SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15
SP3

Release Notes

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension is an
enterprise-quality Linux desktop with market-leading usability and
interoperability. This document provides a high-level overview of features,
capabilities, and limitations of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3 and highlights important product
updates.

These release notes are updated periodically. The latest version of these
release notes is always available at https://www.suse.com/releasenotes. General
documentation can be found at https://documentation.suse.com/sled/15-SP3.

Publication Date: 2021-05-05, Version: 15.3.20210505

1 About the Release Notes
2 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension
3 Modules, Extensions, and Related Products
4 Installation and Upgrade
5 General Features & Fixes
6 Known Issues & Workarounds
7 Removed and Deprecated Features and Packages
8 Obtaining Source Code
9 Legal Notices

1 About the Release Notes

The most recent version of these Release Notes is available online at https://
www.suse.com/releasenotes.

These Release Notes are designed to be read in addition to those of SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 15 SP3 at https://www.suse.com/releasenotes/x86_64/SUSE-SLES/
15-SP2.

Entries can be listed multiple times if they are important and belong to
multiple sections. Release notes only list changes that happened between two
subsequent releases. Always review all release notes documents that apply in
your upgrade scenario.

2 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension is
the market's only enterprise-quality Linux desktop ready for routine business
use. Developed and backed by SUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension provides market-leading usability, seamless
interoperability with existing IT systems, and dozens of essential
applications--all at a fraction of the price of proprietary operating systems.

2.1 Interoperability and Hardware Support

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation
Extension 15 SP3 comes bundled with the latest versions of leading applications
such as LibreOffice office productivity suite, Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and
Evolution e-mail and calendar suite. In addition, it integrates with Microsoft
SharePoint for group collaboration and supports a wide range of multimedia file
formats, wireless and networking standards, and plug-and-play devices.

Through the latest enhancements in power management and security, SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3 also
provides an environmentally friendly IT experience (Green IT) and an
error-proof desktop. Finally, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension offers unparalleled flexibility. You can
deploy it on a wide range of thick client devices (including desktops,
notebooks, netbooks, and workstations), on thin client devices, or as a virtual
desktop. By leveraging the power of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension, your business can dramatically reduce costs,
improve end user security and increase workforce productivity.

2.2 What Is New?

2.2.1 General Changes in SLE 15

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15
introduces many innovative changes compared to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12. The most important changes are
listed below.

Migration from openSUSE Leap to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
    Enterprise Workstation Extension

    Starting with SLE 15, we support migrating from openSUSE Leap 15 to SUSE
    Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15.
    Even if you decide to start out with the free community distribution you
    can later easily upgrade to a distribution with enterprise-class support.

Extended Package Search

    Use the new Zypper command zypper search-packages to search across all SUSE
    repositories available for your product even if they are not yet enabled.
    This functionality makes it easier for administrators and system architects
    to find the software packages needed. To do so, it leverages the SUSE
    Customer Center.

Software Development Kit

    With SLE 15, the Software Development Kit is now integrated into the
    products. Development packages are packaged alongside regular packages. In
    addition, the Development Tools module contains tools for development.

RMT Replaces SMT

    SMT (Subscription Management Tool) has been removed. Instead, RMT
    (Repository Mirroring Tool) now allows mirroring SUSE repositories and
    custom repositories. You can then register systems directly with RMT. In
    environments with tightened security, RMT can also proxy other RMT servers.

2.2.2 Changes in 15 SP3

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation
Extension 15 SP3 introduces changes compared to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension SP2. The most important changes are
listed below.

Media Changes

    The Unified Installer and Packages DVDs known from SUSE Linux Enterprise
    Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP1 are deprecated
    and have been replaced by the following media:

      ? Online Installation Media: All SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 products can be
        installed with this stand alone media, after entering a registration
        key. The necessary packages are fetched from online repositories only.
        For information about available modules, see Section 3.1, "Modules in
        the SLE 15 SP3 Product Line".

      ? Full Installation Media: All SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
        Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 products can be installed without
        network connection with this media, for offline installation scenarios.
        The media contains all necessary packages. It consists of directories
        with module repositories which need to be added manually as needed. RMT
        (Repository Mirroring Tool) and SUSE Manager provide additional options
        for disconnected or managed installation.

Kernel

    SLE 15 SP3 includes the Linux 5.3 kernel. This new kernel release includes
    upstream features such as 16 million additionally usable IPv4 addresses,
    utilization clamping support in the task scheduler, power-efficient
    userspace waiting with the umwait x86 instructions and many more.

2.2.3 Package and module changes in 15 SP3

The full list of changed packages and modules compared to 15 SP2 can be seen at
these two URLs:

  o https://documentation.suse.com/package-lists/sle/15-SP3/
    package-changes_SLE-15-SP2-GA_SLE-15-SP3-GA.txt

  o https://documentation.suse.com/package-lists/sle/15-SP3/
    module-changes_SLE-15-SP2-GA_SLE-15-SP3-GA.txt

2.3 Important Sections of This Document

If you are upgrading from a previous SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension release, you should review at least the
following sections:

  o Section 2.6, "Support Statement for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE
    Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension"

  o Section 4.2, "Upgrade-Related Notes"

  o Section 5, "General Features & Fixes"

2.4 Documentation and Other Information

2.4.1 Available on the Product Media

  o Read the READMEs on the media.

  o Get the detailed change log information about a particular package from the
    RPM (where FILENAME.rpm is the name of the RPM):

    rpm --changelog -qp FILENAME.rpm

  o Check the ChangeLog file in the top level of the media for a chronological
    log of all changes made to the updated packages.

  o Find more information in the docu directory of the media of SUSE Linux
    Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3. This
    directory includes PDF versions of the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE
    Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3 Installation Quick Start
    Guide.

2.4.2 Online Documentation

  o For the most up-to-date version of the documentation for SUSE Linux
    Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3, see
    https://documentation.suse.com/sled/15-SP3.

  o Find a collection of White Papers in the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE
    Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension Resource Library at https://
    www.suse.com/products/desktop/#resources.

2.5 Support and Life Cycle

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension is
backed by award-winning support from SUSE, an established technology leader
with a proven history of delivering enterprise-quality support services.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15
has a 10-year life cycle, with 10 years of General Support. The current version
(SP3) will be fully maintained and supported until 6 months after the release
of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation
Extension 15 SP4.

For more information, check our Support Policy page https://www.suse.com/
support/policy.html.

2.6 Support Statement for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise
Workstation Extension

To receive support, you need an appropriate subscription with SUSE. For more
information, see https://www.suse.com/support/programs/subscriptions/?id=
SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Desktop.

The following definitions apply:

L1

    Problem determination, which means technical support designed to provide
    compatibility information, usage support, ongoing maintenance, information
    gathering and basic troubleshooting using available documentation.

L2

    Problem isolation, which means technical support designed to analyze data,
    reproduce customer problems, isolate problem area and provide a resolution
    for problems not resolved by Level 1 or prepare for Level 3.

L3

    Problem resolution, which means technical support designed to resolve
    problems by engaging engineering to resolve product defects which have been
    identified by Level 2 Support.

For contracted customers and partners, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux
Enterprise Workstation Extension is delivered with L3 support for all packages,
except for the following:

  o Technology Previews, see Section 2.7, "Technology Previews"

  o Sound, graphics, fonts and artwork

  o Packages that require an additional customer contract, see Section 2.6.2,
    "Software Requiring Specific Contracts"

  o Some packages shipped as part of the module Workstation Extension are
    L2-supported only

  o Packages with names ending in -devel (containing header files and similar
    developer resources) will only be supported together with their main
    packages.

SUSE will only support the usage of original packages. That is, packages that
are unchanged and not recompiled.

2.6.1 General Support

To learn about supported features and limitations, refer to the following
sections in this document:

  o Section 7, "Removed and Deprecated Features and Packages"

  o For supported file systems and virtualization options, see the Release
    Notes of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 at https://www.suse.com/
    releasenotes/x86_64/SUSE-SLES/15-SP2.

2.6.2 Software Requiring Specific Contracts

Support for specific packages may require a support contract with a third
party.

2.7 Technology Previews

Technology previews are packages, stacks, or features delivered by SUSE to
provide glimpses into upcoming innovations. Technology previews are included
for your convenience to give you a chance to test new technologies within your
environment. We would appreciate your feedback! If you test a technology
preview, contact your SUSE representative and let them know about your
experience and use cases. Your input is helpful for future development.

Technology previews come with the following limitations:

  o Technology previews are still in development. Therefore, they may be
    functionally incomplete, unstable, or in other ways not suitable for
    production use.

  o Technology previews are not supported.

  o Technology previews may only be available for specific hardware
    architectures. Details and functionality of technology previews are subject
    to change. As a result, upgrading to subsequent releases of a technology
    preview may be impossible and require a fresh installation.

  o Technology previews can be removed from a product at any time. This may be
    the case, for example, if SUSE discovers that a preview does not meet the
    customer or market needs, or does not comply with enterprise standards.

3 Modules, Extensions, and Related Products

This section comprises information about modules and extensions for SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3. Modules
and extensions add functionality to the system.

Note

Note: Package changes in 15 SP3

For more information about all package changes since the last version, see
Section 2.2.3, "Package and module changes in 15 SP3".

3.1 Modules in the SLE 15 SP3 Product Line

The SLE 15 SP3 product line is made up of modules that contain software
packages. Each module has a clearly defined scope. Modules differ in their life
cycles and update timelines.

The modules available within the product line based on SUSE Linux Enterprise
15 SP3 at the release of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise
Workstation Extension 15 SP3 are listed in the Modules and Extensions Quick
Start at https://documentation.suse.com/sles/15-SP3/html/SLES-all/
art-modules.html.

Not all SLE modules are available with a subscription for SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3 itself (see the
column Available for).

For information about the availability of individual packages within modules,
see https://scc.suse.com/packages.

3.2 Available Extensions

The following extension which is not covered by SUSE support agreements,
available at no additional cost and without an extra registration key:

  o SUSE Package Hub: https://packagehub.suse.com/

3.3 Derived and Related Products

This sections lists derived and related products. Usually, these products have
their own release notes documents that are available from https://www.suse.com/
releasenotes.

  o SUSE Linux Enterprise Server: https://www.suse.com/products/server

  o SUSE Manager: https://www.suse.com/products/suse-manager

4 Installation and Upgrade

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension can
be deployed in several ways:

  o Physical machine

  o Virtual host

  o Virtual machine

  o System containers

  o Application containers

4.1 Installation

This section includes information related to the initial installation of SUSE
Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3.

Important

Important: Installation Documentation

The following release notes contain additional notes regarding the installation
of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension.
However, they do not document the installation procedure itself.

For installation documentation, see the Deployment Guide at https://
documentation.suse.com/sled/15-SP3/html/SLED-all/book-sle-deployment.html.

4.2 Upgrade-Related Notes

This section includes upgrade-related information for SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3.

Important

Important: Upgrade Documentation

The following release notes contain additional notes regarding the upgrade of
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension.
However, they do not document the upgrade procedure itself.

For upgrade documentation, see the Upgrade Guide at https://
documentation.suse.com/sled/15-SP3/html/SLED-all/book-sle-upgrade.html.

4.3 For More Information

For more information, see Section 5, "General Features & Fixes" and the
sections relating to your respective hardware architecture.

5 General Features & Fixes

5.1 Desktop

5.1.1 The laptop RPM pattern has been renamed to mobile

The RPM pattern laptop which was used to install laptop-relevant packages has
been renamed to mobile.

If you are using an AutoYaST profile, it may have to be updated after this
change. The mobile pattern has also been cleaned up to remove duplicated and
obsolete requirements.

5.1.2 Flatpak has been updated to version 1.10

Flatpak has been updated to version 1.10.1. This update allows installing
Chromium-based web browsers and adds support for new repository format, that
enables faster updates and downloads less data.

5.1.3 Support for StrongSwan in NetworkManager has been added

Support for StrongSwan (IPSec VPN) is now available when using NetworkManager.
You need to install the NetworkManager-strongswan package, and
NetworkManager-strongswan-gnome if using the GNOME desktop. Then to set up the
VPN, use the NetworManager configuration tool.

5.1.4 Remmina has been updated to version 1.4.8

The Remmina remote desktop client has been updated to version 1.4.8. This
version provides UDP RDP support, among many new features and bug fixes.
Freerdp was updated to version 2.1.2.

5.1.5 Support for WPA3 Personal WiFi has been added

The wpa_supplicant package has been updated to version 2.9 and now supports
WPA3 Personal authentication. gnome-control-center can now also configure WPA3
Personal WiFi connections.

5.1.6 Improved scanner support

The sane-backends has been updated to version 1.0.32. This version provides a
new backend (escl) for Airprint* compatible scanner. It enables support for new
scanner models.

5.2 Base System

5.3 Virtualization

6 Known Issues & Workarounds

This is a list of known issues for this release.

6.1 Enabling GNOME Session Restore Does Not Work

You can have GNOME restore your previous desktop session when logging in. In
the past, this could be achieved by enabling the dconf entry /org/gnome/
gnome-session/auto-save-session. In GNOME 3.34, the upstream GNOME project
disabled this functionality because it caused issues under newer versions of
systemd. As SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation
Extension uses GNOME 3.34, the functionality cannot be used in SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3 anymore.

7 Removed and Deprecated Features and Packages

This section lists features and packages that were removed from SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension or will be
removed in upcoming versions.

Note

Note: Package changes in 15 SP3

For more information about all package changes since the last version, see
Section 2.2.3, "Package and module changes in 15 SP3".

7.1 Removed Features and Packages

The following features and packages were removed from SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP3.

7.2 Deprecated Features and Packages

The following features and packages are deprecated and will be removed with a
future service pack of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/SUSE Linux Enterprise
Workstation Extension.

8 Obtaining Source Code

This SUSE product includes materials licensed to SUSE under the GNU General
Public License (GPL). The GPL requires SUSE to provide the source code that
corresponds to the GPL-licensed material. The source code is available for
download at https://www.suse.com/download/sled/ on Medium 2. For up to three
years after distribution of the SUSE product, upon request, SUSE will mail a
copy of the source code. Send requests by e-mail to sle_source_request@suse.com
.

9 Legal Notices

SUSE makes no representations or warranties with regard to the contents or use
of this documentation, and specifically disclaims any express or implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further,
SUSE reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to its
content, at any time, without the obligation to notify any person or entity of
such revisions or changes.

Further, SUSE makes no representations or warranties with regard to any
software, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, SUSE reserves
the right to make changes to any and all parts of SUSE software, at any time,
without any obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes.

Any products or technical information provided under this Agreement may be
subject to U.S. export controls and the trade laws of other countries. You
agree to comply with all export control regulations and to obtain any required
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or chemical/biological weaponry end uses. Refer to https://www.suse.com/company
/legal/ for more information on exporting SUSE software. SUSE assumes no
responsibility for your failure to obtain any necessary export approvals.

Copyright (C) 2010-2019 SUSE LLC.

This release notes document is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC-BY-ND-4.0). You should
have received a copy of the license along with this document. If not, see
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SUSE has intellectual property rights relating to technology embodied in the
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