Installing SUSE Linux - Full tutorial

UPDATE, December 2009: I have written a new openSUSE installation guide, focusing on
openSUSE 11.2. The guide is long, thorough and extremely detailed, covering step-by-step
the installation of both the Gnome and KDE desktops, from both full DVD and live CD, with
special focus on the partitioning, including dual-boot setups. Furthermore, the tutorial also
explains how to choose the right media, format and architecture for your system, how to
download, burn and verify the ISO image, and many other little yet critical details you won't
easily find elsewhere.

UPDATE, November 2009: I have written a new review of openSUSE 11.2 with KDE
desktop. The article covers a wide range of topics, including live session experience,
installation and post-install usage, focusing on Wireless, Bluetooth, Samba sharing,
multimedia support, one-click installs, package management, extra repositories, applications,
stability, performance, suspend & hibernate laptop modes, and much more. A review of the
Gnome edition coming soon!

UPDATE, November 2008: I have written a new review / tutorial about openSUSE 11. This
article covers the changes and new features introduced in the distribution since version 10.1
that is presented in the below text. Additionally, the article covers the installation of a
production system, including (ATI) graphics drivers, Compiz Fusion, Wireless support,
Samba sharing and NTFS support for Windows machines, games, virtualization, multimedia
support, the software updater, and many more details.

UPDATE: This article has been updated with a number of changes. All of the changes have
been added into the article. To see what's new, please refer to this changelog.

NOTICE: This guide was written in the summer of 2006, when SUSE 10.1 was the latest
release. It still applies well for the more recent releases, and will be periodically updated.

Most people today use Windows XP as their primary and probably only operating system.
Some of these people have had experience with previous versions of Windows or maybe
even DOS, if they are old enough. But very few people have had the chance to try a Linux
operating system.

The major reproaches I have heard so far about Linux are these:

• Difficult to install and use; made for geeks only.

• Not very intuitive, not easy to migrate to for Windows users.
 • No dedicated single source of help; you have to spend hours browsing the Internet for
instructions.

Today, I hope to dispel all these.

I would like you to read this article and realize that you should not be afraid of (a) Linux
operating system. It is different from what you may be used to, but it is NOT difficult to use.
Ask yourself the following questions: How soon did you become Windows experts, if at all?
After how many months and years of daily use did you become sufficiently knowledgeable to
feel comfortable using Windows?

Come on, let's install Linux.

If you want to skip some of the chapters, here's a short (not full) table of major contents for
this tutorial.

1. Page 1 - Beginning installation

2. Page 2 - Installation Settings (Partitioning, boot loader, expert options)
3. Page 3 - Completing installation (Copying files)
4. Page 4 - Completing installation - cont. (network, root password, users)
5. Page 5 - First login
6. Page 6 - Basic configurations
7. Page 6 - Basic functionality
8. Page 6 - Graphic card drivers
9. Page 6 - Turning your SUSE Linux machine into a router
10. Page 6 - AppArmor
11. Page 6 - Other configurations

Why SUSE?

First thing first! SUSE or SuSE? I really don't know. I have seen both. Novell and openSUSE
use capitalized 'u' so I'll go with them.

SUSE Linux is my favorite Linux distribution. It's sleek, it's handsome, it's powerful. But
attractions aside.

SUSE is one of the many Linux distributions available for free download on the Internet
today. It is one of more complete and mature distributions. It offers a huge package of
programs for all available facets of computing; you will not be dearly tempted to download
any extra programs. Most if not all of what you need will be included alongside the operating
system, a whooping total of about 700 packages, including Open Office suite, Firefox
browser, GIMP graphics software, media players, cd/dvd-burning tools, backup tools, games,
and more more more. You can find the full list on Novell site.

SUSE has a very good hardware compatibility. It is very intuitive and will offer an almost
painless migration from Windows. It also comes in 32-bit and fully optimized 64-bit
versions, allowing people with 64-bit processors to take max. advantage of their computing
power.

OK, so what do we need to install SUSE?

1. A PC with Pentium CPU, a minimum of 256MB RAM and 6GB of hard disk space.
2. SUSE 10.1 installations CDs (5) or DVD (1).
3. Some patience and spare time.
4. Optionally - a virtualization product like VMware Player or Server.

SUSE is available for download as 5 CDs or 1 DVD. A live DVD also exists, so if you are
unsure, you can download this one first to trial SUSE before you decide to install it. Trying
the live DVD will also give you a good indication how well your hardware is recognized.

If you are convinced that you have a computer with minimum requirements to install SUSE
and you wish to try this fabulous operating system, you can find all the available downloads
at openSUSE.

Download the relevant .iso file(s) and burn it / them to CDs or DVD. Make sure the
checksums are correct.

On the next pages, I will provide a step-by-step instructions how to install and properly
configure SUSE Linux. For the purpose of this guide, I have used VMware Server as the
installation platform.

Indeed, if you are afraid to try SUSE for real, you can use either VMware Player or VMware
Server virtualization products and install SUSE as a guest operating system without a risk of
damage to your working machine. After you master the concepts, you can then proceed to
install SUSE on physical rather than virtual hardware.

If you have difficulties getting started with VMware Player, you may want to read my article
VMware Player - a great friend first.

VMware Server is a more powerful product than the VMware Player and can also build
virtual machines.

This article assumes that you are somewhat computer-literate and that you are capable of
installing any operating system by yourself, like Windows 98 or Windows XP, for example.
If you have doubts about how to proceed from here, you might want to read Installing
Windows XP article first. This will give you a fair insight not only into the basic of installing
an operating system using a visual and textual interface, it will also give you a notion about
basic system installation procedures like partitioning, network configuration, users, language
settings, and more.

In my setup, I will install SUSE 10.1 (latest stable version at the time this article was written)
from a DVD (rather than 5 CDs). The DVD contains by default the Add-On CD that is not
included in the 5-CD set; however, if you opt to install from CDs, you will be able to select
additional sources during the installation. I will install SUSE in English, and accordingly all
reference to names of menus, functions or applications will be in English. The virtual PC will
have 256MB RAM and 8GB hard disk.

So, if you are ready, go to the next page.

At the end of this multi-page article, hopefully, you will have learned:

1. How to setup and install SUSE Linux operating system.

2. How to configure your basic functionality in KDE desktop environment.
3. How to configure graphic drivers and system update functions.
4. How to turn your SUSE machine into a router.
5. Optionally, how to use VMware Player and / or Server.

Furthermore, I will have dispelled the following myths:

1. That Linux operating systems are not intuitive or easy to use.

2. That Linux operating systems are meant for geeks.
3. That Linux operating systems have a messy and unhelpful support.

Warning for the 56K dial-up users: For the purpose of better readability, I will use full-size
images rather than thumbnails that link to images. This may cause some slowdown during
the loading of the pages.

Again, you do not have to really do any of this. You could just read and practice the next
time you really install from scratch. But I suggest you try to follow the instructions and do it
for yourself. You will only benefit from it.
Installing SUSE Linux - Part 1
Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

Beginning installation
Let's start.

Make sure you have everything ready - your PC and the installation disk(s).

• If you are installing SUSE as a virtual machine, make sure your VMware Player or
Server are properly configured and that you have the necessary .vmx and .vmdk files.
• If you are installing SUSE for real, make sure that you have dedicated the necessary
space on your hard disk for the installation - it can be an existing partition or some
free space.

To begin the installation:

1. Place the SUSE installation DVD in the DVD-ROM tray.

2. Start the VMware Player / Server and open the SUSE .vmx file (e.g. named
suse.vmx).

With the (virtual) PC booting, hit Esc button to enter the BIOS setup. Select option 3. CD-
ROM Drive. Hit Enter to start booting from CD.

Note: Although the boot option refers to CD-ROM, if you have a physical DVD drive with a
DVD disk inserted in it, VMware Player / Server will treat it correctly.

After a few seconds, SUSE Linux DVD will boot and present you with several options.
Select Installation and press Enter.
The setup will probe your mouse and keyboard. Luckily, you will have a full hardware
compatibility. After a few seconds, you will be prompted to choose the language that you
want to use. Select the desired Language and click Next.
Next, you will be presented with the License Agreement. After reading through, check mark
the Yes, I Agree to the License Agreement button and click Next to continue.
The installer will now conduct a System Analysis. It will probe the remaining hardware for
compatibility. You do not need to do anything at this stage.
Following a successful hardware inspection, you will be prompted to start the installation.
Theoretically, if you had a previous version of SUSE installed, you might want to choose to
Update. However, since our virtual hard disk is empty, this option is grayed out.

Include Add-On Products from Separate Media refers to other programs that you might want
to include and are NOT on the installation DVD. At this stage, we will install only our 'basic'
DVD. Leave the checkbox unmarked.

Select New Installation and click Next.

You will be prompted to select your Clock and Time Zone. Make your choices and click
Next.
Now you need to choose between desktop environments that you want to use. Personally, I
prefer KDE. For someone who has never used Linux, I feel KDE would be a better choice for
two reasons - it feels more Windows-like and is absolutely dead-sexy. Not to be slighted,
GNOME is also very nice and user-friendly, and eventually, it should come to personal taste.

Other desktops might not be included in the package and you might be prompted for extra
CD / DVDs. Leave the other options for a next Linux install. In the meanwhile, limit your
choice between GNOME and KDE.

Select your desktop and click Next.

Installing SUSE Linux - Part 2

Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

Installation Settings (Partitioning, boot loader, expert

options)
Installation Settings is the next stage. It is a very important stage. Please pay special attention
now.

You need to decide:

1. The layout of partitions to which SUSE will be installed.

2. The packages that you want to install.
3. The operating system language.

The last two options will be rather limited. You will, at this stage, only install the basic DVD
and use your preferred language that you have chosen already.

However, the partitioning requires a more delicate approach.

Partitioning
This is probably the hardest part of the installation. Nevertheless, although things may sound
scary or confusing, everything should work just fine if you carefully handle each step.

To understand Linux better, we should first make notice that Linux uses a different notation
than Windows. In Windows, you are used to letters (C:\, E:\, G:\ etc). In Linux, partition
names are a bit different.

Here are some examples:

• If you have one IDE hard drive with 2 partitions, the partitions will be
marked hda1 and hda2. hd stands for hard drive, a stands for "first" (first
letter of the alphabet, first drive) and numbers 1 and 2 indicate the two
partitions.
• If you have one SATA hard drive with 3 partitions, the partitions will be
marked sda1, sda2 and sda3.
• If you have two IDE hard drives with 1 and 2 partitions, respectively, they
will be marked hda1, hdb1 and hdb2.

You should be aware of this when you perform an installation on a computer that
is already partially occupied with other operating systems. This will also help you
make an easy translation from Windows letters to Linux letters. For instance, if
you intend to install SUSE on the G:\ partition, as seen in Windows, being the
fourth partition on your first SATA hard drive, in Linux, during the installation,
this partition will be marked sda4.

Root and home partitions

SUSE Linux separates the system from the user. The root partition (/) is used to
install the system files. The home partition (/home) is used exclusively for user
files. This way, if you update your SUSE, your personal files will remain
untouched - this is very similar to creating a data partition when you install
Windows.

OK, now let's see what the Installer asks us to do at this point.

Overview

A default selection of partitioning has been made for me.

SUSE installer wants to create 3 partitions for me:

1. SWAP partition (/swap, a la page file In Windows), which will be used by

the system for various operations.
2. Root partition (/) that will be formatted with reiserfs file system and used
to install and boot the operating system.
3. Home partition (/home) that will be used as a sort of data partition,
formatted with reiserfs file system, too.

The three partitions will be created and mounted on my one and only IDE hard
drive. In my case, since I'm installing SUSE on an empty (virtual) hard disk that
was previously unpartitioned, the default choice seems well enough for me.

However, it is possible that you might want to change the partitioning.

• If you have a single hard disk with another operating system already
installed, you might want to change the default choice and place SUSE on
a partition of your choice.
• If you have several hard disk that are empty, partially empty or have
other operating systems, you might want to change the choice and place
SUSE on a disk and a partition of your own choosing.

Here is an example to make things clearer:

Let's say I have a 100GB SATA hard drive with Windows installed on the primary
(first) partition. The Windows partition is 40GB large. Additionally, I have 2 more
partitions, lettered D:\ and E:\, 40GB and 20GB large, respectively.

SUSE installer will ask me to repartition sda1 (in other words, shrink the Windows
partition) and create the three Linux partitions in the allocated free space. I do
not like this choice. I want to install SUSE on my E:\ drive.

When making the manual changes, I should remember the Linux notation - E:\
drive is the third partition on my one and only SATA hard drive - therefore, it will
be marked sda3. OK, so this is where I want to install SUSE.

Expert options

Under expert options, you will be able to:

• Repartition and resize your hard drives.

 • Decide the type and the location of the boot loader.

Boot loader

SUSE needs to know which partition to boot from. For this reason, SUSE uses the
GRUB boot loader. Unlike the Windows boot loader, which always installs into
the Master Boot Record (MBR), the 1st sector on the hard drive, GRUB can be
installed on any partition.

SUSE installer is smart and will make the right choice of the hard drive where to
install the boot loader. I strongly suggest people with little Linux experience to
refrain from using the Expert Options, because they might inadvertently mess
things up.

Nevertheless, here are some basic concepts that you should be aware of:

Some older BIOSes are limited to reading only the first 1024 sectors of a hard
disk. In this case, if you install the boot loader above the 1024th sector (on one
of the partitions), you will not be able to boot your Linux. This means that you
might have to consider on which partition to place the boot loader (< 1024th
sector). Or alternatively, create a small separate boot partition.

Without going into too many technical details, the GRUB boot loader consists of
stages. Stage 1 is written to the MBR, appended to the existing information
contained there. Stage 2 usually resides on the root partition of the Linux
distribution.

This means that the boot loader might be overwritten any time you write new
information to the Master Boot Record. If you're using only SUSE on your
machine, this will not bother you. However, if you intend to run SUSE in, let's
say, a dual-boot configuration with Windows, this might have implications:

• If you use Windows Recovery Console to fix the Master Boot Record for
some reason or reinstall Windows, you will destroy the GRUB boot loader.
• If you use imaging backup software capable of reading and writing MBR,
when restoring a partition, you might destroy the GRUB boot loader.

Your best choice is to let the installer figure it out. You will be able to move it to
another partition later on, once SUSE is installed (inside SUSE control center
called YaST).
For more information about GRUB, please visit GNU GRUB site and refer to the
GNU GRUB Manual 0.97.

Other options

There are other expert options to consider, too - encryption, RAID configuration
etc. If you know what these are and how and why to use them, you probably do
not need this guide.

To change the default settings, click Change > Partitioning / Software /

Language.

If you have chosen to change the Partitioning, you will be presented with a
number of options. Select Create Custom Partition Setup and click Next.

You will be asked to select the hard drive to partition. Select Custom Partitioning
(for experts) and click Next.

In the next step, under Expert Partitioner, you will be able to fully configure your
choices. You will be able to edit, delete or create partitions of any size and
format them with any which (available) file system. If you have two hard disks in
your computer, you will be able to configure them to boot the operating system
simultaneously in a so-called RAID configuration.

You should not that note of your choices will be committed until you click Finish.
Furthermore, you will always be able to go back or even start anew (with max. 5-
10 min setback). At all times, a small window to the left will display a help guide
to explain what each of the options mean. Feel free to explore but keep in mind
that you need to understand each of the steps you do. If this is your first time
ever installing Linux you should stick with the basic options or at the very least
only change the partitions to which you want to install your system.
Sounds like a lot of mess, but it is not. Here are some practical examples:

Operating
Hardware What should I choose?
system(s)

1 hard disk,
empty / 1 SUSE only Default
partition

Install Windows first on primary partition

Install SUSE on other partition
Install boot loader by default
1 hard disk, 2 SUSE &
+ partitions Windows OLD BIOS:
Install SUSE root on a partition that begins before the
1024th sector; install boot loader on that partition (or
lower)

2 + hard disks,
SUSE only Default
1 partition each
 Install Windows first on primary partition of the FIRST
hard disk
Install SUSE on any other partition of the FIRST or
SECOND hard disk
Install boot loader on the FIRST hard disk
2 + hard disks,
SUSE &
multiple OLD BIOS:
Windows
partitions If you install SUSE on the FIRST hard disk, install
SUSE root on a partition that begins before the
1024th sector; install boot loader on that partition (or
lower)
If you install SUSE on the the SECOND hard disk, use
defaults - install boot loader on the FIRST hard disk

Note: If you have more than one physical hard disk and install SUSE on the
second, third or any other than the first hard disk, you will have two choices
regarding the GRUB:

1. Place it on the same hard disk.

2. Place it on the first hard disk.

If you choose option 1, you will have to change the boot order of the hard disks
in the BIOS. The second option will allow you to boot natively.

As a general rule, if you have a machine that will dual-boot or multi-boot SUSE
alongside other operating systems, always install Windows operating systems
first (from older to newer) and then install SUSE. Windows will always write to
the Master Boot Record, while SUSE will keep the MBR intact.

Furthermore, in case you decide to make your own choice, you should mind
these recommendations:

• SWAP partitions should be sufficiently large to allow the system to work

quickly; it should be at least equal in size to your RAM or larger; 1.5x and
2x RAM is often recommended.
• Root partition will need around at least 2-3GB to install the entire
package. In the future, you will probably want to add extra programs, so it
would be wise to leave some extra space.
• Home partition can be of any size.
• Boot partition should be around 100MB.

In my case, I have ONE hard disk that was empty (or at most had ONE - primary -
partition). Therefore, I will use the DEFAULT settings chosen for me by the
installer.

Therefore, under Installation Settings > Overview, I will use the suggested setup
and click Accept to proceed.

Now, you will asked to accept the separate license agreements for some third-
party software, namely AdobeICCProfiles and Macromedia Flash Player. If you
disagree, these packages will not be installed. These packages are not included
with the 5 CD set.
Installing SUSE Linux - Part 3

Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

Completing installation (copying files)

You will be asked once again to confirm that all of the selections you have made are correct
and that you want to proceed with the install. Click Install to begin the installation.

The installation with start with the formatting of the partitions.

Next, the package installation will begin. Depending on the computing power of your PC,
this may take 10-40 minutes. On a PC with a 64-bit processor and 2GB RAM, this stage of a
64-bit SUSE installation took only about 10 minutes.
If you are interested, click the Details tab to see how the installation progresses.
After some time, the basic installation will complete.

Once the package installation is finished, the system will reboot (the one time during the
entire procedure).
The GRUB boot menu will load and present you will boot options. At this stage, we want to
boot the first option - SUSE Linux 10.1. Either highlight your choice (using arrow keys) and
press Enter or wait for the default counter (8 seconds) to time out.

If you had Windows installed alongside SUSE (or vice versa), you would see Windows as
one of the options in the list. Generally, the boot loader will place SUSE topmost and
Windows below it.
The operating system will load. For some time, you will see a screen filled with textual input
- also called verbose mode. Do not be alarmed. Let the system boot up to the next stage of
the installation.
Installing SUSE Linux - Part 4

Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

Completing installation - cont. (root password, network,

users)
After the system loads, you will enter the configuration phase of the installation. First, you
will need choose the Hostname and Domain names. This is somewhat similar to Windows
computer name and workgroup. If you are unsure what to choose, you may use the default.
You can also refer to the Help button for more information.

The next stage will be to choose the password for the root (super-user or administrator)
account. You should select a very strong password. A very strong password is one that
contains both lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols and is not based on
dictionary words, for example this is a STRONG password: eD213^krePg9%.

If you like, you may also refer to Expert Options. Under Expert Options, you will be to
choose what type of encryption you would like to use to secure your password. If you are
unsure what to do, just use the default options.

Do not forget your root password! Engraft it onto your forehead, if needed, but do not lose it.
If you forget or lose the root password, you will not be able to retrieve it and your system
will be pretty much useless.

After this, your network will be configured. You will have to wait a few moments for each
component to be probed.
Again, you will be able to change individual options. During the installation, you may
continue with the default settings. You will be able to set each individual component later.
You might want to keep the firewall enabled. Furthermore, if you see a list of devices under
Network Interfaces, this means your network card has been successfully recognized by the
system. Once satisfied with all of the choices, click Next to continue.
The installer will then save your network settings.
You will be able to test your Internet connection now. If you are installing SUSE in VMware
Player with NAT enabled or on a PC that connects to the Internet through another computer,
a local network or a router, you might want to test the connection. If you have not yet
contacted an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or have doubts about the functionality of your
network, you can safely skip this step and do it later.

If you have several network cards in your machine, you might want to decide which one to
use to establish the Internet connection. Click Change Device to choose the appropriate card.
After that, check mark the desired option and click Next to continue.
If you test your connection (with success), you will see the following screen:
Next, you will be asked to configure your online updates. If you do not have a working
Internet connection, leave this step for later. If you have tested your connection successfully,
you might want to use the Configure Now (Recommended) option. The installer will define
the Update Server and configure the Update Service. You will be able to perform a system
update at this stage. This can take up to several hours, depending on your connection speed
and server load. You will be able to add extra sources for updates (repositories) once SUSE
is fully installed.
After the network settings, you will be asked to configure your user name. As a home user,
select Local (/etc/passwd); you should not bother with the other three options. Click Next to
continue.
Much like in Windows, it is time to choose your user name. You can configure several users
at this stage, but you should best leave that for later on. You should enter a Full Name (real
or invented), a Username (in small letters) and some sort of Password. You can choose a
weaker password that the root.

Suggestion button will create a username suggestion based on your full name. Automatic
Login means you will not be prompted to enter your credentials when booting. User
Management allows you to add more users. Leave that option for later.
Installing SUSE Linux - Part 5

Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

First login
The system configuration will be written now, based on your input.

Once this step is completed, you will be able to read the Release Notes - all about what the
new version 10.1 offers.
Once again, the installer will make a thorough examination of your hardware. You will be
able to skip this step and configure each component later, but you should let the system
commit the changes.

Most likely, you will have a sound card detected. The graphic card and monitor drivers will
probably not be installed yet. You will have to do it later. Until then, you will enjoy only the
basic VESA adapter at 60Hz refresh rate and no 3D acceleration. Then again, this might be
enough for you.

Once you accept, the configuration will be committed.

And that's it, basically! You have completed the installation. You have partitioned your hard
disks, installed the packages, configured your user name, password, network, and other
hardware. The entire procedure should have taken you about 40-50 minutes at most.

When you click Finish, you will log in into your desktop.
If you have chosen the super-handsome KDE desktop, it will start loading.
Just before you hit the desktop, you will be able to register your product. If you do not have
an Internet connection or wish to do it later, postpone this step for later.
When installing in VMware Player / Server, you might be told that your monitor geometry is
not configured properly. You will be prompted to set your screen. This is virtually identical
to setting your display in Windows. Since this procedure will be invoked only if you have a
graphic card installed, I will not post screenshots to avoid confusion. If you are using a
virtualization product, you will most likely have the generic graphic drivers installed. If you
are installing for real on physical hardware, you will need to configure your graphic drivers
alone - see later in this manual.

And that's it! We're in! Welcome to the most handsome Linux ever.
Installing SUSE Linux - Part 6

Intro Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 External links

You have installed SUSE now. It's time to do some basic configuring.

Basic configurations
SUSE 10.1 may take a little time getting used to. However, all in all, it is not that different
from Windows and rather simple to master.

Layout

KDE desktop is really really really good looking (I must credit Ben Stiller with this one,
from Zoolander).

In the middle, you will have a background wallpaper with icon shortcuts
sprinkled over it. In the left bottom corner, you will have the K Menu, which is
pretty much identical to Windows Start Menu and a number of 'quick launch'
shortcuts, including the command line terminal called Konsole, the Home folder,
SUSE Help Center, Konqueror web browser and file manager, Kontact personal
manager, and two desktop icons. In the right bottom corner, you will have a sort
of System Tray, with time and date display, clipboard tool, organizer tool, search
tool, power save tool, volume control, and software updater.

Using these tools and performing basic functions is almost identical to Windows
environment. To emphasize this, here are a few similarities:

Action Windows Linux

Start a program K Menu > Internet > Web

Start > Programs > web browser
(web browser) browser > web browser

K Menu > System >

Start command line Start > Run > cmd
Terminal > Konsole

Add shortcut on the Right-click > Create New >

Right-click > New > Shortcut
desktop Link to application

Arrange / Sort icons Right-click > Arrange Icons By > Right-click > Icons > Sort
(e.g. by size) Size Icons > By Size

Right-click > Properties > Right-click > Configure

Change desktop
Desktop > Background > choose Desktop > Background >
background image
wallpaper Picture

Just try it! You can't get it wrong. One important tip - you do not need to double-
click in KDE environment. Single-click will do the trick.

To get familiarized with the KDE desktop, An Introduction to KDE is a great place
to start.

By the way, you can have separate pictures for the two available desktops
simultaneously (in SUSE).

Basic functionality

YaST Control Center

YaST is roughly equivalent to the Windows Control Panel. It allows you to

configure your software, hardware, network, security, and more. You will find
YaST by clicking K Menu > System > YaST. To be able to run YaST, you will will
be prompted to enter the root password you selected earlier.

YaST is very comprehensive and powerful and can take some time setting up
fully and properly. However, I will outline some of the basic tasks you can easily
do. As a former Windows user, you will probably wonder how to perform system
updates, deploy patches or install new programs.

First, we need a working Internet connection.

Internet Connection

Go to YaST > Network Devices.

You may need to configure your network card(s) first, but you may also start
with setting up your connection (e.g. DSL).

Setting up a connection might not be the quickest or the simplest task. If you
have a broadband cable connection without VPN dialer, you will most likely have
an instant Internet access, provided your network card is configured properly. If
you use a VPN dialer, things might get a little tricky.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide (too) accurate instructions. Different protocols

and service providers in different countries will have require unique settings to
work. You might have to contact your provider to get the necessary information
about how to setup your connection. Some providers will have dedicated Linux
support; other might not. But either way, you will have to know the server
names or IP addresses through which you will connect to the Internet.

Truth to be told, setting up a VPN dialer SUSE is very similar to setting up a VPN
dialer in Windows XP. In my personal experience, on the several occasions I had
to do this, network cards were successfully configured by the system during the
installation, both in Windows and SUSE. I only had to create the dialers, using
the information provided by my ISP. If you can or have configured your own VPN
dialer in Windows, you will eventually succeed doing that in SUSE. If you have
never done it in Windows, this step might prove a bit difficult for you at this
stage.

If you need a good example where to start, I have written an article called PPTP
dialer in Linux - step-by-step tutorial, explaining how to configure a PPTP dialer in
SUSE (and Ubuntu). This article is aimed at slightly more advanced Linux users,
nevertheless it could be very useful. Likewise, you might also want to try Using
DSL with Linux.

In short, the steps required to have a working Internet connection:

• Make sure your network card is configured properly.

• Make sure your devices are configured properly.
• Make sure your ISP data is configured properly.

Once we have established the Internet connection, we need to tell our SUSE
where to look for when asked for updates.

Installation Source

To do this, under YaST, select Installation Source.

As you can see, the DVD you used to install the operating system is already
selected by default. You can always use this source to install additional packages
that are not included in the first installation run or to reinstall programs that you
may have removed. For example, during a tweaking session, I removed Firefox
browser but then easily restored it by reinstalling it from the DVD.

Our DVD is a limited, static source, and we will probably need external (Internet)
sources to keep our system fully up to date. We will have to add a source.

You can find a long list of highly useful information under Additional YaST
Package Repositories at the openSUSE site. Midway down the page, you will find
the External YaST Repositories. Each of the sources will include the protocol
(HTTP, FTP), server name and server directories containing the packages. This is
the information that we need.

In my example, I will add the second source, Guru (Please refer to the site above
for details).

Back in YaST, under Installation Source, click Add for a new source. From the list
of sources, select FTP. In the relevant fields in the Server and Directory windows,
enter the server name and the directory path as stated for the particular server.
Click OK to complete.

YaST will try to contact the server and build a catalog of all the available sources
on it. If the attempt is successful, you will have added another installation source
to your list. You can repeat this procedure with as many source as you like.
Needless to say, you should only use the sources that you trust.

After you have added the sources, you can update your system. You have two
choices:

• Online Update
• Software Management

Online Update will present you with updates to software packages already
installed; Software Management will allow you to install additional packages. It
will use the catalogs from indexed sources and display all the available
packages. You can also selectively restrict your installation sources by using the
search function to look for specific packages (e.g. firefox, java).

The main difference between the two:

• Online Update will display what existing installed packages can be

upgraded.
• Software Management will allow you to manually specify packages to
check whether they are installed or to install them.

Installed packages will be marked with a small check mark near them. This
means you do not need to try to install them again. To install additional
software, you will have to check-mark empty check boxes. You can also select
all. I do not recommend this. Selecting all of the sources may result in huge
downloads that could take hours or even days complete. Furthermore, some of
the packages might be corrupted (it happens), and you may inadvertently break
down your system. You should install only what you feel you need. By the way,
this applies for any operating system. You do not download 3-4GB of programs
to your Windows desktop and try to install all of them one after another, do you?

Example: Marked entries are already installed; unmarked entries can be added.
After you have configured your installation sources, the Software Updater (globe-
like icon) in the "System Tray" will become active. It will look for updates for
existing installations and present you with patches once in a while. Currently, my
Software Updater has no updates.
So what do we have so far?

We have a firewall, which we have enabled earlier on. We have a working

system and software updates. Internet connection works. We can surf. For
instance, here's my Firefox:
Graphic card drivers

At this stage, it might be the best choice to configure the graphic card. SUSE will
install its default VESA adapter that will limit you to certain resolutions, 60Hz
refresh rate and no 3D acceleration. If you're using a TFT monitor and never play
any games, you might not need to bother. But if you have a nice expensive
graphic card, it's a waste not to empower it.

Nvidia drivers

The best way to learn how to do it is to refer to Nvidia installer How-to for SUSE
Linux users.
ATI drivers

The best way to learn how to do is to refer to Linux and Open Source Blog >>
SUSE 10.1: ATI Drivers Installation.

I have installed Nvidia graphic drivers in several SUSE versions at least a dozen
times without the slightest hitch. One of the most pleasing aspects about SUSE is
the robustness of the X Windows System (the GUI framework) and the seamless
integration of graphic card drivers into the system.

You should refer to the SUSE version that applies to your operating system, head
to Nvidia / ATI site and download the package that you need. And then, follow
the instructions. This might not be very simple, but it is not very difficult either.

You will have to have kernel-source, make and gcc packages installed. Head to
YaST > Software Management. Search for the following packages. If installed,
they will be check-marked. If not, now it's a good time to install them. They will
be included on the DVD, so it won't take too much time.

Configuring your graphic card should not take more than 5-10 minutes.

Your operating system is pretty much ready. You have Internet with firewall,
update sources, graphics with 3D acceleration.

It's time for perks.

Turning your SUSE Linux machine into a router

You might want to use your SUSE Linux box as a gateway for several other
computers, running a variety of other operating systems. This is very similar to
the Internet Connection Sharing in Windows.The best and simplest guide I have
found is the NOVELL: Cool Solutions: HOW-TO: Set Up a SUSE 10 Machine As a
Router.

You should also refer to my article called Highly Useful Linux commands &
configurations; among many other things, sharing of network resources (files,
printers etc.) between Windows and Linux and vice versa is explained in detail
there.

AppArmor
AppArmor is an access control system that can be used to restrict applications in
their day to day use. The use of this software can significantly reduce the
exposure to vulnerabilities, especially from unpatched zero-day web exploits.
Although one's desire to use this software in a home environment might be a bit
of an overkill, learning how to deploy AppArmor can be useful. I also believe that
AppArmor is not easy to master and requires a high level of expertise.

Nevertheless, if you are keen into learning how to use AppArmor, Novell offers a
fairly thoroughly documented online guide, which can also be downloaded in .pdf
format.

Other configurations

Hacking SUSE Linux 10.1 is a nice article that sums most of the points I
mentioned above and some more. The article will also explain how to deal with
proprietary software, like Acrobat, MP3, RealMedia etc. I strongly discourage you
from trying the XGL/Compiz hack, because it is not mature yet and might ruin
your SUSE installation.

Replacing YaST with SMART

Some people have expressed dissatisfaction with YaST; namely, it being

cumbersome, slow or broken. If this is the case, you may want to replace it with
a more 'elegant' package manager.

Here's a solid guide explaining in detail how to implement this, SMART Package
Manager.

Most common applications

You are probably wondering what applications SUSE installation offers. For this
reason, I have written a very short introduction to some of the most popular KDE
programs, in my Installing (K)ubuntu Linux - Full tutorial article, on the last page.
You're more than welcome to read it. Although chronologically the Kubuntu
articles comes after SUSE, it is a full step-by-step tutorial that complements this
guide quite well.

Lastly, do not forget to read Highly useful Linux commands & configurations, as
some of the most basic yet most important principles of the Linux command line
are explained there, including compilation of drivers, writing of scripts, network
and printer sharing and more.

Conclusion

That pretty much covers the basics. If you have followed this guide, with some
luck, you have by now mastered:

• How to install SUSE Linux.

• How to configure firewall, Internet and software updates.
• How to share your Internet connection with other computers.

I think that it is not very difficult. Different than Windows, sure, but not
impossible or extremely complicated. Finally, one of the strong side of the open-
source community is ... the community. For all and any questions that you might
have regarding SUSE, you are most warmly encouraged to visit the SUSE Linux
Forums. You should be able to find answers to all of your problems there. Finally,
Google is a solid place to look for solutions.

I hope you enjoyed it, and if you had fears or doubts about Linux, I managed to
bring you one step closer to giving it a try.

Moreover, as you can clearly see from this article:

• SUSE installation is fast, smooth and easy - just as easy if not easier than
Windows'.
• SUSE is very friendly and intuitive, not much different from Windows in its
overall layout.
• Configuration of basic functions takes very little effort and is not that
different from Windows' drivers or program setups.
• Help sources are thoroughly documented and if followed to the word offer
a very accurate and effective solution to all possible problems.

List of SUSE-related external links mentioned in the article:

openSUSE
GNU GRUB
GNU GRUB Manual 0.97
Using DSL with Linux
An Introduction to KDE
Additional YaST Package Repositories
Nvidia installer How-to for SUSE Linux users
Linux and Open Source Blog >> SUSE 10.1: ATI Drivers Installation
NOVELL: Cool Solutions: HOW-TO: Set Up a SUSE 10 Machine As a Router
AppArmor online guide
AppArmor downloadable guide in .pdf format
Hacking SUSE Linux 10.1
SMART Package Manager

Other links:

SUSE Linux Forums

SUSE Forums - The Global SUSE Community
Open Source and Linux Forums

Have fun!