 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 48, 10 May 2004 |
Welcome to this year's 19th edition of DistroWatch Weekly. Its content has been somewhat reduced due to the fact that the layout of DistroWatch has undergone some changes, and some of the existing content needed to be migrated to the new layout. Nevertheless, we have a new Knoppix release from early this morning, 7 new distributions on the waiting list and an article about a user's experiences with source-based Linux distributions. Enjoy!
Content:
Source-based Linux distributions from a beginner's perspective
(contributed by Arvan Reese)
I recently decided to build a Linux installation from scratch. I am not a programmer or a professional writer. I am however, very enthused with Linux and want to offer my experiences to other non-programmers in the hope that it will inspire or invite them to take the plunge from Windows to Linux. I also hope that my comments will be read by programmers, to see opportunities for themselves to make their Linux creations more available to non-programmers.
To preface this article, I want to say that I don't believe that any one distro is better, worse, good or bad. I really know very little about Linux and this story should be proof of that. So, to the programmers that read about my mistakes with their creations, please don't be offended.
Why did I want to compile from source?
I've been using PC's since 1989. I used MS DOS, Win 3.11, Win 95/NT4.0/XP. Back with DOS and Win 3.11, I grew used to constantly tweaking the system files and memory settings in order to install a new program. I think that experience actually gave me the perseverance to dive into the OS repeatedly. A trait that is really helpful in Linux. Or, as my spouse says - I like messing with things and I'm a control freak. No need to comment further on that subject.
I started using Linux about 15 months ago. I built a working PC from the scraps of three discarded PCs I found when walking the dog. I named this PC 'the frankenputer' because I created life from the parts of dead PCs. I thought that if I had a free PC, I might as well try a free OS. So...Linux it was.
I used Mandrake for almost one year. I loved how easily it installed. However, my NVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 didn't work as well in Linux as it did in Windows XP. (Note to beginners - create a dual-boot system! It was extremely helpful for getting drivers, .iso images to burn and access to the User Forums to get questions answered. Don't cut your umbilical cord to e-mail, web surfing and games. You may need to blow off some steam in Castle Wolfenstein.) Mandrake is great, but I couldn't get the graphics to perform as quickly. Yes, I do know that the NVIDIA drivers are a 'challenge'. Still, I have what I have and I want what I want. Also, with Mandrake I noticed that while installing programs from source, Mandrake sometimes had locations for files that differed slightly from the source code's expectations.
Then, I jumped into Slackware. I chose it because Red Hat's package management was similar to Mandrake and because I wanted to learn a little more about how Linux works. I also heard that Slackware is very UNIX-like and that intrigued me. I got along with Slackware pretty well and had better luck compiling programs. Still, I didn't get the video performance that I wanted. I also ran into some of the same installation problems when compiling from source. I had been reading about getting the best performance by using a source-based distro for months and decided to take the plunge. Actually, I had heard about source-based distros from this web site early on in my Linux adventure. I even tried Lunar, Source Mage, Sorcerer and Gentoo in my first month. However, as a beginner I was in way over my head! My knowledge gap was too big and installing from the prompt or ncurses was too scary.
How did I prepare?
As I said, I had a dual boot. I downloaded a free program for Windows called the Belarc Advisor. I used it to verify my hardware. I printed the manuals for all my hardware, MB, graphics card, NIC, Monitor, HDDs, etc.
I backed up my e-mail and saved files on a separate drive and configured my e-mail program to leave mail on the POP server of my Internet provider. Then, I printed the installation documents for the distro that I would use, punched them into a 3-ring binder.
I also gave myself two mental tools. First, I set a goal of success in 30 days. This is good practice because most CD-ROM installations (Mandrake, Slackware, Windows, etc.) all happen pretty quickly. Compiling is slow and if someone like me is doing it, it goes REAL slow! I make many mistakes and there's a lot that I don't know about Linux. Which leads to my second gift to myself - I gave myself permission to make lots of mistakes. The files were saved, e-mail and addresses wouldn't be lost, so all I needed to do was keep at it and be patient. Expect the process to take a long time - longer than you think.
What happened?
Remember, none of my experiences and challenges are distro based. They're me based. What I know and really - what I don't know are the main factors in how things turned out.
I started with Lunar Linux 1.4.0. After a few stops and starts inside the installation, I was able to boot into the Lunar Linux. The installation instructions were OK. I definitely recommend access to the user forum for this one. I started the basic lin process (lin perl, lin moonbase, lin lunar, lunar update) but I couldn't get GNOME to compile completely. There were some broken dependencies with Gconf. I spent a couple of days on the forum looking for help and decided to try something else. I did learn something that I found helpful and a little more familiar. I installed and configured XFree86, my mouse and then installed XFce4 and Mozilla. These both compile pretty easily and allowed me to surf the user forums without having to reboot into Windows. I used this technique on every install afterward and suggest it to everyone when compiling a source-based distro. I felt that if I knew a little more about Linux, then I would have been fine with this distro.
I went to Source Mage 0.9.2. I had a few botched installs and then got a bootable Linux. However, I ran into trouble getting my NVIDIA drivers to work. The NVIDIA program was looking for kernel headers and the CD-ROM kernel didn't install them on my HDD. I checked the forum for this problem and there was a bug open, but I didn't know how to work the solution. There was also a broken depend on hdparm. I had some more trouble with GNOME compiles being incomplete. There was one 'spell' that needed an extra line break at the end of the file for it to compile correctly. I got GNOME up, but getting OpenOffice.org to install was real hard. After about a week, I moved on. Once again, my lack of Linux skill hampered me. The installation instructions are nearly identical to Lunar. In fact, by reading the two of them, I was able to get further along with both installations. I did manage to get the nifty little audio program to work and every time I successfully compiled something, Captain Kirk told me how happy he was. That broke up the install monotony and made me laugh every time. Still, I wanted more.
My third stop for compiling from scratch was Gentoo 2004.0. Their installation document was DETAILED!!! It covered everything. I got frustrated when I installed everything exactly as they mentioned - but I couldn't boot into Linux. I did it over and over until I found the problem - Gentoo uses Grub as a bootloader and I was dual-booting with my Linux partitions on the second hard drive. Only by researching Grub did I find that it only wants to be on the first hard drive. This detail wasn't in the Gentoo installation documents. (I hope that they put it in for rookies like me.) I reinstalled, this time with Lilo and voila! I was in Linux. Gentoo has other documents for Desktop configuration, printing, ALSA and more. I do recommend reading the documents on Portage, USE=options, rc-update, ALSA and more. I made a mistake that forced me (from knowing any alternative) to rebuild. However, since I learned the Lilo vs. Grub trick, it has been smooth sailing. I have installed GNOME, KDE, AfterStep, XFce, Xsane, Evolution, Mozilla, Setiapplet, GIMP - all without fail.
Conclusion
My graphics are faster. I'm still playing with AGP options to see where I'm most satisfied. I've got some games programs to install, but Gentoo has a forum devoted to games, so I am sure that I'll be OK. My choice is Gentoo because I got it to work. I really wanted Source Mage and Lunar to work, but I just needed a little more help at install. Gentoo provided that and, outside of the Grub issue, I will bet that anyone who follows the Gentoo instructions will be able to get a Gentoo Linux up and running. I'm really happy with the results.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment by compiling my own Linux, from source, just the way I want it. I learned more about Linux and I haven't booted into Windows in 3 months.
New bug-infested distro eases transition from Windows to Linux
Humorix reports about an innovative new Linux distribution called "Notdows", by Pee-aitch-bee Enterprises:
A key component of Notdows is the killrandom daemon process, which randomly kills running processes, faithfully simulating the Windows experience. Over time, however, killrandom will operate less frequently, allowing the user to smoothly transition to a stable operating system.
"Ordinary distros built by geeks are designed to be as stable as possible," said a Pee-aitch-bee developer/manager. "This does not work well for some naive ex-Windows users, who become disoriented and lost in such a foreign environment. While recent versions of Windows are more stable than predecessors, the difference between Windows and Linux can still be quite jarring. We hope to ween these users away from Windows' flakiness without causing unnecessary emotional duress."
More details about this exciting new project can be found on this page.
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| Released Last Week |
Mandrakelinux 10.0 for AMD64
The AMD64 port of Mandrakelinux 10.0 has been announced and released: "Mandrakesoft today announced the availability of Mandrakelinux 10.0 Official for the AMD64 platform (Athlon64 and Opteron). Mandrakelinux 10.0 for AMD64 delivers all the features and robustness of Mandrakelinux 10.0 Official to the 64-bit platform from AMD, with an average performance gain of 20% compared to the IA32 version." Read the complete press release and visit the product's features page to get the full details. Mandrakelinux 10.0 for AMD64 processors can be ordered from Mandrakestore for US$129.90.
Sun Java Desktop System 2
Sun Microsystems has announced the release of Sun Java Desktop System 2: "Today, Sun releases Java Desktop System, Release 2, the next version of Sun's affordable, comprehensive, and secure enterprise-class desktop solution. More cost-effective than Windows, the Java Desktop System is a enterprise desktop solution that works with your existing infrastructure. The fully integrated desktop solution ships with a client desktop, including an office productivity suite, email, calendar, browser, instant messaging tools, and more. It also includes developer and system management tools for remote administration in a single package." See the press release, the product pages and the release notes for further information. Sun Java Desktop System 2 is available for purchase at $100 USD per desktop per year, or $50 USD per employee per year if purchased for all employees.
Astaro Security Linux V5
This is the first stable release of Astaro Security Linux V5, officially numbered as 5.005: "Astaro is pleased to announce the availability of the Astaro Security Linux V5 General Availability Release. Astaro Security Linux V5 includes two major new capabilities - Intrusion Protection and Virus Protection for the Web - as well as many enhancements that improve security, management, and scalability. Key features of this latest release include: Intrusion Protection; Virus Protection for the Web (HTTP traffic); transparent POP3 spam protection; improvements to WebAdmin for even greater ease of use and flexibility; enhanced reporting, with pre-defined metrics and automated report generation..." The full release announcement.
YES Linux 2.0.6
YES Linux is a Red Hat-based distribution with the goal to enable a Mom and Pop Store (MaPs) to quickly and easily build an internet presence. Version 2.0.6 has been released: "YES Corporation would like the announce the immediate availability of YES Linux. YES Linux represents the first public release of YES Linux, the next generation of YES Server. All current development is focused on getting YES Linux to feature complete status." Read the rest of the release announcement and visit the distribution's web site to find out more about the product.
Knoppix 3.4-2004-05-10
An updated release of Knoppix 3.4 is now available: "V3.4-2004-05-10 (small updates). Removed some SCSI modules from the regular knoppix26 (Kernel 2.6) startup because they are unstable, use 'expert26' to load them; added script for generating bootfloppies in Knoppix 'Utilities' menu; harddisk installer update from Fabian Franz; 'knoppix splash' fixes; timezone and language setting add-ons; added linlinc1 for captive-ntfs for download capabilities; changed some e100/eepro100 network driver entries in hardware detection; the usual Debian package updates." The full changelog.
The much awaited Knoppix 3.4 is out!
(full image size 461kB)
Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
SUSE LINUX 9.1 FTP Edition
Several readers have emailed about the updated message on the SUSE FTP server indicating that the freely downloadable FTP edition of SUSE LINUX 9.1 will be available on 4 June 2004: "This tree contains the source RPM packages for the SUSE LINUX 9.1 distribution. The SUSE LINUX 9.1 ftp version will be published on June 4th in this directory."
Source Mage GNU/Linux 1.0
Eric Sandall, the lead developer of the Source Mage GNU/Linux distribution, has posted a roadmap leading towards stable version 1.0: "I have a rough Roadmap written and would like some comments. I'm planning on adding a list of the bugs needed to be fixed for the 1.0 release, but if others would also like to pitch in, post here and we'll talk about it. ;) You'll note that I haven't done any post-1.0 lists on there as I'd like to get 1.0's Roadmap up first." The details are available here.
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| Web Site News |
Web site layout changes
Based on our recent discussion in this forum, the DistroWatch web site has been given a makeover. The changes are largely cosmetic; some less important content has been removed from the top of the pages, thus reducing the site's title and navigation bar into a more compact entity on the top of each page. This should satisfy those users who previously complained that they had to scroll down to see the site's main content.
The migration to the new layout has uncovered some less than ideal design faults of the existing content, which will take a few days to fix. I have tested the layout extensively in the latest versions of Opera, Mozilla, Firefox, Galeon and Konqueror, but if you use a different browser, or find bugs, please report them. As always, you are welcome to comment, and even express criticism on the site's new layout and colour scheme, or suggest any other ideas that would make DistroWatch.com a pleasant site to visit and navigate.
A new policy regarding release announcements
It is happening with an increased regularity - maintainers and developers of several distributions have acquired a habit of submitting a release announcement of their products to DistroWatch, without publishing the announcement on their own web sites. To prevent any misunderstandings whether a distribution "release" is official or not, a new announcement policy comes into effect on DistroWatch immediately. From now on, a distribution release will not be announced on DistroWatch unless a release announcement (or at the very least a changelog) is also published on the distribution's own web site. The announcement doesn't have to be in English, but it should include a basic list of new features, and it should give a clear indication about the availability of the new product, or a new version of the product.
New additions
- m0n0wall. m0n0wall is a project aimed at creating a complete, embedded firewall software package that, when used together with an embedded PC, provides all the important features of commercial firewall boxes (including ease of use) at a fraction of the price (free software). m0n0wall is based on a bare-bones version of FreeBSD, along with a web server (thttpd), PHP and a few other utilities. The entire system configuration is stored in one single XML text file to keep things transparent. m0n0wall is probably the first UNIX system that has its boot-time configuration done with PHP, rather than the usual shell scripts, and that has the entire system configuration stored in XML format.
New on the waiting list
- CalyptOS Linux. CalyptOS Linux is one of the newest and most original Linux distributions around. We've built it from the ground up and have customised it to be the perfect solution not only for the desktop user, but also for the business workstation. Package installation is as easy as a few clicks (see our screenshots), uninstallation is as simple as deleting the folder. The desktop environment is lightweight, yet feature filled. Instead of using GNOME or KDE like most distros, we've taken and modified the best pieces out of many desktop managers. You get the best of the best.
- Knorpora. Knorpora is a modified version of the Knoppix 3.3 Live CD for students of corpus-based computational linguistics. Like Knoppix, the Knorpora CD allows you to run a fully operational Debian/Linux operating system from the CD-ROM drive, without installing anything on the computer. The Knorpora edition of Knoppix contains programs and data files that should be of interest to computational linguistics students (WordNet, the Natural Language Toolkit, taggers, etc.)
- Buhawi Linux. Buhawi (Filipino for tornado) is a compact Linux distribution optimally designed for network servers. It uses a concise file system hierarchy and lean, fast, text-based configuration tools. Buhawi was developed mainly because of the tendency of many other Linux distributions to put more emphasis on desktop systems and less on servers, for which Linux has already been proven to be an ideal operating system.
- Honeywall CDROM. The Honeywall CDROM combines all the tools and requirements of a Honeynet gateway on a (hopefully) easy to use, bootable CDROM. The intent is to make honeynets easier to deploy and customise. You simply boot off the CDROM, configure it based on your environment, and you should have a Honeywall gateway ready to go. The CDROM supports several configuration methods, including an interactive menu and .iso customisation scripts. The CDROM is an appliance, based on a minimised and secured Linux OS.
- Pebble Linux. Pebble Linux is a smallish (smaller than 64MB, larger than 8MB) distro image designed for embedded style devices such as the Soekris boards, or a Stylstic 1000. It is based off of Debian GNU/Linux. It runs on many different types of systems, such as old 486 machines, mini-itx boards, or the $199 machine down at Frys.
- N-iX Desktop Linux. N-iX Desktop Linux is the best solution for all who use Novell NetWare as the server operating system as well as for those who want to setup Linux workstations for small organisations and enterprise customer use. With N-iX Desktop Linux you get all software needed for efficient work and you get it for free. Our distribution includes OpenOffice, Mozilla browser, Gaim and licq messengers, GIMP graphic editor, windows terminal server client, etc. ....
- GNOX. GNOX is a Slackware-based Linux operating system with Dropline GNOME 2.6, bootable from a mini CD.
DistroWatch database summary
- Number of Linux distributions in the database: 287
- Number of BSD distributions in the database: 6
- Number of discontinued distributions: 33
- Number of distributions on the waiting list: 78
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| Reader Feedback |
OpenBSD first impressions
RS has sent in his first impressions after installing OpenBSD:
"Hi, I installed OpenBSD 3.4 on my laptop. I have just a few first impressions that you might find interesting.
I decided to install to the laptop because the OpenBSD fdisk program is really scary and it's easy to wipe out a partition you want to keep. Since there was nothing important on the laptop, that didn't matter. One thing that makes it scary is that it doesn't tell you anything about what is on the hard disk already, plus it displays sizes by the number of blocks (at least that's what I think it does) rather than human-readable form (like megabytes or gigabytes). Anyway, I managed to get it to work.
One good thing it does (like FreeBSD 5.x) - it detects the PCMCIA network card without a hitch. I've had trouble with Linux distros getting the card to be recognised.
A disadvantage is configuring X. Like FreeBSD, it uses xf86cfg and xf86config, both of which are rather primitive. I have not been able to get X working with either BSD on this laptop, but that's not such a big deal.
A big issue right now - ethernet file transfer speeds are slow. I'm not sure why - with both Linux and FreeBSD on that laptop, it was very fast.
The version of OpenBSD that I have came with a magazine on a single CD, so it's not complete. It doesn't include Bash, for example, but I found that I could take already downloaded *.tgz files from /usr/ports/distfiles on my FreeBSD partition and use those. Most of the time, it works, and I was able to install Bash. Emacs was not included - the only editor is vi (yuch), but from FreeBSD ports I copied 'zile' which is an Emacs-lite editor and it mostly works OK.
One thing that is really good are the man pages. They are superior to those in Linux and FreeBSD - all man pages should be this clear!
So far, overall impression is good except that I'm concerned about this slow ethernet. After all, this is a network operating system, so performance is a big issue. I will subscribe to the OpenBSD mailing list today and see what I can find out."
One more on BSD nomenclature
KK has this to say about last week's discussion on naming BSDs:
"Here's my opinion on how you should (not?) call the several BSD systems.
You say, 'to differentiate between Linux distributions and the BSD projects, we need a common term referring to all of the BSD projects', but using the term "distribution" would not fit that cause at all: you would be throwing BSDs and Linuxes together. The 'distribution' term, as you (and we) are using it nowadays, is strongly Linux-biased. You should not force Linuxisms on BSD, since it would seem to BSDers that either you don't pay the same respect to BSD as to Linux (since you refuse to use BSD terms for Linux issues), or that you might not have understood what differentiates Linux from BSD... :/
Therefore, I would humbly suggest that you should pay a little more attention to the BSD users, because it's them who will have to live with your labelling. (In particular, you might agree to me that 'Berkeley Software Distribution Distribution Release' does not sound too smart. ;)) Don't anger the BSD users, or you might be putting their acceptance of your project at risk. Considering a term 'old-fashioned' or 'in different use today' just because it was invented 25 years ago is ill-advised: would you call Unix(-Clones) old-fashioned?
Please rethink your Linux-biased perspective. Open Source is not all about Linux, and with your inclusion of the BSDs as 'something like Linux, but not quite' you won't be doing anyone a favor.
Another risk is that Linux newbies will be shocked to find that that spiffy new "BSD distributions" does not have things like modprobe or such. ;)"
I hope you enjoyed this edition of DistroWatch Weekly and see you all next Monday :-)
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • 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 |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • 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 |
| • 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 | 
Feren OS
Feren OS is a desktop Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and featuring the KDE Plasma desktop. It ships with a tweaked Calamares system installer, a custom theme and fonts, the Vivaldi web browser, boot options for advanced users, and a Feren OS Tour application, among the many home-built features and improvements. Prior to November 2020, the distribution was based on Linux Mint and included an edition with the Cinnamon desktop.
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.
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| 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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0x969CD4E778C7b6549A2B00e34114e0168c86A542 
