******...it's
been pretty good for me...but that's just me.

I am not at all averse to this strategy, if that is what it is (my speculation)...as if I really
want a SOLID system...WELL tested and supported...I can very easily use Enterprise
desktop (and low cost too)...but for MOST things...because it's "good enough," OpenSUSE
will fit the bill...I am hoping for a good 10.2 release.

That said...I think that it's too early to speculate on exactly WHAT will be in 10.2,
but good indications are on the factory news part of the website where they talk about
upcoming changes...which by the time you are beta, will be pretty much what it is
for the release. We are over 4 months from BETA yet....so it's too early, I would think.

Novell's "quality" release is going to be the Enterprise releases. With the 10 release
a couple of weeks ago....and a 40 buck price tag....it will be the one for people who want
a completely stable and well running system.

OpenSuse is now an official Distribution starting with 10.2. I am thinking that anything
coming out of OpenSUSE will be less stable, even with final releases....(hopefully
not as bad as 10.1 was with the installer and update system)...and always free.

Bottom line: If you want a SUPER-distro....go with Enterprise...it's actually CHEAPER
than SUSE Retail was anyway.

[/b]

OpenSuse/Novell differs from the Fedora/Red Hat model in that Novell's enterprise product is based on the exact same code base as the community version. This means that while OpenSuse is a testbed, it's not a "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" model. It's more of a working preview release, at least for the core components.

The zen fiasco in Suse 10.1 was an egregious mistake on Novell's part, one that they have admitted, and one that they have been skewered for time and time again in both the blogosphere and mainstream media. I'd would be amazed if they made that same mistake again, because it would cause a serious credibility issue for Novell.

But the zen fiasco was a direct result of the corporate product's dependence on the "community" project. I've seen the rationale behind why Novell felt zen was worthwhile for the OpenSuse despite the lack of centralized management requirements etc., and I don't buy any of it. They simply needed to burn it in with OpenSuse so that it would be readly for SLED/SLES.

I can live with that for now, simply because I can and have disabled zen and get by quite satisfactorily with smart-pm. Beyond that, SL 10.1 with latest updates more or less is the equivalent product as SLED 10, with differences in defaults etc. and available packages. There's no issue with SLED being "more" stable because the updates to keep SLED stable come from the same codebase as OpenSuse. There's no trade-off in that respect. The value for SLED comes from the fact that the packages and default settings are better selected (and more rigid) to reduce the possibility of support issues.

Where I'll drop Suse like a rock though is if Novell tries to monofy another core system component the next time around, and one that can't be worked around. I'm sorry, but mono just isn't there yet and mono for the sake of mono is unacceptable. I wouldn't tolerate java as a requirement for a core component either, for much the same reason. Use it for applications if you must, particularly so users like myself have the choice, but keep it out of core services that are required.

But I digress, my point was that OpenSuse and SLED/SLES shouldn't be looked at as different products, simply different packaging. OpenSuse will be first out of the gate and as such will likely run the risk of more bugs or issues, but by the time the corresponding version of SLED is released those bugs will have been patched and updated. More than cousins, they're directly related.

Just my 2c...

Cheers,
KV

Thanks, elsewhere...well put.

We'll all just have to see how things turn out...for the moment, I'm still very happy
with SUSE over other things that I have tried.

Based on what I have seen in the factory tree, (kde-3.9.x) I'd say KDE 4 would be included.

[/b]

i hope your right.