Gerald Pfeifer, CTO of SUSE and Chairman of the openSUSE Steering Committee, community to consider an initiative to bring the development and build processes of openSUSE Leap and SUSE Linux Enterprise distributions closer together. Currently, openSUSE Leap releases are built from the core set of packages in the SUSE Linux Enterprise distribution, but packages for openSUSE are built separately from source packages. The essence in unifying the work of assembling both distributions and using ready-made binary packages from SUSE Linux Enterprise in openSUSE Leap.
At the first stage, it is proposed to merge the overlapping code bases of openSUSE Leap 15.2 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP2, if possible, without losing the functionality and stability of both distributions. At the second stage, in parallel with the classic release of openSUSE Leap 15.2, it is proposed to prepare a separate edition based on executable files from SUSE Linux Enterprise and release an interim release in October 2020. In the third stage, in July 2021, it is planned to release openSUSE Leap 15.3, using executable files from SUSE Linux Enterprise by default.
Using the same packages will simplify migration from one distribution to another, save resources on building and testing, make it possible to get rid of complications in spec files (all differences defined at the spec file level will be unified) and make sending and processing easier error messages (will allow you to move away from diagnosing different package builds). openSUSE Leap will be promoted by SUSE as a development platform for the community and third-party partners. For openSUSE users, the change benefits from the ability to use stable production code and well-tested packages. Updates covering discontinued packages will also be general and well tested by the SUSE QA team.
The openSUSE Tumbleweed repository will remain the platform for the development of new packages submitted to openSUSE Leap and SLE. The process of transferring changes to base packages will not change (in fact, instead of building from SUSE src packages, ready-made binary packages will be used). All shared packages will continue to be available in the Open Build Service for modification and forking. If it is necessary to maintain different functionality of common applications in openSUSE and SLE, additional functionality can be moved to openSUSE-specific packages (similar to the separation of branding elements) or the required functionality can be achieved in SUSE Linux Enterprise. Packages for RISC-V and ARMv7 architectures, which are not supported in SUSE Linux Enterprise, are suggested to be compiled separately.
Source: opennet.ru