Yeah! Today is 18 Years of openSUSE

Happy 18th Birthday to openSUSE! It’s that time of the year once again where we will raise our virtual glasses and celebrate the remarkable journey of open-source innovation.

On August 9th, 2005, an announcement was made during the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, giving birth to what we now know as the openSUSE Project.

The now defunct company known as Novell unveiled openSUSE to the technology world with excitement. Riding on the heels of the success of Red Hat’s announcement of Fedora, it was natural for Novell to embrace the open-source movement and introduce its own community-driven Linux distribution.

The journey of openSUSE officially began with the release of beta versions of SUSE Linux 10.0 under the banner of openSUSE.org. The first official release under the openSUSE name was 10.2.

As we celebrate 18 years of openSUSE, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on the incredible journey this project has undertaken. Here we are years later and openSUSE stands strong with a lot of experiences endured by the community and its main sponsor SUSE. SUSE joined Novell in 2003, which broadened its horizons and influence. Six years later Novell made the announcement of the openSUSE Project there was an acquisition of SUSE by The Attachmate Group, which was later integrated into Micro Focus in 2014; this point in time showcased SUSE’s resilience. EQT added a unique touch in 2018 with the purchase of SUSE. In 2021, SUSE’s public debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange highlighted its dynamic evolution and enduring voyage as an open-source company.

To celebrate the project’s 18th Birthday, consider joining openSUSE’s virtual bar, where open-source enthusiasts from across the globe can gather to celebrate, connect, and share their passion for openSUSE. Known as slash bar (/bar), the virtual doors to meet others with a similar passion remain open. Join in or listen to the openSUSE bar’s playlist on Spotify.

As the world evolves, so does openSUSE, and we hope you celebrate along with us for turning 18. Let’s toast to 18 years of open-source excellence and look forward to the exciting chapters that lie ahead. Happy 18th Birthday, openSUSE! Here’s to the journey and the future!