A stable and well-tested rolling release
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
We talked with Richard Brown at SUSECon about openSUSE Tumbleweed and the rolling release process.
There are two types of users: 1) Those who want a very stable, rock solid environment where they can run their applications without worrying about breaking things; and 2) Those who want the latest technologies to play with. openSUSE is now targeting both use cases with rock solid Leap and rolling release Tumbleweed. At SUSECon, I sat down with Richard Brown, who has played an instrumental role in openSUSE Tumbleweed. Brown chairs the openSUSE Board and recently joined SUSE (Figure 1).
The Brief History of Tumbleweed
The name Tumbleweed has been around for a very long time; kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman started the project back in 2010. Kroah-Hartman called it "a repo that is a rolling updated version of openSUSE, containing the latest 'stable' versions of packages for people to use." It wasn't a rolling release distribution in the true sense; in essence, it was actually rolling updates on top of the stable releases of openSUSE.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.