Novell releases SuSE Linux and NetWare combo

Novell releases SuSE Linux and NetWare combo

Novell has finally released the beta of the product Linux users have been waiting for. They released a public beta of the Open Enterprise Server last week. It combines the power of both NetWare and SuSE Linux under common umbrella. The trial is openly available for anyone who is interested in trying it. Company intends to deliver the final product by February next month.

Novell acquired SuSE Linux around a year ago and declared that it would be bringing a combination of the two products. With this offering, Novell is playing safe with working on both Open Source and proprietary software models. They are losing customers on NetWare, while Linux is getting popular in the user community. Thus, they can provide a long-term solution by bringing both the components together.

The beta of Novell Open Enterprise Server would let users run a mixed network of the SuSE based servers and NetWare servers. Users would get a common management tool to control the both modules. The complete package includes NetWare operating system kernel and the SuSE Linux Server 9 Enterprise Edition. SuSE Linux included in this is based on the Linux 2.6 kernel. For user convenience and security, it includes tools like iFolder and Virtual Office.