Here’s a general FAQ about openSUSE to cover common questions:
openSUSE is a free and open-source Linux distribution developed by the openSUSE Project. It aims to provide a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly operating system for desktops, servers, and development environments.
Yes, openSUSE is free and open-source. You can download, use, and modify it without cost. It also offers paid support options for enterprise environments through SUSE Linux Enterprise.
To install openSUSE:
openSUSE offers various desktop environments:
YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) is an advanced system configuration tool available in openSUSE. It provides a user-friendly interface to configure system settings, install and manage software, set up hardware, and manage networks and services.
Zypper is the default command-line package manager for openSUSE. It’s used to install, update, remove, and manage software packages. It works with RPM packages and is known for being fast and reliable.
openSUSE uses Btrfs as the default file system for the root partition. It provides features like snapshots, allowing users to roll back changes and restore their system to a previous state. For the home partition, XFS is commonly used, though other options are available during installation.
sudo zypper update
sudo zypper dup
Yes, openSUSE is beginner-friendly, especially with its powerful YaST control center, which simplifies system management. However, it also appeals to advanced users who want more control and cutting-edge features, especially with Tumbleweed.
openSUSE (using Btrfs) creates automatic snapshots of the system before any significant changes, like software updates. These snapshots can be restored if something goes wrong, providing an extra layer of safety. You can manage these snapshots with Snapper, a tool integrated into openSUSE.
While openSUSE is community-driven and free, commercial support is available through SUSE for its enterprise version, SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE). Many openSUSE components are upstream in SLE.
The openSUSE Build Service (OBS) is a platform that helps developers build and distribute packages for openSUSE and other Linux distributions. It allows developers to contribute software and make it available to the community.
Yes, openSUSE is suitable for server use. Leap, with its long-term support and stability, is especially well-suited for production servers. Additionally, it shares a codebase with SUSE Linux Enterprise, which is a well-known enterprise server OS.
openSUSE has a strong and active community. You can find help and discussions through various channels:
There are several ways to contribute, such as:
You can find more about contributing on the official openSUSE website.
Snapper is a tool used to manage Btrfs snapshots in openSUSE. It can create, delete, and restore snapshots, allowing users to roll back to previous states of the system after changes like package installations or system updates.
You can download openSUSE Leap or Tumbleweed from the official openSUSE website.
openSUSE Overview
Package Management in openSUSE
openSUSE History
Support & Service for openSUSE