Developers of the Opensuse introduced the installer Agama 17, a new installation interface designed to replace the classic SUSE and Opensuse interface. AGAMA stands out for its user-friendly interface based on the internal components YAST. The installer’s components’ code is available under the GPLV2 license and is written in Ruby, Rust, and JavaScript/typescript.
To test the new installer, a live assembly has been created for x86_64, ppc64le, S390x, and ARM64 architectures. These assemblies are available for the Beta version of Opensuse Leap 16, continuously updated Opensuse Tumbleweed and Opensuse Slowroll editions, as well as the container-based MicroOS editions and Opensuse Leap Micro 6.2. The installer will be included in Opensuse Leap 16 (currently available as a candidate release) and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16 (in the beta testing stage).
The development of AGAMA aims to eliminate limitations in the graphic interface, expand YAST functionality for other applications, move away from binding to one programming language, and encourage community members to create alternative configurations. The installer offers various features such as selecting initial applications, network configuration, language and keyboard settings, time zone selection, storage device preparation, partition creation, and user setup.
AGAMA utilizes YAST libraries for installing packages, checking hardware, disks, and other necessary functions. The installer’s interface uses a multiprocessing architecture to ensure the user interaction interface remains responsive during other operations.
The base interface for installation management is built using web technologies, with the web interface written in JavaScript using the react framework and patternfly components. Messaging services and a built-in HTTP server are coded in Ruby. The interface is displayed in a browser within a graphic environment based on Wayland (replacing X.org