inuxHow2 Distro Ranking:

"The openSUSE project is a community program sponsored by Novell. Promoting the use of Linux everywhere, openSUSE.org provides free, easy access to the world's most usable Linux distribution, openSUSE. The openSUSE project gives Linux developers and enthusiasts everything they need to get started with Linux." from the official OpenSUSE Website.

We're big fans of OpenSUSE. I've had issues with Ubuntu having the latest and greatest drivers to meet my hardware; I've had issues with Fedora's packaging system; I've had issues with PCLinux and it recognizing my video card, my monitor, my printer (all of which are common and supported well by the other distros). But to date, since I've installed OpenSUSE, I haven't had a problem with any of these things. And from this comes an important lesson with Linux, to each his own (especially with distributions of Linux). It's not uncommon for me to find articles written by Linux afficionados that state the complete opposite. "OpenSUSE totally bombed." "I've never had a problem with PCLinux." "Of all the distros, OpenSUSE has the worst support." I hear these things all the time.

The key to anyone discovering Linux is embracing it and finding which things you love, which things you hate, and which things are so God awful annoying to make you choose one distro over another. Obviously, I had problems with PCLinux; it caused big black squares to show up on my rather expensive monitor, and there wasn't a single bit of research I could find to alleviate the issue. So yeah, for me, PCLinux was a "never gonna happen" distro. Now, I like Fedora, but it's packaging system has gotten on my nerves on more than one occasion. And I like Ubuntu but if you read our Ubuntu article and if you know I'm a big sys admin, then you know I have my gripes with the distro for system administrative intensive projects. OpenSUSE just came along and seems to fill the niche I need as the perfect OS for me. Do we use it to host our websites? No, we use Fedora for that. But what do I personally use, what am I typing this article with? OpenSUSE.

Anyway, enough about me. What are the big perks behind OpenSUSE? Simple packaging system. One of the nicest things OpenSUSE ever did was to put all of its administrative tools together in one place. By going to the main menu | computer | Administrator settings, you're greeted with a one-stop-shop for all of your admin tools. There's no need to go hunting and pecking around through the menu for all the apps you need (like in Fedora), they're all together. Check your hardware, your software, install some apps, configure your firewall, etc all in one place. This alone makes OpenSUSE stand out against the other distros.

In addition to the Administrator settings, OpenSUSE has a nice search utility built into its menu, so you can easily find applications you want to run or check out cached web pages for particular keywords. The main menu was a brilliant design, and it makes for a smooth transition from an OS like Windows.

What about the negatives? There are always downsides, right? The install is still a bit of a headache. It takes a really long time, especially if you opt to use the online repositories. Also, when I install applications, I still get the occasional app that wants to be installed from the original install disc; this is a pain because my desk is a mess, and I never remember where I left that disc (maybe I should keep it on a keychain). Some of the locations for programs aren't where you would usually find them in Linux; after working on a Fedora box, I often find it hard to go back to the OpenSUSE box; my web pages are hosted in different locations; my installed apps are in different areas; my libraries are located willy-nilly. Sure, I could have taken the time to make them all work exactly the same, located exactly the same places. But people are lazy, and defaults are easy to utilize.

Despite my fondness for OpenSUSE, I've known quite a few people who have had issues. So, I can't reasonably give the OS a perfect score. But I also can't penalize what I consider my favorite operating system because of a few nuts (kidding of course...).