openSUSE Project Announces Availability of openSUSE 11.0

Major openSUSE update is a faster, easier to use Linux distribution

WALTHAM, Mass., June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The openSUSE(R) Project,
a worldwide project sponsored by Novell(R), today announced that openSUSE 11.0
is immediately available for download at openSUSE.org. openSUSE 11.0 is the
latest release of the community Linux* distribution, and a major update over
the previous release with more than 200 new features specific to openSUSE and
hundreds of application updates. openSUSE 11.0 includes everything you need to
get started with Linux on the desktop and server. The openSUSE distribution
provides the foundation for Novell's award-winning SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise
products.
"openSUSE 11.0 is a really exciting and groundbreaking release, perfect
for Linux enthusiasts and developers, as well as users who are new to Linux,"
said Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier, openSUSE community manager. "The openSUSE
Project contributors, inside and outside of Novell, have worked very hard on
11.0, and should be very proud of this release. It sets the bar for what a
Linux distribution should be."
Enhancing the User Experience
OpenSUSE 11.0 contains many new features designed to enhance the user
experience:
-- A redesigned installer to simplify installation.
-- A choice of exciting desktop environments, including GNOME* 2.22 and
KDE* 4, 3-D desktop effects with Compiz Fusion 0.7.4, and improved sound
management in GNOME with PulseAudio.
-- Faster package management so users can quickly choose and install
programs from the thousands of games, productivity applications, Internet
utilities and programming tools included in openSUSE's vast repository of free
and open source software.
-- Microsoft* Office compatible OpenOffice.org 2.4 and improved VBA
import, support for additional Microsoft formats, 3-D charts and improved
transitions in OpenOffice.org Impress.
-- OpenSUSE 11.0 is also the first Linux distribution to include the 1.0
Banshee release, enabling users to easily manage and enjoy their digital music
and video.
"I am really proud to see the release of openSUSE 11.0, particularly when
I think of how the openSUSE community has helped to shape this release," said
Andreas Jaeger, chairman of the openSUSE Project Board. "openSUSE 11.0 is a
true reflection of the community that discussed, tested, developed, translated
and promoted it."
A window into the development of Novell's enterprise Linux products,
openSUSE serves as the foundation for the SUSE Linux Enterprise line of
operating systems. The improvements and enhancements featured in openSUSE 11.0
will help shape the SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 technology to be released by
Novell next year.
"The openSUSE Project is an important part of Novell's Linux strategy and
is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to the open source
community," said Roger Levy, senior vice president and general manager for
Open Platform Solutions at Novell. "We appreciate the dedication and
contributions of the openSUSE community of developers. openSUSE serves as the
foundation for our enterprise products and gives Novell an important
opportunity to work closely with the community."
Availability
openSUSE 11.0 is available as a full DVD image that includes both GNOME
and KDE, which gives users the ability to perform custom software selection at
installation, or GNOME and KDE live CDs. The GNOME and KDE live CDs enable
users to run openSUSE without modifying their computer from the CD, and to
perform an install of the GNOME or KDE desktops, respectively.
Users who wish to have installation support, physical media and a startup
guide can choose to purchase the openSUSE 11.0 retail box from Novell. Those
who purchase the retail box receive 90 days of installation support, openSUSE
11.0 on DVD, and a printed manual that will help them get started using Linux.
The openSUSE Project brings together community contributors and more than
one million users from around the world to promote Linux and make Linux easy
to get and use, for anyone.
To learn more about the openSUSE project, please visit
http://www.opensuse.org. To access the social media news release with
multimedia elements, visit http://www.novell.com/susenews.
About openSUSE
openSUSE is a community distribution sponsored by Novell to promote the
use of Linux everywhere. openSUSE delivers everything Linux developers and
enthusiasts need to get started with Linux. Hosted at http://www.opensuse.org,
the project features easy access to builds and releases. It also offers
extensive community development programs for open access to the development
process used to create SUSE Linux Enterprise.
About Novell
Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers the best engineered, most
interoperable Linux* platform and a portfolio of integrated IT management
software that helps customers around the world reduce cost, complexity and
risk. With our infrastructure software and ecosystem of partnerships, Novell
harmoniously integrates mixed IT environments, allowing people and technology
to work as one. For more information, visit http://www.novell.com.
Novell, SUSE and openSUSE are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the
United States and other countries. *Linux is a registered trademark of Linus
Torvalds. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
SOURCE Novell, Inc.

Charlotte Betterley of Novell, +1-781-464-8253, cbetterley@novell.com; or
Rebecca Paquette of SHIFT Communications, +1-617-779-1849,
rpaquette@shiftcomm.com, for Novell, Inc.