Why does LinuxLots use SuSE?

I have been using SuSE since 5.1, when they sent me a free copy because they put my xIrc package on their CDs. Even back then, they made Redhat look mediocre.

I dislike Microsoft with a passion. It really sucks when I am forced (by some lockin or another) to use my MS box at work. Fortunately, I don't have to too often. Of course, once is one too many times.

Set your politics a side for a minute. I do believe Novell has sold it's soul to Microsoft. I have seen very few companies get money from Microsoft and continue to support Linux with the same level of commitment afterwards. I'm hoping Novell will be one of the exceptions. There have been a few in the past. I am hoping SuSE is seperate and independant enough from Novell to survive regardless of Novell and their actions. SuSE still has it's share of dedicated maintainers, some paid for by Novell, some volunteers. They all work hard to ensure that SuSE remains one of the most comprehensive and easy to use Linux Distributions available.

Look at the system configuration. YaST is right up there with the best tools for configuring your system. It simplifies most of the configurations. No more having to remember all those stinking little details about how to grow your file system, where what file has what variable which needs to be changed. It covers at least 90% of these things for you. An unlike many of the previous attempts at this by other distributions, it still uses the original files. I can see my configuration just as before, I can modify it by hand much of the time and the Yast modules honor my changes. It also lets me make the choices I feel are best for me. What filesystem do I want to use, what desktop etc. Not many other distributions can say that! They know best, either a package is not opensource enugh for them, or it's not 'good enough'. Bullshit! Give me my choices and let me decide!

Look at the desktop. Yes, KDE does seem to be dominent and the best supported by SuSE. Still, when I need a smaller faster window manager, I can start up gnome (blech) or fvwm (yeah!) and have have access to most if not all of the same menu items I have under KDE. And for the most part, I love KDE. It is easy to make it work like I want, focus folows mouse, don't raise the window when it gets focus or I click on it. Of course if I want it to do those things, great! They're easy to set. It's also built on Qt. In 25+ years of programming, I have not found any C++ class library and tools for developing GUIs that can hold a candle to Qt in overall capabilities.

Look at the available packages. On one CD they have almost every package I need. Sure, I still have to go out and get a couple of perl modules. They chose not to use proftp which I find to be better than their choice, but do the others provide such a wealth of prebuilt, they just work, applications? Not that I have seen. And before you ask, yes, I have looked.

In the end, I will continue to use SuSE as long as the above remains true. If they start slipping to the levels of (or below) the other distributions in the world, I will quit using them. I don't need [hellonother mediocre Linux Distribution. I will probably cry for a while. It will be like loosing an old faithfull friend. Until them, I will continue to support SuSE and continue to use it!

If you want to give it a try, take a look at the OpenSuSe site. See for yourself why there are still backers for it.