openSUSE
RPM family · first released 2005
- Popularity rank
- #15
- Index
- 292
- GitHub stars
- 72
- Commits / mo
- 18
- Released
- 2005
- Latest release
- 16.0
- Supported until
- Oct 2027
you write software or you prefer tested updates on a fixed schedule.
Pros and cons
Good
- Choice of Leap (fixed) or Tumbleweed (tested rolling)
- YaST and other strong admin tools
- Btrfs snapshots for easy rollback
Trade-offs
- Media codecs need extra setup
- Smaller English-speaking community than Ubuntu
- Two editions can confuse newcomers
How openSUSE fits what you do
Everyday use: Good fit
Good
- Made for day-to-day desktop use
- Snapshots let you undo a bad update
Trade-offs
None we know of.
Gaming: Can work
Good
- A bad driver update can be undone
Trade-offs
- NVIDIA drivers need setting up yourself
- Graphics drivers and kernels update more slowly
- Steam and gaming tweaks are up to you
Older computers: Not the best fit
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Needs about 4 GB of RAM to feel smooth
- No 32-bit images
Programming: Good fit
Good
- Popular with developers
- A stable base that doesn't change under you
- Also runs on ARM machines
Trade-offs
None we know of.
AI & Local LLMs: Can work
Good
- CUDA available from NVIDIA's or the distro's own packages
Trade-offs
- AMD ROCm isn't officially supported
Servers & home labs: Good fit
Good
- Widely used on servers
- Fixed releases with tested updates
- Runs on ARM boards and Raspberry Pi
Trade-offs
None we know of.
Privacy & security: Can work
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Counts installs by default (can be turned off)
- Privacy tools like Tor or sandboxing are up to you
Music, video & graphics: Can work
Good
Nothing that stands out for this.
Trade-offs
- Creative apps and low-latency audio setup are up to you
From our hand-written profile of openSUSE. Take the quiz to compare it with other distros for your setup.
Rank over time
| Window | Rank | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last month | #13 ▲ 2 | 293 | |
| 12 months | #15 | 292 |
Shorter windows react faster. A better rank there than over 12 months means interest is growing.
Telemetry
Anonymous count, on by defaultThe package manager sends a random installation ID with every download from openSUSE's servers so it can count installs.
To turn it off: Empty the file /var/lib/zypp/AnonymousUniqueId (don't delete it).
The OS itself, by default. Every distro contacts its servers to check for updates; that isn't counted here. Apps you install have their own settings. Checked in the project's build files. Source
Rate openSUSE
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Ranking from our composite index: English Wikipedia article views, DistroWatch page hits, GitHub stars and views on this site, built 2026-11-12. All of these measure interest, not installs. Repository activity from GitHub. Release dates and support from endoflife.date (CC BY-SA 4.0). Ratings come from signed-in LinuxStatistics users.