How have others chosen OpenSUSE among all the distros available

[Gps2010]

I never used anything but SuSE and openSUSE.

This started with a dvd or cd, that came with a computer magazine.
I was already for a while curious about Linux, and this was the right way to start.

It explained how to install SuSE, if I recall right version 9, and how to end up with a dual boot pc.
Because I am also a gamer the only option back then was to go dual boot with windows.
Not much changed here since then, now dual boot with win 10, for some old games that don't have a Linux version or have issues with wine.

I hardly start windows though, which has the frustrating effect that when I do want to play some game, I first need to wait for all the updates to finish.

Once installed ubuntu for a few seconds but did not like it much.


I don't think I will ever ditch openSUSE, no other distro has anything like YAST, the only other distro I might install though, and then go triple boot, would be Arch.
Arch because it will force me to learn more about how Linux works.

[brucehankins]

So I seem fairly new to Linux compared to a lot of you! I'm wrapping up year one of switching from Windows full time. I started off with Ubuntu, quickly jumped ship to elementary, hopped over to Manjaro, then to Zorin, then back to elementary, then finally landed on Solus Budgie. Fast forward 10 months and countless issues with my work laptop, I went on the hunt for something I could run remotely, was stable, and had access to all the packages I needed without having to build them or install from tarball. I also wanted to give the Gnome DE another go and see if I could understand.what everyone else sees in it. I didn't want an Ubuntu derivative or Debian. Wanted something that ran .rpm packages natively. Fedora seemed great on my VM, but I couldn't get it to install to my drive. I had already downloaded the Leap image to play with it in a VM, and said "why not, just install it". It just works wonderfully. It's almost boring how seamlessly and smoothly it runs. I keep thinking I want to wipe it out and install Solus Gnome or another rolling distro that doesn't get much attention, but I keep it around. For a daily driver that I work on it's great being so stable, but I still miss the tinkering and the bleeding edge. I don't think Leap would ever end up on my personal hardware.

[thibdb13]

For me it was quite a long process. I started in 2000 with Linux. First Redhat, 6.0 for so far I remember, then Debian, Slackware to end with Arch in 2005. I was looking for a distribution I could configure to my needs and wishes, a distribution that offers "enough" software (thanks AUR!) and a distribution that offers new software. Arch gave me it and it was my main distribution till 2019. During this period (2000-2019), I tried regularly other distributions: the ones mentioned above, Suse/Opensue, the Buntu's, Mint, Mandrake/Mandriva/Mageia.
Now with the time going and having less time to devote to the maintenance of my distribution, I decided to go for something stable that offers me the software I need and that is quite configurable.
Opensuse Leap gives me this at the moment. Yast is a fantastic tool and the packman-repository offers quite up-to-date software that suits my needs.

[Prexy]

This thread is distressing; for a number of reasons. First off: I can't remember WHEN I started with SuSE, it was so long ago! Could it have possibly been version 6.0? I think I was motivated by being tired of (or unable to afford) the constant, expensive upgrades to Windows. It's distressing to me that I've been at it so long and I'm nowhere near expert enough.

I don't remember how, where or when, but I joined a linux users group, mostly out of curiosity. I was amazed that I could get free software! I was amazed that I could type commands into a terminal and things happened! Prior to that, I took a computer course as an elective. The coding we did was on punch cards! It might have been COBOL. I was able to get a room-sized computer to print out "Hello World."

I never thought of switching distros for daily use. I've looked (just looked, never switched) at Tails and Mint. The thing that I like best about opensuse is that "it just works." The better it has gotten, the less I've looked behind the curtain. That's why I enjoy (and rely) on this forum so much. Every other forum I've looked at pales in comparison. That, as much as anything else, has kept me from straying!

[doscott]

My first programming was in grade 12 (1974), Fortran with optical cards and an IBM mainframe from the local university. Moved up to punch cards the next year attending university. I still have a box of punch cards sitting beside me I use for taking notes

[vaughansuse]

The first Linux distro I ever tried was Suse 7.2 Professional and always had a soft spot for it. Then over the years did the general distro changing between Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch and earlier editions of OpenSUSE.

Then with recent changes to Redhat and never had much success with Ubuntu I decided to try OpenSUSE again and all I can say is wow. It has come such a long way in recent years that I feel like I'm finally home and no need to change again.

Now I'm in the process of rebuilding some of my servers from CentOS and Debian to OpenSUSE Leap and my workstation stays on Tumbleweed!

[linuxvinh]

I wanted to support open source by buying shrink-wrapped GNU/Linux, basically to show that it could be a viable product on store shelves. I started with RedHat, as that was what was available nearby. RedHat 7.1, then 8.1...

One day, a friend from work suggested we try helping out building GNU/Linux boxes for schools at a recycling center. Build 10 boxen and get one boxen for yourself was their policy. Fair enough. It took us all day just to assemble one working one each, as the recycling center strips all computers down to their component parts. Assembly required digging through boxes for parts, then testing them, before installing. It felt crazy, as why not test machines as they came in and keep the working ones? We never ended up going back, but we each got a copy of SUSE 9.1, which I kept, but didn't install.

At some point, RedHat stopped selling shrink-wrapped and I switched over to Fedora.

Some time later, I did try SuSE 9.1 and found 10.1 in shrink-wrap, so I decided to support SuSE. Once shrink-wrap pretty much went away as far as availability, I started using openSuSE.

[lag145]

I came here as Debian 10 buster basically broke my desktop with lag and being unstable and i had my eyes on openSUSE for an while because it was more stable than Debian for some people and already thinking about an potential switch for one of my old laptops

[SisterPenguin]

For me, it's a family thing. My family switched to SuSE sometime in the late 1990s after a brief dabble with Red Hat, because as others have said, it was available in shrink and we were tired of paying for Windows. Once that happened, my brother really took it up and got involved in the project when it became OpenSUSE with 10.2 and I started using it exclusively in 2007. When my brother passed away a couple years ago, I ended up being the one to take over the OS maintenance for the family, and so here I am: an experienced end user, without a lot of 'under the hood' knowledge.

The forums have been really welcoming, despite the fact that I'm more of just an end user than someone who always knows what's going on. At this point, I'd find it pretty hard to switch distros away from OpenSUSE and its friendly folks.

Aside, but I also really like OpenSUSE because it's easy for me to introduce others to. YaST has made installing software fairly simple for someone who just wants to be an end user, which I find helpful in getting people to make the switch to Linux.

Cheers,
SisPenguin

[PIH]

I have quite new hardware and need at least kernel 5.9 to get everything working.
Motherboard: TUF GAMING B550M-PLUS (WI-FI)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Now I have a tripple boot with Ubuntu, Tumbleweed and Windows 10.

I have used Fedora 33 (Kernel 5.9) with Gnome and this works OK. Tested OpenMandriva (kernel 5.10), but wasn't too impressed.
On !omg!ubuntu! there was information about KDE and I got curious.
Found that openSUSE Tumbleweed supports KDE and also Kernel 5.10.
Made a couple of installs on a test computer. Got everything to work and decided to install on my main compter.

Using plasma widgets, instead of gnome-extensions to display fan speed, cpu temperature and cpu usage.
Spotify, Kodi and Handbrake all installed as flatpaks works fine.
Steam, Shotwell, gnome-calculater, gnome-disk-utility installed with Discover. It's nice to be able to install gnome versions of applications.
My printer Brother HL3140W is installed with Brother's script.

Now I will use Tumbleweed as my main system for some time.