Opennsuse Leap 16 Beta is here with Wayland and a Modern Linux Foundation

Exciting news, folks – Opensuse developers have announced that 16.0 beta leap is now available for test (download here). Based on SUSE LINUX ENTERPRISE 16 and SUSE Linux Framework One (previously known as Alp). This version holds the renowned Opensuse structure while adopting a more modern foundation.

A candidate for omission is expected in July, and the final version is planned for October. This beta should provide a clear look at what the community can expect when jumping 16.0 officially begins later this year. In particular, the Agama installer is now predetermined, replacing the oldest yast -based configuration.

Wayland is expected to be the only screen protocol moving forward. While some Xorg parts are still involved in compliance, the change is clear. Sysv Init is completely removed. Stack Yast has also retired from Leap, making way to new vehicles.

The cabin now deals with system management, and Myrlyn replaces Yast Gui software. Yast is still available in tumbleweed but is no longer developing. The source code is in Github for anyone who is interested in maintaining it.

Leap 16.0 only works on hardware that supports x86_64-V2. This means that some older cars are no longer supported. It is a stricter demand but allows for a more durable and optimized system. Understandably, users with excluded devices will feel light.

Visible packages include Linux kernel 6.12, Gnome 48.0, KDE plasma 6.3.4 and Gimp 3.0. The final release is expected to send with GNOME 48.1 and plasma 6.4.0. RPM 4.20 will also be included once ready. Apparable 4.1 is in this release, and GNU Health 5.5 should be available until June.

As a default, celery is now the main security system. However, Apparemor remains available and supported, giving users a choice. For steam players, some additional configurations can be required until the specific games for Selinux.

Opensuse has also made changes to how warehouses work. The new opensuse-reposk package presents RIS-based repos treatment. The warehouses are now separated for architecture, which results in smaller metadas and faster refresh time. Zypper now supports parallel downloads in beta form, speeding up installations and updates. This feature is expected to be stable with the final release.

Thankfully, Leap 16.0 does not try to recreate the wheel. It is simply based on what already works and makes smart changes where it is necessary. With a cleaner basis, modern default and updated tools, it is seeking to be a strong release for Linux users that value reliability and performance.