New operating system base: The original release of Novell Linux Point of Service 9 is built on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 SP1 and Novell Linux Desktop 9 SP1. Subsequent releases of Novell Linux Point of Service 9 may require newer OS support packs.

Improved installation: The installation of Administration Servers and Branch Servers has been simplified and improved. For information on installing Novell Linux Point of Service 9, see Section 2.0, Installing Novell Linux Point of Service Software.

Backward compatibility for OS image deployment: Novell Linux Point of Service 9 Branch Servers can deliver SUSE Linux Retail Solution (SLRS) 8 client images. For more information on this configuration, see Section 3.0, Migrating from SLRS 8 to Novell Linux Point of Service 9.

Combined Branch Server/Point of Service terminal for small store environments: For smaller stores where the Branch Server is only running the Point of Service infrastructure (that is, the Branch Server is running no additional applications), the Branch Server can be deployed as a control terminal running on Point of Service hardware. For more information, see Section 9.0, Setting Up a POSBranch Terminal.

Easier image creation through an XML interface: The Novell Linux Point of Service XML schema organizes the image components in discrete elements so they can be individually managed. This provides greater flexibility and ease of use when building custom images. For more information, see Building Images with the xscr ImageBuilder Tool in the Novell Linux Point of Service 9 Administration Guide.

Client image add-on features: Novell Linux Point of Service includes several add-on features such as the Mozilla* and Firefox* browsers, the Samba 3 client, and the VNC 4 Remote Control Client that can be added to client images generated with xscr. For more information, see Adding Features to Client Images in the Novell Linux Point of Service 9 Administration Guide.