- Part 1: Getting the ISO
- Part 2: Installing OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
- Part 3: Configuring Gnome
Getting OpenSuse Tumbleweed – Part 1
Linux is a free, well known and powerful operating system with a less than < 1% user base. Many people look into Linux and give up but I am happy to say that my experience was the opposite. I have first installed Linux in 1999, switched to opensource software and haven’t looked back since.
Linux runs well on Dell hardware
Many people fight with the configuration hustles and in the past I have too. Experience has taught me to only buy hardware that is Linux friendly and Dell solved all of my compatibility problems. Today, I am installing OpenSUSE Tumbleweed on three Dell computers. I will use the net install option and to get the ISO image, I head over to opensuse.org and click the Install Tumbleweed button.
That download tab offers different architectures and I select the first option which is Intel or AMD 64-bit desktops.
Right after downloading the ISO, I click on the same button again but this time on the right side drop-down arrow and also download the checksum.
NEVER install a Linux distribution with performing a checksum test!
To make sure that the ISO has integrity, I type this command into the terminal:
sha256sum openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20211210-Media.iso
A split second later, the terminal will display this string:
d357c99c16fe84cd5536b3cf5781cdd062d4580704fb18ff8e88e087b991198b openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20211210-Media.iso
Next, I open the downloaded checksum file in a text editor which will show:
d357c99c16fe84cd5536b3cf5781cdd062d4580704fb18ff8e88e087b991198b openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20211210-Media.iso
Now I compare the the two strings by copy pasting the terminal output beneath the text editor string which helps me to see if everything matches or not. If there is a difference, then DON’T install.
d357c99c16fe84cd5536b3cf5781cdd062d4580704fb18ff8e88e087b991198b
d357c99c16fe84cd5536b3cf5781cdd062d4580704fb18ff8e88e087b991198b
Since both strings match, I am going to create a bootable USB stick. The easiest way to do this is using Ventoy
After the ISO has been added to the USB stick I am ready to boot. As my Dell PC boots, I hold the F12 key to halt the boot process temporarily. This gives me several options, one of them is to boot from the USB stick instead off the existing boot loader.
From this point on, the actual OpenSUSE Tumbleweed install will begin.
Part 2: Installing OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
Let’s pause for a moment and consider a few options before proceeding.
- Encrypted install?
If you have a need for advanced security, then an encrypted install is a must. I use this option on all of my computers. Should someone take my PCs, they would not be able to boot them which means that the data is protected.
While an encrypted install provides maximum security is it important to understand that every time the computers gets booted, the long and complex pass phrase must be typed in. Depending on who it is one wants protection from, a shorter pass phrase might be more practical. Then again, if the typing speed is good then by any means, 50+ characters will be just fine. - Default or custom values?
A default install would give me a ready to use workstation but I divide software according to how I use a particular computer. Between the three machines, one will be optimized for music/audio producton, another for graphics design (GIMP, Blender, FreeCAD, CURA and 3D printing) and the web design computer centers around the Atom and Codium editors which cover all of my programming needs. - Network Manager or Wicket?
A few days ago, I’ve installed OpenSUSE Tumbleweed and after a quick default install, I noticed that the option to switch between Network Manager and Wicked was not present. A bug? Not sure. But today, I will configure that step before I proceed with the installation.
One of the best features of the OpenSUSE installer is the ability to customize everything. This is done by clicking on the green links which will open a new window with all of the options. Once I have adjusted everything to how I want it, I proceed with the install.
If you chose to install OpenSUSE Tumbleweed then I encourage you to not rush the pre configuration step. Yes, it ads 10 to 15 minutes to an already long install but in the end it pays off. The image below shows what the custom configuration screen looks like.
The most important part is the last option which disables Network Manager and enables Wicket instead. Network Manager is for laptops but for some reason, the default regardless if I install on a workstation or not.
To be continued ….
