SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop slated for June

SuSE Linux is to ship its SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop operating system in June, having delayed plans to ship it during the first quarter of 2003.

SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, which is in beta testing phase now, will cost $129 per desktop, although discounts would apply only to high-volume purchases, said Rafael Laguna, SuSE's marketing vice president.

SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop would be the company's third desktop operating system, joining SuSE Linux, the entry-level member of the family aimed at individual users, and SuSE Linux Office Desktop, aimed at small offices with its networking and disc-partitioning capabilities, Laguna said.

With many companies using Microsoft Windows as a client to SuSE Linux's server operating system, SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will offer those companies an option to run SuSE software on the desktop as well.

SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will share the code base with SuSE's other desktop and server operating systems, which gives users a high degree of compatibility across the company's line of operating systems, Laguna added.

SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will be tuned for companies and government agencies of all sizes that have from as little as 10 users to more than 100,000 users, Laguna said.

Consequently, it will be engineered for easy, automated, centralised, large-scale deployment and management through administration and installation tools from SuSE, such as YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) and AutoYaST, and from third-party suppliers, such as Ximian's Red Carpet Enterprise.

It will also feature fonts that are metric-compatible with Microsoft fonts, which will make it easier to import Microsoft Office documents, Laguna said. The product will ship standard with one year of maintenance and support, which gives users access to patches, product updates and security fixes; buyers can opt to pay extra for additional years of maintenance and support.