Novell's recently-launched SUSE Studio is designed to make it as easy as possible to build Linux-based software appliances.

"It provides a convenient interface for creating custom versions of Novell's SUSE Linux distribution with specialized configurations," notes Ars Technica's Ryan Paul. "The service is part of Novell's broader SUSE Appliance Program initiative."

"The idea of the software appliance isn't new, of course, but what SUSE and Novell have done here is take creating the whole thing to a new level of ease and, frankly, sheer cool," writes InformationWeek's Serdar Yegulalp. "Consider this: You can build you image of choice to a number of formats, including a VMware disk image. If you use that format, you can test-boot it directly in the browser (via a VNC connection, I believe) and try it out to make sure it's behaving as expected."

"This is a bold move by Novell, and great for the industry," writes CNET's Matt Asay. "Novell's SUSE Studio Online sends a shot over the bow of proprietary software tools, pushing the envelope on innovation. Try finding something as good as SUSE Studio Online for Windows, Unix, etc. (Spoiler: you won't.)"

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