Whether or not the Novell Linux Desktop is ready for public use is very much dependent on the definition of ready I suppose. If we are talking about a version of Linux that is stable and has enough software to meet the basic needs of an office environment or even office server needs, then yes. LinuxPlanet, takes these thoughts a step further.

When I first saw rumblings in the trade press about Novell’s new Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) distribution, I was confused at best. Novell’s own press corps, impressive in terms of sheer volume, didn’t make this clear. As shown in Figure 1, the splash screen for the installer leaves no doubt that this is a new and unique Novell product. However, there’s a good deal of general confusion about how NetWare, SUSE Linux, SUSE Enterprise Server, various mail products, eDirectory, ZENworks, Ximian’s desktop and Evolution mail client, and now the Novell Linux Desktop all fit together.

I am not a shill for Novell and thus still can’t answer all of those questions, but spending some time experimenting with NLD in both its GNOME and KDE incarnations and talking with friends and detractors who follow Novell and/or work in Novell shops, has helped me begin to make sense of all of this.

The Novell Linux Desktop is the desktop companion of Novell’s latest release of the SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server software. Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 provides a reliable, stable, and scalable operating system, server, and application deployment environment. The Novell Linux Desktop is the end-user version of side of SUSE’s enterprise offerings.