Turning SLED10 Linux Into a Practical User Desktop

SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop version 10 (SLED10 for short) is sufficiently well known that any system builder who sells Linux boxes can be expected to know about it. In fact, SLED10 is so well known, clients who specifically want Linux computers are likely to ask for it by name. In my recent tests, I found SLED10 to be more reliable, stable and secure than I expected. But buying into the hype of SLED10 being a "Vista killer"—at least in its current stage of development—is wishing thinking. Why? Well, for starters, the distro has several usability issues. Also, availability outside of the usual office productivity software and programmer-oriented applications is problematic. For these reasons, SLED10, in my opinion, is not worth even its $50 price tag.

But what if your clients demand it all the same? In this recipe, I'll show you how to turn SLED10 into a usable desktop.

Technically speaking, SLED is the Novell proprietary client distribution optimized for desktop users, as opposed to SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (or SLES). It is derived from SuSE version 10. This Recipe is based on the downloadable evaluation version of the enterprise desktop client Novell's SuSE-based SLED10, which is available from the company's evaluation page.

Basic Desktop Functionality: If a workstation can't do at least what's in the following list, it's probably useless. SLED10 doesn't do all of this out-of-the box, but a few easy upgrade steps will fix this:

• Wired network support.
• Printer.
• Multimedia: Any home/SOHO user expects it, and corporations increasingly deliver internal content to their own employees that way.
• Scanner.
• Wireless support: Optional for people with wired connections, but not for any laptop owner.

Cost: A no-support SLED10 license costs $50 per workstation.

System Installation: In general, unless there's something radically unusual about your system, any modern Linux distro can be expected to install on your desktop without any issues—or only minor ones. Just accept the installation defaults unless there's a reason to do otherwise.

During my installation, the installer stopped and told me it wouldn't support my LCD monitor's 1168x1024 native resolution. I resolved this by changing the screen resolution to 1024x768, and the installation started.

Next, I was invited to install a printer for my USB printer, a Canon PIXMA iP3000. My USB wireless G122 B1 using the Ralink RT2570 chip set was not noticed during the installation, except by the printer setup, which apparently thought it was another USB printer. This is annoying, to be sure. But it's not dangerous, since there's enough information in the installation screen to make it obvious which is the printer and which is the wireless chip.

Below, here's a look at the SLED10 Desktop: