openSUSE Leap

OpenSUSE Leap is a stable and reliable Linux distribution based on the SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) codebase. It combines the best of both worlds, offering enterprise-grade stability and a community-driven approach. It is suitable for both desktop and server environments. It provides a user-friendly desktop experience, officially supporting KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Xfce. OpenSUSE Leap emphasizes useability, flexibility, and a strong focus on open-source collaboration, making it a compelling choice for users seeking a balance between stability and up-to-date software.

Balanced release cycle with 18 months of support.
Based on the enterprise SUSE Linux.
Comfortable, polished desktop experience.
Flexible and universal, suitable for both desktop and server.
Community-driven.

Read about this distro on Wikipedia

Price: Free | Non-profit

Recommended for universal use.
Available in 4 desktop variants: none, kde-plasma, gnome, and xfce.
Based on suse, and a descendant of suse.

System information

Kernel	linux
Core utilities	gnu
Desktops (4)	none, kde-plasma, gnome, and xfce.
Default shell	bash
Init system	systemd
Directly based on	suse
Descendant of	suse

Packaging

System package manager	zypp
Supports PPAs	false
Other officially supported packaging systems (1)	rpm
Other compatible packaging systems (2)	flatpak, and snap.
Includes graphical "app store"	true

Ideology and licensing

Approved by the FSF (distros approved by the FSF must only offer free software)	false
Free by default (as freshly installed, not counting optional extras or binary blobs)	true
Only offers free software in default repositories	false
Offers proprietary drivers	false
Offers proprietary media codecs	false
For-profit business	false
Price	Free

Release model

Active	true
Rolling release (pushes new packages all the time, no fixed versions)	false
Stable release each	12 months
Stable LTS release each	No LTS releases
Support duration for regular releases	18 months
Since	2005
Country of origin	Germany

Installation

Graphical installer	true
Text installer	true
Live mode (allows testing the OS without installing it)	true

System requirements

Supported CPU architectures (8)	i686, x86-64, aarch64, armv7hl, ppc64, risc-v, s390, and ppc64le.
Minimum RAM	1024 MB
Minimum storage	1.5 GB
Internet required for installation	false
Recommended RAM	2048 MB
Recommended storage	10 GB
Internet connection recommended	true
Recommended screen resolution	No display recommended

Difficulty

Lower is easier. This data is intended for new users.

Installation
Daily usage
Maintenance
Upgrading
Troubleshooting
General difficulty