[KLUG Advocacy] Impressions of SuSe 10

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> > > I did find some repositories containing mplayer and libraries to fix mp3
> > > support in xmms.  I also figured out how to add the 3rd party
> > > repositories as input sources to the software management system, which
> > > makes dependencies a LOT easier. 
> > Got URLs to these?
> Set an install source to this mirror:  http://packman.inode.at/suse/10.0
> (I couldn't find any American mirrors, North or South!)

Yep,  I set that as a software repository and mplayer installed without
incident.  It didn't complain about any dependencies or anything.  But I
haven't tried doing the xmms mp3 thing or anything else yet.

> > > > The Big One:
> > > > There is one clearly outstanding difference between SuSe 9.3 and SuSe
> > > > 10: speed.  Someone really lit a fire under this thing,  the interface
> > > > is dramatically faster and more responsive.  This is noticeable
> > > > immediately,  everything is faster.  It feels like just got a new
> > > > laptop.
> > > Really?!? 
> > Yep,  everything flies on my laptop compared to 9.3 - where clicking on
> > the Applications menu often resulted in multi-second delays.
> Just the opposite for me.  And it's not the video card driver either.  I
> have a Nvidia card at home (xorg driver), and a Matrox at work.  Both
> are fairly new and fast cards (for 2D stuff anyway).

Weird.

> > > I also have one major problem with the gnome workstation switcher
> > > applet.  Sometimes (intermittent problem), it loops when logging on.
> > Haven't seen that one yet, but I've only logged-in-out about a half
> > dozen times.
> One message I found while google'ing  sort of implied that it only
> happens if you have your focus setting to "follows mouse" (my setting).
> I haven't had a chance to verify if that's true or not.

My focus is follows-mouse (and has been for just the other side of a
decade).  If I use a platform where I have to click-to-focus I sprout a
snout and body hair and begin biting people's limbs off - it is *SO*
frustrating..... grrrr... I just want to type into THAT window without
THIS window going away... Ahhhhhhhhhh!  

I have strong feelings on the focus issue. :)

> > > The menu bars appear but are completely blank (which makes it hard to do
> > > anything :)  I have to right-click on the background, start a terminal,
> > > run "top", find the process getting 100% of the CPU, and kill it before
> > > I can complete logging in.  
> > Ick!
> Yup.

I had the window switcher app crash once on logging in but a friendly
box popped up asking me if I wanted to reload it and then everything
resumed as normal.

> > > This isn't too bad for me, but makes it is REAL inconvenient for my users!
> > Users?!  Screw 'em! :)
> Except they call me complaining they can't log in!  :-)

Yea, there is that.

> I think I'm going to have to switch them to KDE until this gets fixed.

Oh, man.  You really do hate your users.