I would like to see two DVDs for OpenSUSE: Desktop and Server.
Desktop includes the Desktop Environments, Development tools, Applicaitons - but with all the server components removed. Client components would be on that CD.
Why? Because the installer is WAY too liberal when it comes to installing server components. I did a custom install and it kept selecting MySQL and Apache 2, Postfix. SAMBA and CUPS servers. All sorts of stuff I simply do not need on a desktop (for work or development purposes). Client apps, sure (to ACCESS printers and/or shares), but not server components. The repository will still exist after the user installs it.
Installing all this extra stuff does nothing but bloat the system install and update sizes and potentially introduces more means to break the system/system vulnurabilities. On top of that, lots of these services are running after the system is installed, eating up system resources like RAM and cache.
Something needs to be done to streamline the install process. It looks good on the surface, but the amount of unnecessary applications and services installed by the installer is borderling unconscionable. If you want a clean system, it can take hours for some people to slim it down, and the “post-install installation experience” added to that is enough to throw many people off from even bothering to continue, especially when they have to repartition or delete their Windows partition to begin with.
I want to continue the install, but I simply don’t have the time to do that anymore. in 2002, that was totally fine. Now, it’s unacceptable.
I don’t want a server setup, I want a desktop install DVD that doesn’t install a bunch of Server components.
Lots of other Desktop users want the same, and many of them probably have no idea the installer snuck that stuff in, and they’re running Web and Database servers in the background because they just clicked through for a fast install (instead of double-checking the packages pre-selected like I do).
Perhaps this has something to do with an application being installed, but I’m not sure which one and it’s too much of a PITA to go through each freaking package and check the dependencies to get rid of it.
I just know Windows Live Mail uses SQL Server Compact Edition and Windows users would revolt if it required them to install SQL Server Express Edition on their machines, or IIS was required for Windows Live Mesh Remote Access, etc.
I just want server components to be decoupled from the base system.
CUPS/Samba client is fine for File Share and Shared Printer access. Web, Database, Email, FTP, SSH, whatever servers… No.
It’s okay, though. I’ll spend tonight installing it, but this is the last time I’m going to bother dealing with this usability/installation failure.
NatLWalker Also, why is “Automatic Login” and “Use this password for system administrator” checked by default?
You could always make your suggestions to the group creating the next openSUSE 11.4 for instance and persuade others to vote for such a change. I do always uncheck Automatic Login and you might even consider making this a separate suggestion. As for using the same password for root as the standard user, not doing that could be a real problem for new users I would think. All things have a reason including Automatic login, most for new users of openSUSE I would imagine.
As for your other complaint, I think that it is easy enough to stop certain programs from being installed, but again, make your suggestions and then convince others to vote for it. That is how things get changed in the next product release.
I consider myself a power user, but this is the first time that I’ve been stomped with NOT being able to find the graphical tool to change my screen resolution O.o
Not seeing it in YaST, the Right Click Preferences from the desktop, or in the KDE menu system.
The desktop looks very nice, but I’m not a fan of 1024x768
And yea, I’ll probably file the suggestions in the system.
On 2010-10-09 02:06, NatLWalker wrote:
>
> Also, why is “Automatic Login” and “Use this password for system
> administrator” checked by default?
You can look it up in the mail archive where this decision was argued, and find out for yourself “why”.
About the "server things you don’t like:
Postfix, samba, and cups “servers” are necessary in a desktop. If you think you can create a
distribution without them just go ahead, use suse-studio and do so >:-)
Other components, like mysql or apache can be brought in depending on what you have installed that
needs them. Others like the sshd “server”… well, even my TV recorder has “sshd” running (and no,
it is not a PC, it is a small thingie with barely enough resources).
If you want to convince devs to create two dvds and what they should contain - tell them, not us.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
It’s one of those arguably popular simplifications (cf ubuntu), that doesn’t prevent the rest of us from configuring it for better security by unchecking either or both.
