Today, in Boston, at LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Novell announced the upcoming availability of SUSE Linux 10.1, the newest version of Novell’s award-winning community Linux distribution.

The first version of SUSE Linux created in full partnership with the open source community, SUSE Linux 10.1 features more than 1,500 software packages containing the latest open source innovations such as the new OpenOffice.org office suite, Firefox Web browser and multimedia tools, and delivers them to users in a single stabilized distribution. It also includes extensive desktop innovations for both GNOME and KDE users. As a result, SUSE Linux 10.1 provides everything a user needs to get started with Linux while showcasing the very best the open source community has to offer.

“SUSE Linux 10.1 is a watershed accomplishment for Novell and the members of the openSUSE community,” said Andreas Jaeger, Novell’s chief maintainer of SUSE Linux. “Working with the community, we have extended and improved every element of the distribution to give the best possible desktop experience to first-time Linux users, while continuing to stabilize, integrate and provide the latest open source packages for experienced engineers.”

SUSE Linux 10.1 provides a full-featured desktop designed especially for the new Linux user. It includes the latest version of the popular Firefox Web browser; the latest version of the Windows-compatible OpenOffice.org 2.0 office suite complete with support for Visual Basic macros; e-mail and instant messaging clients; graphics creation, editing and management applications; and important security tools like spam blockers, anti-virus software and an integrated firewall.

Also included in SUSE Linux 10.1 are proprietary software packages such as Adobe Reader, RealPlayer, Macromedia Flash Player and Java, plus a variety of features that simplify Windows-to-Linux migration.

Those who are interested in this new version of Linux SuSe, can install it along with Windows. Think it as a trial of the SuSe. It won’t harm your already installed software, and who knows, maybe you will even like it.