11.2 preperation

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi there,

With opensuse 11.2 just around the corner, I wanted to ask a few questions to get advice about how to go about streamlining the install process, with regards to online updates in particular.

I have noticed that while doing installations of 11.1 that if I choose the option to do automatic updates while it is installing, it is incredibly, incredibly slow… Doesn’t matter what Internet connection I use, it is still incredibly frustrationgly slow (2Kb and less average download speeds…)

Once I am up and running, and have done the first few lots of major updates it suddenly seems to come right and I get fairly decent speeds while downloading the updates. So, is there a way that I can set a location based on country, or add a different update server to improve the initial install process. Is there maybe a command to test the update servers to get the fastest server first.

Dredger

#2

From what I recall seeing in all the latest openSUSE releases, the openSUSE installer checks for the fastest server.

Where are you located? I get VERY FAST updates immediately, as part of the install process and its not uncommon for me to get 12 Mb/sec or better. I have a high speed connection in Darmstadt Germany.

#3

Hi Oldcpu,

I am located in Johannesburg, South Africa. My office Internet connection is a 4MB commection, which downloads things from the web with lightning speed, but even on the 4MB line it struggles. My home connection is only 1MB, but I get the same speeds when downloading the updates during the install (I tried both with a fresh install to test).

When I download things from the web, they download at the correct speeds. But I have noticed that if I need to install an additional program, it is faster to download the RPM than to let yast download them. Most unusual.

#4

> I have noticed that while doing installations of 11.1 that if I
> choose the option to do automatic updates while it is installing,
> it is incredibly, incredibly slow… Doesn’t matter what Internet
> connection I use, it is still incredibly frustrationgly slow (2Kb
> and less average download speeds…)

my advice: PLAN for it to be slow…not much you can do about
it…remember exactly how much you are paying for the software!
remember that the almost all of the software you download will NOT
come from huge internet servers owned by openSUSE, or Novell, or that
software company in Redmond Washington with multi-billionairs in the
board rooms and secretaries who are now millionairs (really!)…

nope, you get your FREE software from university, government and
company servers who DONATE their space and bandwidth to you and me…

so, PLAN for the download to be both FREE and SLOW…

what i do, is get it started and walk away from the computer…read a
book, watch TV, whatever…come back in an hour and see whats going on…

that way, it ain’t SO slow…

> Is there maybe a command to test the update servers to get the
> fastest server first.

actually, you are automatically connected to a nearby, and hopefully
fast server…by the way, most of the FREE servers will throttle
down the outgoing free pipe to make sure the university students,
company staff and government workers have the bandwidth they
need…and THEN the non-paying us get what is left…so, if you
install at say 2 in the morning, your time, you will probably do a LOT
better than 2 in the afternoon…and, you can sleep instead of watch
TV :slight_smile:

plan ahead

palladium

#5

http://mirrors.opensuse.org/list/all.html

only two servers down there…

–
palladium

#6

One thing I always do, as part of the install, is change the default setting for ipv6 (which is “enable”) to “disable”. I recall that being an installation DVD option, … I’m not so certain it is an installation CD option. I believe disable ipv6 provides a better chance of faster updates.

#7

I don’t think the issue with updates is bandwidth but that the installer has to stop in the middle of installing something to do something else; I have always installed everything without updates and then got the updates afterwards.

#8

I do the same thing.

#9

Before I upgrade I will back up. :wink:

But, I don’t know if I should move up to ext4. Don’t see much about it, so it seems like it isn’t a big deal. Is there a compelling reason to go for ext4?

#10

Maybe this will help. Ext4 - Linux Kernel Newbies

#11

If one is installing 11.2, then I believe ext4 is worth moving to.

Reference updating to 11.2, then here is what I noted in another thread:

11.2 has some improvements with YaST. For example in software management under 11.1, after one has completed updating some software, the software management would close. I believe in 11.2 it is supposed to stay open (in case one wishes to install more software).

In 11.2 YaST the graphics/monitor menus have been removed and are no longer maintained. This is a reflection of 11.2 having more automatic graphic card recognition built in. But if that (auto configuration) does not work, it is still possible to boot to run level 3 (ie boot to an ascii / text full screen mode) and run the program “sax2” with various options ( “man sax2” will provide some of the options) and then sax2 will create a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. If that file exists in 11.2, it will over ride the auto config settings.

11.2 YaST also purportedly has partitioner interface enhancements

11.2 purportedly has other YaST enhancements (yast to QT4)

Aside from YaST, 11.2 promises to have many other updates. As already noted, the update from 11.1’s 2.6.27 kernel to 11.2’s 2.6.31 kernel should provide :

  • USB-3.0 support
  • some speed/memory improvements, boot speed improvements
  • improved drivers (better wifi support, bloothooth, … )
  • improved files system support (such as ext4, btrfs , encryped )
  • improved ATI radeon kernel mode setting (KMS) support
  • improved alsa/oss support (SB X-Fi, … etc … )
  • new kernel debugging features
  • other improved hardware support
  • improved virtualization (KVR)
  • improved drivers (graphics, scsi, sata, network/wifi, sound, usb, bluetooth … )

11.2 provides Gnome-2.28 with its

  • better social network client interfaces (facebook, twitter, Identi.ca, … )
  • new windowing and user interface (Sonar)
  • various bug fixes
  • Epiphany web browser switch from Geckto to WebKit
  • new Bluetooth module

11.2 provides a more stable KDE with KDE-4.3.1 (with patches)

  • includes better social network client interfaces (twitter,Identi.ca … )
  • improved Kmail
  • firefox default browser
  • improvements to plasmoids
  • many bug fixes for improved stability.
    Note KDE-3.5.10 is not included in 11.2.

Also, 11.2 provides

  • Ext4 file system (by default)
  • Newer application versions (firefox, openoffice, amarok, digikam, k3b, konversation, gimp, … )
  • Encyrption more feasible
  • Semi-Auto graphic card detection/use
  • Hybrid ISO’s to install openSUSE from USB

In 11.2 the LiveCDs are to have more language, and packaged with printing drivers (as opposed to download needed)

However for the best 11.2 experience, IMHO one is best to wait for 2 to 3 months AFTER 11.2 GM version is released, … ie with 11.2 being released in mid-Nov-2009, wait until Feb/Mar-2010 before installing 11.2. There are always many bugs that were missed by the testing team, that are not discovered until the masses jump into a new openSUSE release. Hence the time from Nov-2009 to March-2010 will be filled with many bug fixes, as the packagers make an effort to fix the many newly discovered 11.2 bugs.

#12

Would it be possible to burn this message onto every SUSE enthusiast’s display screen? Truer words were never spoken. Just a little patience on everybody’s part (myself included) would make this forum so much easier to manage.

Thanks for all the hard work you are putting in for the rest of us.

#13

Wise words but I will not be able to wait that long. The RC1 live-cd I tried really made me want to install it now! I have seen several people who have done this. So, when it’s out I will be installing it ASAP.

Hopefully there will be a nvidia repo by then so I don’t have to compile the drivers manually :slight_smile:

Should finally be able to suspend my pc. The old SB X-Fi drivers prevented me from doing so. Since they’re now in the kernel it should all work fine.

#14

I installed RC1 last weekend, and was really impressed at the installer (from the liveCD) being able to handle existing LUKS encrypted partitions.

This has been the first install since 10.3 where I was able to keep my LUKS /home partition :).

You simply select “custom partitioning”, setup your other partitions as you want them, then for your LUKS partition simply select “do not format”, select “encrypt partition”, and select the mount point.

It asks for a password, not sure if this makes any difference, but I entered my LUKS password and it worked.

Everything was setup and mounted correctly after install.

You still have to select “install to mbr” manually though.

Amazing :D.

The only “bug” I have found so far is the installer not honouring the keyboard selection I made, I had to set it again manually after install, and my VTs are still using the default US layout. No idea how to switch those and save it though :(.

#15

Well if everyone followed that advice it would be self-defeating, as noone would discover any bugs any more during those early months…rotfl!

#16

My thoughts, exactly! :wink:

#17

The article makes it seem safe and simple to move to ext4. But I don’t understand the part about ext4 not working with grub??? :stuck_out_tongue: