suse

Novell has announced a public preview release of Novell Linux Desktop 10. It is looking really good, that new 'Computer' menu (aka Start) they have introduced looks really slick and extremely functional. There is a tonne of good looking things in the upcoming NLD10 release, many of which are demonstrated in the some very good promotional videos from Novell.

OpenSUSE 10.1 running Google Earth and Skype natively (Click to enlarge)

What is even better is that larger software makers like Google and Skype are releasing their flagship software for Linux. On my OpenSUSE 10.1 test system I have easily installed Picasa, Google Earth and Skype and had them work first time without any issues. It is really good to see that the application offerings are beginning to be fleshed out from the basic OS/browser/productivity offerings.

I have been trying out SuSE 10.1 on my iMac with the Release Candidate version of Parallels. Parallels is awesome, there is nothing like being able to play with (and blow away) Linux and Windows at almost full speed directly within OSX. On the PowerPC I have used Virtual PC and the Intel iMac has also gone through Bootcamp but Parallels is far and away a better solution for most tasks (you would not want to run games through Parallels).
From a website design perspective it really eases the testing of html/css in all four major environments (Windows Explorer, Firefox, Linux Konquerer and OSX Safari).

One new default feature in OpenSUSE 10.1 that is really very cool is AppArmor. It makes the task of securing server and client based applications simple through the automatic creation of application-based rules (i.e. Firefox can execute these files, modify these files and access these devices). The SUSE Diary has a nicely written tutorial introducing the application and describing how to easily create rulesets.

Novell recently released a developer testing version of their XGL extensions for the X-Server. This is good news as it finally paves the way for a Linux equivlalent of Expose for OSX. Expose is the best addition to OSX and is something I have become totally accustomed to (I have my hotspot in the bottom right corner of the screen). Whenever I sit in front of a non-Expose equipped desktop (Windows/Linux) I often find myself gestering to the bottom corner with my mouse only to find nothing happens. With Novell putting their weight behind this initiative it has finally paved the way for what many consider as 'eye candy' (and what I consider as an essential piece of functionality). If you are running the Beta of OpenSUSE 10.1 there is some relatively simple install instructions for the XGL extensions available on the Wiki.