SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 |
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| Company / developer | Novell |
|---|---|
| OS family | Linux |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Latest stable release | 11 / March 24, 2009[1] |
| Marketing target | Enterprise computing (Workstations, Servers) |
| Available language(s) | Multilingual |
| Update method | Zypper, YaST2 |
| Package manager | RPM Package Manager |
| Supported platforms | IA-32, x86-64, PowerPC |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Default user interface | KDE Plasma Desktop, GNOME |
| License | MIT License, GNU GPL and Various. |
| Official website | www.novell.com/products/desktop/ |
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED), formerly introduced as Novell Linux Desktop, is a Linux distribution supplied by Novell and targeted at the business market.[2] It is targeted for desktops. New major versions are released at an interval of 24–36 months, while minor versions (called service packs) are released every 9–12 months. SUSE Linux Enterprise products, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, receive much more intense testing than the openSUSE community product, with the intention that only mature, stable versions of the included components will make it through to the released enterprise product.
The current version is SLED 11, which is developed from a common codebase with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and other SUSE Linux Enterprise products. SLED includes Novell Evolution 2.6 and many other popular open source packages as well as some proprietary software such as Adobe Reader and RealPlayer.
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There have been a number of Service Packs (SP's) released for NLD 9. SP1 was released on February 11, 2005 and contained many updates. After that, SP2 was released on August 9, 2005, containing all the released updates and bugfixes since August 2004. SP3 was released on December 22, 2005.
Although it has grown a significant community of adherents, desktop Linux generally has not been adopted in the business world. Most distribution vendors usually concentrated on the server side of Linux, where the platform was rapidly becoming adopted. Desktop Linux continued to be focused on technical workstations (mostly CAD, EDA, and software engineering) and "fixed-function" systems (data entry workstations, kiosk, etc.)
With SLED 10, Novell has increased the focus on features for a broader range of corporate users by focusing on meeting the needs for basic office workers, positioning SLED as a competitor to Microsoft Windows. Basic office workers are defined in this context as users who need basic desktop functionality, including an office suite, a collaboration client, a web browser, and instant messaging. Novell attempts to meet these needs by concentrating on making these components very compatible with existing enterprise infrastructure, such as Microsoft Office data files, Microsoft Active Directory, and Microsoft Exchange or Novell GroupWise collaboration systems.
It also includes the Beagle desktop search tool,[3] similar to Spotlight in Mac OS X v10.4. The Xgl+Compiz support enables a variety of advanced graphical effects in the user interface, such as "application tiling" (similar to Exposé). Other features include making it easier for Linux beginners to connect digital cameras to the computer and play audio files such as MP3s using Helix Banshee.
Novell's work on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop brought about several new open source features for Linux desktops.
Desktop Effects was built upon Xgl and Compiz to enable a variety of advanced graphical effects in the user interface, such as "application tiling" (similar to Exposé) and a spinning cube that interactively switches between desktops.
SLED10 includes Desktop Search, built upon the Beagle project.
The Novell OpenOffice.org team, led by Michael Meeks, managed to create reasonably solid support for VBA macros in Microsoft Excel documents, and a new spreadsheet feature called "Data Pilot" which offers compatibility with Microsoft Excel Pivot Tables .
SLED10 also includes the ability to connect digital cameras and iPods to a computer, and have an appropriate application automatically start when this happens.
Through a partnership with RealNetworks, Novell provides legal MP3 encoding (ripping) using the Helix Banshee.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop earned Novell wide acclaim for producing an extremely polished, mature, and fully functional Linux desktop. At LinuxWorld Expo 2006 in San Francisco, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop won both the Best of Show and Best Desktop Solution awards. InfoWorld subsequently gave it the Technology of the Year award as "Best Linux Desktop" in January 2007.[4]
Novell's effort on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 was led by Nat Friedman, one of the two founders of Ximian. Nat was aided by a host of former Ximian and SUSE hackers, with product manager Guy Lunardi and engineering manager Kelli Frame.
HP offers business notebooks with SLED 11 preinstalled, under both its own brand and the Compaq brand.[5] Micro-Star International offers MSI Wind Netbooks with SLED 10 preinstalled.[6] Sun Microsystems previously licensed SLED as the basis of the Linux version of Java Desktop System.
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