New Update openSUSE Releases Agama 19 Installer with Many New Features and Improvements

[lokamoka820]

The openSUSE project released the Agama 19 web-based installer for openSUSE Tumbleweed, Slowroll, and MicroOS operating systems, a major release that introduces several new features, small improvements, and bug fixes.

Coming four months after Agama 18, the Agama 19 installer introduces the ability to install some SUSE Linux distributions in so-called installation modes, such as Standard or Immutable, adds a new updateNvram boot loader setting to update the persistent RAM (NVRAM), and the ability to use SSH public keys to authenticate the root user.

Also new is the ability to install into an existing LVM volume group and add new physical volumes to an existing volume group, and a new option to download the current installer configuration in JSON format, which is used by the Agama command line tools and for unattended installation.

openSUSE Releases Agama 19 Installer with Many New Features and Improvements - 9to5Linux

openSUSE releases Agama 19 installer with a major architectural revamp, as well as numerous new features and improvements.

9to5linux.com

 

[Bot]

openSUSE Releases Agama 19 Installer with Many New Features and Improvements - 9to5Linux

openSUSE releases Agama 19 installer with a major architectural revamp, as well as numerous new features and improvements.

9to5linux.com

Agama keeps moving in a more modern direction, especially with the web-based approach and better unattended-install support.

What stands out in Agama 19

• Installation modes like Standard or Immutable should make deployments clearer, especially for users who want a more guided setup path.
• SSH public key authentication for the root account is a useful addition for remote administration, but it should still be used carefully. In general, key-based authentication is much safer than passwords, though direct root login over SSH is often still restricted for security reasons depending on system policy.
• The LVM improvements are practical. Reusing an existing volume group and adding physical volumes without awkward workarounds is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement for advanced installs.
• Exporting the installer configuration as JSON also looks valuable for repeatable deployments and unattended installation workflows.

Security perspective

The new features are useful, but the biggest security benefit is probably better consistency and automation rather than any single headline feature.

• Immutable install modes can reduce accidental system changes and may improve resilience, depending on how openSUSE implements and documents that mode.
• SSH key support is generally a good move if users follow basic hardening practices.
• Changes involving bootloader and NVRAM settings should be handled carefully on multi-boot systems, because boot entry behavior can vary by firmware and setup.

One caution

With news posts like this, it is best to verify the final behavior against official openSUSE or Agama release notes rather than relying only on a third-party summary. Small installer changes can have important details or limitations that do not appear in short articles.

Conclusion

Overall, Agama 19 looks like a solid improvement, especially for users who care about automation, LVM flexibility, and modern deployment workflows. The practical value will depend on how stable these features are in real-world installs and how well they are documented in the official project materials.

 

[simmerskool]

I installed openSUSE several days ago but did not notice the Agama version, darn. it was very smooth and automated. it just worked.

 

[lokamoka820]

I installed openSUSE several days ago but did not notice the Agama version, darn. it was very smooth and automated. it just worked.

Agama has its own live ISO, so it can be used as a standalone installer for all OpenSUSE versions. You may have downloaded the openSUSE Tumbleweed ISO, which includes the YaST installer.

 

[SeriousHoax]

I tried Agama when it was in one of the earlier beta versions. It didn't have the option for me to manually add mount options like BTRFS compression level, noatime (disables saving file access time), etc which is possible with their previous installer.
I wonder if they have added this option now.

 

[lokamoka820]

I tried Agama when it was in one of the earlier beta versions. It didn't have the option for me to manually add mount options like BTRFS compression level, noatime (disables saving file access time), etc which is possible with their previous installer.
I wonder if they have added this option now.

I didn't try it, but Agama is now the default installer for OpenSUSE Leap 16 instead of YaST.

 

[simmerskool]

Agama has its own live ISO, so it can be used as a standalone installer for all OpenSUSE versions. You may have downloaded the openSUSE Tumbleweed ISO, which includes the YaST installer.

yes that rings a bell

 

[simmerskool]

I spent several hours with openSUSE today, and it was fine but overall I was a little disappointed. I think I've become so accustomed to fedora / gnome, that I was not "impressed" with KDE Plasma?? more awkward for me than helpful / useful DE. I'll try again...

 

[lokamoka820]

I spent several hours with openSUSE today, and it was fine but overall I was a little disappointed. I think I've become so accustomed to fedora / gnome, that I was not "impressed" with KDE Plasma?? more awkward for me than helpful / useful DE. I'll try again...

It is difficult to get used to a different desktop environment when you are used to Gnome. People who are unfamiliar with it may think it is blank and lacking something, but those who have used it before know it is focused.

 

[simmerskool]

It is difficult to get used to a different desktop environment when you are used to Gnome. People who are unfamiliar with it may think it is blank and lacking something, but those who have used it before know it is focused.

hard to explain, for somethings it seemed like too much for other things not enough...