Can anyone tell me where I can obtain a FREEE copy of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 or any similar alternative? I'm going to sit for the NCLP exam and apparently it's based on this. I want to have some practice with the OS.

Go here;
http://www.novell.com/products/linuxenterpriseserver/
to download 30 day free trial.

Can I get anything other than a "free trial"? I mean, RHEL is based on Fedora right? SLES9 must be based on something?

SLES9 is based on SuSE, owned by Novell now. It is a commercial product. I don't believe it is open source and widely available, Did you do a web search on it? Try a search using "index SLES9."

A while ago, I got a free dvd pack from Novell. I'll have to look and see if it was included.

Nope, I just looked.

You may also want to contact Novell to see if they will extend the trial period, based on your need for it.

Yeah. Actually my question was whether SLES9 is based on Suse Linux like RHEL is based on Fedora Core.

This is a qoute from the download page
for the SLE9 free trial.
"NOTE: The only limitation of this evaluation software is the duration you will have free access to updates and patches. Should you choose to license Novell Open Enterprise Server you will be provided with a new activation code."
I assume that means you can keep using it but you won't get free
updates and patches after the trial period.

OK
After I posted my last reply ,a friend told me
that text isn't on the SLES DL page anymore.
I subscribed to the 30 day free trial so I could
DL the disks.
On reading the license I found it is an open source
license.The time limit is on the free upgrades and
support.
I'm not an attorny but the license states you may
use as many copies as you like on as many machines
as you want but support and updates are limited to
30 days unless you purchase a subscription.

I registered and downloaded but had to cancel the download. It was excrutiatingly slows. Only two mirrors, US and Germany. I'm in Asia.