OpenSUSE the Easy Way – GeckoLinux

[buster]

DistroWatch just listed Geckoââ,¬â,,¢s new release top centre. Itââ,¬â,,¢s very enticing with this statement:

ââ,¬Å"The project's latest version includes updated desktop environments and enables several third-party software repositories.ââ,¬Â

The desktops offered today are Gnome static, KDE static, and Cinnamon static, and I selected the Cinnamon. ââ,¬ËœStaticââ,¬â,,¢ corresponds to the Leap versions.

Why this rather than OpenSuse? Reviews lately have noted the problems installing codecs so far with the new Suse Leap release. This may avoid the problem. Also the installer is different, so that may improve an install that has always been clear, but usually not the quickest.

I installed on a 50 gig hd, with 2 gig ram and 1 CPU core, in VMWare. Typical for my installs. The  host is Win 10.

Install

A good looking live desktop, very clean and clear, appeared quite quickly. I could make it the correct resolution already, which was a bit of a surprise. And an install button was on the desktop, which got clicked almost immediately. And the process started, but no longer with a large screen. But adequate.

Typical, modern easy install that didnââ,¬â,,¢t take too long at all. And there it was, and I could make it full screen. Cool.

First Steps

After playing a bit, I got, through the great installer Qbittorrent, open-vm-tools-desktop, Kpat, and unfortunately there is no Tux Racer in the repositories. So testing the graphics would be difficult. Clementine is already included, as is VLC . Changed to single click mouse easily.

Drag and drop was a problem until after some use and at least 2 reboots. It now is comparable to other Buntus we're all familiar with. Music and movies play. Feels stable.

More in a few days.

Hereââ,¬â,,¢s a picture with no visual changes:

[ssfc72]

Thanks for the nice summary on GeckoLinux, Buster.  Sounds interesting.
I may give it a try as a virtual install.

[Jason]

   
• Sounds cool. What was the installer like? Did it ask less questions than the OpenSUSE install? I like the OpenSUSE installer but it might be a bit confusing for new users.
• And if it didn't ask you how you wanted to setup partitions, were they set up as an LVM volume, which I believe is the default in OpenSUSE (and Fedora)?
• And finally, for the codecs, were they installed automatically? Or did you have to tick something off during the install?

I'm also curious how well it runs with only 2 GB of RAM and a single core (which is probably less important).

[buster]

1. Installer excellent.
2. Was asked if I wanted to partition. I just accepted the default, and got whatever.
3. Don't remember about codecs. The pacman repository is included in the install. Simple whatever it was.

Easy.

[buster]

So one of the early problems is a lack of desktop wallpaper and an easy way to get more. Typical for suse I think.

So I screwed up my brain and finally remember some pictures from slideshows I had gathered after each of our many trip. These were in my Win10 picture folder. Dragged some over to Gecko's picture folder and Bob's your uncle. The one I'm using now is from a hike on the north shore of Newfoundland in 2011.

[Jason]

You sure you didn't run that boat aground? Great pic anyway. I was at Del Crary park yesterday. Couldn't believe how many geese there were and they were remarkably tame. The pic showing the numerous geese is blurry because of digital zoom but the other one is pretty sharp. Both were taken with my Moto G7 Power.

[buster]

Canadian campers in Alabama tell locals who complain about the 'Canada Geese' that when they fly into Ontario from the south, they are know as the messy Alabama Geese.

By the way got Tux Racer in Gecko. No idea why it shows today. Thru  Yast. Seems to work well.

[buster]

By the way, I am still impressed by Gecko Static. Using Plasma if I didn't mention that.

[buster]

And another by the way, the need to update doesn't show for me. I did put a shortcut for the update in my panel, and when I click it, the repositories are refreshed and the needed updates show, which I accept or cancel. Haven't pursued it because it suits me to do it this way. Or the Kubuntu way with the little message to update is fine on my other Plasma system.

[Jason]

And another by the way, the need to update doesn't show for me. I did put a shortcut for the update in my panel, and when I click it, the repositories are refreshed and the needed updates show, which I accept or cancel. Haven't pursued it because it suits me to do it this way. Or the Kubuntu way with the little message to update is fine on my other Plasma system.

I noticed that with OpenSUSE. I'm not sure why it happens. I've forced it as well.

Check in YaST control center (f you care) and see if there is a frequency of how often it checks for updates and if you can change it.
The page below says that YaST Online Update only applies patches. It doesn't uprade patches. So it could be applying those patches automatically and you wouldn't know it. And maybe the updater, by default, only applies those patches, not package updates which is why you don't see any notifications. I think the difference is that patches only fix broken things (including security issues). Package updates actually upgrade programs. For enterprise systems and maximum stability on workstations (as well as avoiding feature upgrades that might confuse), you want this behaviour.

Not sure how old this page in the OpenSUSE wiki is but you can give it a shot (Under System Updates):

Right click the system tray widget, choose Configure Software Update to open configuration dialog. Here you can configure update checking cycle and whether to check updates on battery and mobile network.

[fox]

In case you didn't see it, the latest DistroWatch has a review on GeckoLinux (here. The review is pretty favourable, but some of the minor criticisms were addressed by the dev of GeckoLinux (see comment #19). The reply is very well done, and Sam, the dev, had good answers for all the criticisms that Jesse Smith made in the review. Enough so that I would be tempted to try GeckoLinux, was it not for the kernel version being one my 5k iMac can't handle.