Open SUSE or Ubuntu - Which is better for someone moving from Windows?

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Hey Guys,

Quiet for some time, i've been participating in this forum and i have noticed that the most popular choice for Linux OS is between Ubuntu and Open SUSE. I am basically a Windows+Linux user and have been using Fedora for around two years. I want to move to Ubuntu or Open SUSE. Can anybody provide the merits and demerits of these two over one another?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Sumit

[Gigacore]

openSUSE 10.3 is best distro i've used... ubuntu is easy... but if u wanna taste the real power of linux go for toungy SUSE

Post a poll

[kalpik]

Ubuntu.. SuSE does not provide any flexibility. And Ubuntu has HUGE community support.

[azzu]

^^ i dint got u "FLEXIBILITY" for wat (iam noob)
but lookin at ur Experience "Krazy_About_Technology" go for Open suse 10.3

[kalpik]

^^ SuSE has graphical tools to configure almost everything, and usually if you try to edit something manually, it screws up really bad.. Ubuntu also has a lot of GUI utilities, but manual editing has never been a problem

[azzu]

wat about Fedora or other Distro's ?

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Well, thanks guys but what i am asking for is a side by side comparison of the two. That'll be of great help.

[QwertyManiac]

And moreover, Ubuntu is debian-easy. Installing packages will never be better and easy than on Debian.

[kalpik]

Well, i would anyday recommend Ubuntu over Fedora, mainly cause Ubuntu is deb based (superior to rpm based distros) and because on the Ubuntu community (ubuntuforums.org). Though i'd recommend Linux Mint for a newcomer, as its also based on Ubuntu and has all codecs and all in place out of the box.

[azzu]

^^Kalpik Bro dont think he's much a new comer
he's usin fedora from moore than 2 years

[Krazy_About_Technology]

OK. How much points out of ten will you guys give for these categories to Ubuntu 10.7, OpenSUSE 10.3, Fedora 7?
1. Ease of use
2. GUI
3. Configuration Tools
4. Multimedia (Out of the box or after installing codecs)
5. As a Development Platform
6. Stability
7. Value for Disk Space consumed (Coz i am a lil short of it on my lappy )

Thanks!

[QwertyManiac]

azzu - A well established Linux user will never ask such a query. Cause to him/her, everything's nearly the same and he can survive on it without fussing about.

@Krazy_About_Technology - Maybe this site will help with that? Its sort of old though

While SUSE's looks are pretty neat, Ubuntu wins more in simple usability and flexibility

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Originally Posted by azzu

^^Kalpik Bro dont think he's much a new comer
he's usin fedora from moore than 2 years

Ya, i am not exactly a new comer. I have been with linux since the days of Redhat 9 became free. Last time i used linux, it was Fedora 6, although i have also worked on Mandrake and SuSE. Never got to try debian though. I Just lost touch since last 6 months. Had some disk space problem and i earn my living working on .NET Technologies. So had to compromise to keep VStudio and remove Linux. But i want to come back now

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by QwertyManiac

And moreover, Ubuntu is debian-easy. Installing packages will never be better and easy than on Debian.

Haven't you ever heard of pacman?

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Originally Posted by QwertyManiac

@Krazy_About_Technology - Maybe this site will help with that? Its sort of old though

Which site, Please give link.

[mehulved]

I though users were quite happier with out of box support for programming provided by Fedora.
Ubuntu is good but you will need to intall extra libraries.
When it comes to providing a lot of tools, compilers, libraries out of the box, it's gotta be sabayon, which would edge out all. And if you're quite comfortable with linux then sabayon wouldn't be that hard to learn.

[QwertyManiac]

Originally Posted by Krazy_About_Technology

OK. How much points out of ten will you guys give for these categories to Ubuntu 10.7, OpenSUSE 10.3, Fedora 7?
1. Ease of use
2. GUI
3. Configuration Tools
4. Multimedia (Out of the box or after installing codecs)
5. As a Development Platform
6. Stability
7. Value for Disk Space consumed (Coz i am a lil short of it on my lappy )

Thanks!

What you need to understand is, beneath the superficial enhancements made in each distro there is, everything is almost the same.

1. Ease of use: All the 3 have GUI tools for almost every task there is. Its only that the buttons are placed differently

2. GUI - All 3 have KDE and GNOME and etc variants with lots of eye candy. But overall I'd say OpenSUSE has one of the most good looking ones. But eye candy is a very customizeable thing and can be applied to any distro to look the way you want it to.

3. Conf. Tools - Just as I said in 1. all 3 will have configuration tools for every task that needs one. Linux has evolved a lot indeed.

4. Multimedia - None have Out of Box support but once codecs are installed, all are the same in functionality. Though I'd say Ubuntu's single-wrapper package 'Ubuntu-Restricted-Extras' is the easiest way to get FULL multimedia support in just one click.

5. Development - Devel. tools aren't exclusive to Distros, they are the same throughout Linux entirely. All have the same compilers, gui designers, etc in their repositories.

6. Stability - Can anything be more stable than a Linux Kernel? Stability again is same in all 3. While talking about security bugs and other things related to it, its again related to the entire Linux outlook and not distro specific.

7. Disk Space - Ubuntu's probably the least on a CD-based installation (3-4 GB) but I can't say. It all depends on what you choose to install and what not. Say, a KDevelop app. on Ubuntu is same as one in SUSE or Fedora. Takes the same space, gives the same look, stability, everything.

Originally Posted by Krazy_About_Technology

Which site, Please give link.

Oops, forgot to hyperlink, visit:
http://polishlinux.org/choose/compar...u&distro2=SUSE

[Ecko]

Suse...!!!
Suse...!!!
Suse...!!!

[Gigacore]

openSUSE has toooooooooooooooo much of advantages over power users

[monkey]

I would suggest Suse as I have been able to run only this on my system. I tried Ubuntu after I heard lot of praise for it but I could not install it on my system as it did not support my system hardware (Strange as my system hardwares are not odd!!). Same problem happened with Fedora Core. Only Suse installed perfectly on my system (currently OpenSuse 10.3) and is working well. Besides nearly all the programs an average user needs are available for Suse. So u will not miss on anything. GUI is good too and looks friendly.

[aditya.shevade]

Originally Posted by kalpik

^^ SuSE has graphical tools to configure almost everything, and usually if you try to edit something manually, it screws up really bad.. Ubuntu also has a lot of GUI utilities, but manual editing has never been a problem

Have you tried this on openSUSE 10.3? I think they have made a change and you can edit what you want using CLI, and you do have YaST in CLI.

The only problem with SUSE is the package management. But coming from fedora for 2 years, I don't think he is going to mind.

And even SUSE provides one click install and one click multimedia support from 10.3 onwards and now it is even there for 10.2.

I have used both SUSE and Ubuntu and I never really liked Ubuntu.

[praka123]

opensuse for eyecandy and fscking bad for using rpms.infact every rpm distros
For a newbie,no doubt default Ubuntu 7.10 Gnome is the best.for low bw ppl shud get Ubuntu DVD!.

Suse shud have been easily no.1 if they changed from rpm package manager to apt and dpkg.
So for newbies,Ubuntu!even for power users too.

[aditya.shevade]

^^ I think we have discussed this many times. Why don't you drop a line? I have, 'Improve package management or move to deb' in a survey conducted there.

And Sumit is not a newbie, he says he used fedora for 2 years.

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by QwertyManiac

6. Stability - Can anything be more stable than a Linux Kernel?

BSD kernels?

Originally Posted by QwertyMaciac

Say, a KDevelop app. on Ubuntu is same as one in SUSE or Fedora. Takes the same space, gives the same look, stability, everything.

Not always. Novell, RH usually modify a few of their apps from the upstream versions. You will usually see Oo.org Novell version. Then another I have observed is that only the gaim of Fedora can transfer files with Yahoo Messenger, not the upstream version. There are quite a few such distro specific differences always.

[QwertyManiac]

Those are pretty rare. And its not necessarily spread to all applications alike. Like, A has B but C doesn't have B but has D. Minor differences apart, all I wished to imply was, don't waste your time choosing, pick one up and get over with it.

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Originally Posted by QwertyManiac

What you need to understand is, beneath the superficial enhancements made in each distro there is, everything is almost the same.

I understand that. i just wanted to know what can be achieved right away after installing, without a lot of tweaking and downloading. I have done all that, right from compiling builds of both 2.4 and 2.6 kernels to troubleshooting early XFree86 issues with th i810 driver. Point is, i want to know, what had changed in linux that with a windows users point of view i can admire.

Out of the box functionality has always been improved with each new version of linux distros, that i know. I just wanted an update from some of the respected linux users of this forum like you.

Anyways, thanks for the link. It provided ample information. I must've asked for it firsthand.

Thanks Everyone!

Cheers!

[mehulved]

Look at sabayon linux.

[vish786]

y do u guys take so much time to choose a distro, is it so tough like choosing a bride .

[faraaz]

If you are shifting from Windows to Linux, I recommend Ubuntu because of the following reasons:

1) Ubuntu has THE best community support there is..which is something you will desperately need when you are a Linux newbie.

2) Ubuntu has THE best support from third party companies with regards to software, hardware drivers etc etc.

3) Ubuntu works out of the box with every damn piece of hardware there is...I can't say anythin about OpenSUSE as I have not used it, but Fedora, PCLOS, Sabayon, Sidux and ZenWalk all fall short when it comes to sheer compatibility out of the box.

4) Its Ubuntu!!!!! Go for it!

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Originally Posted by vish786

y do u guys take so much time to choose a distro, is it so tough like choosing a bride .

Dude, when u have to work side by side on a production windows environment and a personal use linux environment on same lappy, you cant go wrong again and again. I have to take an informed decision since i have been cut off from te lin world for some time, and am unaware of new things.

Originally Posted by faraaz

If you are shifting from Windows to Linux, I recommend Ubuntu because of the following reasons:

1) Ubuntu has THE best community support there is..which is something you will desperately need when you are a Linux newbie.

2) Ubuntu has THE best support from third party companies with regards to software, hardware drivers etc etc.

3) Ubuntu works out of the box with every damn piece of hardware there is...I can't say anythin about OpenSUSE as I have not used it, but Fedora, PCLOS, Sabayon, Sidux and ZenWalk all fall short when it comes to sheer compatibility out of the box.

4) Its Ubuntu!!!!! Go for it!

i am not actually shifting from Windows, I use both windows and linux side by side. I just have been away from linux for some time.