openSUSE Project announces openSUSE 11.0

WALTHAM, USA: The openSUSE Project, a worldwide project sponsored by Novell, announced that openSUSE 11.0 is immediately available for download at www.openSUSE.org.  

The 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."

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.

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.