SuSE 9.1 Notes
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Suse Linux 9.1 Professional Edition
by SuSE Inc.
Product Description
From the ManufacturerThe stable and secure core system of Suse Linux 9.1 Professional features a number of enhancements. For example, the new kernel 2.6 and the new KDE 3.2 provide quicker access to data. In addition to the Suse Linux 9.1 Professional version for standard x86 PCs, a fully ported 64-bit version is available for the new AMD64 and the new Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology. Both versions are shipped in one box.
Scope of Suse Linux 9.1 Professional:
- New: Kernel 2.6
- New: KDE 3.2
- GNOME 2.4
- Samba 3.0
- A host of new applications
- Also includes fully ported, 64-bit version for AMD64 and Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology
Apart from the well-known MS Office-compatible office suite OpenOffice.Org (free version of SUN StarOffice 7), Suse Linux Professional 9.1 delivers applications for the Internet, home networks, graphics and multimedia, a new personal information manager, and the latest versions of programming tools and development environments for technicians and developers. For the first time, the box contains a database application with graphical menus.
Important new features and benefits:
- Kernel 2.6: State-of-the-art operating system technology--provides improved performance, scalability, and memory management for many processes. Burning of CDs and DVDs and reading of audio CDs is greatly accelerated by new DMA modes for these tasks. Manual mounting is no longer necessary, as this is done automatically by submount.
- KDE 3.2: The new, greatly improved version of the popular graphical desktop environment KDE.
The system starts up even faster than previously, automatically plays inserted media (CD, DVD),
and boasts many new features and applications:
- Kontact: New personal information manager for KDE, similar to MS Outlook. Integrates mail, organizer, address book, and note pad. The e-mail program KMail is able to import mail folders from Outlook Express on the Windows partition. Moreover, the address book is capable of importing address books from MS Exchange.
- Juk: new KDE music manager for the quick and smart management of extensive music archives.
- KWallet: "password safe"--used by many applications--securely manages your various passwords.
- Kopete: Version 0.8 of the instant messenger, "understands" MSN, AIM, ICQ, IRC, Yahoo Messenger, Jabber. Communicate with all your "old" acquaintances from the respective services with Kopete.
- KDevelop: Version 3.0 of the well-known development environment. With support for more than 15 programming languages, customizable layout, freely selectable editor component and separate class overview for C++, automatic code completion, syntax check during the input, and integrated debuggers.
- Umbrello: UML modeler, tool for drawing diagrams for object-oriented software development. Import of C++, export to various languages.
- Konqueror: New version of the KDE file manager and Web browser. Enables import of Internet Explorer bookmarks, convenient browsing through image directories, network folders, and network services, ripping audio CDs, and viewing the content of digital cameras.
- Quanta Plus: the HTML editor now features a wysiwyg editor component.
- Spellchecker: now available for e-mail (in KMail) and Web forms (in Konqueror).
- Universal Sidebar: Navigation sidebar for the hierarchical display of folder structures. Can now be displayed on the desktop without the Konqueror file manager.
- GNOME 2.4: new version of the alternative desktop environment GNOME with improved usability and new accessibility options for handicapped users, such as a screen reader with voice output or Braille display output.
- Samba 3: Optimum setup of heterogeneous home networks with Linux and Windows hosts. Enables the integration of Linux hosts in Windows domains and the connection to an active directory and single sign-on. Deleted client files can now be cached on the server side. The implementation of trust settings is possible. Hardware testing and consolidation is much easier due to the possibility of configuring virtual Samba servers.
- YaST 2: The help function of YaST has been improved and the usability of many individual modules has been revised. A new module for ACPI enables the graphical configuration of individual ACPI power management settings.
- New Software/Additional Software:
- Rekall: graphical database application, comparable to MS Access.
- Textmaker and Planmaker: free versions of the Word- and Excel-compatible text processing and spreadsheet applications from Softmaker, exclusively in Suse Linux 9.1. (www.softmaker.de)
Items that are loaded by default:
Graphics
- Digikam .6 (sitting atop gphoto2) for digital camera work
- KIcon Edit 3.2.90 to create/modify icons
- KPaint 0.6.2 for creating your own masterpiece
- The GIMP 2.0 for all sorts of magic with digital images
- KFax 1.3.0 for viewing G3/G4 faxes
- KGhostView 0.20 for viewing PostScript and PDF images
- KuickShow 0.8.6 for quickly displaying images
- XSane for scanning
- OpenOffice.Org 1.1.1 for drawing
Internet
- Kopete 0.8.1 for IM and IRC chat
- Kmail 1.6.2 for email
- Konqueror 3.2.1 for Web browsing
- OpenOffice.Org 1.1.1 for composing HTML
- KInternet for dial-up connections
- KNode 0.7.7 for Usenet news reading
Multimedia
- Kaboodle 1.7.1 media player
- XMMS 1.2.10 media player
- aRTs 1.2.1 synthesizer media design/edit tool
- KRec 0.5 for audio recording
- KRecorder 1.15.1 sound recorder
- Kaffein 0.4.1 media player (based on Xine)
- Natun 2.4.1 frontend for aRTs
- KsCD CD player
- K3B 0.11.7 CD/DVD burner
- KAudioCreator 1.0 for creating audio CDs
- JuK 2.0.1 music manager/player
- RealPlayer 8.0.3.465 media player
- KdeTV 0.8rc1 TV player
- KAMix 0.0.7 volume control
Office
- Dictionary 2.4.1 client for MIT dictionary server
- Image indexer
- Rekall 2.2.0-beta1 database GUI
- OpenOffice.org 1.1.1 for spreadsheets
- KAddressBook 3.2.1 for address management
- KOrganizer 3.2.1 for calendar management
- Acrobat Reader 5.0.5 for viewing PDF files
- Kontact 0.8.1 groupware
- OpenOffice.org 1.1.1 office suite for presentations and word processing
System
- 13 desktop applets including:
- Konqueror 3.2.1 for file management
- 5 file system tools
- 4 system monitors
- Desktop sharing (server and client)
- 3 configuration tools (not counting Yast2)
- Konsole 1.3.1 for terminal sessions
- KDE password changer
That's not the complete list of items on the default tree. There is also a section on utilities for the desktop that includes archiving and editors. But this list gives you a feel for the major apps included in the default install.
In my opinion, the list is strongest in Multimedia and weakest in Internet tool choices. And because I feel that way, I had good reason to try making things a little more to my liking.
Courtesy of Pcghost on http://www.linuxquestions.org.
I have heard so many complaints about SuSE 9.1 that either can be fixed fairly easily, or are related to specific hardware, it baffles me. The machine listed in my signature below runs SuSE 9.1 pro exclusively. There are a couple of things ALL SuSE users should know to help their distro run well. The first is a tip for YaST. The YaST sources SuSE 9.1 ships will suck, but thankfully that is easily fixed. The website packman.links2linux.de has been kind enough to set up their HUGE software library as a YaST source. Here is how to set that up.
- Open the control center.
- Click YaST modules
- Click Software
- Click Change Installation Source
- Click Add
- Select http
- Put http://packman.iu-bremen.de in the site field (actually... leave off the http:// part. YAST puts it in for you.)
- Put suse/9.1 in the path field
- Click OK
Doing this turns an Mplayer installation into a 10 second affair. Additionally, packman has binaries for just about everything else you could possibly want.
Now then, the above is all well and good but ... during the "10 second" installation I was informed that it couldn't find 4 libraries: libnspr4.so, libplc4.so, libplds4.so and libxpcom.so. One of the choices, there are several, is to install Mozilla. Hmmmmmm... I already have Mozilla installed.