Christopher Lynas tells of his passionate love affair with an operating system called SuSE
One of the reasons some of us use computers is that they are supposed to save us time. Reality can often be different: we end up spending immeasurable amounts of time crashing and rebooting, for no obvious reason. Some of these time-wasting frustrations are not down to our hardware, but are a result of the operating system being used.
Apart from a few exceptions, we haven’t had much choice. Microsoft has had a huge influence on how personal computers have developed, and holds increasing influence over the Internet. But now, the times they are a’changing. The alternative is Linux, an operating system whose kernel was created in 1991 by student Linus Torvalds.
Linux has grown and matured to such an extent that it now occupies third place behind Windows NT and Novell’s Netware in the server software league. And it is the most popular single operating system for Web servers, with a third of that market.
Consider the computer graphics in the film Titanic. These scenes required the most concentrated use of computers ever used in movies – and the machines were running Linux. But Linux has not been available in a form that the average PC user can easily install on his or her computer. Indeed, installation has been so difficult that many feel Linux would never give Windows any competition in the desktop market – particularly as most computers come with Windows pre-installed (although now, of course, you can have Linux pre-installed with IBM, Compaq, Dell and a lot of PC manufacturers).
One of the advantages of GNU/ Linux is that it is available free, as long as you install and maintain it yourself. Last year, the Mexican government embarked on an ambitious project to equip 140 000 schools with computers. The licence costs of Microsoft Windows were so high, even with volume discounts, that the Mexicans opted for Linux, saving an estimated $124-million. Over a large installed base, the cost advantage of Linux becomes compelling.
There are possibilities in smaller markets too. There was a report last year that Microsoft decided against developing an Icelandic version of Windows 95 because the limited size of the market couldn’t justify the cost. Today there is an Icelandic version of Linux’s K Desktop Environment. With Linux, minority users with special needs are not at the mercy of any vendor. Furthermore, Linux is becoming easier to use. SuSE, a German distributor of Linux, has just released its SuSE 6.2 version of GNU/Linux. I’ve installed it, and was staggered by its degree of user- friendliness.
The SuSE 6.2 installation program has not only leapfrogged other versions of Linux in usability, but now surpasses the Windows installation in user-friendliness. SuSE 6.2 accepts that you’ll probably have to install the product on a Windows machine, and assumes you won’t necessarily want to get rid of Windows. So it partitions your hard drive to dual-boot Windows and Linux – a good idea when many good programs are available only on Windows.
SuSE 6.2 comes with two excellent offerings: Corel WordPerfect 8 and the Star Office productivity suite. Both automatically convert your Windows files into their formats. Netscape Communicator 4.51 and the K Desktop Environment, which comes complete with integrated browser, are also included. SuSE 6.2 brings Linux to the desktop. It has success written all over it.
In my experience it makes Linux as smooth as silk, which is exactly what corporate information technology and home-users need. And I found the results addictive, particularly the feel of dealing with raw computing power.
One look convinced me that Linux is getting ready to storm the consumer market. So how can you get Linux? It’s free if you download from the Internet, although I do not recommend this for the original installation. It is better to purchase the six CDs and the instruction manual – and you should always back up your hard drive before installing. When SuSE Linux was installed, I was impressed by the speed of the system – it’s so fast at doing so many things at once.
Try surfing the Web with Netscape running on Linux and you’ll be amazed. And the machine doesn’t lock up while files are deleted or a floppy disk is being formatted, even on an inexpensive basic computer. Because SuSE Linux can efficiently do many things at once, the user can get more done. And getting more done in less time is what using a computer is all about. But Linux is more than a piece of software: it is also a part of a movement.
My view is that, if you study SuSE Linux, you’ll see a revolution in the making that will devastate current hi-tech business models, causing a fundamental shift in the computing world. I found that Linux was the Aladdin’s cave of computing.
For more information visit these websites: www.suse.com, www.linux.org, www.linuxapps.com