openSUSE defaults to KDE

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 21 Aug 2009 at 08:52

openSUSE will default to the KDE desktop environment during its next release, the project has announced on its mailing list.

Beginning with openSUSE 11.2, users will be offered a choice between KDE and Gnome at the installation screen, with the KDE radio button pre-selected. It seems a small change, but given the amount of users who simply click through option dialogs it could prove significant in the long run.

The open-source OS had been a firm backer of KDE down the years, and speaking on the mailing list product manager Michael Loeffler claims the change was first mooted as a feature request at the end of July, with "lively debate" breaking out earlier this month.

However, Loeffler was quick to point out that the change didn't represent a snub to Gnome, which became a fixture of openSUSE when Novell acquired SUSE Linux in 2004.

"We want to make clear that both desktops are considered equal citizens within the openSUSE Project, and this will not have any impact on the quality of the Gnome desktop within openSUSE. Gnome will continue to be offered as a top-level installation choice, and we will continue to strive to provide the best Gnome and KDE desktop experience," adds Loeffler.

openSUSE 11.2 is expected to be released in November.