When it comes to choosing a reliable and powerful Linux distribution for your workloads, CentOS and openSUSE are both popular options. However, recent changes in the CentOS project have left many users seeking alternatives. In this blog post, we will explore ten compelling reasons why migrating from CentOS to openSUSE might be a smart move.

1. Stable and Reliable

openSUSE offers a rock-solid, enterprise-grade operating system that is known for its stability. The openSUSE Leap release, based on SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), provides a stable foundation with long-term support. This reliability is crucial for workloads requiring uninterrupted operation.

Are you satisfied with openSUSE Leap and considering a transition to SLE for enterprise support? Simply install a package, and your openSUSE Leap environment will be converted to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Always looking for the latest and greatest? If you prefer a rolling release model you can switch to openSUSE Tumbleweed without having to reinstall.

2. SUSE’s Added Value to openSUSE

Migrating to openSUSE leverages the strengths of SUSE in several key areas:

• Quality Assurance: on top of openQA extensive suite of testing automation, openSUSE inherits SUSE’s rigorous hand-crafted QA, ensuring reliability and performance.

• EAL4+ Certification:  SUSE Linux Enterprise’s impressive EAL4+ security achievements are evident in openSUSE, which attains the utmost security standards among community Linux distributions.

• Hardware Compatibility: In a similar vein, SUSE Linux Enterprise customers benefit from an array of comprehensive hardware certifications, which in turn provides openSUSE users with a higher level of hardware support compared to other community Linux distributions.

• Cloud Integration: SUSE’s affiliations with major Cloud Providers, such as AWS, Azure, and GCP, facilitate seamless deployment of openSUSE in the cloud.

3. Open Build Service (OBS)

openSUSE’s Open Build Service allows users to create and package software for various distributions. With OBS, you can easily customize and build packages tailored to your specific requirements. This flexibility makes it easier to maintain and deploy software across your workloads.

OBS is not just limited to software packages; it can also be employed to create customized versions of openSUSE Leap itself. This is especially useful for those who need tailored distributions targeting a wide range of architectures and platforms.

4. YaST Control Center

openSUSE’s YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) Control Center is a powerful, user-friendly system management tool that has been around since 1996! It provides an intuitive graphical interface for managing system settings, network configurations, software installations, and more. YaST simplifies the administration of your workloads, saving time and effort.

5. Btrfs File System

openSUSE supports the Btrfs file system, offering advanced features like snapshots, subvolumes, and RAID support. These capabilities enhance data integrity, simplify backup and recovery, and improve overall system performance.

Btrfs, combined with Snapper, allows for full system rollbacks and offers powerful ‘Time Machine-like’ features.

6. Transactional OS support

openSUSE Leap can also be configured to operate in a transactional model by using the Transactional Server system role during installation. The Transactional Server role is designed for environments where the system requires remote updates and management. This is especially useful in scenarios where you want to minimize the maintenance window and ensure high availability.

7. Container and Virtualization Support

openSUSE stands out for its extensive support for containers and virtualization. Whether using Docker, containerd or Podman for containerization, or KVM and Xen for virtualization, openSUSE ensures streamlined and efficient handling of your workloads. Additionally, openSUSE MicroOS, optimized for containers and integrating Kubernetes, presents a specialized option for container orchestration. This broad support makes openSUSE Leap and its derivates adaptable and versatile for various deployment strategies.

8. Rich Package Repository

openSUSE boasts a vast package repository with thousands of pre-built software packages. Whether you need development tools, databases, or specialized software, openSUSE’s repository is likely to have what you need. This extensive collection simplifies software installation and dependency management.

9. Flexibility and Customization

On top of the extensive number of packages included, openSUSE offers a high degree of flexibility and customization options. You can choose from various desktop environments, such as KDE Plasma or GNOME, allowing you to tailor the user experience to your preferences. Additionally, openSUSE provides fine-grained control over system configurations, enabling you to optimize your workloads.

Furthermore, openSUSE supports both Ansible and Salt, enabling you to automate your configurations with ease.

10. Active Community

And last but not least, openSUSE has a vibrant and supportive community of users and contributors. The community provides forums, mailing lists, and other platforms for sharing knowledge and seeking assistance. Joining this community allows you to tap into a vast pool of expertise and collaborate with like-minded individuals.

Migrating from CentOS to openSUSE brings numerous benefits, including stability, SUSE’s support to the community, powerful system management tools, advanced distro features, and access to a rich package repository. The active openSUSE community and easy migration tools further enhance the transition process. If you are seeking a robust and reliable Linux distribution for your workloads, you should consider openSUSE.

Looking for further insights into what you can achieve by migrating to SUSE and openSUSE?, check out other blogs in this series:

• From CentOS to openSUSE Leap: How to Feel at Home 
• Step-by-Step Guide Installing openSUSE Leap on your virtualized environment