If SUSE can be copied and distributed??

[sensible_guy]

I always thought all linux distros can be copied and distributed freely, but someone told me that is not the case with SUSE. Is it true.??

[i2c]

im not aware of any issues, but its possible becuase redhats gone down this road, thats why fedora was "born"

I had a search and found this

Description: SUSE LINUX is a popular distribution based out of Germany. The latest version isn't usually available as an ISO download, but they do offer a "live evaluation" version that runs completely off a CD.

so it does look as if its not distributed freely anymore, as the ISO isnt availiable

i2c

[mikem0327]

so it does look as if its not distributed freely anymore, as the ISO isnt availiable

Not true i recently installed suse 9 for free.

You have to go to their mirror site: http://www.suse.com/us/private/downl...t_mirrors.html
and downloads boot.iso(found in /i386/current/boot/boot.iso).
Burn that image to a cd(rw preferred no sense in wasting a cd on a 20meg image) and boot from it.
That will start the ftp install which is a good way to install because you can choose the packages individually that you want installed. But it will take a while.(took me about 3 hours) I recommend installing it while you sleep.

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here by sensible_guy
I always thought all linux distros can be copied and distributed freely, but someone told me that is not the case with SUSE. Is it true.??

Why does Linux always have to be free? SUSE is worth paying the $40 (or $80 for the professional version) bucks for... You are also kicking some cash back to the developers so that they can continue to build better products. They dont develop for free as they are a comercial company.

[pwaring]

$80 (or £55) is a lot of money when you're a poor student doing computer science.

In fairness though, I do appreciate that SUSE have to make money because they do add a lot to the basic Linux package (so to speak) and any work they do is generally fed back into the community. I think it would be nice if they offered the ISOs as-is with no help whatsoever and said "if you can get them to work, good, but don't ask us about them" - rather like what Red Hat used t do before Fedora.

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here by pwaring
$80 (or £55) is a lot of money when you're a poor student doing computer science.

The only difference between the Professional Edition and the Standard edition is some of the packages you get on cd. (You dont get apache and the DNS server as well as some other things) Most of the functionality is the same though. (At least with the 9.0 release which I own) Hell, I know a lot od peole that drink $40 during the weekend.

[gore]

SuSE uses software that is compyrighted in the distro. They have a lot of software that works in Linux that you would have to pay for to get, so they can't give it away. FTP installs have this software taken out so that it can be gotten freely.

As for Linux being free; It is, Linux is just a Kernel, and you don't pay for it.