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Foreword⚓︎

This documentation is curated and maintained by openSUSE volunteers. The contents offered here must be distinguished from the Leap documentation, also available at https://doc.opensuse.org. In contrast to this documentation, Leap manuals inherit the contents from, and closely follow the presentation of, SLE manuals -- a commercial product offered by SUSE Because of this difference the reader should be aware of the following caveats:

  • The present documentation is the work of volunteers -- not SUSE employees -- working under the Free and Open Source Software tradition. Our best efforts notwithstanding, inaccuracies and oversights are possible.

  • Disclaimers and admonitions provide as safe as possible a path for the reader to follow. Yet be aware that openSUSE contributors cannot support every software feature or combination of software.

  • openSUSE Tumbleweed follows a rolling release model, with software and procedures evolving significantly faster than their equivalents for openSUSE Leap. Thus contents presented here may occasionally be one version behind the version available in Tumbleweed.

In response to these caveats we expect the reader to help us identify typos, omissions, inaccuracies or outdated contents by reporting them, ideally along with suggested improvements.

In advance we thank you and will try to respond to your submissions as quickly as possible. We hope you enjoy our contents.

Audience⚓︎

New users⚓︎

The documentation is laid out in a user friendly way. It caters to beginners and other people new to Linux, and helps you get running quickly. Installing Linux can seem daunting at first, because there are a lot of new concepts, choices, and options. Choice is good, but it can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing.

Initially, the installation instruction will cover only the necessary options and configuration choices to help you quickly set up a running system with defaults suitable for daily use. With the system running and productive you can learn how to perform different routine system tasks such as installing apps, adjusting the system settings, or customizing openSUSE. And, if you're so inclined, start honing your Linux skills.

Experienced users⚓︎

For experienced Linux users the documentation includes short pointers on how things are done in openSUSE and how things are different to other Linux distros. Links to advanced topics are provided to get you acquainted with the system, and quickly up and running.

Summary⚓︎

This documentation has three main parts. Each part (and most sections within it) can be read independently from the rest and can be used as a guide for accomplishing a specific task. However we have tried to make each part into a coherent whole, which can thus be read in a more linear fashion, in the order in which the contents are presented.

Part I: Before installing⚓︎

The pre-install documentation gives you everything you need to get a system running. This can be a simple installation using default settings, or you can make a few choices, such as choosing a desktop environment. You can find out more about things like desktop environments in this section.

Choosing a distribution

For experienced users, this section describes what differentiates openSUSE from other distros, and helps you get to know the unique features and make informed choices during the installation process.

Preparing the installation media

All you need to know to download, verify and install an Installation Image, as well as prepare and boot to the installation media.

Part II: Installation⚓︎

Step by step guide

Now that you have a plan, this section will walk you through preparing installation media, and performing the installation based on the choice you made during pre-install.

Part III: Post installation⚓︎

Distro basics

This part contains walk-throughs for the different features of Linux in general and openSUSE in particular. It covers the user interface, system settings, installing and upgrading software, and general good computing practices. You will also learn how to use unique openSUSE features like YaST and snapshots. It is broken down into several main sections:

  • KDE Plasma basics
  • GNOME basics
  • Interlude -- Fundamental openSUSE concepts
  • Additional software
  • Troubleshooting with autonomy

Completing and fine-tuning your setup

  • Audio & Video:
  • Graphic Drivers:
  • Setting up a containerized environment
  • Power management: power.md
  • Pairing, syncing, sharing
  • Advanced fine-tunings

Giving back to the community

  • The art of reporting bugs
  • Resources
  • Other sources of documentation
  • Contribute to this docs
  • A contributor's checklist
Last update: 2022-06-14