OpenSUSE 10.2 Overview - Part 1

The following is a summary of my experience with the latest versions of OpenSUSE, 10.2, which was released on December 7, 2006. I'm splitting my "review" into two parts - this first part focuses on the installation and initial startup and usability. Then, sometime in the future after I've actually spent some time using the new OS, I plan on writing a follow-up of my experience.

MEDIUMS

Users have two options of obtaining OpenSUSE 10.2 - via download or purchasing the boxed retail version for $59.95.

The download version comes in five CDs or one DVD. In addition to the installation discs, there are two optional discs available, one for language addons and the other for non-OSS software.

The retail version is identical to the download but with a nice user manual, 90 days of installation support, and security patches and bug fixes for up to 2 years. For less than $59.95, this is a great deal and alternative to other more expensive OSes.

For this installation and overview, Iĺl be using the download version.

SETUP

The following computer was used as my test system:

• MSI MS-6712
  
• Athlon XP 2000+
• GeForce 2 MX400
• 512 MB PC 2100 DDR
  

INSTALLATION

Like previous versions of SuSE/openSUSE, installation was a breeze. It started off with the license agreement and then medium verification to ensure the ISOs you downloaded arent't corrupted. Then, YAST2 (Yet Another Setup Tool) gave the option to specify any add-on products, such as non-OSS software and additional language packs. You then move onto timezone selection and finally the desktop selection before the actual installation begins.

In the desktop selection, you have the option of selecting Gnome, KDE, or Other (text mode or minimal GUI). Although you can only select a default desktop at this screen, you are able to add other desktop environment when adding software packages. Something new in KDE is Kickoff, a new usability and productivity-centric KDE Menu designed by openSUSE.

Just before installation begins, YAST2 will present to a default selection of software to install and a proposed harddrive partition - both of which can be modified to your liking. One thing different in 10.2 is that the default partition type, which was previously resierFS, is now ext3. I'm not sure why they decided to go this route, but since it's the default, I left it as is. I made a few software package additions and went on with the installation.

After about 45 minutes of installing the packages, YAST2 went on to the basic configuration of the system - root password, hostname and network setup, etc. - nothing really special here. One thing I did like, though, was the ability to disable IPv6 right there in the network configuration - now you no longer have to dig deep into configuration files to disable it. After adding users, you're given the option to configure your hardware - again, nothing really special here.

After all the configuration, the system will load into the login screen.


INITIAL USE

I logged in using KDE, which was at version 3.5.5 "release 45". The newest feature I noticed was SuSE's Kickoff menu in place of the default KDE "start/application" menu.

The Kickoff menu is pretty intuitive and setup in a nice logical way. The menu is basically divided into five tabs, each with applications or sub categories that best fits the main tab category. The way the sub-menus work is Mac OS-like, meaning clicking on a sub-category will move the menu to the right to another menu, or back. Although it's an obvious rip from Mac OS X, I like it.

Something I noticed right away with OpenSUSE, as with pretty much all other Linux distros, is the ugly default fonts especially when browsing the Internet. Even with anti-aliasing enabled, fonts looked rough and jagged. The reason is because of the lack of good font support for Linux.

To solve this problem, I had to install the Microsoft True Type core font via YAST2 and its Online Update feature. In order to do that, though, I had to configure the installation source and online update to point to a mirror since, by default, no mirror is selected, which I thought was weird. After agreeing to the license and installing the MS fonts, I had to log out of KDE and log back in to notice the changes - the new fonts looked MUCH better.

The other changes to KDE are not really SuSE-specific, ergo, I won´t go over the new features since there are many reviews already on the Internet.

Something I won´t be able to test is Compiz because of my crappy video card. If I upgrade to a compatible video card, I´ll be sure to get back with my impressions of Compiz.

SUMMARY

The download and installation of the OS was a breeze, I didn´t have any problems whatsoever. My initial login and use of KDE was nice, I really like the KickOff menu, and overall speed seemed pretty good.

That concludes my initial installation and overview of OpenSUSE 10.2. In the next parts of my review, Iĺl briefly go over the new Gnome features in OpenSUSE, YAST2, and other new features I encounter in the next few weeks. So be sure to check back soon!

It's Been a While...

Wow! So much has happened since my last post on Labor Day! I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to update my blog, I did manage to post new pictures in my album, though.

Like I mentioned before, a lot has happened in the past few months - a new job, new apartment, new friends, and of course, lots of partying! I'll be filling in the details of what has happened in the next few days.

I have lots of stuff planned in the upcoming weeks including a redesigned site for PuguaSoft.com, continuation of existing projects, and the creation new projects. It'll be real hectic, especially with the holidays coming up, but that's the way I live!

Be sure to check back soon.

Labor Day Week

Wow, and what a week it was!

It all started on Sunday, the 3rd, where I met up with an old college friend visiting from D.C. We then headed to Vancouver, WA. to celebreate Labor Day - Guam Fiesta style! It was held at a farm where people from all over the state (both Washington and Oregon) came together, brought in their favorite Island dish, socialzied, and of course, danced the cha-cha! It was great, the people were great, and the food was AWSOME! I haven't eaten such good Island food in years - I was stuffed!

After the Guam Fiesta, we headed East to the Columbia Gorge where we watched the sunset - it was beautiful site (and the company was great too =).

We headed back after sunset and met with another friend to play cosmic bowling. It was my first time going cosmic bowling - it was different, but really nothing special. We had a lot of fun, though, and that's what counts. It has been a while since I last bowled, but I think I did pretty well - I'm still working on my spinning/curving bowl. The other ladies did pretty good too.

Later that night, we met up with my other friends to karaoke! We all had a great time, but we didn't stay too long, because we had to wake up early for the next day's adventure.

For Labor Day, we went on a day hike at Silver Falls, located East of Salem. The falls were nice, but it wasn't as runny as it was during Spring (you can see it in my other pics from the last time I went to Silver Falls). What made the trip special, though, was the company - I had such a wonderful time there with some of my closest friends.

You can check out the pictures in my album.

Olallie Lake and Potato Butte

Over the weekend, my buddies and I went backpacking around the Olallie Lake area and camped for a night on top of Potato Butte.

Even though we didn't hike for many miles, it was tough because of the steep trails we had to take to get to the top of the Butte, which was 5200 ft. high. It got even tougher the next day when we went up another mountain (forgot the name), which was easily 6000 plus ft. high. It was a tough climb but was definitely worth it - the view was amazing!

I posted pics from our adventure in my album.

Redesigned PuguaSoft Site (Again)!

You probably made it to my blog space via my project site - PuguaSoft.com. So you probably already noticed the whole new redesigned site. I didn't like the look and feel of the skins provided by the old site running on MediaWiki so I decided to switch to Joomla! Not only does it look much better, but there are TONS more features in Joomla! that MediaWiki doesn't have. Joomla! is also alot more extensible. So don't be susprised if you notice new and cool things being added to PuguaSoft in the coming future.

Updated Site and Photo Album

If you haven't already noticed, PuguaSoft (finally) has a (decent) web site to call home. The main design and layout is there, powered by MediaWiki, but there's still improvements to be made. So expect some changes in the coming future.

I've also updated my photo album (FINALLY)! It's been almost a year since I last posted pictures about some of the stuff that I've done. Alot has happened the past year, so be sure to check back when I post some more new pics.

PuguaSoft Projects Go Live

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted something up here. Well, there's a copule good reason why.

First, my parents came up from Cali to vist me for a while. A couple cousins and relatives also flew from Guam and was in the area for a while. So I've been busy spending time with the family, going out, and traveling. We spent a few days up in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.. It was great - B.C. is beautiful, and the womem there are even more gorgeous! I have lots of pictures and even some video that I'll try to post up whenever I have some free time (and that will be some time).

The other reason why I've haven't posted in a while is because I've been busy working on a couple projects for PuguaSoft. The first two projects released under PuguaSoft are targeted at other software developers and programmers.

The PuguaSoft Commons Project is a collection of open source Java libraries that are used (and will be used) by other PuguaSoft projects and products. The Commons currently consist of the Net, Security, and Utils packages, each of which contains various functions for their respective fields.

My second project (it's actually the first one, but I split the Commons into a separate project), is the JiraBuddy project. It's a Jira plug-in for the Eclipse IDE. Unlike current Jira plug-ins out there, I'm not trying to replecate the whole Jira application inside Eclipse. Rather, I'm adding a bunch of new, cool, and convenient utilites and functions for developers using both Eclipse and Jira - one of which is the Hover feature. The Hover feature enables developers to add Jira keys/issues in Java code and then, if they place their mouse over the Jira key/issue, the summary of the issue will be displayed in a hover textbox. Cool!

There are a couple more features I'd like to add to the JiraBuddy plug-in, but I could always use more ideas. If there's anything you want added, removed, or improved, just send an email to development@jirabuddy.puguasoft.com

Mt. Bachelor

It was sometime in the middle of last December when I put a pair of skis and went down the slopes of Mt. Bachelor for the first time. I fell and tubmled down the trails for the better part of the day. Although I really sucked, I have to say I was way better at skiing the first time out than I was at snowboarding.

Now, four months later and several trips to Willamette Pass, I've come to be a well-seasoned and experienced skier. I've conquered Willamette Pass and most of it's trails, including the black diamonds. The only trail I pussed out on was RTS (Real Tough Stuff) - maybe next season.

Not only have I've drastically improved in skiing, but I've also got into the sport of snow-blading. Snow-blades are basically shorter, wider skis. They allow me to perform tricks easier and make sharper turns. With the blades, I can also go off jumps and pull off tricks easier. I can't do anything really amazing like 360s or backflips (yet), but I'm improving - maybe next season.

So last Saturday, on April Fool's Day, I returned to the mountain that kicked my ass the first time 'round. This time, I came prepared and ready to return the favor. I headed back to Mt. Bachelor with a few buddies, my snow-blades, and my determination. All I have to say was - we ROCKED!

We cruised throughout the mountain and most of the trails. It didn't matter if it was a blue or black diamond trail - Northwest Express, Outback, I-5 - we rocked 'em all! Even as a rookie skier, I have to say that I impressed even myself on how much I improved in the last few months. Not only did we fly through the trails, we also played around the terrain park going on some jumps, catching air, and even heading down the half-pipe! Of course, I didn't do anything crazy on the jumps or half-pipe - maybe next season.

It's Spring now - the sun is shining and the ice is melting. It was a season filled with falls, bruises, a badly sprained hand, and lots of soreness - but it was all worth it. I had so much fun carving, catching air, and going through the woods with my friends and co-workers. Now, with my rookie season under my belt, I'll have to wait until the snow falls again before I return to the slopes. Until then...it's back to the b-ball courts, turf fields, rivers, waterfalls, beaches, and mountains!

Updated Blog Settings

I'm now allowing ANYONE to post comments on my blog. There's a catch, though - all comments will first be reviewed by me before actually being posted on my blog. This is to prevent spamming as well as inappropriate postings on my blog.

So go ahead and post some comments!

It's Good To Be Back!

Finally, after a week-long conference in Silicon Valley, and a weekend spent with friends in San Fran, and after a three-hour flight delay, I'm back home.

EclipseCon 2006 was a great experience for me - I learned so many new things that will be beneficial for my Software Development career. In addition to the great talks, tutorials, and three-course meals, I really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world with the same interest as mine.

Hanging out in San Fran with a bunch of friends was really nice after the week-long conference. The weather wasn't particulary nice when I arraived in San Fran despite being sunny all week long! Regardless, I still enjoyed my short stay there and will definitely want to come back again some time - I love the Bay Area!

To top the week off, I was greeted with a three-hour delay from my connecting flight from Seattle to Eugene. Apparently our Alaska Airline had some kind of mechanical failure and we had to wait for a new plane to fly in for us. After the long wait and short flight, I'm now back in my cozy apartment gearing up for a long week at work. At least now I can put what I learned from the EclipseCon into actual use!

Eclipse Con 2006 - Day 4

Today was the last day of EclipseCon 2006. I think that I got more out of the talks and presentations today than I did yesterday - alot of informative topics on RCP, SWT, Web Services, and more.

Today's opening and closing remarks/talks weren't all that interesting - so I left the conference mid-way through the closing remark to get a little R&R at the hotel's spa.

Overall, I think the EclispeCon 2006 went really well - except for the short talks (read my previous posts). Then again, this was my first time attending a conference this size. Regardless, I came out of the four-day conference with alot of great and useful information - more than I imagine I would before coming here to Silicon Valley. If I have the opportunity, I definitely would like to attend future EclipseCons as well as other software and IT conferences.

Now that I have all this information about the different Eclipse projects, I can't wait to get back to the lab and start on new projects for myself as well as for my employer.

Although this is the end of the EclipseCon, it definitely isn't the end of my "vacation". In fact, it's just the start when I head up to San Fran to party it up with some friends for the weekend!!!

Eclipse Con 2006 - Day 3

It's day 3 of EclipseCon 2006 and nothing too exciting happened. I went to the usual talks and presentations about RCP, DSDP, and other Eclipse projects and tools. Some of the more interesting ones I attended were about actions and commands and the undo system.

The key note about Apache and Eclipse presented at the start of the day wasn't particually interesting. I spent most of the talk just checking email and surfing the web...

After the second day of attending the short talks held towards the end of the day, I have to say that I really hate the way they have set it up. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the short talks of nine minutes are held in different conference rooms spread all over the convention center and are presented one right after the othere. There are not breaks in between the short talks. So that means you gotta run or leave the a talk early in order to attend the next talk without missing it.

Today's lunch wasn't all that great either - it was some kind of pasta. But the reception at the end of the day was much better. There were a variety of foods from different cultures.

Anyway, I bought a bunch of books on Eclipse plug-in and RCP development, and one on JST. Although I can get them for less expensive at Amazon.com because of the taxes I have to pay here, I figured that since my company is gonna reimburse me for the purchases, why not go all out!

Eclipse Con 2006 - Day 2

Day 2 of EclipseCon 2006 was great - lots of informative talks and presentations, good food (breakfast, lunch, AND dinner), and free vendor marketing crap!

The talks and presentations I attended today mostly consisted of RCP and plug-in development, and various tools for Web Services and Hibernate. The one talk I attended today that was particularly interesting was "NASA Mission Operations with RCP". The talk went over how NASA uses RCP and many other Eclipse platform tools to create custom applications used by the Mars lander and Mars rover missions. It's hard to describe everything the RCP application does, so just take my word for it, it was very cool!

The one thing I don't like at the conference are the the 9-minute talks. I don't mind that the talks are only 9 minutes, actually I think it's a good thing since it prevents the presenters from rambling on and on. What I DON'T like is that there is no extra time in between the short talks to move from one place to the other - a new short talk starts right after the other ends. That means I had to run from one conference room to another if I wanted to attend a different short talk without being late. I hope this is something they'll change in next year's conference. I think a two minute passing time would be great to have between each short talk.

Eclipse Con 2006 - Day 1

So my employer, Lunar Logic, Inc., sent me over to Santa Clara for this year's Eclipse Conference. I was pretty excited because it's my first time attending the Eclipse Conference, or any conference of this size and exposure for that matter. Not only am I excited about the conference, but also to take a week away from work and visit the Bay Area. I have a few friends in San Fran that I plan to visit at the end of the week before I head back to Eugene.

Today was the first day of Eclipse Con 2006 - and what a day it was! There were ALOT of people at the Santa Clara Convention Center, and I'm sure there will be even more during the rest of the conference. There were people of all ages and ethnicities from all over the world. Not surprisingly, the male/female ratio was about 10 to 1...

All registered participants recieved a compensation bag full of goodies. There was a nice EclipseCon backpack specifically designed for the tech geek in all of us - lots of pockets for your accessories, a pouch for your laptop, and even a PDA protector! Also included in the bag were a 256MB USB stick, the "Eclipse Rich Client Platform" book (McAffer, Lemieux), CDs, brochures, a t-shirt, and some marketing junk.

The two turtorials I took today were "Plug-in Development" and "Rich Client Platform Development". Both were really good and full of useful information. Before taking the tutorials, I knew very little about both subjects. Now, I feel like I can program them in any applicatoin - well, not really, but I do know much more that before and I plan to use this information in some future projects I have in mind.

The next few days at Eclipse Con I'll be attending various talks and presentations on RCP, plug-in, and mobile development. I feel these subjects will be most useful for my personal, as well as professional, projects.

Been Busy...Enjoying the Snow

Nothing exciting happened in the last month since my last post except that I've been trying to enjoy the last part of the Winter season. I've gone skiing and snow-blading pretty much every weekend since the start of the new year. I have to say, since this is only my first season skiing and snow-blading, I'm doing quite well. In fact, I'm donig very well that I went on some "black-daimond" runs the last few times I was up at Willamette Pass.

It's Spring break now, but there's still alot of snow falling up at the Cascades. After I get back from the Eclipse Conference, I plan on heading up to Mt. Bachelor one more time before the end of the season. I started the season there, and I want to end it there, weather permitting.

A White Valentine

I woke up this morning, Valentines day, to find snow flakes falling outside my window. It has been years since the last time it snowed in Eugene, so I was excited, to say the least. As I drove to work, and for most of the morning, it started to snow more. It was beautiful to watch the snow flakes fall from my 4th floor corner office in downtown Eugene. Most of the morning wasn't very productive due to me just staring outside and day dreaming about the snow and my special Valentine (you know who you are).

Well, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Whether or not you have someone to spend this day with - it's a perfect time to stuff down tons of chocalate and milk...yumm!

Updated Personal Blog

I've updated my blog, as you can obviously see. In addition, I've added my pic and a brief introduction about myself.

In the next few days, I'll be updating my photo album and my company's site PuguaSoft.com, so check back soon!