As I was setting up my blog host I had a critical decision to take. Which OS? I have been using Linux for more then a decade now. I remember the days in India when I had to download 13 floppies of Slackware at 9.6Kbps to install Linux. I have used RHEL, Kubuntu, Fedora Core, Mandriva. But, since I was installing a new machine for this blog, I decided to experiment with OpenSuse which I had never used in past.
I must admit I am hooked. Following OpenSuse instructions I decided to perform a network installation. The installation procedure worked ok although it can use some improvements:
- I wish the installer tested a couple of mirrors and automatically selected the mirror to use
- I wish that the installer asked all the questions in advance and started the installatio rather then stopping during the installation process to ask the question. That way I could start installation process, go for a drive and come back to a brand new OpenSuse desktop
In most Linux and Windows machines finding the any program to run from Start menu has been a pain. The Suse menu system on the other hand is clean and nicely categorized. I like the multi-tab menu interface a lot.
At the top of it yast is great. I was able to find new packages easily (although package manager is slow to start), the firewall configuration is easy and intuitive. I tried configuration creating virtual host using the yast interface without much luck.
But even with its deficiency the OpenSuse is superior to Kubuntu, RHEL, and Mandrive. My next favorite is Ubuntu which I run on my laptop. That is for another day.