SUSE Linux Enterprise
| Company type | Subsidiary product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software |
| Founded | October 31, 2000 |
| Founder | SUSE |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) |
| Parent | SUSE |
SUSE Linux Enterprise (abbreviated as SLE) is a Linux-based operating system created by SUSE, available in two main variants: Server (SLES), designed for servers and mainframes, and Desktop (SLED), tailored for workstations and desktop computers.
Major releases occur every three to four years, complemented by annual minor updates known as "Service Packs." Compared to the upstream openSUSE community edition, SUSE Linux Enterprise products undergo more extensive validation processes, guaranteeing the inclusion of only reliable and stable components. All SUSE Linux Enterprise editions share a unified code foundation.
Prominent implementations include IBM's Watson, which runs on IBM POWER7 hardware utilizing SLES, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Frontier supercomputer—the world’s first and fastest exascale system—operating SUSE’s SLES 15 (HPE Cray OS).
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
The development of SLES originated from SUSE Linux under the leadership of Marcus Kraft, with Bernhard Kaindl as principal developer and support from Joachim "Jos" Schröder. Its initial release was on October 31, 2000, focusing on IBM S/390 mainframe platforms. The first enterprise customer, Telia, was announced in December 2000. Support for x86 architectures followed in April 2001.
SLES integrates a technical solution with commercial support services. The original business framework, inspired by recurring mainframe licensing fees, was pioneered by Jürgen Geck and Malcom Yates and has since evolved in response to client input and industry developments.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 (SLES 9) was introduced in August 2004, with Service Pack 4 released in December 2007. It received backing from leading hardware manufacturers such as IBM, HP, Sun Microsystems, Dell, SGI, Lenovo, and Fujitsu Siemens.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (SLES 10) became available in July 2006; its Service Pack 4 arrived in April 2011. This version shared its codebase with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 and other SUSE offerings, reinforcing its enterprise market position.
Released on March 24, 2009, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (SLES 11) included Linux kernel version 2.6.27, Oracle Cluster File System Release 2, OpenAIS cluster protocol compatibility, and Mono 2.0 integration. Subsequent Service Packs upgraded the kernel to versions 2.6.32 (SP1) and 3.0.10 (SP2). Notably, SP2 introduced Consistent Network Device Naming specifically for Dell servers.
The beta for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 (SLES 12) appeared on February 25, 2014; the official release followed on October 27, 2014. Later Service Packs incorporated essential enterprise capabilities: SP1 (December 2015) added Docker support, Shibboleth authentication, Network Teaming functionality, and JeOS images; SP2 (November 2016); SP3 (September 2017) further improved stability and feature sets.
Versions labeled SLES 13 and SLES 14 were omitted due to cultural superstition considerations.
The beta version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 (SLES 15) was unveiled on October 18, 2017; the stable release became available on July 16, 2018. SLES 15 SP2 followed on July 21, 2020, updating critical components such as the kernel, PostgreSQL database system, Samba file-sharing suite, and Salt configuration management to align with advancing enterprise demands.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED), formerly known as Novell Linux Desktop (NLD), is designed for corporate users and shares its core code with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) along with other SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) offerings. It comes equipped with GNOME Shell, LibreOffice, Evolution, and additional open source tools including Dia, TigerVNC, and lftp. SLED is built upon openSUSE Tumbleweed and closely aligned with openSUSE Leap.
Starting from version 12, SLED adopted a customized GNOME Classic Shell that features a conventional interface with a single bottom panel, application menus, and desktop icons. The distribution bundles applications such as LibreOffice, Mozilla Firefox, Evolution, alongside GNOME utilities like GNOME Documents and GNOME Files. Configuration tasks are managed through the YaST Control Center, which offers advanced system administration options.
Strategic collaborations include partnerships with HP, which markets laptops preloaded with SLED 11 under HP and Compaq labels. Micro-Star International supplied MSI Wind Netbook devices running SLED 10 out of the box, while Sun Microsystems utilized SLED as the base for the Linux edition of the Java Desktop System.
In 2018, SUSE broadened SLED’s compatibility by adding support for the Raspberry Pi, thus extending its presence within ARM-based platforms.
As of June 2025, subscription pricing for SLED support stands at €139.23 for standard one-year coverage and €254.66 for priority one-year assistance.
History
The development of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) has spanned several ownership changes. Initially launched in 2004 under the name Novell Linux Desktop, it was developed during SUSE’s integration within Novell until 2011. That year, The Attachmate Group acquired Novell and established SUSE as an independent subsidiary. Later, Micro Focus took over Attachmate in 2014 but preserved SUSE’s operational independence before selling it to private equity firm EQT AB in 2019, which focuses on nurturing and eventually divesting autonomous companies.
- Novell Linux Desktop 9
Debuted on November 8, 2004, shortly after Novell’s acquisition of SUSE, NLD 9 was based on SUSE Linux 9.1. It catered to enterprise users by providing a conservative suite of desktop applications including Mozilla Firefox and OpenOffice.org. The release incorporated software developed by Novell and Ximian such as the Red Carpet package management tool and ZenWorks system administration. Multiple service packs followed to enhance stability and provide updates.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
Released on June 17, 2006, SLED 10 expanded its target audience to general office users needing core desktop functionalities compatible with corporate infrastructures like Microsoft Office file formats, Active Directory, Exchange Server, and Novell GroupWise. It introduced tools like the Beagle desktop search engine, advanced graphical effects powered by Xgl+Compiz, and improved multimedia capabilities through Helix Banshee. The GNOME desktop environment was customized with a new slab-style application menu. Service Pack 4 was issued in April 2011.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11
Arriving on March 24, 2009, based on openSUSE 11.1, SLED 11 upgraded GNOME and added KDE version 4.1.3. It enhanced interoperability with Microsoft Active Directory and Exchange Server while updating Novell OpenOffice.org to version 3.0. Proprietary elements such as Adobe Flash were included alongside open-source plugins like Moonlight and Mono. Four service packs were released; notably Service Pack 2 incorporated commercial BtrFS support with snapshot management utilities. Service Pack 4 was delivered in July 2015.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12
Launched October 28, 2014, SLED 12 introduced systemd initialization, GNOME 3 desktop environment, GRUB version 2 bootloader, Plymouth boot splash screen, and the wicked wireless network manager. It enhanced BtrFS filesystem stability and integration while transitioning fully to GNOME 3 with multiple shell options emulating previous desktop layouts. KDE support and compatibility with 32-bit x86 processors were removed from this enterprise edition. The Service Pack 1 release served as a foundation for openSUSE Leap’s more conservative releases (Leap 42.x). Its server edition was notably the first SUSE version made available through the Microsoft Store for Windows Subsystem for Linux.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15
Skipping over versions 13 and 14 to synchronize with openSUSE Leap’s versioning scheme, SLE 15 was released on June 25, 2018. It incorporated GNOME version 3.26, LibreOffice 6.0, GCC compiler version 7, a long-term support kernel (4.12), and adopted Wayland as the default display server protocol. Installation media were unified for both SLES and SLED products. The GNOME desktop options remained consistent with those introduced in version 12.
Service Pack 1 aligned with openSUSE Leap version 15.1 codebase improvements including enhanced migration pathways from Leap to SLE, expanded support for ARM-based SoCs with a focus on the 64-bit architecture, transactional update mechanisms, among other enterprise-grade features.
Service Pack 3 featured a consolidated repository that shared source code and binary packages directly with openSUSE Leap version 15.3, facilitating streamlined development workflows and simplified deployment strategies.
Personnel
The development of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 was spearheaded by Nat Friedman, the co-founder of Ximian. He was supported by former developers from both Ximian and SUSE, with Guy Lunardi serving as product manager and Kelli Frame as engineering manager.
Derived Distributions
Users can utilize SUSE Studio Express to design customized appliances based on SUSE Linux variants, including SLED. The SLE platform provides options for creating derivative distributions through custom Kiwi and Docker containers, allowing for specific package selections and configuration adjustments.
Distinctive Characteristics
- YaST Control Center
YaST functions as the primary configuration utility throughout SUSE Linux distributions, including SLED. It consolidates installation, system configuration, RPM package management, updates, network and firewall settings, as well as user management into modular interfaces.
- SUSE Package Hub
The SUSE Package Hub grants SLE users access to roughly 9,000 additional packages that are neither officially part of the SUSE Linux Enterprise lineup nor necessarily included in the latest SLE releases. Although these packages lack official commercial support from SUSE, they are available for architectures such as AArch64, ppc64le, s390x, and x86-64.
Support Lifecycle
Earlier SUSE Linux Enterprise editions (SLES 9 and 10) followed a 10-year support lifecycle. Subsequent releases (SLES 11, 12, and 15) have extended this period to 13 years. The current support framework consists of 10 years of general maintenance from First Customer Shipment (FCS), followed by three years of Long Term Service Pack Support (LTSS), plus an additional three years under LTSS Core.
Release Timeline
Below are the release dates for various SUSE Linux Enterprise Server versions:
| Version | Revision | Release Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| initial | S/390 | October 31, 2000 | |
| Sparc and IA-32 | April 2001 | ||
| 7 | First release | October 13, 2001 | Unified codebase across IA-32, Itanium, iSeries/pSeries, S/390/zSeries (both 31-bit and 64-bit) |
| 8 | Initial launch | October 2002 | |
| SP1 | |||
| SP2 | |||
| SP2a | |||
| SP3 | |||
| SP4 | |||
| 9 | Initial launch | August 3, 2004 | |
| SP1 | January 19, 2005 | ||
| SP2 | July 7, 2005 | ||
| SP3 | December 22, 2005 | ||
| SP4 | December 12, 2007 | ||
| 10 | Initial launch | June 17, 2006 | |
| SP1 | June 18, 2007 | ||
| SP2 | May 19, 2008 | ||
| SP3 | October 12, 2009 | ||
| SP4 | April 12, 2011 | ||
| 11 | Initial launch | March 24, 2009 | |
| SP1 | June 2, 2010 | ||
| SP2 | February 15, 2012 | ||
| SP3 | July 1, 2013 | ||
| SP4 | July 16, 2015 | ||
| 12 | Initial launch | October 27, 2014 | |
| SP1 | December 15, 2015 | ||
| SP2 | November 11, 2016 | ||
| SP3 | September 7, 2017 | ||
| SP4 | December 11, 2018 | ||
| SP5 | December 9, 2019 | ||
| 15 | Initial launch | July16 ,2018 | No server releases were issued for versions13 and14 |
| SP1 | June24 ,2019 | ||
| SP2 | July21 ,2020 | ||
| SP3 | June23 ,2021 | ||
| SP4 | June24 ,2022 | ||
| SP5 | June20 ,2023 | ||
| SP6 | June26 ,2024 | ||
| SP7 | June24 ,2025 |
See also
- SUSE Linux
- Open Enterprise Server
- Linux on PowerPC
- Linux on IBM Z
- List of Linux distributions
- Comparison of Linux distributions
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Further reading
- Server
- Eckert, Jason. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Administration (Course 3037). Thomson/Course Technology, 2007. 760 pages. ISBN 978-1-4188-3731-0
- Eckert, Jason. Advanced SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Administration (Course 3038). Thomson/Course Technology, March 2006. 432 pages. ISBN 978-1-4188-3732-7
- Eckert, Jason. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Security. Course Technology, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4283-2223-3
- Kuo, Peter and Jacques Beland. SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 Administrator's Handbook. Novell Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-672-32735-3
- van Vugt, Sander. The Definitive Guide to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Apress, 2006. ISBN 978-1-59059-708-8
- Harris, Jeffrey and Mike Latimer. Novell Open Enterprise Server Administrator's Handbook, SUSE LINUX Edition. Novell Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-672-32749-0
- Desktop
- Eckert, Jason. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Administration. Course Technology, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4283-2227-1
- Habraken, Joe. Novell Linux Desktop 9 Administrator's Handbook. Novell Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-672-32790-2
- Dulaney, Emmett. Novell Linux Desktop 9 User's Handbook. Novell Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-672-32729-2
External links
- Official page for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
- Official page for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
- SUSE official blog
- Case study: Deployment of SLED 10 in educational institutions
- Interview featuring Novell's Ted Haeger discussing NLD
- Article covering the upcoming Novell Linux Desktop release
- Novell’s focus on enterprise desktop solutions with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10