SuSE has used the new kernel 2.4 as an excuse to bring its Linux offering up to date. The result is a more usable version with fewer glitches and minor annoyances than version 7.0, which it replaces. The kernel is the essence of the Linux operating system, and kernel 2.4 is a major release that has been long awaited for the many improvements it offers. These include greater speed as well as support for larger RAM capacities, more multi-processor configurations and other hardware. SuSE, with their rapid-fire version releases (every four months for the past two years) is the first major Linux company to release a complete distribution based around the 2.4 kernel.

The new kernel will open new doors for Linux, particularly in the enterprise, where SuSE has forged alliances with such companies as IBM and Compaq, and even ported Linux to the Series/390 IBM mainframe and Compaq Alpha platforms. To place further emphasis on the company's commitment to the corporate market, SuSE has just announced a new consultancy service for the UK and Ireland, with flexible support including on-site configuration, 24/7 support and a forthcoming web site. However, SuSE aims to be a Linux all-rounder by providing an easy graphical installer, YaST2, and around 2,000 application packages on both CD and one DVD. Our advice? Don't install everything. It takes ages.

Installation is much improved over SuSE Linux 7.0 (reviewed here). The default installation method is via YaST2, which has been further developed to allow dynamic resizing of Windows partitions to create free space for the operating system. This means there's no more need for a copy of PartitionMagic to prepare for installation on a Windows machine. There are fewer pitfalls in this version too; the boot loader, Lilo, now has support for boot partitions past the previous 1,024 cylinder limit, meaning that users won't be so likely to install the product only to find it won't boot. Lilo also provides a new and well-designed graphical boot selection screen which is much more user-friendly than the older text menus, reflecting the increasing importance of the desktop market to Linux companies.

Once past Lilo, the boot process reverts to text mode (unlike Linux Mandrake, which provides a graphical representation of services loading. However, the boot process of SuSE does seem to be very fast. In fact, the whole operating system feels fast despite using a memory-intensive graphical environment like KDE2, which could be evidence of the new, improved kernel.

A default installation will configure the machine for a graphical login, where users have the choice of installed desktop environments. As a desktop, KDE2 is by far the most visually appealing, and is satisfying to use. KDE2 was present in SuSE 7.0, but KDE1 was installed by default. For some time, Linux Mandrake has been the only major Linux distribution to install KDE2 by default, but SuSE has now followed suit. The same goes for the excellent printer driver package, CUPS, which impressed us in our Linux group test a few months ago with its wide-ranging printer support and ease of use.

Somehow, SuSE has managed to find even more packages to include in this distribution, and probably carries the largest selection of packages available. Doubtless KDE2 and its associated office applications account for quite a few of these. If you have a slow internet connection, this makes SuSE a worthwhile investment as it will save hours or even days of downloading. However, unless you have a fast machine with bags of hard disk space and a bucket load of patience, we couldn't recommend that you install all of them.

The small increment in version number of this Linux distribution doesn't fairly represent the many worthwhile updates. SuSE Linux 7.1 Professional is currently one of the best Linux distributions around, but it won't take long for Red Hat and the others to release new versions of their own based around this new kernel.