Interview: openSUSE's Product Manager On Today's Release of openSUSE 11.0
by Michelle Dively - Jun. 19, 2008Comments (1)- Related Blog Posts
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On launch day of the much-anticipated release of openSUSE version 11.0, we caught up with openSUSE Product Manager Michael Löffler to ask him about the distro's newest features, how they made installation so darn fast, and whether openSUSE works on micro-computers.
OStatic: Of the more than 200 new features in this release, which ones stand out to you as most important?
Michael Löffler; The improvements to the installer and package management. They've really made openSUSE much easier to install and use/manage.
OStatic: Why do you offer a boxed version of openSUSE? Does it sell well? Who buys it, and why?
Michael Löffler: Traditionally, SUSE Linux has always had a retail release and many users still prefer that. It's also easier to get for people who have limited bandwidth, and we offer install support for 90 days and a printed manual -- which add some value above and beyond the release itself.
OStatic: Do you have any installation tips or tricks you'd like to share?
Michael Löffler: Hmm. The install is pretty easy in and of itself. However, this blog post gives some pretty good post-install tips.
OStatic: How well does openSUSE 11.0 work on micro-computers like the Asus Eee PC?
Michael Löffler: It should be fine, speedwise. It depends on the hardware (whether drivers are widely available) in terms of supporting the wireless and graphics.
OStatic: Some consider openSUSE to be perfect for the average computer user, while others say it's "... not the Linux for the masses or even for the people." Which is more accurate?
Michael Löffler: I'd say it's closer to the "average computer user" than "not Linux ... for the people". Sure, no operating system is perfect for everybody, but we think openSUSE is very usable for "average" computer users who use their computers for e-mail, Web browsing, instant messaging, listening to MP3s/music, creating spreadsheets and other documents... if you have a need for Windows-only applications, you might not be able to switch completely, but we think it's great for most users and uses.
OStatic: Give us a peek behind the scenes of this release. Any surprises or challenges along the way?
Michael Löffler: Not really -- I think this development cycle went about as smoothly as anyone might hope for with a distro release.
OStatic: Earlier reviews point to an enormous increase in installation speed. Was that by design, or just a nice benefit of another part of the development process?
Michael Löffler: It was definitely by design. The installer is very important, because many people have never had to install their own OS, and it's really crucial that the installer work well.
OStatic: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Michael Löffler: Just that we'd like to see as many people try openSUSE as possible. We want to enable the use of Linux everywhere, and 11.0 is a great step towards this.
