Im currently considering installing opensuse for my hp laptop, as of right now, running windows 10. I was recommended to try out opensuse by a friend, who stated that this distro would be perfect for me because of yast and other linux features. im a complete noob when it comes to linux, and I dont like working in a command line as it makes me nervous as there is little visual feed back of what ive just done. my past “experience” was in dual booting the same system years back with windows 7 and linux mint. I did not like linux mint as I found the experience very clunky, but as of right now I am very displeased with windows 10 as it always feels like im in a fight with it for control over my computer. If I change a setting in windows 10 it usually reverts right back in the next update. So here I am again considering to use linux, but I have questions this time. What is a kernel, what is a desktop environment, what is a package manger, what are packages, why do packages need updating, how does software updates work on linux, how do system updates work, do I need to use the command line to update my system or can I use a gui like yast? I may have more questions but the main one is how do I update from version to version without using the command line?
I apologize if this is the wrong place to post a questions like this, this felt like the best fit.
Thank you for your time, Robert.
I’d refer you to this write up, it covers a good amount of things you need to know. Then come back with more questions
https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ultimate-linux-guide-for-windows-users.html
A few more articles to learn about the two available release models, and how to deal with updates.
Thank you for supplying those resources, I have yet to read the ultimate guide to linux for windows users but I soon will.
From reading the other sources, as I get it, tumbleweed has to be updated through command line and other methods will break it, leap can be updated through yast or through the gnome or kde applets, but the kde applet often shoots up errors so its best to disable it, kde desktop will in the future support kde discover and that should fix a few things.
tumbleweed seems a bit advance so im going to steer away from it, but leap with the kde desktop with the applet disabled seems ok for me, i would just check in yast to update as I feel that would be the most reliable and that way the applet wont pop up annoying errors
another question I just had is when will kde discover be implemented into opensuse?
The big decision is to decide between Leap and Tumbleweed, then the update method follows. Once in Leap you can upgrade to Tumbleeweed if you feel the need. The base system is the same for Leap and Tumbleweed, but while Leap is more stable (i.e. changes very little over time, just like with user software on Windows, it’s rarely updated except browsers), Tumbleweed there’s about 2 or 3 snapshots a week. It’s up to you to decide when to update of course, if you skip a few it just batches them for the next time (requiring to update one by one would have be terrible). That’s likely the only time you’d need to use the command line on Tumbleweed.
It is available already, at least in Tumbleweed. I don’t have use for it. Don’t know about Leap.
Yes, it is there already in Leap 15.1, and will be in Leap 15.2 when that is released. But I don’t actually use it, because Yast is better as a package manager.
another quick question, i have not yet installed opensuse, is the installation long and tedious? and is there a way to do the install without a network connection? like download the iso first and it contain everything needed to install, last time with linux mint the iso was very small but the install needed to use the network and took forever.
Final question: does the kde check update display a bunch of errors as was mentioned in this source “https://en.opensuse.org/System_Updates”?
or will it work just fine
and can you update tumbleweed in yast even though that same source recommends using command line or else things will break?
and how far behind is leap to tumbleweed?
You can use the NET installer or the DVD installer. To use the NET installer, you do need a network connection. But the DVD installer will work fine offline, without a network connection. Of course, you will need a network connection to download the DVD iso, which is around 4G in size.
I normally use the DVD installer, and it works pretty well and is reasonably fast.
Final question: does the kde check update display a bunch of errors as was mentioned in this source “System Updates - openSUSE Wiki”?
or will it work just fine
I don’t agree with that web page.
Most of the time, it works well. It is true that, occasionally, there will be errors. That’s when there’s a problem that requires a manual response, and the KDE applet doesn’t seem to know how to handle that. But if that happens, you can just use another method for that update.
Personally, I disable the applet and use “zypper up” at a root command line.
and can you update tumbleweed in yast even though that same source recommends using command line or else things will break?
For Tumbleweed, it is best to use “zypper dup” at a root command line. Yast is not a good choice for updates, though it still works well for searching for packages and manually installing them.
and how far behind is leap to tumbleweed?
Leap 15.0 came out in May 2018, as I recall. At that time, it was only a few months behind Tumbleweed. But Leap emphasizes stability, so many applications are based on the version from 2018, though possibly with bug fixes and security updates applied.
When Leap 15.2 is released in May, there will be significant updates. So KDE will advance to Plasma 5.18 and Gnome will advance to 3.34. Those are the current Tumbleweed versions. But other software may not advance as much.
For my use, I am quite happy with Leap, though I also have Tumbleweed installed. If you are relatively new to linux, then Leap is the better choice (in my opinion).
Hello Robert3945, you are asking good questions. I am a very ordinary user, no expert, but in my experience installing from the full DVD is simple, but it helps to know your machine, do some reading and have a plan. Installation time varies, depends on hardware but I allow an hour, more or less. You will need access to an internet connection to update packages once the installation is done.
Final question: does the kde check update display a bunch of errors as was mentioned in this source “System Updates - openSUSE Wiki”?
or will it work just fine
This is official advice, to be taken seriously, but I have never had a problem. I leave the widget running, for information. If the updates are trivial but useful I install them with the widget. If not, I use zypper - it is much more informative.
and can you update tumbleweed in yast even though that same source recommends using command line or else things will break?
So “System Updates - openSUSE Wiki” says NO, use the terminal. Basically you are doing a distribution upgrade to a new snapshot, its not just a software upgrade. But again it is easy - the System Updates page shows a correct command to use - there may be others.
and how far behind is leap to tumbleweed?
Perhaps up to 12 months but often less, depends on the components and their integration in each version.
When you are ready to go, come back here with info on your hardware and plan for specific advice. This forum is just one more reason to try out openSUSE. Good luck.
You can download LIVE-systems and test them without installation.
openSUSE Leap 15.1: https://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.1/live/
openSUSE Tumbleweed: https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/iso/
Regards
susejunky
May I suggest a slightly different course? Leap 15.2 is going to be released in 4 to 6 weeks and while still in Beta it is stable enough for most everyday tasks.
I would download the KDE Live version from here http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.2/live/
and burn it to an USB stick; if you use, say, a 4GB stick you will get also a “hybrid” partition on the stick where any change, added package and user data will be stored, so that you shall be able to use Linux on-a-stick almost like it were installed.
You can practice it for a few weeks, then upon release you will have a better idea of what you need to install on the laptop disk and how to do it.
At the moment I see no good reason to install Tumbleweed for a newbie unless your hardware is bleeding edge and you need the very latest version of everything to make it work.
Consider that Tumbleweed may break from time to time and impose some added hassle to a newbie, beyond needing the command line to update which is, frankly, a very minor issue.
- Get familiar with openSUSE by running it from an USB stick: How To Try openSUSE Without Making Any Changes To Your PC - openSUSE Wiki Installation can be done from the live system.
- The abundance of information is a big challenge for beginners. You may try and stick to https://opensuse-guide.org/ only.