I would have to agree with Robert. SuSE is one of the best Linux distro's I have used thusfar. Yast, Yast2, the online update capabilities, etc are just awesome. No other distro I have worked with has seemed this "clean". I do miss the ability to pull down ISO images for SuSE on x86, but oh well. This isn't a big enough reason to go running to another distro! I, for one, won't be leaving SuSE soon. I may stick to my 7.1 for a while, but Ill upgrade sooner or later. I do have one suggestion tho! What if SuSE were to release a "smaller" version of SuSE with their standard release. This release would lack the manuals and related materials, and include JUST the CDs? Something like FreeBSD currently does. This would reduce the overhead for the manuals themselves, as well as freight (much less weight) getting it from SuSE to the consumer! Joe --- robertc@mindspring.com wrote:

There is nothing wrong with a company wanting to make a profit on their work. In fact in order for the economy to work there needs to be an exchange of something for services rendered. In some cases this is a free exchange of programming skills, in others it is an exchange of money in return for a well packaged, scripted installation. NO ONE is entitled to "something for nothing". The way I see it is there are 3 options: 1. pay a reasonable charge for 7 CDs/1 DVD packed full of installable programs, 2. find someone who will let you copy the cds, 3. download the packages and install them yourself.

Remember, nothing is free and GPL doesn't entitled you to a specific packaging or ease of installation of the programs.

Robert Friedrichshafen, Germany

Dwaine Felch wrote:

...

As linux companies get a taste of money they have started to become like Microsoft, as we know is one of the best at raking in revenue. Just in the past year or year and half Suse and Mandrake had two releases each with no free upgrades. Suse quit providing ISOs for x86; with each turn of the corner linux companies decrease benefits and scam you for more money, this will continue to increase.

In the coming years linux marketing will be no different than the other evil empire. It won't be long and people will be angry at linux and be looking for alternatives.

Myself have found Windows 2000 a much better OS than any linux I've worked with, W2k always runs faster and has a well laid out GUI with polished features; KDE is clunky and slow with a 100x more bugs and hicups than you will ever find in Windows 2000.

I think Microsoft is excellent at developing a product if they concentrated there efforts on a version of linux they would blow the doors off all other linux companies.

A few of many things to ponder.

...

Ever seince SuSE version 7.1, SuSE has decided to become little money hungry >bastards and they no longer have the install ISO's on line, but they are available to paying >customers. BUT, belive me when I say this, SuSE would be more then happy to take down their >FTP server and all other mirrors. But they cant cuz Linus would have nothing to do with it. and the GPL will not allow it. Their says would be numbered if they pulled a stunt like that. So you can still get SuSE for free off the FTP server, BUT not in an install ISO form. You have have to download it package by package. And this is where they get really shitty about some things.

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