openSUSE is a community-driven Linux distribution developed by the openSUSE Project. It focuses on reliability, strong tooling, and clear release tracks for different needs, from conservative servers to bleeding‑edge desktops.
- Two main release tracks: Leap (fixed releases) and Tumbleweed (rolling release).
- YaST administration: A powerful system configuration suite for software, services, and hardware.
- Zypper package management: Fast, scriptable package management for RPM packages.
- Btrfs snapshots: Snapshot and rollback support for system recovery.
- Enterprise alignment: Leap is built from SUSE Linux Enterprise sources and binaries.
- Current Stable (Leap): openSUSE Leap 16.0 (released 2025-10-01).
- Previous Stable (Leap): openSUSE Leap 15.6 (released 2024-06-12).
- Rolling Release: openSUSE Tumbleweed (continuous updates).
- Slowroll: New slow-rolling release option between Leap and Tumbleweed.
| Version |
Release Date |
Track |
Kernel |
Desktop |
| Leap 16.0 |
2025-10-01 |
Leap |
6.12 LTS |
KDE Plasma 6.3 / GNOME 48 |
| Leap 15.6 |
2024-06-12 |
Leap |
6.4 |
KDE Plasma 5.27 / GNOME 44 |
| Tumbleweed |
Rolling |
Tumbleweed |
6.13+ |
Latest available |
| Version |
Release Date |
Track |
Kernel |
Release Info |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 |
2025-10-01 |
Leap |
6.12 LTS |
https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:16.0 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 |
2024-06-12 |
Leap |
6.4 |
https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:15.6 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.5 |
2023-06-07 |
Leap |
5.14 |
https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:15.5 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.4 |
2022-06-08 |
Leap |
5.14 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 |
2021-06-02 |
Leap |
5.3 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
| openSUSE Leap 15.2 |
2020-07-02 |
Leap |
5.3 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 |
2019-05-22 |
Leap |
4.12 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 |
2018-05-25 |
Leap |
4.12 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
| openSUSE Leap 42.3 |
2017-07-26 |
Leap |
4.4 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE |
openSUSE Leap 16.0 is the latest major release, released on October 1, 2025.
| Feature |
Description |
| Release Date |
October 1, 2025 |
| Kernel |
Linux 6.12 LTS |
| Desktop |
KDE Plasma 6.3.4 / GNOME 48 / Xfce 4.20 (experimental) |
| Security |
SELinux default (AppArmor available) |
| Display |
Wayland-first (X11 deprecated) |
| Support |
24 months |
| Installer |
Agama (web-based) |
| Component |
Version |
| Linux Kernel |
6.12 LTS |
| KDE Plasma |
6.3.4 |
| GNOME |
48 |
| Xfce |
4.20 (experimental, labwc compositor) |
| GCC |
14 |
| glibc |
2.39 |
| Python |
3.12 |
| Zypper |
Latest with parallel downloads |
- New Base: Built on SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 (SLES) and SUSE Linux Framework One
- Agama Installer: New web-based installer replaces YaST for installation
- SELinux Default: SELinux replaces AppArmor as default security module
- Wayland-First: Wayland is default; X11 deprecated but available via XWayland
- 64-bit Only: x86-64-v2 minimum requirement (CPUs from 2008+)
- Y2038-Ready: Prepared for year 2038 Unix timestamp issue
- Myrlyn: New GUI package manager replaces YaST Software
- Cockpit: Web-based system management included
- Annual Releases: Plan for annual minor releases through 2031 (Leap 16.6)
| Architecture |
Status |
| x86_64 |
✅ Primary (x86-64-v2 minimum) |
| ARM64 (AArch64) |
✅ Supported |
| PowerPC (ppc64le) |
✅ Supported |
| Track |
Description |
Update Frequency |
Recommended For |
| Leap |
Fixed releases based on SLE |
Major releases every ~2 years |
Production, enterprise, stability |
| Tumbleweed |
Rolling release |
Daily updates |
Developers, enthusiasts, latest software |
| Slowroll |
Slow-rolling release |
Monthly snapshots |
Balance between stability and freshness |
| Edition |
Desktop |
Description |
| KDE Plasma |
Plasma 6.3 |
Full-featured, customizable desktop |
| GNOME |
GNOME 48 |
Modern, workflow-focused desktop |
| Xfce |
Xfce 4.20 |
Lightweight, traditional desktop |
| Tumbleweed |
Multiple |
All major desktops available |
| Component |
Minimum |
Recommended |
| CPU |
x86-64-v2 (2008+) |
Modern multi-core |
| RAM |
2 GB |
4 GB+ |
| Storage |
20 GB |
50 GB+ SSD |
| Display |
1024x768 |
1920x1080+ |
| Tool |
Purpose |
| YaST |
System configuration and administration |
| Zypper |
Command-line package manager |
| Myrlyn |
GUI package manager (Leap 16+) |
| Agama |
Web-based installer (Leap 16+) |
| Snapper |
Btrfs snapshot management |
| Cockpit |
Web-based system management |
| openQA |
Automated testing framework |
- Servers and production systems: Leap provides a stable, enterprise‑aligned base.
- Desktops and developers: Tumbleweed provides up‑to‑date packages and frequent updates.
- Testing and experimentation: Rolling snapshots make it easy to access new features early.