[ossig] Fedora-izing SuSE

[Ow Mun Heng <Ow.Mun.Heng@xxxxxxx>]

Interesting.. I never knew much about the SuSE linux development
process. Now, at least I know why.

<quote>
Let's start with an interesting opinion about SUSE LINUX, as expressed
in this editorial [1] by Linux Magazine. The author of the article
argues that the current development model of SUSE doesn't have the right
vibe with open source and Linux community and that Novell should
consider a different approach:

        "It’s pretty darn clear to me that to make mojo, SUSE Linux
        Professional needs to look deep into its roots and re-birth
        itself as a public, open source project similar to Fedora. While
        Novell executives might think twice about copy-catting Red Hat
        and many of Novell’s critics would undoubtedly categorize such a
        response as a knee-jerk reaction and a Johnny-come-lately, there
        are a number of reasons to Fedora-izing SUSE Linux. Heck, I
        think it would be a better Fedora than Fedora."

The above is certainly true. Unlike the development processes of Fedora
or Mandriva, both of which is completely transparent and open to public
participation, the development of SUSE LINUX has always been taking
place behind closed doors. There is no public directory where interested
parties can monitor the development progress or examine SUSE's patches,
and there is no public changelog to inform us about current changes. Of
course, the SUSE developers have long argued that public testing does
not necessarily result in a more bug-free distribution than a carefully
designed internal quality control programme. On the other hand, the lack
of openness is a concern - for many, the ability to participate in
development and beta testing is a major attraction when choosing a Linux
distribution.
</quote>

Taken from :
http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20050801

[1] http://www.linux-mag.com/content/view/2035/2304/



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