[LUG] Suse Professional 7.2

[Simon Waters <Simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

the D&C LUG now has a copy of SUSE Professional 7.2

I ought to be writing you all a review of this I'm sure, so I
stuck it on my test box.

Suffix to started the box with CD #1, followed the nice clear
instructions, on uncluttered screen, and it completed a
graphical install seemlessly.

I think the PCMCIA may need some file editting to set up, but so
far it is all point and drool.

7 CD's or one DVD - all the usual stuff but finally a distro
that is even reasonably up to date on some bits.

The install was the least painful operating system install I've
ever done for the basics. I still have to address a couple of
bits, the sound is playing silly buggers, and my ISA PCMCIA
adaptor (Possibly hardware issues, maybe the lack of PCMCIA
environment variable in the /etc/rc.config), but I suspect this
is a minor problem.

Install whilst painless lacks the security options of the
Mandrake install, but looks very suitable for building Office
workstations, or home user Desktops.

The software selection is extensive, for my hobby I found 4
chess programs (GNUchess (as if I needed another copy!), Crafty,
3d Chess, and another, plus xboard of course),  in the distro,
and a copy of Java JRE/SDK etc from IBM will let me build some
Freenet software and the like from source (something that was on
the to do list, but postponed due to lack of disk space on my
desktop box). Haven't try the Borland developer stuff yet.

YaST2 seems just about usuable now, but there is just too many
options, and too much software in the default Office install,
too many bits that can be customised. 

The YaST software install and update stuff does seem to hide the
underlying RPM mechnism a bit too well, but maybe I'll get it
all sussed soon. I guess some will like not knowing how it
installs the software, it is easy to install and set up what you
need.

Nice touch in the install was the option to save the chosen
configuration to floppy to ease recreating it, should be good
for Office roll outs.

Accompanying documentation is good, I even found some ideas to
help solve my PCMCIA problem in the documentation.

So far a thumbs up - but the truth will come when I get to doing
patches and upgrades.

Will also review the KDE DNS and DHCP configuration tools if
they work with BIND 9, should be interesting.

	Simon
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