SuSE 10.1 First Impressions

At last I managed to install SuSE 10.1 on my tablet pc/convertible (Toshiba Portege m200).

The new things I like:
* NetworkManager
* Cursor Theme
* Better performance (can’t be 100% sure)
* The separation of non-oss form oss software

Things that confuse me, that I don’t like or from that I am disappointed:
* Gnome 2.12 and not 2.14 is included
* NVidia commercial driver is neither on the Add-on CD nor in the Online Update – I support the fully oss distribution, but not quite understand why is it missing on the add-on cd with the closed source software.
* The clock (“thinking” or whatever) cursor flickers with the NVidia closed source driver
* The right click menu in Nautilus for a folder is full of “Open with” – not a single menuitem with a submenu but rather many menuitems. It makes the menu to overcrowded.
* The XGL/Compiz configuration GUI in the gnome control panel did absolutly nothing, so I configured it by hand

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Comments
Published: May 18th, 2006 (Views: 6)
Categories: Coding
Tags:
  • I completly agree with the way it is at the moment. Infact I support that. Also I believe that most of the software included on the Add-on CD should not be there. Also I find it funny (may be not the proper word here) that the new Novell eye candy (Xgl/Compiz) is bound to the closed source drivers.
  • sarnold
    Note that the nvidia closed drivers are not included because Novell has decided to err on the safe side of the law; many kernel developers believe that those who distribute closed-source kernel modules are violating their copyright on the linux kernel. Novell has decided to go with this position, and no longer distribute binary modules.

    Third parties can decide for themselves whether the risk of being found to violate copyright outweighs the risk of losing Linux-oritented business. The downside is that the transition from closed-source drivers to open source drivers is bound to be slow, as it will necessitate acquiring hardware pieces from different vendors internally... We'll see how it goes.

    But I hope you understand better why the nvidia drivers are missing from the Novell-supplied discs. :)

    (It should probably be noted that I'm Just A Guy, nt a company spokesman.)
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