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openSUSE Leap 16.1 combines conventional and immutable Linux installations
openSUSE Leap 16.1 lets users choose between a conventional Linux installation and an immutable, read-only system using the same installer. The change folds the former Leap Micro option into Leap and ends Leap Micro as a separate community distribution.
In immutable mode, the system uses a read-only root filesystem and transactional updates; users select the mode when booting the Leap 16.1 installation image. The annual release also includes GNOME 48.8, KDE Plasma 6.6.4 and LXQt 2.4, and arrives ahead of the expected SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.1 release later this month.
In short
- Leap 16.1 offers conventional and immutable installations.
- Leap Micro is discontinued as a separate distribution.
- The release includes updated GNOME, KDE Plasma and LXQt desktops.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Combining both installation modes in one distribution and installer could make openSUSE simpler to choose and maintain, while giving users the flexibility to select a conventional or read-only system for their needs. Folding Leap Micro into Leap may also concentrate community effort and make immutable Linux more accessible to existing Leap users.
The case against
Ending Leap Micro as a separate community distribution could reduce choice and weaken a distinct project whose users valued its focused purpose and identity. Putting both modes under one release may also make the distribution less clearly tailored to users who relied on Leap Micro’s separate development and expectations.
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Originally published by The Register as “openSUSE Leap 16.1 gives Linux users the right to remain immutable”.