SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9

A few weeks ago, Novell released SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 9. We decided to take the distribution for a spin, and see what it has to offer. We installed SLES 9 on an SMP system with dual 500MHz PIII Xeons with 1 GB of RAM and 40GB drive.

Installation of SLES is a breeze, though there's a lot of CD-swapping during package install. YaST2 did just fine at detecting and configuring all system hardware. The automatic disk partitioning scheme, however, was a bit odd. We chose to use the "Expert" partitioning mode, which is actually quite simple to use as long as one is familiar with Linux partitioning. SLES defaults to the Reiser Filesystem for new partitions, though users have the option of using Ext3, Ext2, JFS or XFS if they prefer.

SLES 9 ships with the 2.6.5 kernel, but doesn't seem to include a 2.4.x series kernel. This is somewhat surprising, since it seems likely that some SUSE/Novell customers may be standardized on the 2.4.x series and not quite ready to move.

One interesting feature we discovered is the ability to install a UML virtual host using YaST2. Unfortunately, and for no apparent reason, this requires a network installation source -- users who have installed from CD will have to set up an FTP or NFS installation source to make use of the UML feature in YaST, negating the convenience of the feature in the first place.

For the most part, though, SLES 9 was very easy to set up and configure. YaST2 has really matured into a nice system administration tool over the years. For example, YaST2's DNS Server module makes it very simple to set up DNS zones. YaST includes modules for administering services, hardware, software package management, user administration and much more. We're still not quite sure what a pineapple icon has to do with "Misc" settings in YaST2, though.

The default desktop is KDE 3.2.1, though GNOME is available as well as a FVWM and twm. For a "server" OS, SLES 9 also comes with a odd selection of desktop software -- though there are a few packages that are conspicuously absent. For example, OpenOffice.org does not seem to be available, nor is The Gimp. Obviously, desktop users interested in SUSE will probably want to use SUSE 9.1 instead.

Users might wonder whether they should be looking at SLES 9 or SUSE 9.1, and what SLES 9 has that you won't find in the retail package. For the most part, SUSE 9.1 Professional comes with the same features you will find in SLES 9. You will find support for Novell management tools that isn't present in SUSE 9.1 Professional, and a few YaST2 modules that aren't available in 9.1. For example, 9.1 doesn't include HA configuration or UML configuration through YaST2. The end-user experience for SLES 9 and SUSE 9.1 is pretty much the same, though and there's no steep learning curve or anything for users migrating to SLES 9 from SUSE 9.1 or older versions.

What do companies and organizations get for their extra money when buying SLES 9? Long-term support, for one thing. While the retail packages have a two-year period for updates and so on, SLES 9 will be eligible for full maintenance through August 31, 2007, and security maintenance through August 31, 2009. Companies and organizations that are considering a platform for long-term use should be looking to SLES rather than SUSE's home user offerings.

Another consideration for SLES 9, though not something we were in a position to test, is that Novell is working towards Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4+, though it has not yet been awarded that certification yet. SLES 8 received EAL 3+. For environments where this is an issue, SLES is the obvious choice.

We reviewed SLES 9 for x86, but it bears mentioning that there are also versions available for 64-bit x86 processors, Itanium, IBM Power processors, IBM S/390 and IBM zSeries. A full list of packages for each version of SLES is available through SUSE's website.

Novell does make a "evaluation" version of SLES 9 available for download, though users who want online updates past the 30-day trial will have to buck up for a subscription. The x86 line carries a $349 price tag for one year for up to two CPUs.

In all, we were pretty happy with SLES 9. It's a robust system that's easy to use and administer. It will make a good impression on those new to Linux, and it's still a usable system for longtime Linux users as well.