[LEFT]I’m thinking of trying out OpenSuSe (again). Maybe using Tumbleweed to keep more current. I’m a little miffed at LinuxMint right now in that I have to do a complete reinstall from one major release to another and that some of the tools I’d like to have (like python3.6) aren’t even possible without installing from source (until LinuxMint 19). That said, I’ve never been able to stay on SuSe for more than 30 days before I’m hunting for something else again. (I’ve been on LinuxMint/Ubuntu for 5-6 years.)[/LEFT]
I’ve used Linux as my desktop OS for over a decade. Previous to that I dabbled with it as a desktop but used it on servers for 2 decades. (Getting old.)
Anyway, here are some of my fears:
When I go to install some software (say, PyCharm from JetBrains) I see a .deb, and .rpm choices but nothing specific to Suse. Though your “elevator pitch” says that Suse is the #2 largest distro it concerns me that I might have to “work harder” to install software.
Its been a while but I do recall the last time I tried running OpenSuse I couldn’t get my WIFI to work and I think I had trouble getting my proprietary display driver too. (Issues with sound I think too.) How is it today? Is hardware support for OpenSuse (out of the box, not “you can install from source yourself”) on par with LinuxMint?
I’m sure I have more concerns but none are coming to mind right now.
Basically can someone convince me that I’ll have as easy and rich of an experience running OpenSuse as I have with LinuxMint? (Bear in mind that I’m not looking for a “project” here. I want easy, full featured, and current. I have other things to do with my life than chase down missing drivers or compiling from source or installing “wrappers” to get my “made for Windows” WIFI card to work.) Actually, I don’t know if my current WIFI adapter is proprietary like that but it has been in the past.
I’m not familiar with this software at all, but if RPM packages exist then you could try installing with the package manager eg ‘zypper in /path/to/foo.rpm’.
There can be no promises with software not specifically built against openSUSE libraries. No different to any other distro here.
Its been a while but I do recall the last time I tried running OpenSuse I couldn’t get my WIFI to work and I think I had trouble getting my proprietary display driver too. (Issues with sound I think too.) How is it today? Is hardware support for OpenSuse (out of the box, not “you can install from source yourself”) on par with LinuxMint?
Proprietary wireless drivers can be a challenge to install when no wired ethernet connectivity exists, but the appropriate driver can be downloaded on a machine with internet connectivity, transferred via memory stick, and installed with the appropriate package management tools.
Basically can someone convince me that I’ll have as easy and rich of an experience running OpenSuse as I have with LinuxMint?..
I’m not going to try to convince you. Only you can evaluate for yourself. You may find trying geckolinux (live distro implementation) the way to go for evaluation purposes. That won’t help with testing the wireless NIC though. For that you should share the chipset details here. Others can advise further on what is required based on the driver required.
A minor remark. You seem to to be confused about spelling the name of the distribution. I see you using openSuSe and OpenSuse in one and the same post.
It is not t hat difficult. All openSUSE websites, inclusing these forums show you on almost every page the correct spelling: openSUSE. So just look, maybe copy/paste when your fingers have problems in handling the shift key.
Thank you for correcting my spelling errors. I’ve been in and out of SUSE (or however you wish me to spell it) for so long that I’ve given up on how to properly type out its name (and how to say it). That said, I’ll use openSUSE for this project for now on.
So, I gave it a go. Alas, failure on all accounts. openSUSE Leap (Netboot) left me with a black screen with a blinking cursor in the top/left corner for hours. openSUSE Tumbleweed hung with the following screen: http://pathologicalcurves.com/openSUSE/IMG_0861.JPG. I don’t even know how to describe that issue.
It appears that my typical complaints with SUSE still exist. Just trying to get it installed yields crazy issues (mostly driver related).
I’ll rant for 2 seconds here and then I’ll shut up:
<rant>
It’s 2017!!! I shouldn’t have to beg an operating system to perform a basic install. (My computer is approximately 14 months old. i.e. not bleeding edge, nor uber old.) I’d imagine that my system would be the “sweet spot” for running Linux. Which, I have to say, LinuxMint installed with no issues. This issue is how I ended up on Ubuntu many years ago!
</rant>
I know, it’s all just my fault (or issues). I’ll shut up now. Maybe I’ll check out openSUSE in another 5 years and see if I can install it then.
I’ve used openSUSE for virtually all the time I’ve been with linux, which is a quite a bit longer than I’ve been using this forum.
I have had success installing rpms easily in openSUSE. My most obvious one is LibreOffice which I download from their site. Of course, Suse have a major involvement with LibreOffice.
I do try other distros from time to time on a different partition and I use exactly the same process for loading the wifi drivers on any of them.
I’ve never liked Ubuntu or its derivatives much so there’s no reason why openSUSE should suit you. It suits me and if you’re serious about trying it I think you should give it more than 30 days to get used to the differences.
Good luck and,as they say, have fun.
On 2017-05-28, daxm <daxm@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> - When I go to install some software (say, PyCharm from JetBrains) I
> see a .deb, and .rpm choices but nothing specific to Suse. Though
> your “elevator pitch” says that Suse is the #2 largest distro it
> concerns me that I might have to “work harder” to install software.
Not more so than most other binary distributions. Mostly everything you need outside the OSS repositories can be found
in software.opensuse.org. Otherwise you’ll often find the RPMs at rpm.pbone.net (which do work with openSUSE). And if
you really want `cutting edge’ you’re unlikely to find conveniently packaged binary RPM or DEB packages and you’ll end
up downloading src.tar.gz packages and install from source.
> - Its been a while but I do recall the last time I tried running
> OpenSuse I couldn’t get my WIFI to work and I think I had trouble
> getting my proprietary display driver too. (Issues with sound I think
> too.) How is it today? Is hardware support for OpenSuse (out of the
> box, not “you can install from source yourself”) on par with
> LinuxMint?
No. LinuxMint comes with all propretiary batteries included whereas most other GNU/Linux distributions (including
openSUSE) do not. However it is just a matter to adding the relevant repostories to include the proprieatry batteries
which should present little challenge to a user wanting cutting edge.
> Basically can someone convince me that I’ll have as easy and rich of an
> experience running OpenSuse as I have with LinuxMint?
No. For one, we don’t know your hardware setup so can’t advise. More importantly. it’s no-one’s job to do try and
convince you, except your own. GNU/Linux is not free, you just pay with time rather than money. Installing a GNU/Linux
distribution nowadays is very easy, and the only way you can convince yourself of utility of a GNU/Linux distribution
is to try itself, rather than challenging forum posters to sell it to you. You might encounter problems or not; we just
don’t know. If you do, forum regulars here will be happy to advise and help. In the meantime, all I can tell you is if
you decide to give openSUSE another miss, that’s absolutely fine by us but it will be you who’s really missing out.
On 2017-05-28, daxm <daxm@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
>
> So, I gave it a go. Alas, failure on all accounts. openSUSE Leap
> (Netboot) left me with a black screen with a blinking cursor in the
> top/left corner for hours. openSUSE Tumbleweed hung with the following
> screen: http://pathologicalcurves.com/openSUSE/IMG_0861.JPG. I don’t
> even know how to describe that issue.
Classic openSUSE installation problem: installation boopt usually freezes in about 50% of computers - old and new - I regularly use.
Sounds like you need to boot the install kernel in failsafe mode. My feeling the failsafe should be the default during
installation in order not to put off GNU/Linux newcomers, but openSUSE isn’t really interested in attracting in
newcomers. If you want to persist, try fail-safe boot; if you need help, post to the install/login/boot forum.
Still, not very professional and unlikely to inspire confidence, I agree.
> So, I gave it a go. Alas, failure on all accounts. openSUSE Leap
> (Netboot) left me with a black screen with a blinking cursor in the
> top/left corner for hours. openSUSE Tumbleweed hung with the following
> screen: http://pathologicalcurves.com/openSUSE/IMG_0861.JPG. I don’t
> even know how to describe that issue.
>
> It appears that my typical complaints with SUSE still exist. Just
> trying to get it installed yields crazy issues (mostly driver related).
>
> I’ll rant for 2 seconds here and then I’ll shut up:
> <rant>
> It’s 2017!!! I shouldn’t have to beg an operating system to perform a
> basic install. (My computer is approximately 14 months old. i.e. not
> bleeding edge, nor uber old.) I’d imagine that my system would be the
> “sweet spot” for running Linux. Which, I have to say, LinuxMint
> installed with no issues. This issue is how I ended up on Ubuntu many
> years ago!
> </rant>
>
> I know, it’s all just my fault (or issues). I’ll shut up now. Maybe
> I’ll check out openSUSE in another 5 years and see if I can install it
> then.
Or you could ask for assistance - a) so you can get it up and running,
and b) so the issues you ran into can be addressed in order to help
others.
That’s more the OSS way, rather than ranting “this doesn’t work” and
leaving.
Jim,
I’m with you and normally I do ask for help. The point I’m trying to make is that given it is 2017 an OS should be able to at least boot up enough to allow you to install it. I’m used to these problems from the late 90’s but in the intervening years I’d expect those issues to have gone away. (No more setting IRQ pins and such.) It just looks bad to have one Linux distro boot up and install flawlessly while another not even boot up enough to install. Do you see my point? As a “new user” it causes concern that the remaining experience I’d have on openSUSE will be similar.
Does my woes boil down to some sort of proprietary driver? I find it odd that each time I’ve interacted with SUSE that I’ve encountered driver issues.
It’s all good. Maybe I’m not the right type of person to run openSUSE but I’m glad to see that there are people out there that are!
