Novell Expands Worldwide Availability of Linux with the Launch of the openSUSE Project

SAN FRANCISCO (LinuxWorld Conference & Expo)
09 Aug 2005

OpenSUSE project gives Linux developers, enterprises and enthusiasts everything they need to get started with Linux

Novell today announced the creation of the openSUSETM project, a new initiative sponsored by Novell aimed at promoting the adoption of Linux* worldwide. Hosted at http://opensuse.org, the project provides free and easy access to the world's most usable Linux distribution, SUSETM Linux. The project also opens the development process for SUSE Linux by giving developers in the open source community access to the review, testing and development of the SUSE Linux distribution. Community participation begins this week, with the first beta release of SUSE Linux 10.0. As a result, developers around the world will be able to contribute to future versions.

“It is clear that Linux is growing in use both as a desktop and as a server operating environment,” said Dan Kusnetzky, IDC vice president for system software research. “Two impediments the Linux community has been working to overcome are the availability of key applications and increasing levels of Linux expertise in organizations of all sizes. Novell hopes that its new openSUSE project will make the process of obtaining a working Linux environment easy for both end users and developers. The openSUSE project appears to be targeted at removing both of these impediments to Linux adoption.”

The openSUSE project will offer access to frequent developer builds of the SUSE Linux distribution, beginning today with the first beta release of SUSE Linux 10.0. The beta release will offer the latest state-of-the-art features, including new desktop environments and desktop productivity applications, Linux application security based on Novell® AppArmor, improved desktop search, the latest Xen virtualization technology, updated Mono and Eclipse development packages, and enhanced multimedia capabilities. When completed later this fall, SUSE Linux 10.0 will be made available for free download at openSUSE.org. Novell will continue to deliver a packaged edition of SUSE Linux 10.0 for enthusiasts and

first time Linux users in retail stores and online shops, with installable media, additional software and plug-ins, comprehensive documentation and installation support.

“I'm pleased to see Novell give early access for developers to their popular SUSE Linux distribution as soon as the first beta release,” said Andrew Morton, maintainer of the Linux 2.6 kernel. “This is a useful step that we hope will attract more developers to contribute to the kernel and encourage more users to try Linux.”

“The Free Standards Group applauds Novell's openSUSE community effort,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Free Standards Group. “OpenSUSE will promote broader user adoption of Linux, as well as greater transparency in the development and release of this important Linux distribution. This transparency will lead to greater coordination among the Linux community and will aid our efforts in the Linux Standard Base. Through efforts such as this and the Linux Standard Base, the Linux community will continue to deliver to users reliable, open, and trusted software.”

“In 2003, we moved our company to Linux. Now we want to move the world to Linux,” said David Patrick, vice president and general manager, Linux, Open Source Platforms and Services at Novell. “With openSUSE, our goals are to make it easy for anyone to get access to SUSE Linux and to provide a place where developers can advance the state of the art of Linux. The project provides an environment where new ideas are welcomed, incubated and implemented rapidly.”

More details on the development calendar and guidelines can be found on the http://opensuse.org website.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of infrastructure software and services to over 50,000 customers in 43 countries. With more than 20 years of experience in data center, workgroup and desktop solutions, Novell's 6,000 employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world are meeting customer requirements for identity-driven computing and Linux solutions. By providing enterprise-class software and support for commercial and open source software, Novell delivers increased operating flexibility and choice at a lower total cost of ownership. More information about Novell can be found at http://www.novell.com.

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