 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 47, 3 May 2004 |
Welcome to this year's 18th edition of DistroWatch Weekly. I hope you are not getting tired of the BSD coverage on what used to be a Linux only web site, because we have some more for you in this edition. On the Linux front, the third revision of Debian GNU/Linux "Woody" is expected to be released this week. Happy reading!
Content:
FreeBSD feedback (by Robert Storey)
Since my review of FreeBSD was published (Tuesday, 27 April), I have received considerable feedback. Most of it was surprisingly non-hostile - my flame-proof suit hardly got warm, my eyebrows barely got scorched. I am encouraged. Many of the respondents were experienced FreeBSD users, and several of them pointed out a couple of minor errors in the review, as well as offering useful suggestions for future articles. I value reader feedback, especially when it doesn't make me look like a dork. Now I'd like to share with everyone some of the more important issues that were raised.
* * * * * * * *
In my original article, I said the following:
"Despite the lack of a Linux kernel, most (but not all) Linux binaries can be run on FreeBSD thanks to a special Linux compatibility package that you (optionally) install. It's not foolproof, and a couple of my favourite apps (Mailfilter, for example) refuse to compile."
As several readers pointed out to me, Mailfilter is in fact in the ports collection. However, it has been renamed "Filtermail", apparently to avoid confusion with another program in the ports collection which is also called Mailfilter. It was pointed out to me that one can search the ports collection on a particular keyword (such as "mailfilter"), as follows:
cd /usr/ports
make search key=mailfilter
Interestingly, the original Mailfilter program which caused all this trouble in the first place has now been removed from ports. No word yet on whether this means that Filtermail will revert to being Mailfilter again - time will tell.
* * * * * * * *
I mentioned how to edit ~/.profile to change the pager:
"Change 'PAGER=more' to 'PAGER=less'"
The first time I installed FreeBSD (version 5.0), "more" and "less" were totally different, but apparently they have been merged. You can see this by checking the inode number:
robert@sonic:~> ls -i1 /usr/bin/more /usr/bin/less
376998 /usr/bin/less
376998 /usr/bin/more
Both files have the same inode number, which means that they are in fact the same file. Therefore, it won't make any difference if your pager is more or less - your man pages will behave the same. This was not the case in the past, but times change.
Ah, but wait, I've got a better idea. Have you ever heard of "most"? It's another pager, not installed by default, but you can find it in the ports collection. Go to /usr/ports/misc/most and do a "make" and "make install", then edit ~/.profile and change the pager to "most". Logout and login again, and your man pages will be displayed in stunning color.
* * * * * * * *
In the section on installing CUPS, I originally said the following:
"You've got to install four packages from ports. You can find them here:
root@sonic:# ls -d1 /usr/ports/print/cups*
/usr/ports/print/cups
/usr/ports/print/cups-base
/usr/ports/print/cups-lpr
/usr/ports/print/cups-pstoraster"
A couple of readers pointed out to me that /usr/ports/print/cups is a meta-port - that is to say, if you install it, the other three CUPS ports will install automatically.
* * * * * * * *
Finally, on the issue of FreeBSD's lack of a GUI firewall tool, my attention was called to Firewall Builder. This, as the name implies, builds firewalls, and it's a GUI tool as well. Furthermore, this program is unique in that it's basically firewall-neutral. That is to say, it allows you to write a set of firewall rules and then export them by "compiling" (this requires that a "policy compiler" has been written for your firewalling software). There is a policy compiler available for IPFILTER (which is available for FreeBSD, though it's not the default firewall), as well as OpenBSD's PF (which is now being ported to FreeBSD and will be available with the next release).
You can find Firewall Builder in /usr/ports/security/fwbuilder - the good old ports collection comes through again. Or does it? In this case, the port is "broken" and will fail if you try to install it. The cure is to update your ports collection. That's a process I didn't go into, and I'll have to save it for a future article.
Another little "gotcha" is that Firewall Builder is not really an easy point-and-click tool for the typical desktop user. It's a system administrator's tool and, though useful, don't expect to master it in 30 seconds. I'm not really sure this is the answer for FreeBSD punters who just want an easy way to get a basic firewall up and running so they can hop on the web and start surfing.
Nevertheless, I will be giving Firewall Builder a close look when I begin work on my next OS review, which will be OpenBSD. See you then.
Tips and tricks: cracking Microsoft boxes with AUSTRUMI
What do you do if you need to get into a Microsoft Windows machine, but don't know the password? Simple: use Linux. A small Latvian live CD called AUSTRUMI provides a utility which allows you to change (or blank) any password, including that of the Administrator, on a partition occupied by Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Simply boot the CD and when you get to the initial boot prompt, type:
boot: nt_pass
This will launch a console utility that will detect Windows partitions on the hard disk and provide you with a menu to modify any user or Administrator passwords on the Windows system. It will even give access to the Windows registry for recovery purposes. Quite a handy utility to keep in your wallet (AUSTRUMI is small enough to fit on a business card-size CD) if you are unfortunate enough to having to deal with Windows machines in your line of work.
The latest version of AUSTRUMI is 0.8.4 and you can download it from SourceForge.
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| Released Last Week |
Aurox Linux 9.3.1
Aurox Linux 9.3.1 has been released: "We'd like to announce the availability of Aurox Linux 9.3.1 version. The distribution is on 2 CDs. The main purpose of this issue was to gather fixes and updates that were made after the 9.3 release. The default language is set to Polish, however, you can use the 'selectlang' option during boot, and choose English. Choosing other languages won't make any sense, because localisation packages for them (kde-i18n, mozilla-i18n, etc.) are not present. So if you are using Aurox 9.3 -- please update your system, if you plan to install Aurox -- use 9.3.1 instead of 9.3."
Munjoy Linux 0.5.4
Munjoy Linux is a new Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux and KDE. This general-purpose desktop distribution focuses on user interface consistency, automation, and ease-of-use. Munjoy Linux is created by David Chester, a developer renowned for his famous Xft and FreeType hacks. The distribution includes a new set of TrueType fonts based on Bitstream Vera. Visit MunjoyLinux.org for more information and screenshots.
Gentoo Linux 2004.1
Gentoo Linux 2004.1 has been released: "The Gentoo Linux Release Engineering team is proud to announce the release of Gentoo Linux 2004.1! Please consult our mirror index for download locations and the Gentoo Linux Installation Handbook for detailed installation instructions. Support for Gentoo Linux 2004.1 can be found through our user community by way of the Gentoo Forums, IRC, and various community mailing-lists. Release notes for each architecture can be found linked from the Gentoo Linux Release Engineering project page." The full press release.
LinuxTLE 5.5 Live CD
Thailand's first Linux live CD, based on LinuxTLE 5.5, has been released: "The National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) and the Thai Linux Working Group (TLWG) have released LinuxTLE 5.5 Live CD. The product is based on Fedora Core with elements borrowed from Knoppix and full support for the Thai language. The default desktop is GNOME 2.6.0. The live CD is customisable and offers support for SMP systems." The full announcement (in Thai).
LinuxTLE 5.5 - life is a (Thai) beach
(full image size 885kB)
Linux LiveCD Router 1.9.3
Version 1.9.3 of Linux LiveCD Router has been released. From the changelog: "Version 1.9.3 Apr 2004. New webmin web interface version 1.140; new web modules for network configuration and log rotation; added ndiswrapper driver to use WiFi windows drivers at /opt/drivers; minor dbdif config bugfixes."
Buffalo Linux 1.2.1
Buffalo Linux 1.2.1 has been released: "The new features added to this version are: Ximian Evolution included in the GNOME bundle, GIMP 2.0.1, MYSQL 4.0.18 and a Buffalo version of 'swaret-1.6.2'. This release includes 55 minor package upgrades to bring Buffalo 'insync' with Slackware-Current (as of 24 Apr 2004). A 56MB upgrade from 1.2.0 to 1.2.1 (upgrade-1.2.1-buff-1.bz2) is available (download via patch-1.2.0-buff-3.tgz)." Read the complete changelog for more details.
Eadem Enterprise AS 3.0
Eadem Enterprise is a new Linux distribution rebuilt from Red Hat Enterprise Server's (RHEL) source RPMs: "Eadem Enterprise AS V3.0 is the core operating system and infrastructure enterprise Linux solution. Supporting the largest commodity-architecture servers--with up to eight CPUs and 16GB of main memory--and available with the highest levels of support, Eadem Server is the ultimate solution for large departmental and datacenter servers." Eadem differs from Red Hat in that it uses Blackbox as the default desktop environment and it includes MPlayer, Gtk-gnutella, mailman, amsn and other applications useful for a workstation. Find out more information on Eadem.com.
Sorcerer 20040428
It has been a while since we brought you news about a Sorcerer release, but that's because the developers don't publish a changelog and don't normally announce new releases. However, version 20040428 was announced on the distribution's mailing list: "I have rolled out a new Install/Rescue disk. The importance of libpcap is that ppp now requires it. In addition to more than some 12 spells on the Install/Rescue disk being updated the new disk has four text editors to choose from: elvis/vi, nano, jed and joe. Excited yet? Okay how about being able to install: linux,v2.6 or linux,v2.6-grsecurity or linux,v2.4 or linux,v2.4-grsecurity straight from the Install/Rescue disk? Choose only one of course."
Peanut Linux 9.6
More than a year after the last stable release, a new release of Peanut Linux, version 9.6, is now available for download: "Latest version: Peanut Linux 9.6. A 100% pure Linux, glibc, libc6 ELF system. The entire system when installed is less than 999MB! Enlightenment Exp. v0.16.7-53, XFree86 4.4.x, kernel 2.6.5 with USB. Plus a lot more cool graphical, interesting, friendly, fun stuff." Find out more about the project on the Peanut Linux web site.
tinysofa enterprise server 1.0
The inaugural version of tinysofa enterprise server has been released: "The culmination of more than a month of development and testing, tinysofa enterprise server 1.0 ('Emily') has finally been released. Building on the proven rock solid basis of Trustix Secure Linux, tinysofa enterprise server is the new benchmark in Linux based server operating systems. Major new features include a complete distribution port to python 2.3 and rpm 4.2, an overhauled pam authentication system providing system-wide authentication configuration, the latest upstream packages, the replacement of ncftp with lftp, the addition of gdb and screen, feature additions to the swup updater..." Visit tinysofa.org to learn more about the project.
XoL 18.00
XoL is a live CD based on Server optimized Linux. New features in version 18.00 include: "Multilanguage: XoL features a full English and German desktop and OpenOffice.org environment. USB-TO-GO: The unique USB-TO-GO feature offers you the freedom to continue your work on any other system using XoL and a USB storage device. KDE and GNOME: With XoL you can work with your favourite desktop environment; XoL features both! Easy network: When XoL starts it connects to the next DHCP server to configure your network - being online was never that easy. OpenOffice.org: The best free office suite available. Design your folders, create your presentations, type your papers! On XoL you have the choice of the English and the German versions..." Read the announcement and visit the product's features page for further details.
OpenBSD 3.5
OpenBSD 3.5 has been released: "We are pleased to announce the official release of OpenBSD 3.5. This is our 15th release on CD-ROM (and 16th via FTP). We remain proud of OpenBSD's record of eight years with only a single remote hole in the default install. As in our previous releases, 3.5 provides significant improvements, including new features, in nearly all areas of the system." Read the full announcement or the release notes for a comprehensive list of improvements. As always, the full set of OpenBSD ISO images is only available from the project's online store (US$40), but the full release can be installed via FTP from one of the OpenBSD mirrors.
Overclockix 3.4
Overclockix 3.4 has been released: "A new version of Overclockix is now available, based on the unofficial Knoppix 3.4 CeBIT edition, Overclockix 3.4! This remaster features the latest packages available for the sid (unstable) branch of Debian. Some highlights are captive-NTFS (write support), install on demand scripts, 2.4.23-xfs and 2.6.1 kernel, XFce, GNOME 2.4, KDE 3.2.2 with noia icons, Fluxbox, IceWM, Enlightenment, GIMP 2.0, and all the usual Overclockix packages (ml-donkey, BT, MPlayer, Firefox, Thunderbird, Karamba, stress-testers and DC clients)." The distribution's home page has more details about the release.
Feather Linux 0.4.1
Feather Linux 0.4.1 has been released. From the changelog: "Updated list of documentation and organised scripts; added bcrypt, xmms-cdread; added scripts to download Audacity, and to remove the dpkg structure (rm-dpkg); added serial mouse option to X setup; updated Monkey to 0.8.2 and changed daemon script accordingly; added memory checks to some scripts; fixed error with /opt on bootup; changed dillo homepage; added 'xdef' boot option - boots with 1024x768, 3 button mouse, 16-bit depth; replaced XCDRoast with Gcombust..."
Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3
The third revision of Debian GNU/Linux "Woody" is expected to be released this week: "I am preparing the third revision of the current stable Debian distribution (woody) and will infrequently send reports so people can actually comment on it and intervene whenever this is required. The regulations for stable are quite conservative. The requirements for packages to get into stable are: the package fixes a security problem; the package fixes a critical bug which can lead into data loss, data corruption, or an overly broken system, or the package is broken or not usable (anymore)..." See the and the proposed timeline for additional information.
Impi Linux 2.0
InfoWorld reports about the upcoming release of South Africa's Impi, Linux: "Developers in South Africa have installed the firewall component of the next version of a variant of Linux, called Impi 2, in a high-profile installation within the country, as the beta testing cycle for the software gets under way, according to the head of the project, Ross Addis. While Impi comes with the GNOME desktop window manager, Impi 2 will offer both GNOME and KDE, from the K Desktop Environment (KDE) Project, Addis said. In the meanwhile, South African open source developers have released a chain of other applications." See African open source projects gather steam.
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| Web Site News |
April donation: Quanta Plus receives US$200
Continuing with our programme under which 10% of DistroWatch.com's income from advertising and sale of merchandise is donated to various Free Software projects, the recipient of the April donation is the Quanta Plus project. Quanta Plus is a web development tool for the K Desktop Environment. Quanta is designed for quick web development and is rapidly becoming a mature editor with a number of great features. Here is the receipt for US$200:
------------------------------
Payment Details:
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Total Amount: $200.00 USD
Transaction ID: 2B948608EV400622P
Quantity: 1
Item Title: Quanta Donation
Item Number:1
Message: This is a donation by DistroWatch.com under the web site's program to offer financial assistance to Free Software projects.
Readers are welcome and encouraged to nominate a Free Software project for the next donation.
On BSD terminology
The vast majority of readers seems to have welcome the inclusion of BSD distributions in DistroWatch. The only exception was the email published in the Reader Feedback section of last week's edition of DistroWatch Weekly, but that of course won't affect the fact that BSD is here to stay.
However, to differentiate between Linux distributions and the BSD projects, we need a common term referring to all of the BSD projects. This has resulted in some conflicting opinions, so I would like to discuss it further before making a final decision, especially because I have a feeling that we will be setting a trend here. As those of you who read DistroWatch regularly noticed, I am inclined to refer to all the BSD projects as "BSD distributions". The main reason for this is the definition of the word "distribution" in the Linux world, which in simple terms refers to a complete operating system with Linux at its core, and hundreds, sometimes even thousands of independent end-user applications. In BSD we have a similar situation - there is the BSD kernel, a base system, and hundreds or thousands of independent end-user applications.
Nevertheless, there are users who would object to referring to BSD projects as BSD distributions. One of the reason is that the term BSD, which stands for "Berkeley Software Distribution" already includes the word "distribution". Of course, BSD was created more than 25 years ago and some of the software terminology invented back in those days is no longer used in the same way today. But the biggest objection by BSD folks seems to come from the fact that the world "distribution" is generally associated with Linux, which is something that some of them would like to avoid at all cost. I wouldn't consider this as a valid reason.
While the term "BSD distributions" is a strong favourite, let's also examine some alternatives for the headline announcements (instead of using "BSD Distribution Release: OpenBSD 3.5", what other term could we consider?
- BSD Operating System Release: or BSD OS Release: This might be a good name, except that a "distribution" is an operating system too. Besides, there is proprietary OS by Wind River called BSD/OS, which might cause confusion.
- BSD Project Release: or BSD Release: This is not too bad, although it gives an impression that there is only one BSD project. The truth is however that there are many more BSD-based projects than just FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD; one source I was reading recently claimed that there might be as many as 2500 BSD-based projects, including many embedded and proprietary systems. Remember that the BSD licence is very liberal when it comes to what one can do with the source code.
- BS Distribution Release: Well, this one will probably generate a few objections too :-)
What else? Any other suggestions? I don't want to make this into a big story, but the truth is that there seems to be a lack of a collective name for all of the BSDs, so we need to invent one. I would appreciate your input.
More BSD-related feedback
"BSD is an operating system, not a distribution. The only problem I have is calling the BSD releases 'distributions.' This confuses new readers. Call them operating systems or releases, not distributions."
"'BSD distributions' will cause less confussion among those who are new. This will convey the message that there are two type of distros one is Linux and other BSD. With your listing all under two different groups will make the basic concept very clear. DistroWatch main focus is ordinary user who needs some bearings when s/he embarks upon any search, your terminology will help them IMHO. I will vote for using 'BSD Distributions'."
I would disagree with the first poster too, simply because by definition, a (Linux) distribution is an operating system.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it (mostly from reading this) is that there is only one BSD 'distribution', namely that developed by UC Berkeley, and the myriad of projects like FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD are 'flavours' of the one discontinued distribution. Thus, calling each of the 'flavours' of BSD separate 'distributions' is **technically** wrong."
I read the document in full and it is indeed a very good read. But my understanding is that BSD is a kernel + a base system, both of which are now developed independently by the individual BSD projects. How does this model differ from the way Linux distributions are developed? In terms of individual components, it seems to me that BSD is equivalent to Linux, BSD + base is (roughly) equivalent to Linux + GNU, and a BSD "distribution" is equivalent to a Linux distribution.
"There will soon be a number of BSD distros on the lists, which will create confusion as to which of them are GNU/Linux and which are BSD. Please think of a way to mark this distinction. You could just precede their name by an asterisk ALLOVER, or better a TILDE (asterisks may create confusion.)"
I would be against such distinction. This would somehow indicate that the "distributions" with a tilde (~) in front of their names are something special, giving an impression that perhaps they don't quite belong there. I would much rather let them coexist alongside all the Linux distributions. Those who are not sure if the project is BSD or Linux can simply click on the link and find out from the description.
The bottom line is simple: both BSD and Linux are great free operating systems. By including BSDs on what has always been a Linux only site, I am hoping that we can contribute towards educating visitors about alternative operating systems and to show you how these can be used to you advantage. Even if we know Linux well, there might be a situation where a high-performance and reliable OS such as FreeBSD is better suited for a certain task than Linux. If you need to deploy a high-security system, but SELinux in Fedora sounds too complex or buggy, why not consider OpenBSD? Instead of fighting over why one is better the other, let's accept that each of them has a place on our servers and desktops, in our OS ecosystem. We are indeed lucky to have so much great choice!
New additions
New on the waiting list
- SmartPeer. The SmartPeer project is a free, open source load balancing solution that runs off a single bootable CD-ROM. SmartPeer allows you to easily balance your web traffic to distribute the load across multiple servers, effectively reducing bandwidth bottlenecks that could potentially overload a single server. SmartPeer also gives you an easy way to keep your website running while individual web servers are removed from production for maintenance, replacement, or due to failure.
- Tablix on Morphix. Tablix on Morphix is yet another bootable CD based Linux distribution. As the name suggests, it is based on Morphix, a modular CD distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. What is special about Tablix on Morphix is the automatic cluster configuration. This means that all you need for a functioning PVM3 cluster is a bunch of computers and a pile of Tablix on Morphix CDs. You just have to boot the master node of the cluster from the CD, click a few options on the screen, then boot as many slave nodes as you want and click OK on each. Tablix on Morphix comes preinstalled with all programs that are needed for solving timetable problems with Tablix, a GPL timetabling software using parallel genetic algorithm.
DistroWatch database summary
- Number of Linux distributions in the database: 287
- Number of BSD distributions in the database: 5
- Number of discontinued distributions: 33
- Number of distributions on the waiting list: 71
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| Reader Feedback |
Nothing newsworthy this week.
That's all for this week, see you next Monday :-)
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1105 (2025-01-20): CentOS 10 Stream, old Flatpak bundles in software centres, Haiku ports Iceweasel, Oracle shows off debugging tools, rsync vulnerability patched |
| • Issue 1104 (2025-01-13): DAT Linux 2.0, Silly things to do with a minimal computer, Budgie prepares Wayland only releases, SteamOS coming to third-party devices, Murena upgrades its base |
| • Issue 1103 (2025-01-06): elementary OS 8.0, filtering ads with Pi-hole, Debian testing its installer, Pop!_OS faces delays, Ubuntu Studio upgrades not working, Absolute discontinued |
| • Issue 1102 (2024-12-23): Best distros of 2024, changing a process name, Fedora to expand Btrfs support and releases Asahi Remix 41, openSUSE patches out security sandbox and donations from Bottles while ending support for Leap 15.5 |
| • Issue 1101 (2024-12-16): GhostBSD 24.10.1, sending attachments from the command line, openSUSE shows off GPU assignment tool, UBports publishes security update, Murena launches its first tablet, Xfce 4.20 released |
| • Issue 1100 (2024-12-09): Oreon 9.3, differences in speed, IPFire's new appliance, Fedora Asahi Remix gets new video drivers, openSUSE Leap Micro updated, Redox OS running Redox OS |
| • Issue 1099 (2024-12-02): AnduinOS 1.0.1, measuring RAM usage, SUSE continues rebranding efforts, UBports prepares for next major version, Murena offering non-NFC phone |
| • Issue 1098 (2024-11-25): Linux Lite 7.2, backing up specific folders, Murena and Fairphone partner in fair trade deal, Arch installer gets new text interface, Ubuntu security tool patched |
| • Issue 1097 (2024-11-18): Chimera Linux vs Chimera OS, choosing between AlmaLinux and Debian, Fedora elevates KDE spin to an edition, Fedora previews new installer, KDE testing its own distro, Qubes-style isolation coming to FreeBSD |
| • Issue 1096 (2024-11-11): Bazzite 40, Playtron OS Alpha 1, Tucana Linux 3.1, detecting Screen sessions, Redox imports COSMIC software centre, FreeBSD booting on the PinePhone Pro, LXQt supports Wayland window managers |
| • Issue 1095 (2024-11-04): Fedora 41 Kinoite, transferring applications between computers, openSUSE Tumbleweed receives multiple upgrades, Ubuntu testing compiler optimizations, Mint partners with Framework |
| • Issue 1094 (2024-10-28): DebLight OS 1, backing up crontab, AlmaLinux introduces Litten branch, openSUSE unveils refreshed look, Ubuntu turns 20
| | • Issue 1093 (2024-10-21): Kubuntu 24.10, atomic vs immutable distributions, Debian upgrading Perl packages, UBports adding VoLTE support, Android to gain native GNU/Linux application support |
| • Issue 1092 (2024-10-14): FunOS 24.04.1, a home directory inside a file, work starts of openSUSE Leap 16.0, improvements in Haiku, KDE neon upgrades its base |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • 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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| Random Distribution | 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is a Linux distribution developed by Red Hat and targeted toward the commercial market. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is released in server editions for x86, x86_64, Itanium, PowerPC and IBM System z architectures, and desktop editions for x86 and x86_64 processors. All of Red Hat's official support and training and the Red Hat Certification Program centres around the Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform. Red Hat uses strict trademark rules to restrict free re-distribution of its officially supported versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but still freely provides its source code. Third-party derivatives can be built and redistributed by stripping away non-free components.
Status: Active
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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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