“SuSE software has always impressed me by the attention to
detail they employ in generating their best-in-class Linux OS. The
installation routine is simple and straightforward, the progress
bar (lie meter) is generally accurate, and the finished install is
relatively painless to configure. This release is no different in
those aspects and more improvements have made their way into the
finished product as well.“One noticeable feature that has crept into SuSE’s install that
wasn’t in my last review (SuSE 7.3), or it missed my notice because
I did a default install, is the addition of an auto-dependency.
When the user selects a software package they want in the final
install, the auto-dependency feature selects the required libraries
and support packages automatically. This is something that has
always annoyed me about earlier Linux installs. I was either kept
in the dark about the dependency until it was too late (at the
point of launching a binary), or I had to toggle back and forth
between screens to select, or deselect, packages to satisfy a
dependency. With this feature, I can watch which packages are being
added as I select various applications.“The graphical administration tool, YaST2, is the best one I’ve
found to date. It has all of the relevant functions of the computer
in easily understood sections with fairly obvious icons. After my
initial installation, I opened YaST2 to configure my network
connection and audio playback settings. Want to make adjustments to
video settings, network services, security, software updates and
installations? All of these functions are accessible through
YaST2…”