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Lock and (Re)Load: openSUSE 11.1 Respin Features KDE 4.2.2 and System Updates

It's one of the biggest "gotchas" for alternative operating systems -- at some point in the middle of one project's release cycle, some other component that's tied in some way to the original project's functionality gets a whizbang new update that's significant enough that full-fledged integration has to wait until the next release. Of course, there are ways around this for those who just can't wait, but these work arounds might not always be as straightforward as one would hope.

The KDE team continues to roll out updates, enhancements and new features for the KDE 4 desktop environment. The sticking point here is that different users on different machines might find the updates are neat little improvements -- or absolutely vital. And a distribution needs to balance stability and utility of its official packages with the needs of its userbase.

The openSUSE community recently took charge of this particular situation in the form of the openSUSE 11.1 KDE4 Reloaded respin. The installable liveCD, masterminded by Stephan 'Beineri' Binner, incorporates the openSUSE 11.1 image (complete with updates issued since its release) and the KDE 4.2.2 desktop.

openSUSE community manager, Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, says that it is important to note that the "Reloaded" image isn't an official openSUSE release -- and hasn't undergone the same sort of widespread, intensive testing that releases usually get. It's a good thing to keep in mind, and the "live media" format is a great way for those considering installation to see how the whole package works for them, on their hardware -- with no risk to their current system or data.

Brockmeier also mentions that the Reloaded liveCD ships with a few of the openSUSE bugfixes, tweaks, and enhancements that one doesn't normally see on a stock install of the KDE 4.2.2 desktop. The Reloaded liveCD uses the KDE4 versions of Amarok and Digikam by default -- which is a departure from the official openSUSE 11.1 KDE release.

While the KDE 4.3 packages should appear in the openSUSE Factory repositories soon, the Reloaded image is set to keep retrieving its updates from openSUSE's KDE 4.2 repository -- so you can keep your system's look and performance sharp, and avoid the occasional mess of bleeding edge test packages.

• open source
• linux
• novell
• opensuse
• testing
• KDE
• desktop
• livecd
• KDE4
• respin

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