Although I've been an openSUSE user for a few years now, I haven't tried the brand spanking openSUSE 12.3, which looks to be one of the better releases of the SUSE team. The openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD, released along with the KDE, DVD, and Gnome versions, is not designed to be installed but rather to run as a LiveCD or LiveUSB for use with workstations or home desktops for repairing or recovering data. Although the openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD doesn't have the reputation of easy-to-use specialized rescue LiveCDs such as System Rescue CD, Clonezilla, or even Knoppix (which has had a long history of being the Swiss Army knife of Linux distributions), there are advantages in using openSUSE over other recovery LiveCDs. I myself have used Knoppix for more than half a decade for accessing files from Windows and Linux systems, saving Linux distributions, and fixing GRUB. However, considering that my systems run openSUSE, having an openSUSE recovery system seems like a no-brainer.
The openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD clocks in at less than 600MB and easily fits in a cheap 2.0GB USB key. Even if the Rescue CD isn't running lightweight Xfce, the 12.3 is miles ahead of previous releases of openSUSE, which isn't well-known for booting up quickly or performing faster than Ubuntu or Archlinux. Boot up is exceptionally fast and matches my somewhat long in the tooth Knoppix 6.5 LiveUSB. Shutdown is also quicker than the mainstream release of openSUSE for those James Bond-esque escapes.
The Xfce desktop has become a favorite of mine recently but there are other reasons why I'm considering creating an openSUSE 12.3 Rescue LiveUSB and toting it around on my IT backpack:
1. Grsync, Xfce Bulk Rename, and File Roller - Grsync is one of my favorite GUI-based utilities. Running Rsync on the commandline isn't that difficult but there's nothing like a well-designed interface that makes backing up and accessing networked folders easy. Backing up files from a downed Windows or Linux system is never fun but a combination of File Roller and Grsync makes it a breeze. In fact, Grsync has always been on my wishlist for any Linux distribution designed for LiveUSB or LiveCD - Knoppix doesn't have it included by default.
2. Classic and modern file managers (Thunar and Midnight Commander) - If you need to move, copy, rename, or delete files, you can use the popular Thunar file manager. Although I'm more familiar with Dolphin, PCMANFM, and Nautilus, Thunar is a competent and fast file browser. For those who prefer the classic two-pane folder and file navigator, there's Midnight Commander, which harkens to the old-school days of 8-bit displays.
3. Xfce - Using either Xfce or LXDE as a desktop environment is always a good idea for a LiveUSB or LiveCD because of their lightweight design. However, with newfangled powerful and fancy desktops such as E17, Gnome 3, and Unity floating around, there's nothing like a familiar desktop where you don't need a cheat sheet for shortcuts or having to worry about Amazon searches.
4. The basics - When recovering data from a broken system, you don't have to backup everything. If you want to preview files as you mine usable data from a desktop or laptop, there's Ristretto Image Viewer and ePDFViewer or run Midori to upload files or access Google Docs or Microsoft SkyDrive.
5. The power of YaST and dependable hardware support - I recently had problems running Ubuntu and Fedora on my Toshiba NB520. openSUSE 12.2, on the other hand, had no problems configuring X Server and connecting wirelessly to the network. The YaST modules included with openSUSE Rescue CD are minimal, but it even includes utilities for connecting to a network using legacy devices like Dial-Up modems, ISDN, or connect via Proxy.
6. GParted and Expert Partitioner - Casual users rarely have to partition drives or reformat storage, but if you've created LiveUSBs or broken partition tables of external hard drives or your USB key, then you'll know just how useful GParted and YaST's partitioner utility is. GParted is found preinstalled with most Debian Linux distributions and well known for its ease of use when used in conjunction with a distro's setup process. YaST Partitioner has fixed numerous Kingston flash drives in my time - especially those I used for trying out FreeBSD variants such as PC-BSD and GhostBSD.
7. VNC and XChat - Your system is down and you need someone who knows how to fix an RPM-based system better than you. No problem. Run the VNC utility to configure remote access for you. While running VNC, use XChat with your buddy and talk about the sheer awesome power of openSUSE.
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