Welcome to GeckoLinux
GeckoLinux is a set of Linux spins built from the openSUSE distribution, with a focus on polish and out-of-the-box usability on the desktop. It is available in Static (based on openSUSE Leap) and Rolling (based on openSUSE Tumbleweed) editions.
Releases
Please read the release notes on GitHub.
GeckoLinux Features
- An installable live DVD / USB image based on openSUSE under 2GB in size
- Individual editions for many different popular desktop environments with a pleasant default configuration
- Carefully selected open source desktop programs and proprietary media codecs pre-installed and ready to use
- Btrfs subvolume layout with Zstd transparent compression and automatic Snapper snapshots bootable via GRUB for easy rollbacks (instructions)
- Beautiful open source font rendering configured out of the box
- Optimal power management with TLP pre-installed
- Much more open source and patent encumbered software available in the pre-configured repositories
- Uses the excellent infrastructure already in place for openSUSE, with no repackaging or modification of packages
- An installed system can be smoothly upgraded to future openSUSE releases while retaining its unique GeckoLinux configuration
How Is This Different From openSUSE?
- GeckoLinux comes as an offline installable live DVD / USB image for Static and Rolling editions, whereas openSUSE has a non-live DVD / USB installer, a net-installer image, or Tumbleweed live DVD / USB with net-installer options.
- GeckoLinux offers customized editions optimized for different desktop environments, whereas openSUSE requires the user to know how to install patterns and packages for different desktop environments.
- GeckoLinux comes pre-installed with common niceties such as proprietary media codecs, whereas openSUSE for legal reasons requires users to know how to add additional repositories and which packages to add.
- GeckoLinux prefers packages from the Packman repo when they are available, whereas some of openSUSE's default packages don't work with patent-restricted features even if the features are installed from other sources.
- GeckoLinux does not force the installation of additional recommended packages after system installation, whereas openSUSE pre-installs patterns and automatically installs recommended package dependencies, thus causing many additional and possibly unwanted packages to be installed the first time the package manager is used.
- GeckoLinux pre-installed packages can be uninstalled with all of their dependencies, whereas openSUSE's patterns often cause uninstalled packages to be automatically re-installed.
- GeckoLinux does not use or pre-install PackageKit, which is known to interfere with the underlying Zypper package management system.
Download
GeckoLinux Static editions:
GeckoLinux Static editions are based on openSUSE Leap 15.4 with its periodic release cycle and a long support lifetime. Looking for the rolling release?
Notice: Please verify your download checksums by clicking the i icon next to your download in the Sourceforge directory listing.
GeckoLinux Rolling editions:
GeckoLinux Rolling editions are based on openSUSE Tumbleweed with its frequent and extremely well tested stable rolling releases. Looking for the static release?
Notice: Please verify your download checksums by clicking the i icon next to your download in the Sourceforge directory listing.
GeckoLinux NEXT editions:
GeckoLinux NEXT editions have a stable openSUSE Leap base, combined with additional OBS repositories to offer the latest version of popular desktop environments. (Looking for the static release or the rolling release?)
Notice: Please verify your download checksums by clicking the i icon next to your download in the Sourceforge directory listing.
Who Are You?
I've used Linux on the desktop since approximately 2001. I have used many versions of openSUSE since the project's inception, and I used SuSE Linux before that. I've always appreciated openSUSE's flexibility and highly innovative infrastructure, but the profusion of "paper cuts" in the default configuration always made me think twice before recommending it to others. This projects sets out to change that. I am also the creator and maintainer of the SpiralLinux set of spins built from Debian.