Last week, the open-source Linux operating system openSUSE announced the launch of its version 12.3, which is one of the first in what is expected to be a series of upgrades to several of the Linux platform's most popular distributions. It was noted by online news provider ZDNet that other solutions set to receive an update in the coming weeks include Debian, Ubuntu and Korora, but openSUSE has managed to beat them out of the gate and offer users an improved experience.
Stable and easy to use
In the release announcement for the platform, openSUSE noted the 12.3 version provides a stable solution that should be simple to get to grips with. The latest update offers finishing touches to the boot infrastructure and package management, as well as more cloud capabilities for dedicated server users.
For administrators, openSUSE 12.3 is the first build to offer complete packages for open-source cloud computing platform OpenStack. It also comes with enhanced virtualisation tools, while for database users, the distribution has moved from MySQL to MariaDB as its default solutions.
"It provides an efficient mechanism for creating and storing documents for web APIs. Range Types allow developers to create better calendaring, scientific and financial applications," openSUSE stated.
OpenSUSE 12.3 'a winner'
The operating system has been evaluated by ZDNet, with the publication stating there's a lot to like about the latest build. It was observed the system works well with a wide range of hardware, including almost all Intel core processors and AMD chipsets and the publication said it was unable to find a device on which the system didn't run. OpenSUSE 12.3 was also praised for its ease of use, with users able to get up and running on any system without the need for any extra effort or special installation procedures.
But this is just one of the many Linux distributions available for your server. Each might have different pros and cons depending on how you intend to use it, so it pays to look at the various options closely before making a final decision.
