I’ve been running SUSE since 8.2 and have always installed the full DVD or CD-set version in the past, but since I wanted to reformat my laptop partitions with ext4 and only use KDE, I thought I’d give the KDE Live CD version a try this time with 11.2. I now have everything up and running fine, but a couple of things narked me during the installation:
I’ve seen many posts in the past from people who missed the Auto Configuration checkbox during install and I’ve thought it’s obvious enough to spot it, but this time I never saw it myself and didn’t get a chance to uncheck it and configure things my way. I then had the usual routine of the network check failing and I spent hours after install trying to get K Network Management to configure my IPW 2200 wireless correctly. Never had such problems with that in the past. Is the Automatic Configuration checkbox removed from the Live CD version or the DVD too, or did I somehow miss it?
Secondly, I seem to recall reading that the kernel-desktop was now the default but my automatic configuration has set my laptop up with kernel-default. Just the very name ‘desktop’ confuses me as to whether it is intended solely for desktop machines (as opposed to laptops and portables) or generically for all such devices. Is the desktop flavour removed from the Live CD version to save space, else why wasn’t it installed? I don’t know if I’d stand to gain much by switching and am reluctant to tamper with an otherwise working system, but anything it could bring such as additional power-saving is always welcome on this noisy whirring machine.
I need to set up another desktop machine soon so am pondering over downloading the full DVD instead if it resolves these two issues.
Hello, I too recently gave the KDE Live CD version a try in order to install SuSE on a friends Desktop. She only had a CD drive. In my observations not all the items offered on the Full DVD version are there cause … there is not enough room. I do believe that the original purpose of the Live CD is to allow an individual the opportunity to try out openSuSE Linux. The install part was secondary. However, IF the repositories are properly setup, you will then be able to pick and choose what else you want or need to install.
> I need to set up another desktop machine soon so am pondering over
> downloading the full DVD instead if it resolves these two issues.
i always recommend using the DVD to install…
more options/programs/drivers available that way…to get you through
to the first boot…
after that (if you are hooked to the net) you have all the options
available from the DVD plus the selected repos, so in effect the end
install should be the same whether if from CD or DVD…
but, if you have been using since SuSE 8.2 you knew that already, and
i bet you can add all the various kernel flavors you might want…
probably have been compiling your own for 10+ years and can make one
yourself better than the ‘default’ or whatever…so, i don’t see the
purpose of your post…anyway, i put an A. to the only Q? i saw…
That guide is for the DVD not the CD, which was exactly my point. The Live CD didn’t even contain that screen for choosing a fresh or upgrade installation type, so since that’s the same screen where the checkbox resides I shall assume that’s why I never saw it. The md5sum check ran with no errors.
Well, my using SUSE for many years says nothing about my ability to swap out kernels. Indeed, the very reason I ever switched from Windows to SUSE was because of its ease of use, YaST, solid build quality and German (and hence more European) leanings, as compared to the other offerings around at the time. I wouldn’t have a clue how to go about such things and frankly hope I never have to learn, that’s not why I use Linux.
The purpose of my post was to ascertain whether I actually missed something so I don’t go messing up the installation on another machine that isn’t mine, and for which I only have a limited time window to get it done and not interrupt the owners’ workflow. And I don’t want to download the 4.7GB DVD unless I have to, because of my limited 10GB per month Internet account.
Anyway, it seems that I will grab the DVD because I’m an installation control freak and I like to review all the packages individually.
Well, regarding my original second point, I’ve just installed the desktop kernel alongside the default, but the machine won’t boot into it complaining that PAE support is required. I’d asssumed that my CPU was ok with this but according to Wikipedia, this feature was built into Pentium Pro and all successive Pentium processors, except the 400MHz FSB Pentium M versions. And of course, on further examination, that’s exactly what I have. Bugger.
you have amazing luck! back to install: most of the ‘old heads’ around
here advise using the Live CD to get an idea of hardware support and
take a look at openSUSE (if you have not yet figured it out it is NOT
a whole lot like (say) SuSE 9.x, lots and lots more eye candy, whiz
bang etc…the “good old days” of stable/dependable enterprise class
software out of Germany are long gone (here)…instead we have lots
and lots of folks whose first 15 questions are along the line of:
-how do i change the background
-change the screen saver
-bar at the bottom, how do i make it invisible
-my wobbly windows don’t work.
-anyone else here use AOL?
etc etc etc etc etc
ok, so use the CD to look and to install the DVD if at all possible
(more complete install script, more drivers on the disk, etc etc etc
if you want a stable industrial quality install, take a look at SUSE
Linux Enterprise Desktop at Novell.com (cheaper than a good Windoz
Anti-Virus package, and thousands of programs etc etc etc…and, even
has some eye candy…
[btw, i read somewhere that that pdf is supposed to be for both the CD
and DVD…so, i guess someone somewhere lied to me…fact is i’ve
booted a live cd in well over a year…and, never done an install with
one, so i didn’t know that check box is not there…sorrrrry to give
you bad poop…]
