 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 35, 9 February 2004 |
Welcome to this year's 6th edition of DistroWatch Weekly. Disappointingly, the expected release of Fedora Core Test 1 did not materialise last week (there is still no word on when it might be released), but we did get a new KDE, as well as the second beta release of Mandrake Linux 10.0. At the moment it seems that Mandrake is ahead of the pack in integrating kernel 2.6 and KDE 3.2 into the next release.
Content:
Distributions with the 2.6 kernel
In recent weeks, we started getting email from visitors asking about distributions that provide the new 2.6.x kernel. Unfortunately, the current site structure does not allow for easy package-based distribution search (this feature is under development, although it will only be available to those visitors who support DistroWatch). Nevertheless, a simple "grep" query on the server was all that was needed to reveal this information. So which ones have the new kernel?
If you are holding your breath, you might be disappointed. As of today, the query returns 14 results, most of which are either development releases or specialist distributions with a particular target market. In fact, the only full-featured, general purpose distribution shipping with kernel 2.6 is Turbolinux 10 Desktop. Those of you who follow the news on this site will remember that Turbolinux 10 was released in October 2003 with kernel 2.6.0-test5. The distribution maker promised to provide a stable version of the kernel as soon as it became available and this has now happened - the users of Turbolinux 10 can either update via the distribution's update program, or they can download the full Update Kit, which includes all security and bug-fix updates since the product release, as well as kernel 2.6.0.
Besides Turbolinux 10, other Linux distributions with the new kernel include the following:
- Fedora Core, development branch (2.6.1)
- Mandrake Linux 10.0-beta2 (2.6.2rc3)
- Debian unstable, not the default kernel (2.6.0)
- Gentoo unstable, not the default kernel (2.6.2)
- Arch Linux 0.6 (development), not the default kernel (2.6.2)
- Sorcerer, not the default kernel (2.6.2)
- Conectiva Linux 10-TP2 (2.6.1)
- Magic Linux 1.2pre5, a Chinese desktop distribution (2.6.0)
- Berry Linux 0.36, a Japanese live CD (2.6.2rc3)
- Bluewall Linux 1.0, a minimalist distribution (2.6.0)
- JoLinux 1.0, a Slackware-based Brazilian desktop distribution (2.6.0)
- knoppiXMAME 1.2, a bootable arcade machine emulator (2.6.1)
- LinuxNetwosix 1.0, a specialist live CD for security operations (2.6.1)
- Shark Linux 1.06-beta2, a minimalist distribution for AMD-64, in early development (2.6.1)
As always, it is possible that we missed something, so if you know of another distribution with one of the 2.6.x kernel series, please mention it in the discussion forums below.
New package repositories
One of the more challenging aspects of Linux distributions is the question of keeping them up-to-date with the latest and greatest software releases, without sacrificing the stability of the product. Historically, commercial distributions have been reluctant to provide packages updates for stable releases, since this would require a lot of extra work without any financial return. Instead, they have focused their efforts on new releases, with all the latest and greatest included in them. Some of the most popular distributions, including Red Hat, Mandrake and SUSE all fall into this category.
Given the above, it's nice to see that some distributions are taking a more pro-active approach towards package updates. The following is an extract from a recent Libranet newsletter:
"We are very pleased to announce the release of the Libranet update-safe archive for 2.8 and 2.8.1 users. Using this archive you will be able to keep your system up to date without running into problems encountered when upgrading from the Debian archive. There are no costs involved and Libranet will continue to be 100% Debian compatible. The new archive will give users the option of running newer versions of software, and provides the Debian package management system a safe environment to work in."
Another distribution taking a similar approach is EnGarde Secure Linux:
"I'm happy to announce the immediate availability of an APT repository for supplemental EnGarde packages. These packages are suitable for use on either EnGarde Secure Community 2, or EnGarde Secure Professional v1.5. These packages are intended for the more advanced user or the user who wants to try out new and interesting packages. I've written a quick overview of how to get started. These packages will be supported via the engarde-users mailing list."
It remains to be seen how these initiatives work out in the long run, but they certainly provide an extra incentive for those users who would like to keep their systems up-to-date.
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| Released Last Week |
Kalango Linux 1.0
Kalango Linux 1.0 has been released: "Slightly delayed, Kalango 1.0 final is released. Based on Kurumin 2.05, some of the changes since the release candidate 1 include: added Samba, Swat and Smbfs; replaced Kword and Kspread with Abiword and Gnumeric; added CCK (Centro de Controle do Kalango), which provides for a more intuitive organisation of system configuration scripts; added SGP (Simple Gerenciador de Pacotes)..." See the full changelog (in Portuguese).
Screenshot: Plenty of eye candy in the Kurumin-based Kalango Linux 1.0
(full image size 304kB)
KnoppiXMAME 1.2
KnoppiXMAME is a bootable arcade machine emulator with hardware detection and autoconfiguration, powered by Knoppix, Debian, X-MAME, and gxmame. Version 1.2, with kernel 2.6.1, was released yesterday. From the changelog: "KnoppiXMAME 1.2 has changed it's GUI/WM again. Now it's pretty GTK+ with metacity. The newest GXMame also uses GTK+. The biggest new feature in 1.2 is the 'addroms' boot parameter. Giving this boot option will start up the new addroms utility which allows knoppixmame to remaster a custom ISO with ROMs added from within itself. All filesystems are supported, but NTFS write support is still experimental." See the distribution's project page for further information.
STUX GNU/Linux 0.6.3 and 0.6.4
Version 0.6.3 of STUX GNU/Linux has been released. Changes: "Fixed bug that prevented access to disk partition used to save configuration file (for FAT32 partitions only); fixed bug in Mozilla package that prevented location bar to work properly; Mozilla 1.4 upgraded to Mozilla 1.5; updated cloop; new look and feel; introduced a new experimental service that lets you download and install 'stux packages' (applications configured to work with Stux Live CD)." See the full changelog for further details.
LinuxTLE 5.5
LinuxTLE, version 5.5 and code name "Samila", has been released. LinuxTLE is a Linux distribution created in Thailand by the OpenTLE project (web site in Thai) and based on Fedora Core with many desktop-friendly enhancements. It includes a multitude of kernel driver modules, multimedia applications, Thai documentation, a Thai-enabled OpenOffice and other localised applications. The OpenTLE project is the main driving force behind Linux adoption in Thailand. The latest version of LinuxTLE is available for free download from mirrors.
Mandows 1.4
Mandows is a new Linux live CD (with a supported hard disk installation option) made in France, based on Mandrake Linux and with GNOME 2.4 as its default desktop environment. Version 1.4 was released yesterday. The new version includes a i686-optimised kernel 2.4.22, OpenOffice.org 1.1, k3b, a script to generate GeeXboX multimedia ISO images, and all the usual Mandrake utilities. Visit the distribution's web site for further information (in French) and screenshots.
ESware Linux 365 2.1
A new, freely downloadable version of ESware Linux has been released. Version 2.1 comes with an optional Linux kernel 2.6.0, as well as installation improvements, updated Spanish translations and various usability enhancements throughout the GNOME desktop environment. The release announcement (in Spanish) can be viewed on the distribution's community page.
KANOTIX 02-2004
The KANOTIX project has produced a new release of the Knoppix-based KANOTIX live CD, version 02-2004 and code name "Bug Hunter": "Compared to Bug Hunter 1 these are the differences: SMP enabled kernel due to user wish; Fritz!Card PCI/USB support via CAPI driver; fixed Eagle USB support (did not work with BH1); fixed kanotix-installer (this time installation on SCSI drives works); ALSA 1.0.1 included for live usage - will work after HD install too." Read the announcement in English or German.
Linux LiveCD Router 1.9.0
Version 1.9.0 of the Linux LiveCD Router has been released. From the changelog: "Version 1.9.0 February 2004. Added Webmin Web Manager and Shorewall Firewall; Linux kernel 2.4.24; driver for BeWAN PCI ADSL; updated documentation on /opt/doc." Visit the distribution's web site for more details about the product. Linux LiveCD Router is a Linux-based live CD designed to share a broadband connection over WiFi. It can be used with DSL, cable modem, T1, ISDN, and dial-up connections.
Knoppix 3.3-2004-02-09
The Knoppix live CD has been updated. From the changelog: "V3.3-2004-02-09 (Updates). Kernel 2.4.24-xfs; KDE 3.1.5 from Debian/unstable; Mozilla 1.6 from Debian/unstable; fixed Knoppix-Terminalserver problem with new libacl; XFree86 3.4 from Debian/experimental; removed prelink (caused memory leaks under certain conditions); removed for space reasons: kjots, kcoloredit; added prism54.org drivers for wireless cards..."
Development releases
Other releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Hancom Linux 4.0
Hancom Linux has published development details of the company's upcoming Hancom Linux Professional 4.0. Expecting to include kernel 2.6 and KDE 3.2, the first development release is scheduled for later this month, while the final version should be available in June. More details on this page (in Korean).
Dyne:bolic 1.2
The developers of the Dyne:bolic live CD are preparing a new release, version 1.2: "...two remarkable new things in the upcoming dyne:bolic. 1. Revamped PD framework: with the direct help of GEM developer Johannes Zmoelnig, IEM developer Thomas Musil and electromusician Michael Pinter, dyne:bolic now offers a full blown PD installation featuring fully functional GEM, Zexy and IEMlib extensions! 2. New Jack framework to connect input and outputs of various music programs: it will be possible to chain together different audio applications processing the output of one into the input of another, like with UNIX data pipes!" See this mailing list post for further details.
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| Web Site News |
DistroWatch T-shirts
Order your own official DistroWatch T-shirt from Hackerthreads.
New additions
- KANOTIX. KANOTIX is a Linux Live CD based on Knoppix technology using Debian/sid. The included XFree86 is from Debian/experimental. The main specs are: GRUB based startup from CD, ACPI support, DMA default on, additional support for DSL modems (Fritz!Card DSL and Eagle USB), optimal for HD install (you get a working Debian/sid install in about 10 minutes!), no SMP kernel (needed for some drivers), kernel with XFS, forcedeth (for nForce NIC) and device mapper patches.
- KnoppixMAME. KnoppixMAME is a bootable arcade machine emulator with hardware detection and autoconfiguration. It works automatically on all modern and not-so-modern hardware, including gameports and joysticks. It is powered by Knoppix Debian GNU/Linux, X-MAME, and gxmame.
- Shark Linux. Shark Linux is a new distribution of a Linux-based operating system. The goal of Shark Linux is to provide a stable environment with easy administration, targeting 64-bit AMD Opteron and Athlon 64 processors. Shark Linux aims to become a hardware optimised operating system with its own unique set of management tools and new functionality of the ANSI console for administrator use. Combined with ease of use and optimised code, it should outperform other out-of-the-box systems from the start. Shark Linux is derived from the Gentoo Linux project.
- Linux Guadalinex. Guadalinex is a Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux and developed by the government of Andalucía (Junta de Andalucía) in Spain.
- Mandows. Mandows is a French live CD based on Mandrake Linux with support for hard disk installation.
New on the waiting list
- Antlinux. Antlinux will be a mini-distribution of Linux, with an eye on small footprint applications such as run-from-CD versions of Linux.
- 3DMAXX Linux. 3DMAXX Linux is a distribution bundled with many Linux hardware benchmarking applications like NBench, SPECview, and other great programs, including a soon-to-come full 64-bit Linux benchmarking suite designed to be a clone of Futuremark's famous 3DMark 01 and 03.
DistroWatch database summary
- Number of distributions in the database: 256
- Number of discontinued distributions: 31
- Number of distributions on the waiting list: 57
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| Reader Feedback |
On Apache2, KDE in Gentoo
"A couple of corrections concerning Gentoo. You have Gentoo listed as not supporting httpd (Apache2). That's not true--in fact, Apache2 is the default Apache! If I were to type "emerge apache" into my command line, it will download, install, and compile Apache 2.0.48. This applies to both a stable (export ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86") and an unstable (export ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86") system. Secondly, Gentoo includes KDE 3.2 and current versions of related packages (KDevelop 3.0, Quanta 3.2) in its unstable branch ("~x86")."
Since similar questions concerning Apache2 in Gentoo arrive frequently in my mailbox, here comes the explanation. For some strange reason, Apache2 is not listed in Gentoo's online package database. Once it's listed there, it will magically appear on DistroWatch's Gentoo page as well. As for the KDE question, the Gentoo page on DistroWatch is only updated twice a day, so there might be up to a 12-hour delay between the time Gentoo packages are updated and the time the Gentoo page on DistroWatch is updated. This holds true for other distributions, too.
On PCQLinux
"I want to mention a particular distro/modification called PCQLinux, brought out from time to time by the PCQuest computer magazine of India, and distributed free with their magazine. It is only a slightly modified form of Red Hat, and the latest version was based on RH 8."
Unfortunately, PCQuest provides very little information in terms of technical details to consider it for inclusion in the DistroWatch statistics. Sorry, as far as I am concerned, PCQLinux doesn't even exist. Not until PCQuest creates a publicly accessible page with technical information (and preferably also download links) on it. All distributions providing insufficient technical details about them are listed on the Related Links page.
That's all for this week, see you next Monday :-)
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • New 2.6 distributions (by David` at 2004-02-09 14:56:24 GMT)
Thanks, Ladislav for a great resource for the community.
BTW doesn't Buffalo linux 1.1.2 qualify for the 2.6 list?
It has an option for including the 2.6 kernel at install
time. Slackware based (wish it was Debian Sid, no
offense Patrick) perhaps one day slapt-get or swaret
will catch-up with Debian)
2 • Distro with linux-2.6.x (by Grzegorz Dąbrowski at 2004-02-09 15:02:40 GMT)
Pingwinek GNU/Linux 1.0rc0 has 2.6.0-test9 kernel.
3 • Onebase supports linux kernel 2.6.x (by all4one at 2004-02-09 15:09:53 GMT)
I am surprised Onebase was not mentioned in the above list as it supports this kernel version from over a month ago.
However its OL-apps gallery is on hiatus for a few days in order to get its much expected OLM version 2.1 to release to compete against all major distributions :-)
olm -s linux-2.6
4 • bug or ban (by Nameless Foo at 2004-02-09 15:09:56 GMT)
Is my IP number banned or is DistroWatch buggy: no matter what distribution I want to read about, I can only get the home page.
5 • No subject (by craftyc on 2004-02-09 15:29:52 GMT)
Ladislav, you have written that Gentoo does have kernel 2.6, but it is listed as "unstable and not default". In fact Gentoo has no default kernel since it is up to the user to choose which kernel s/he wants to use. It is also available in the stable branch.
6 • Knoppix 3.4 Preview (by Anonymous on 2004-02-09 15:54:35 GMT)
There is a "Knoppix 3.4" with optional Kernel 2.6 (reduces boot time to desktop by 10 sec compared to Kernel 2.4 here) attached to the current issue of German "c't" computer magazine. See http://www.knoppix.net for Torrent etc. if you want to download it. Final Knoppix 3.4 is to be expected around CeBIT.
7 • New 2.6 distributions (by Carl Powers at 2004-02-09 20:52:56 GMT)
Lunar Linux offers two different versions of the 2.6 kernel ( 2.6.2-mm1 and 2.6.3-rc1) as linux-beta-mm and linux-beta respectively. The default stable kernel is currently at 2.4.24.
8 • small typo (by anon on 2004-02-09 22:06:50 GMT)
Distrowatch takes us into the future with the release of:
"Knoppix 3.3-2204-02-09." I hope they will have 3.4 out before then. :)
9 • RE: bug or ban (by ladislav at 2004-02-10 00:18:26 GMT)
Nobody is banned from DistroWatch. Can you give me some more details about the problem? Are you using a mirror or the main site? Which browser? The only redirection I have in effect is if you come from one of the web sites that explicitly asks users to "vote" for their favourite distro on DistroWatch. Those clicks get redirected to the main page.
10 • can't find Apache2 on apache website (by detailguy on 2004-02-10 01:30:32 GMT)
Odd reasoning about Gentoo and Apache. I quote your response:
"For some strange reason, Apache2 is not listed in Gentoo's online package database."
There is no apache2 listed on apache website. Go look for yourself:
http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi
Gentoo's online package database correctly lists apache versions, with the 2.0 series being the latest.
There isn't a mysql4 listed on Gentoo's online package database yet DistroWatch correctly lists Gentoo supplying v4 of mysql.
11 • Mandows: Name Has GOT To Go (by JGabriel on 2004-02-10 01:31:22 GMT)
They really have to change the name of the Mandows distribution. It's typographical similiarity to the name "Manilow" is bound to recall traumatically disturbing memories to anyone who listened to the radio in the 70's and early 80's.
12 • can't find Apache2 on apache website (by ladislav at 2004-02-10 03:02:40 GMT)
Are you trying to make me look stupid, or what? It wasn't me who brought up "Apache2", it was a reader who complained that it is missing from the table.
OK, great! Apache version 2.x is now listed on Gentoo's online packages database (I belive it wasn't there until very recently). But we still have a problem, because it's still missing from the plain text list of Gentoo packages (go look for yourself): http://www.gentoo.org/dyn/gentoo_pkglist_X86.txt
It still appears to me that the problem is somewhere on the Gentoo side. Please write to Gentoo before you complain here.
13 • No subject (by detailguy on 2004-02-10 03:28:24 GMT)
First I love your website. Not trying to make you look stupid just pointing out a flaw in the logic.
Second it is time for me to find the responsible person at Gentoo to fix the out of date package list. I searched the package list you posted and couldn't find the latest apache in the list even though a v2 apache is installed by default now on Gentoo.
Oddly the logically interpretation of "dyn" in http://www.gentoo.org/dyn/gentoo_pkglist_X86.txt is "dynamic" as in "dynamic list generation" -- similar to Gentoo's http page with dynamic generation of use flag info.
Keep up the great work! I'll go find someone at Gentoo site that can fix the text package list.
14 • RE: can't find Apache2 on apache (by ladislav at 2004-02-10 04:44:58 GMT)
The "httpd" package is called "apache2" in many distributions, including Mandrake, Debian, SUSE and all their derivatives (I believe it also used to be called that in Gentoo, there is still a CVS entry referring to "apache2"). So the logic is not quite flawed - it is still known by that name to many people, even if there is no "apache2" on apache.org.
Having said that, I hate these various renaming schemes - why can't the distributions keep the original package names? That goes for Gentoo as well, the original package is called "httpd", so I don't understand why a need to rename it to "apache" or "apache2". Slackware is the only distribution that does not rename packages while Debian is the worst by far. Ah well...
15 • renaming gone wild! (by detailguy on 2004-02-10 05:08:58 GMT)
Agree with you about package renaming and it must drive you crazy trying to track distros. Now that you point it out I do recall that Gentoo used apache2 name before returning to a more sane naming although it can be argued that apache now should be called "httpd" since they got the brilliant idea to rename (except for Windows MSI installer package for v2 apache).
While I still use Debian on servers you are absolutely correct that package renaming and rebundling on Debian is maddening and only salvation for a user is dpkg and apt-cache.
I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for you to maintain the info on this site!
Thanks again for your outstanding work -- it has saved me countless hours in the past while supporting customers that have no clue what version of RH/SuSE they are running.
16 • Re: bug or ban (by Ariszlo at 2004-02-10 11:14:30 GMT)
I had the problem with the Bratislava mirror using Konqueror or Mozilla 1.6. No problem with Internet Explorer :(
17 • onebase switch (by d on 2004-02-10 12:56:30 GMT)
i get onebase last week.. supposed to be a one a year thing, come back this week to check my md5.. the files are offline until 2k4-r1 edition comes out.. but like this has happened several times that the current version gets taken offline until the next one comes out.. is that not annoying?
18 • Re: onebase switch (by jlowell at 2004-02-10 16:41:29 GMT)
Annoying, most certainly, but not surprizing, d. When it comes to onebase, you always need to be wearing a pair of rubber boots.
jlowell
19 • headers though? (by ChrisS at 2004-02-10 22:32:32 GMT)
cool, but what distros are built with 2.6 headers?
20 • Xandros (by Fed up Penguin on 2004-02-10 23:00:57 GMT)
I can't believe it!
If I read yet another review, 'Xandros is ohh soo purrfect, it is the best thing after sliced salami', I'll be sick!
Is Xandros the M$ of the Linux distros? (it would seem so, if you read their licence and if you consider all the rest-price included)
21 • 2.6 is included in Ark Linux (by Bernhard Rosenkraenzer at 2004-02-11 05:52:50 GMT)
While it's not our default kernel, kernel 2.6 (2.6.2) is included in Ark Linux (install the kernel26 package).
22 • Re: Xandros (by IinstalledXandrosToday) :-) (by Gnobuddy at 2004-02-11 08:37:05 GMT)
Oddly enough, I just finished installing Xandros Desktop 2 , Deluxe Ed., on a new home-built PC today. This PC is being built for my wife, who teaches Photoshop at work and therefore *must* have Photoshop at home, along with one or two other Windows apps. I am sick of the ongoing battle of trying to keep her current Win98 box reasonably healthy and virus-free. So what I need is to run a few select Windows apps on a Linux box. Xandrows 2 Deluxe Ed. is the obvious answer.
Yes, you can what I want with Wine on any other Linux distro; I tried, and even got Photoshop and one other app working with Wine on a Mepis Linux box. However: I also suffered through the headaches of hand-tweaking Wine config files, trying to diagnose mysterious error messages from crashing Windows apps, hand-copying various Windows dlls into the Wine library folders, updating to what turned out to be a broken version of Wine, and finally trying to create menu entries and desktop icons manually for the installed Windows programs. All of this took me several days (I was learning as I went).
How did Xandros do at the same task? Pretty darn well. All the Windows apps I need installed flawlessly, with *no* manual tweaking of any kind; necessary dll and dcom files were automatically downloaded and installed; and nice menu entries, with icons, for the newly installed Windows apps were automatically created.
Since you're sick of hearing good things about Xandros, here are a few bad things I've found in one day of testing: One, the KDE "first time wizard" segfaults if you click the button to preview the KDE theme you've selected. Two, my Wacom Intuos 2 graphics tablet didn't work. Three, when I emailed for support on this issue I got an automatically generated response telling me that I would get a response within *FIVE WORKING DAYS*. That's way too slow IMHO.
Bottom line: for a Linux box for myself, I wouldn't buy Xandros 2. It's too pricey, has some old software (Mozilla 1.4, and no available online update to Mozilla 1.5 or 1.6 as of today, for instance), and is not designed to be heavily tweaked by the end user. It is also not bug-free, as witness my comments above, after only one day of testing. However, for my wife, or any other OS-agnostic person who simply wants a stable computer that runs the software they need, with a nice easy to use GUI, it boils down to this: Xandros has raised the bar for desktop Linux. It is so much better than the other desktop Linux's I've tried that its almost startling.
Even at a pricey $89 USD, Xandros is way cheaper than WindowsXP (yuck!) or a new Apple OS - all the OS X update's I've seen are priced at $129 USD, not counting the expensive Apple hardware needed to run them.
If we're all lucky, maybe some free Linux distro will get this good in a year or so. Until that happens, Xandros is the Linux I would recommend to my grandmother or my non-techie neighbours and friends.
-Gnobuddy
P.S. I solved the Wacom problem by simply unloading and then reloading the wacom module: su, rmmod wacom, insmod wacom. Apparently the wacom module is being loaded too early in the boot process??
23 • Re: bug or ban (by Ariszlo at 2004-02-11 09:06:16 GMT)
The Bratislava mirror does not work with Internet Explorer either (earlier, it possibly used the cache). The Budapest mirror gives a 'not found' message. http://www.distrowatch.com is fine.
24 • Re: Re: Xandros (by Gnobuddy) (by Fed up Penguin on 2004-02-11 11:53:08 GMT)
Thanks for your balanced reply.
Well, you see, if we must talk about value for money Suse Personal plus Wine Rack are cheaper and certainly you get more (Wine Rack is both Crossover and Winex-plus a nice game)
If you buy Suse Pro and Wine Rack, the difference is in what you get is beyond belief, and the cost only $20 more, maybe.
Suse is also not that difficult to use, once it is installed and configured by somebody slightly more experienced.
On the other hand if you need a really idiot-proof distro I prefer Lindows after all: it is cheaper (yes, only $50 a year subscription, and their releases are very frequent) and to me it looks a lot more polished (only the tutorial with the 'Developer's' release deserves to be seen)
True, you won't get Crossover included in the price, but maybe you can have it at a discount (from Lindows)
Also, I don't think that it is going to take a year for a good free, user friendly distro to come out: watch out for Ark, PCLinuxOS and Ares.
25 • KALANGO (by spearmint on 2004-02-11 14:10:23 GMT)
Good to see Kalango Linux here!
It's a excelent distribuition! Made for Brazillian and Portuguese people!
It is Kurumin-based (another excelent brazillian distro) but more "polished".
I recommend it to anyone! Especially if you are from Brazil or Portugal. Just boot with the CD to give it a try.
I sure hope that Kurumin and Kalango can work together to make even better distros!
cheers
26 • Xandros vs Suse+Wine Rack (by Gnobuddy at 2004-02-14 00:53:10 GMT)
Fed up Penguin wrote:
Well, you see, if we must talk about value for money Suse Personal plus Wine Rack are cheaper and certainly you get more (Wine Rack is both Crossover and Winex-plus a nice game)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That does sound interesting!
Never having used Suse, I didn't think of the option you suggest. (I actually bought Suse a few years ago - I think around 2000 or thereabouts. I had troubles with the installer not liking my partitioning scheme - Windows was also on the hard drive - and then failing to boot, post-install. Today I know it was because I exceeded the 1024 cylinder / 8 Gig limit for the end of all bootable partitions, at the time I never figured it out and so gave up on Suse. Various negative reviews over the years and the thought of another wasted forty bucks have kept me from trying it again, too, since there's no easy way to try it for free.)
I did look at Crossover Office ($69 USD) and thought it worth spending the extra 20 bucks for Xandros 2 on the chance that the Xandros folks had ensured Crossover Office on Xandros worked properly. Dunno if Xandros developers tweaked either Crossover or Xandros 2 itself to fit each other, but certainly I was able to install Microsoft Office 97 and Adobe Photoshop 5.5 on Xandros 2 with no problems.
Of the free Linux distros I've used, the one that came closest to being as easy to use as Xandros 2 was the now-defunct JAMD linux. I hope Ares rises from the ashes of JAMD even better than its predecesser. I have also been impressed with Mepis. I have yet to try Ark and PCLinuxOS - maybe it's time to download and test them out!
Certainly these are exciting times in the Linux world. When Corel Linux came out, I remember being frustrated that it did not configure my ethernet card, and not being able to successfully do it manually. Today any number of Linux distros (Knoppix, Mepis, Mandrake, Xandros, etc, etc) will routinely configure eth0 and get you online with no intervention if you're on a network using DHCP. What with world-class software like Mozilla 1.6, KDE 3.2, OpenOffice 1.1 and Evolution 1.4, and the already-good Linux underpinnings, the next wave of Linux distros is going to be really fun to use.
-Gnobuddy
Number of Comments: 26
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| TUXEDO |
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Issue 1045 (2023-11-13): Fedora 39, how to trust software packages, ReactOS booting with UEFI, elementary OS plans to default to Wayland, Mir gaining ability to split work across video cards |
| • Issue 1044 (2023-11-06): Porteus 5.01, disabling IPv6, applications unique to a Linux distro, Linux merges bcachefs, OpenELA makes source packages available |
| • Issue 1043 (2023-10-30): Murena Two with privacy switches, where old files go when packages are updated, UBports on Volla phones, Mint testing Cinnamon on Wayland, Peppermint releases ARM build |
| • Issue 1042 (2023-10-23): Ubuntu Cinnamon compared with Linux Mint, extending battery life on Linux, Debian resumes /usr merge, Canonical publishes fixed install media |
| • Issue 1041 (2023-10-16): FydeOS 17.0, Dr.Parted 23.09, changing UIDs, Fedora partners with Slimbook, GNOME phasing out X11 sessions, Ubuntu revokes 23.10 install media |
| • Issue 1040 (2023-10-09): CROWZ 5.0, changing the location of default directories, Linux Mint updates its Edge edition, Murena crowdfunding new privacy phone, Debian publishes new install media |
| • Issue 1039 (2023-10-02): Zenwalk Current, finding the duration of media files, Peppermint OS tries out new edition, COSMIC gains new features, Canonical reports on security incident in Snap store |
| • Issue 1038 (2023-09-25): Mageia 9, trouble-shooting launchers, running desktop Linux in the cloud, New documentation for Nix, Linux phasing out ReiserFS, GNU celebrates 40 years |
| • Issue 1037 (2023-09-18): Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, finding specific distros and unified package managemnt, Zevenet replaced by two new forks, openSUSE introduces Slowroll branch, Fedora considering dropping Plasma X11 session |
| • Issue 1036 (2023-09-11): SDesk 2023.08.12, hiding command line passwords, openSUSE shares contributor survery results, Ubuntu plans seamless disk encryption, GNOME 45 to break extension compatibility |
| • Issue 1035 (2023-09-04): Debian GNU/Hurd 2023, PCLinuxOS 2023.07, do home users need a firewall, AlmaLinux introduces new repositories, Rocky Linux commits to RHEL compatibility, NetBSD machine runs unattended for nine years, Armbian runs wallpaper contest |
| • Issue 1034 (2023-08-28): Void 20230628, types of memory usage, FreeBSD receives port of Linux NVIDIA driver, Fedora plans improved theme handling for Qt applications, Canonical's plans for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1033 (2023-08-21): MiniOS 20230606, system user accounts, how Red Hat clones are moving forward, Haiku improves WINE performance, Debian turns 30 |
| • Issue 1032 (2023-08-14): MX Linux 23, positioning new windows on the desktop, Linux Containers adopts LXD fork, Oracle, SUSE, and CIQ form OpenELA |
| • Issue 1031 (2023-08-07): Peppermint OS 2023-07-01, preventing a file from being changed, Asahi Linux partners with Fedora, Linux Mint plans new releases |
| • Issue 1030 (2023-07-31): Solus 4.4, Linux Mint 21.2, Debian introduces RISC-V support, Ubuntu patches custom kernel bugs, FreeBSD imports OpenSSL 3 |
| • Issue 1029 (2023-07-24): Running Murena on the Fairphone 4, Flatpak vs Snap sandboxing technologies, Redox OS plans to borrow Linux drivers to expand hardware support, Debian updates Bookworm media |
| • Issue 1028 (2023-07-17): KDE Connect; Oracle, SUSE, and AlmaLinux repsond to Red Hat's source code policy change, KaOS issues media fix, Slackware turns 30; security and immutable distributions |
| • Issue 1027 (2023-07-10): Crystal Linux 2023-03-16, StartOS (embassyOS 0.3.4.2), changing options on a mounted filesystem, Murena launches Fairphone 4 in North America, Fedora debates telemetry for desktop team |
| • Issue 1026 (2023-07-03): Kumander Linux 1.0, Red Hat changing its approach to sharing source code, TrueNAS offers SMB Multichannel, Zorin OS introduces upgrade utility |
| • Issue 1025 (2023-06-26): KaOS with Plasma 6, information which can leak from desktop environments, Red Hat closes door on sharing RHEL source code, SUSE introduces new security features |
| • Issue 1024 (2023-06-19): Debian 12, a safer way to use dd, Debian releases GNU/Hurd 2023, Ubuntu 22.10 nears its end of life, FreeBSD turns 30 |
| • Issue 1023 (2023-06-12): openSUSE 15.5 Leap, the differences between independent distributions, openSUSE lengthens Leap life, Murena offers new phone for North America |
| • Issue 1022 (2023-06-05): GetFreeOS 2023.05.01, Slint 15.0-3, Liya N4Si, cleaning up crowded directories, Ubuntu plans Snap-based variant, Red Hat dropping LireOffice RPM packages |
| • Issue 1021 (2023-05-29): rlxos GNU/Linux, colours in command line output, an overview of Void's unique features, how to use awk, Microsoft publishes a Linux distro |
| • Issue 1020 (2023-05-22): UBports 20.04, finding another machine's IP address, finding distros with a specific kernel, Debian prepares for Bookworm |
| • Issue 1019 (2023-05-15): Rhino Linux (Beta), checking which applications reply on a package, NethServer reborn, System76 improving application responsiveness |
| • Issue 1018 (2023-05-08): Fedora 38, finding relevant manual pages, merging audio files, Fedora plans new immutable edition, Mint works to fix Secure Boot issues |
| • Issue 1017 (2023-05-01): Xubuntu 23.04, Debian elects Project Leaders and updates media, systemd to speed up restarts, Guix System offering ground-up source builds, where package managers install files |
| • Issue 1016 (2023-04-24): Qubes OS 4.1.2, tracking bandwidth usage, Solus resuming development, FreeBSD publishes status report, KaOS offers preview of Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1015 (2023-04-17): Manjaro Linux 22.0, Trisquel GNU/Linux 11.0, Arch Linux powering PINE64 tablets, Ubuntu offering live patching on HWE kernels, gaining compression on ex4 |
| • Issue 1014 (2023-04-10): Quick looks at carbonOS, LibreELEC, and Kodi, Mint polishes themes, Fedora rolls out more encryption plans, elementary OS improves sideloading experience |
| • Issue 1013 (2023-04-03): Alpine Linux 3.17.2, printing manual pages, Ubuntu Cinnamon becomes official flavour, Endeavour OS plans for new installer, HardenedBSD plans for outage |
| • Issue 1012 (2023-03-27): siduction 22.1.1, protecting privacy from proprietary applications, GNOME team shares new features, Canonical updates Ubuntu 20.04, politics and the Linux kernel |
| • Issue 1011 (2023-03-20): Serpent OS, Security Onion 2.3, Gentoo Live, replacing the scp utility, openSUSE sees surge in downloads, Debian runs elction with one candidate |
| • Issue 1010 (2023-03-13): blendOS 2023.01.26, keeping track of which files a package installs, improved network widget coming to elementary OS, Vanilla OS changes its base distro |
| • Issue 1009 (2023-03-06): Nemo Mobile and the PinePhone, matching the performance of one distro on another, Linux Mint adds performance boosts and security, custom Ubuntu and Debian builds through Cubic |
| • Issue 1008 (2023-02-27): elementary OS 7.0, the benefits of boot environments, Purism offers lapdock for Librem 5, Ubuntu community flavours directed to drop Flatpak support for Snap |
| • Issue 1007 (2023-02-20): helloSystem 0.8.0, underrated distributions, Solus team working to repair their website, SUSE testing Micro edition, Canonical publishes real-time edition of Ubuntu 22.04 |
| • Issue 1006 (2023-02-13): Playing music with UBports on a PinePhone, quick command line and shell scripting questions, Fedora expands third-party software support, Vanilla OS adds Nix package support |
| • Issue 1005 (2023-02-06): NuTyX 22.12.0 running CDE, user identification numbers, Pop!_OS shares COSMIC progress, Mint makes keyboard and mouse options more accessible |
| • Issue 1004 (2023-01-30): OpenMandriva ROME, checking the health of a disk, Debian adopting OpenSnitch, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1003 (2023-01-23): risiOS 37, mixing package types, Fedora seeks installer feedback, Sparky offers easier persistence with USB writer |
| • Issue 1002 (2023-01-16): Vanilla OS 22.10, Nobara Project 37, verifying torrent downloads, Haiku improvements, HAMMER2 being ports to NetBSD |
| • Issue 1001 (2023-01-09): Arch Linux, Ubuntu tests new system installer, porting KDE software to OpenBSD, verifying files copied properly |
| • Issue 1000 (2023-01-02): Our favourite projects of all time, Fedora trying out unified kernel images and trying to speed up shutdowns, Slackware tests new kernel, detecting what is taking up disk space |
| • Issue 999 (2022-12-19): Favourite distributions of 2022, Fedora plans Budgie spin, UBports releasing security patches for 16.04, Haiku working on new ports |
| • Issue 998 (2022-12-12): OpenBSD 7.2, Asahi Linux enages video hardware acceleration on Apple ARM computers, Manjaro drops proprietary codecs from Mesa package |
| • Issue 997 (2022-12-05): CachyOS 221023 and AgarimOS, working with filenames which contain special characters, elementary OS team fixes delta updates, new features coming to Xfce |
| • Issue 996 (2022-11-28): Void 20221001, remotely shutting down a machine, complex aliases, Fedora tests new web-based installer, Refox OS running on real hardware |
| • Issue 995 (2022-11-21): Fedora 37, swap files vs swap partitions, Unity running on Arch, UBports seeks testers, Murena adds support for more devices |
| • Issue 994 (2022-11-14): Redcore Linux 2201, changing the terminal font size, Fedora plans Phosh spin, openSUSE publishes on-line manual pages, disabling Snap auto-updates |
| • Full list of all issues |
| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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| Shells.com |
Your own personal Linux computer in the cloud, available on any device. Supported operating systems include Android, Debian, Fedora, KDE neon, Kubuntu, Linux Mint, Manjaro and Ubuntu, ready in minutes.
Starting at US$4.95 per month, 7-day money-back guarantee
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| Random Distribution | 
ByzantineOS
ByzantineOS was a software Internet Appliance with a home entertainment bias. It was based on a networked Linux distribution/bootable system with Mozilla providing access to a range of services and applications. ByzantineOS fits on a 32MB (or 48MB) media and should work on any PC. With ByzantineOS CD-ROM, there was no need for hard-disks or floppy drives.
Status: Discontinued
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| TUXEDO |
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
|
| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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