Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-factory (464 mails)

[Martin Schlander <suse@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> > Note that some of the items here are simply caused by the fact that
> > openSUSE tries to be everything at the same time (distro for server,
> > desktop, etc.). It might make sense to have an install CD for server,
> > and another one for desktop.

The DVD tries to be everything at once. The 1-cds and live-cds *don't*. I do 
agree that a dedicated server cd would be a good idea. openSUSE is very 
underrated by many as a (home) server, and a server cd would help emphasize 
it's great qualities in this area.

> > the installer is way too complex, with too many things to do, even with
> > the current simplification work going on in Factory.

The live-cd installer is much simpler, you can use that. If I'm not mistaken 
there are plans to push the live-cd more in 11.0 times. No need to dumb the 
real installer down further. 

> > sudo should be used by default for a desktop install. It doesn't make
> > any sense to have the root account. There's an option "Use the same
> > password for root as the one used for the user" in the installer, but
> > it's not about sudo, I believe.

You're not the first former Canonical employee hired by Novell to make this 
request. To me it's nonsense. The sudo system is a lot more complex and 
confusing. You can use your normal password for system administration, then 
it's remembered for x amount of time, but only the first user on multiuser 
systems can do it. Ubuntu users have no clue what's going on, and very often 
they sudo things that they shouldn't.

Regular root user is much simpler. Either you're root or your not, either you 
know the root password or you don't. Couldn't possibly be easier to 
understand.

> > on startup, there's a 10 seconds delay in grub. Ubuntu only uses 1 or 2
> > seconds. It helps with the feeling of booting faster.

I think it's 8 by default? Might make sense to make it 5 or so. Perhaps enter 
some text that says the timer will be stopped by pressing a key (other than 
Enter)

> > the menu bar is completely unusable in openSUSE: icons are too big
> > (distro patch), and there are tons of submenus (because we use the same
> > menu config as KDE?)

Not having the second level of categorization makes the menu much more messy 
and cluttered. Unless your next great idea is to install only a handful 
programs.

And some general remarks...

I think the general point of view around these parts is that the success of 
Ubuntu has a lot more to do with astoute marketing trickery, than with 
technological prowess.

If we thought Ubuntu were so great and perfect don't you think we would *use* 
Ubuntu instead of openSUSE?

For years people have been arguing "copy MS Windows as much as possible", now 
we keep having people telling us we must do everything that Ubuntu does and 
in the exact same way.

I certainly hope that all those people wanting to turn openSUSE into Ubuntu 
won't succeed. Imho openSUSE strikes the balance between powerful and ease of 
use almost perfectly at the present time.

You can dumb down GNOME and yast-gtk as much as you want, but please don't 
destroy the rest of the distro.
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