SuSE Linux announced today that it will release SuSE Linux 9.0 on October 24. The latest version of the company’s home user operating system will be the first to support AMD’s Athlon 64 processor, and will include a test version of the 2.6 Linux kernel, according to Holger Dyroff, SuSE’s general manager, Americas.
Other changes in the new release, which comes six months after the previous 8.2 version, include a tool to let users with existing NTFS partitions reduce the partition size to make room for Linux. The new software will automatically find NTFS partitions and make them available on the Linux desktop.
Also included is better support for WinModems based on Lucent and Intel chip sets and autodetection of DSL connections. USB device recognition is improved, and the printed documentation has been expanded to 1,050 pages.
On the software side, 9.0 includes KDE 3.1.4, OpenOffice.org 1.1, the k3b DVD and CD burning tool, and an enhanced collection of audio software. A new SuSE System Doctor rescue system will restore a system following the unintentional destruction or deletion of system-critical files. SuSE’s YaST administration tool has a new, clean look, and supports Samba 2.2.8a and NTP synchronization. The operating system itself is based on a SuSE-optimized Linux kernel version 2.4.21.
Dyroff recommended that anyone running SuSE Linux 8.0 or earlier should upgrade in order to take advantage of the latest software versions and new tools. He said most SuSE customers wait two or three versions before updating.
Availability and pricing
SuSE Linux 9.0 will be available at the SuSE online shop and software retailers beginning October 24. Pricing is unchanged from the previous version: SuSE Linux 9.0 Personal is $39.95, SuSE Linux 9.0 Professional is $79.95, and the new SuSE Linux 9.0 Professional for AMD64 is $119.95. An update version of the software will be available online for $50.
Category:
- Linux
