In Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update, the Windows subsystem for Linux received a major upgrade. It now supports a variety of Linux distributions, not just Ubuntu. At the moment, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server are available, with Fedora and additional Linux distributions to follow later. By the same token, Microsoft is no longer referring to this product as “Slam on Windows.” Depending on the Linux distribution you’re using, it’s now referred to as “Ubuntu on Windows Subsystem for Linux.” “OpenSUSE on Windows Subsystem for Linux”, and so on.
In this article, we are going to discuss the meaning and difference between Fedora and OpenSUSE.
Meaning of Fedora
Fedora is a community-supported open-source project funded and directed by Red Hat, the second-largest Linux contributor in the world. It is a general-purpose operating system based on the Linux Kernel architecture, and it is a source of software advancements for RHEL versions. Fedora’s origins can be traced back to Red Hat Linux, which ceased development in 2003. Red Hat separated its Red Hat Linus distribution into two versions at the time: Fedora Core (now known as Fedora) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
Meaning of OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE, originally SUSE Linux, is a free, community-driven Linux operating system supported by SUSE Linux and others. OpenSUSE, like Fedora, is guided by a similar open-source ideology that prioritizes stability and flexibility. After Novell, a Utah-based big firm that markets Linux in the enterprise market, purchased SUSE Linux in 2003, OpenSUSE was introduced in 2005. Novell was purchased by The Attachmate Group in 2011, which joined with Micro Focus in 2014, dividing SUSE into two separate firms. SUSE became an independent corporation with its headquarters in Germany.
Fedora Vs OpenSUSE
1. Basics
Red Hat, Inc. sponsors and directs Fedora, a community-supported open-source project. Red Hat owns the Fedora trademarks and consults its legal counsel when making legal decisions regarding Fedora. It’s a general-purpose operating system based on the Linux OS Kernel architecture and it’s where RHEL gets its software advancements. OpenSUSE, on the other hand, is an open distribution developed by the community-driven OpenSUSE project and sponsored by SUSE Linux and a few other enterprises as a viable alternative to Red Hat.
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2. User Friendliness
OpenSUSE is a wonderful option for novices because it has a large collection of software for PCs. It’s one of the top distros because of YaST, its unique configuration and installation tool, which is a standout feature of the SUSE-verse and maybe the easiest to use in the Linux ecosystem. OpenSUSE contains all of the stable packages, with an eight-month release schedule that is strictly adhered to. It’s comparable to Fedora, but it’s probably a little more user-friendly. Fedora isn’t as easy to use as OpenSUSE.
3. Security
Fedora includes IPsec functionality for securely connecting remote hosts and networks via a common carrier network like the internet. It makes use of Internet Key Exchange (IKE) to share keys between hosts across the internet, ensuring mutual authentication and safe connections between systems. OpenSUSE, on the other hand, is secure since it, like Ubuntu, includes AppArmor and a firewall by default. It is not, however, as secure as Fedora. YaST is the command center for the entire OpenSUSE distribution, and it can be used to configure various security measures.
4. Stability
Fedora is surprisingly stable, despite being a cutting-edge Linux-based distribution, thanks to Red Hat, the world’s second-largest Linux contributor. When it comes to commercial Linux solutions, Red Hat remains the market leader. OpenSUSE, on the other hand, is a stable distribution with a Tumbleweed rolling release version that is a bleeding-edge version with frequent updates of the newest packages. Each time a new build is ready, OpenSUSE has a unique automated testing tool that automatically tests many combinations of hardware and installation settings.
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5. Philosophy
OpenSUSE is the community version of SUSE’s commercial distro, similar to Fedora, and it is led by a common open-source ideology that emphasizes innovative community infrastructure, stability, and flexibility. Both serve as testbeds for new ideas and technologies, and both adhere to a rigorous policy of only employing open and free software in their official repositories. The only difference is that Fedora’s default desktop environment is Gnome, whereas OpenSUSE’s is KDE. Although OpenSUSE has a lot of free software, it is more conservative than Fedora.
Other Comparison
| Fedora | OpenSUSE | |
| Organization name | Community backed by RHEL | Community Backed by SUSE |
| Based on | RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) | SUSE Enterprise Linux |
| Expertise Level Needed | Intermediate | Intermediate/ Advanced |
| Software Support | 9.5/10 Out of the box Software 4.5/5 Software Repository 5/5 | 9/10 Out of the box software 4.5/5 Software Repository 4.5/5 |
| Hardware Support | 7/10 Official driver support 4/5 Support for older hardware: 3/5 | 6.5/10 Official driver support 3.5/5 Support for older hardware 3/5 |
| Stability | 7/10 Stable | 9.5/10 very stable |
| Goal | To serve as a testing ground for innovative and cutting-edge software before it is released on RHEL. | To serve as a testing ground for software before it is released to SUSE’s commercial distribution. |
| Target users | Users who require immediate access to the most recent Linux developments. | System administrators who want a taste of SUSE’s sophisticated technologies, such as SUSE studio and openQA |
| Best Use Cases to employ the Distro | Best Use-case – To learn Linux administration, as RHEL is one of the industry’s most commonly used distros! Other use-case – Designed for usage in workstation | Best Use case- Servers Other use-case- Sysadmins and Linux developrs. |
| Distro’s Policy | Officially, only opensource is supported. | Officially, only opensource is supported. |
| Official driver support by Major Companies | 4/5 Fedora, as the bleeding-edge version of RHEL, has a lot of industry backing. | 3.5/5 because the distro is not as well-known as other, official driver support for OpenSUSE is restricted. |
| 3rd party driver support | for proprietary drivers, there are third-party repos available. | Repositories from third parties are available. |
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Conclusion
SUSE’s Yast GGUI interface for system configuration is the most user-friendly. Fedora gets all of Linux’s latest technologies and innovations, and once they’ve proven themselves in Fedora, they’re moved to RHEL.
I hope this article is sufficient enough to clarify the difference between Fedora and OpenSUSE.