 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 101, 23 May 2005 |
Welcome to this year's 21st issue of DistroWatch Weekly! Gentoo Linux continues to maintain its presence on these pages - we have a quick tip describing how to save time and prevent downtime while installing this popular source-based distribution. We'll continue with an update on the release of Debian Sarge and point you to a couple of fantastic Linux learning resources made available recently by Novell. The featured distribution of the week is the PHLAK live CD with its amazing array of security tools and extensive documentation, while Robert Storey reveals a great utility to really erase data from your hard disks. Happy reading!
Content:
Installing Gentoo Linux in chroot
 Following our recent mini-review of Gentoo Linux, it has become clear from the forum discussions that Gentoo's most significant disadvantage is the amount of time it takes to install it. Some users went as far as claiming that they would never use the popular source-based distribution simply because they cannot afford to tie their computer down for several days, waiting for all the applications to compile.
Fortunately, things needn't be this way. While several posters suggested the use of Vidalinux as an easy way to install Gentoo Linux, there is another method to avoid being unproductive during Gentoo's installation - by using the power of chroot. This way, all you need to do is to install the base Gentoo system, then reboot into your everyday operating system, chroot into the Gentoo partition and continue compiling applications in the background. Even if you start with the "Stage 1" tarballs, you won't be "without your computer" for more than a few hours.
As an example, let's say you have installed a minimal Gentoo Linux on /dev/hda5. Boot into your usual distribution, create a new directory, then mount the Gentoo partition like this:
mkdir /mnt/gentoo
mount /dev/hda5 /mnt/gentoo
Now you can chroot into /mnt/gentoo:
chroot /mnt/gentoo
That's all there is to it. Now you are in Gentoo Linux and you can use all the power of Gentoo's usual utilities, including 'emerge sync', after which you can proceed with 'emerge kde', 'emerge gnome', etc. Once you are finished with emerging applications, you can get out of chroot by pressing Ctrl+D. Personally, I have been using this method of installing Gentoo Linux on several occasions without any problems. Sure, your main operating system will feel slightly less responsive than usual due to intensive compile activity in the background, but it certainly won't become unusable (and your computer won't be tied down) just because you are busy installing Gentoo.
* * * * *
Free study guides from Novell, Sarge release update
 A reader has sent us a link to a couple of useful educational resources made available recently by Novell. One of them is a self-study guide called "Make the Switch to Novell Linux Desktop 9". This is a 247-page manual in PDF format with tutorials and explanatory guides (with screenshots) not only for system installation and administration, but also for many of the included graphical applications. Although the guide is primarily aimed at Novell and SUSE users, anybody can take advantage of the application-specific tutorials in the guide.
The second resource is called "Novell Linux Desktop 9 Learning Center". This is an online tutorial focusing on Novell/SUSE Linux system administration, Novell Evolution and OpenOffice.org. A nice thing about this resource is that it includes a number of tests where you can evaluate your newly gained knowledge and review the study material again, if necessary. The Novell Learning Center requires a browser with a pre-configured Flash plugin, but otherwise it is a very well-designed study guide. Access to both of the above resources requires registration. For more information and links to the above-mentioned resources please visit Training for Novell Linux Desktop 9.
 Steve Langasek has published an update about the upcoming release of Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 "Sarge". Although the target date is still 30th May, a very big "but" can now be sensed from the message: "Unfortunately, due to a number of RC bugs that were found after the freeze announcement, even though we've closed out about 50 RC bugs with your help during these past two weeks, the net count is only down by about 30." The message concludes that "if everything goes well, we'll be ready to release at the end of the month. If everything *doesn't* go well, then we're hopefully looking at the first weekend in June instead." Read the full mailing list post here.
|
| Featured distribution of the week: PHLAK |
PHLAK
PHLAK, which is an acronym for Professional Hacker's Linux Assault Kit, is a Morphix-derived live CD with a twist - it includes a large number of specialist tools for conducting security analysis, penetration testing, forensics, and security auditing of hard disks. As such, this is a very useful CD to carry around if you administer computer systems, irrespective of the operating system used. But even if you don't, PHLAK is a well-designed and fun distribution, with one of the best and most comprehensive collection of security-related documentation around.
By default PHLAK boots into a full graphical desktop with XFce, while Fluxbox and XPde (a Windows-like desktop called "Sneaky" in PHLAK) desktops are also available. Once the CD is fully booted, you can start investigating the amazing range of security tools on offer. There are just too many to mention them all individually, but you can find a categorised list on this page. The project's web site also maintains an alphabetical listing of Linux tools and Windows Tools. PHLAK also comes with two graphical system administration utilities - the "PHLAK Control Panel" makes it easy to modify some of the common system settings, while the "PHLAK Security Panel" provides links for starting and stopping network, firewall, web and SSH servers, as well as several other services.
PHLAK is a brainchild of James Hartman. The live CD, which can also be installed on a hard disk, is available either as a free download or as an inexpensive official CD image. The project's web site saw an explosion of traffic after it had been mentioned on TechTV's Screensavers (video presentations are available for viewing). As a result, it has become a very popular project with a highly active and friendly user forum where help is never far away. For more information, screenshots, and educational security discussions, please visit PHLAK.org.
PHLAK - a live CD with a large collection of security-related tools and excellent documentation
(full image size: 475kB)
|
| Released Last Week |
Zen Linux 1.2
Zen Linux 1.2 has been released: "We have something really special for you this time around. A lot of work has been put into creating a highly stable release. New frameworks have been added and we have the beginning of our GUI tools! We have a very intelligent GUI framework as well as a full Debian menu system integration! Also included are the very latest GNOME, KDE, XFce, and even Enlightenment DR17! This release adds a few new flavors to the official ISO set for your enjoyment." Read the rest of the release announcement for more information.
knopILS 0.8
The knopILS live CD is an Italian edition of KNOPPIX, complete with support for the Italian language. Version 0.8 has been released. The most important improvements include the following: the software package list on the live CD has been synchronised with that on KNOPPIX 3.8; the original hard disk installation program by Fabian Franz has been replaced with a new installer developed by the KANOTIX project; several new applications have been added to the CD, including KStars and ClamAV. See the complete changelog on the project's home page (in Italian) for more details.
Puppy Linux 1.0.2
Puppy Linux has been updated to version 1.0.2. From the release notes: "The main news for this release is the migration from the 2.4 kernel to the 2.6 series, specifically 2.6.11.7. A lot of under-the-hood work went into achieving this. I have upgraded AbiWord to 2.2.7. There are significant improvements, including improved stability, better MS Word import, and text flow around images. I have also included more plugins: import/export AbiWord documents compressed with bzip2, xsl-fo files, XHTML/HTML, WMF image support, and embedded editing of images (using mtPaint). The install-to-hard-drive script previously only created a boot floppy, but now GRUB installation on the hard drive is an option....
PaiPix 3.8
PaiPix is a multi-lingual KNOPPIX-based live DVD. Version 3.8 has been released with the following major changes: "Based on Knoppix 3.8, including kernel 2.6.11. It uses the Unionfs file system that mounts the DVD image in read-write mode. Using this feature, PAIPIX can run your 3D-enabled drivers for ATI or NVIDIA cards. Just use 'knoppix install=ati' or 'knoppix install=nvidia' as boot option and run the FlightGear simulator (fgfs) to see the new fantastic 3D support in Linux." Full details can be read in the release page.
StartCom Enterprise Linux 4.0.0
StartCom Enterprise Linux 4.0.0 has been released: "After the successful distribution of the StartCom Linux 3.0.x series last year, StartCom Ltd. continues its efforts to provide free and open source operating systems based on Red Hat's Enterprise source code. Version 4.0.0 features the new 2.6 kernel infrastructure with better and more drivers supported, multi-core and hyperthreaded CPUs support to mention only a few. The improved storage and file system capabilities now use Logical Volume Management (LVM) as the default installation option. Also the desktop environment offers new enhancements providing a feature-rich, easy-to-use application pool, such as Firefox, Evolution and OpenOffice.org." Read the rest of the release announcement.
OpenBSD 3.7
OpenBSD 3.7 has been released: "We are pleased to announce the official release of OpenBSD 3.7. This is our 17th release on CD-ROM (and 18th 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, 3.7 provides significant improvements, including new features, in nearly all areas of the system. New platforms: OpenBSD/zaurus - expanding the arm porting effort by supporting the Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000, bringing a secure ssh-capable machine to your pocket; OpenBSD/sgi - starting out support with the SGI O2 machines." Full details can be found in the release announcement, OpenBSD 3.7 page, and changelog.
Kate OS 2.01
The developers of Kate OS have released an updated version of their distribution: "Kate 2.01 contains many fixes and updates in comparison to Kate 2.0. The installation on SATA hard drives does not make a problem any more. A possibility to choose localization in Polish and German languages has been added. Kate OS contains updated versions of the XFce environment and ppp package, which now includes ATM support created to simplify the installation of 'Neostrada' on some modems. New version of system has been supplied with kpmtool (Kate OS Package Manager) which enables package management in graphical environment. From version 2.01, Kate OS supports remote system actualization." Read more in the release announcement on the project's home page.
* * * * *
Development and unannounced releases
PC-BSD 0.7 - installing and uninstalling applications has never been easier on any BSD operating system
(full image size: 182kB)
|
| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
KNOPPIX 3.9 and 4.0
Klaus Knopper has announced that work is now progressing towards KNOPPIX 4.0, a new series of the popular Linux live CD. This will be split into two editions - "Light CD" and "Maxi DVD". The "Light CD" edition will effectively be a continuation of the current 3.x series with a collection of commonly used desktop applications, but without development software. On the other hand, the "Maxi DVD" edition will come with "everything that's useful and exciting in GNU/Linux (including more supported languages)". Here are the upcoming plans: "For the first regular DVD edition of Knoppix 4.0, I'm planning to press a limited amount of manufactured DVDs again soon, hopefully in time for LinuxTag 2005 (23 - 25 June 2005), which should contain the upcoming Knoppix 3.9 stuff plus a lot of more GNU/Linux software. A few weeks later (giving the CD distributors some time to get hold of a few copies), the DVD image will also be available on selected mirrors." Read this mailing list post for more information.
* * * * *
Summary of expected upcoming releases
|
| Web Site News |
New distribution additions
- Muriqui Linux. Muriqui Linux is a Brazilian Debian-based Linux distribution incorporating the easy-to-use Anaconda graphical installer from Progeny. A special feature of this distribution is the option to install a Diskless Remote Boot Server (DRBS) automatically during the installation procedure. The principal aim of this effort is to provide a distribution specially adapted to educational environments in Brazil where the use of diskless stations for digital inclusion is growing fast and becoming a standard. The distribution has been tested in a group of "telecentres" in the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil, with excellent results.
- Ufficio Zero. Ufficio Zero is a live Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It is completely translated into Italian and customised for users new to Linux. The included software set targets office environments.
* * * * *
New on the waiting list
- SLYNUX. SLYNUX is a user friendly GNU/Linux operating system for beginners. It can be run completely from CD without installation, but there is also an option to install it to hard disk. The main feature of this operating system is that any person who is familiar with Microsoft Windows can handle this operating system very easily. SLYNUX is based on Debian GNU/Linux and KNOPPIX.
- Xenophilia. Xenophilia is a Linux distribution that is based around Xen, a high performance virtualization system for x86 machines. Xenophilia is a derivative of Debian GNU/Linux and uses the new Debian installer to install its packages. The goal of the project is to make Xen virtualization technologies easy to setup and use, and to allow even inexperienced users to gain access to a configured Xen system.
* * * * *
DistroWatch database summary
- Number of Linux distributions in the database: 408
- Number of BSD distributions in the database: 11
- Number of discontinued distributions: 52
- Number of distributions on the waiting list: 116
|
| Open Source Applications (by Robert Storey) |
Darik's Boot and Nuke
Nuclear war would really set back cable.
-- Ted Turner
Despite the attention-grabbing name, Darik's Boot and Nuke (also known by its acronym DBAN) has nothing to do with nuclear Armageddon. Rather, this Linux-based utility is all about "nuking" (more commonly called "wiping") old unneeded data from your hard drive.
Why, you may ask, does anybody need to "wipe" data? Isn't it enough to "delete" data? And what, in fact, is the difference between "wipe" and "delete"?
To answer these pertinent questions, let's look at an example. Everyday, my mailbox fills up with numerous offers to purchase mail-order Viagra, opportunities to "make money fast", "lose weight now" and help some poor deposed dictator's son move US$10 million of ill-gotten wealth into a Swiss bank account (for which I will receive a 20% commission). Like most people with an IQ over 40, whenever I receive one of these messages, I immediately click on the Delete button (which in fact doesn't delete anything - it's really a GUI front-end for the Unix "mv" command) which moves the unwanted message file into the Trash folder. Sooner or later, I will click on the Empty Trash menu (a front-end for "rm"), and send those odious bits and bites into digital oblivion.
Not! As it turns out, the rm command doesn't really obliterate the data, but simply declares it "unallocated" space. The file name of that email message appears to be gone - you won't find it with the ls command, but the actual data still exists and can even be recovered with specialized software. Of course, now that the space has been declared unallocated, it's possible (indeed, probable) that it will soon be overwritten by new data. And when it's overwritten, it's irrevocably gone for good, right?
If only. One of the more amazing facts I've recently learned is that permanently deleting (that is, nuking) data is far more difficult than it seems. True, once you've deleted a file, getting it back won't be trivial but it's doable with specialized software. And even after the data gets overwritten several times, it usually can still be recovered with a technique called Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) which employs a customized electron microscope. This equipment, which was once ridiculously expensive, has fallen so far in price that nowadays almost any enthusiastic nerd can afford it.
You can go to this web site for an explicitly detailed explanation of how this all works. In a nutshell, overwriting your discarded data once will make it very difficult to recover with standard software tools, but it takes at least seven overwrites to be sure that an electron microscope won't be able to recover the forbidden files.
This raises another question - why should you be concerned about making delete unrecoverable? Aside from melodramatic situations (you work for the CIA or you've had contact with Martians), there are two realistic scenarios that you should consider:
1) You've got personal data that someone could use for nefarious ends.
2) Somebody else has put data on your hard drive, which could get you into trouble.
In scenario No. 1 consider the case where you've decided to donate your old aging computer to the local high school. You're cautious, so you delete all of your personal files and reformat the hard drive. Then, to your chagrin, some whiz kid in the school lab figures out how to recover your love letters, credit card numbers, and naughty digital photos from last year's summer vacation, and turns it all into a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Things could be even worse if the donated computer was used in a commercial environment, and thus has customers' private and confidential data as well (does the word "lawsuit" get your attention?).
Scenario No. 2 could be even more wicked. Consider the real-life story of Jack, a Mitsubishi computer engineer falsely accused and convicted of being a net paedophile because of files that were put on his second-hand machine by someone else. Anyone who runs a server must be particularly concerned about security compromises that result in script kiddies storing warez, spyware, p0rn and other execrable data on your hard drive without your knowledge or consent.
Which is where Darik's Boot and Nuke comes in. DBAN does just one thing but does it well - it completely scrubs your hard drive clean, overwriting the platters with random data until not even the best secret agent's tools can retrieve it. DBAN works on both IDE and SCSI hard drives, but not on USB or Firewire devices, nor any kind of removable media like Zip disks (remember those?). At present, it's only compiled for 32-bit x86 computers.
There is nothing to install. DBAN is available as a bootable floppy disk image or CD ISO file from here. Just boot your machine with the disk and you'll be greeted by self-explanatory ncurses-style menus. You can choose to wipe individual partitions or the entire hard drive. You also have control over wiping methods - the default is DoD Short (three passes), but the more paranoid should go for DoD 5220-22.M (seven passes). If you really do work for the CIA or the Martians, then perhaps you should use the Gutman Wipe (35 passes).
As for how long this all takes, that depends on the size and speed of your hard drive, as well as how many passes you command DBAN to execute. On my 40GB hard drive, DoD Short (three passes) took 1.5 hours. Your mileage may vary.
You might think that DBAN is overkill - and perhaps for your needs, it is. If all you want to do is simply nuke the occasional nasty file, your requirements might be better served by the wipe utility. Also well worth exploring are Thomas Greene's Linux Wipe Tools. Be aware that journaling filesystems such as ext3, ReiserFS and XFS make it much less certain that these wipe tools will fully eradicate the data. The only way to completely avoid this issue on Linux is to use ext2, which is a sacrifice that few will choose to make. However, DBAN is immune to this problem since it scrubs the entire hard disk, journal and all.
Once you have successfully purged all of your unloved data with DBAN, consider the merits of using some sort of data encryption system such as Loop-AES. Remember, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
* * * * *
That's all for today. We hope that you enjoyed this week's DistroWatch Weekly!
Ladislav Bodnar
|
|
| Tip Jar |
If you've enjoyed this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, please consider sending us a tip.
(Tips this week: 0, value: US$0.00) |
|
|
|
 bc1qxes3k2wq3uqzr074tkwwjmwfe63z70gwzfu4lx  lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7ampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7tnhv4kxctttdehhwm30d3h82unvwqhhxarpw3jkc7tzw4ex6cfexyfua2nr  86fA3qPTeQtNb2k1vLwEQaAp3XxkvvvXt69gSG5LGunXXikK9koPWZaRQgfFPBPWhMgXjPjccy9LA9xRFchPWQAnPvxh5Le paypal.me/distrowatchweekly • patreon.com/distrowatch |
|
| Extended Lifecycle Support by TuxCare |
|
|
|
| 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.
|
| *NEW* NovaCustom |
NovaCustom PrivacyGuard Laptops - Escape from Big Tech
The NovaCustom PrivacyGuard Laptop is ideal for anyone who prioritizes privacy. Comes with Dasharo coreboot open source firmware and Zorin OS Pro, free from influence of Big Tech.
|
| Archives |
| • Issue 1169 (2026-04-20): Lakka 6.1, free software and source-based distributions, FreeBSD Foundation publishes compatible laptop list, Debian holds Project Leader election, Haiku progresses ARM64 port, Mint to extend development cycle, Linux 7.0 released |
| • Issue 1168 (2026-04-13): pearOS 2026.03, EndeavourOS 2026.03.06, which distros are adopting age verification, Arch adjusts its firewall packages, Linux dropping i486 support, Red Hat extends its release cycle, Debian's APT introduces rollbacks, Redox improves its scheduler |
| • Issue 1167 (2026-04-06): Origami Linux 2026.03, answering questions for Linux newcomers, Ubuntu MATE seeking new contributors, Ubuntu software centre is expanding Deb support, FreeBSD fixes forum exploit, openSUSE 15 Leap nears its end of life |
| • Issue 1166 (2026-03-30): NetBSD jails, publishing software for Linux, Ubuntu joins Rust Foundation, Canonical plans to trim GRUB features, Peppermint works on new utilities, PINE64 shows off open hardware capabilities |
| • Issue 1165 (2026-03-23): Argent Linux 1.5.3, disk space required by Linux, Manjaro team goes on strike, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA driver support and builds RISC-V packages, systemd introduces age tracking |
| • Issue 1164 (2026-03-16): d77void, age verification laws and Linux, SUSE may be for sale, TrueNAS takes its build system private, Debian publishes updated Trixie media, MidnightBSD and System76 respond to age verification laws |
| • Issue 1163 (2026-03-09): KaOS 2026.02, TinyCore 17.0, NuTyX 26.02.2, Would one big collection of packages help?, Guix offers 64-bit Hurd options, Linux communities discuss age delcaration laws, Mint unveils new screensaver for Cinnamon, Redox ports new COSMIC features |
| • Issue 1162 (2026-03-02): AerynOS 2026.01, anti-virus and firewall tools, Manjaro fixes website certificate, Ubuntu splits firmware package, jails for NetBSD, extended support for some Linux kernel releases, Murena creating a map app |
| • Issue 1161 (2026-02-23): The Guix package manager, quick Q&As, Gentoo migrating its mirrors, Fedora considers more informative kernel panic screens, GhostBSD testing alternative X11 implementation, Asahi makes progress with Apple M3, NetBSD userland ported, FreeBSD improves web-based system management |
| • Issue 1160 (2026-02-16): Noid and AgarimOS, command line tips, KDE Linux introduces delta updates, Redox OS hits development milestone, Linux Mint develops a desktop-neutral account manager, sudo developer seeks sponsorship |
| • Issue 1159 (2026-02-09): Sharing files on a network, isolating processes on Linux, LFS to focus on systemd, openSUSE polishes atomic updates, NetBSD not likely to adopt Rust code, COSMIC roadmap |
| • Issue 1158 (2026-02-02): Manjaro 26.0, fastest filesystem, postmarketOS progress report, Xfce begins developing its own Wayland window manager, Bazzite founder interviewed |
| • Issue 1157 (2026-01-26): Setting up a home server, what happened to convergence, malicious software entering the Snap store, postmarketOS automates hardware tests, KDE's login manager works with systemd only |
| • Issue 1156 (2026-01-19): Chimera Linux's new installer, using the DistroWatch Torrent Corner, new package tools for Arch, Haiku improves EFI support, Redcore streamlines branches, Synex introduces install-time ZFS options |
| • Issue 1155 (2026-01-12): MenuetOS, CDE on Sparky, iDeal OS 2025.12.07, recommended flavour of BSD, Debian seeks new Data Protection Team, Ubuntu 25.04 nears its end of life, Google limits Android source code releases, Fedora plans to replace SDDM, Budgie migrates to Wayland |
| • Issue 1154 (2026-01-05): postmarketOS 25.06/25.12, switching to Linux and educational resources, FreeBSD improving laptop support, Unix v4 available for download, new X11 server in development, CachyOS team plans server edtion |
| • Issue 1153 (2025-12-22): Best projects of 2025, is software ever truly finished?, Firefox to adopt AI components, Asahi works on improving the install experience, Mageia presents plans for version 10 |
| • Issue 1152 (2025-12-15): OpenBSD 7.8, filtering websites, Jolla working on a Linux phone, Germany saves money with Linux, Ubuntu to package AMD tools, Fedora demonstrates AI troubleshooting, Haiku packages Go language |
| • Issue 1151 (2025-12-08): FreeBSD 15.0, fun command line tricks, Canonical presents plans for Ubutnu 26.04, SparkyLinux updates CDE packages, Redox OS gets modesetting driver |
| • Issue 1150 (2025-12-01): Gnoppix 25_10, exploring if distributions matter, openSUSE updates tumbleweed's boot loader, Fedora plans better handling of broken packages, Plasma to become Wayland-only, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1149 (2025-11-24): MX Linux 25, why are video drivers special, systemd experiments with musl, Debian Libre Live publishes new media, Xubuntu reviews website hack |
| • Issue 1148 (2025-11-17): Zorin OS 18, deleting a file with an unusual name, NetBSD experiments with sandboxing, postmarketOS unifies its documentation, OpenBSD refines upgrades, Canonical offers 15 years of support for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1147 (2025-11-10): Fedora 43, the size and stability of the Linux kernel, Debian introducing Rust to APT, Redox ports web engine, Kubuntu website off-line, Mint creates new troubleshooting tools, FreeBSD improves reproducible builds, Flatpak development resumes |
| • Issue 1146 (2025-11-03): StartOS 0.4.0, testing piped commands, Ubuntu Unity seeks help, Canonical offers Ubuntu credentials, Red Hat partners with NVIDIA, SUSE to bundle AI agent with SLE 16 |
| • Issue 1145 (2025-10-27): Linux Mint 7 "LMDE", advice for new Linux users, AlmaLinux to offer Btrfs, KDE launches Plasma 6.5, Fedora accepts contributions written by AI, Ubuntu 25.10 fails to install automatic updates |
| • Issue 1144 (2025-10-20): Kubuntu 25.10, creating and restoring encrypted backups, Fedora team debates AI, FSF plans free software for phones, ReactOS addresses newer drivers, Xubuntu reacts to website attack |
| • Issue 1143 (2025-10-13): openSUSE 16.0 Leap, safest source for new applications, Redox introduces performance improvements, TrueNAS Connect available for testing, Flatpaks do not work on Ubuntu 25.10, Kamarada plans to switch its base, Solus enters new epoch, Frugalware discontinued |
| • Issue 1142 (2025-10-06): Linux Kamarada 15.6, managing ZIP files with SQLite, F-Droid warns of impact of Android lockdown, Alpine moves ahead with merged /usr, Cinnamon gets a redesigned application menu |
| • Issue 1141 (2025-09-29): KDE Linux and GNOME OS, finding mobile flavours of Linux, Murena to offer phones with kill switches, Redox OS running on a smartphone, Artix drops GNOME |
| • Issue 1140 (2025-09-22): NetBSD 10.1, avoiding AI services, AlmaLinux enables CRB repository, Haiku improves disk access performance, Mageia addresses service outage, GNOME 49 released, Linux introduces multikernel support |
| • Issue 1139 (2025-09-15): EasyOS 7.0, Linux and central authority, FreeBSD running Plasma 6 on Wayland, GNOME restores X11 support temporarily, openSUSE dropping BCacheFS in new kernels |
| • Issue 1138 (2025-09-08): Shebang 25.8, LibreELEC 12.2.0, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, the importance of software updates, AerynOS introduces package sets, postmarketOS encourages patching upstream, openSUSE extends Leap support, Debian refreshes Trixie media |
| • Issue 1137 (2025-09-01): Tribblix 0m37, malware scanners flagging Linux ISO files, KDE introduces first-run setup wizard, CalyxOS plans update prior to infrastructure overhaul, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1136 (2025-08-25): CalyxOS 6.8.20, distros for running containers, Arch Linux website under attack,illumos Cafe launched, CachyOS creates web dashboard for repositories |
| • Issue 1135 (2025-08-18): Debian 13, Proton, WINE, Wayland, and Wayback, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, KDE gets advanced Liquid Glass, Haiku improves authentication tools |
| • Issue 1134 (2025-08-11): Rhino Linux 2025.3, thoughts on malware in the AUR, Fedora brings hammered websites back on-line, NetBSD reveals features for version 11, Ubuntu swaps some command line tools for 25.10, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA support |
| • Issue 1133 (2025-08-04): Expirion Linux 6.0, running Plasma on Linux Mint, finding distros which support X11, Debian addresses 22 year old bug, FreeBSD discusses potential issues with pkgbase, CDE ported to OpenBSD, Btrfs corruption bug hitting Fedora users, more malware found in Arch User Repository |
| • Issue 1132 (2025-07-28): deepin 25, wars in the open source community, proposal to have Fedora enable Flathub repository, FreeBSD plans desktop install option, Wayback gets its first release |
| • Issue 1131 (2025-07-21): HeliumOS 10.0, settling on one distro, Mint plans new releases, Arch discovers malware in AUR, Plasma Bigscreen returns, Clear Linux discontinued |
| • Issue 1130 (2025-07-14): openSUSE MicroOS and RefreshOS, sharing aliases between computers, Bazzite makes Bazaar its default Flatpak store, Alpine plans Wayback release, Wayland and X11 benchmarked, Red Hat offers additional developer licenses, openSUSE seeks feedback from ARM users, Ubuntu 24.10 reaches the end of its life |
| • Issue 1129 (2025-07-07): GLF OS Omnislash, the worst Linux distro, Alpine introduces Wayback, Fedora drops plans to stop i686 support, AlmaLinux builds EPEL repository for older CPUs, Ubuntu dropping existing RISC-V device support, Rhino partners with UBports, PCLinuxOS recovering from website outage |
| • Issue 1128 (2025-06-30): AxOS 25.06, AlmaLinux OS 10.0, transferring Flaptak bundles to off-line computers, Ubuntu to boost Intel graphics performance, Fedora considers dropping i686 packages, SDesk switches from SELinux to AppArmor |
| • Issue 1127 (2025-06-23): LastOSLinux 2025-05-25, most unique Linux distro, Haiku stabilises, KDE publishes Plasma 6.4, Arch splits Plasma packages, Slackware infrastructure migrating |
| • Issue 1126 (2025-06-16): SDesk 2025.05.06, renewed interest in Ubuntu Touch, a BASIC device running NetBSD, Ubuntu dropping X11 GNOME session, GNOME increases dependency on systemd, Google holding back Pixel source code, Nitrux changing its desktop, EFF turns 35 |
| • Issue 1125 (2025-06-09): RHEL 10, distributions likely to survive a decade, Murena partners with more hardware makers, GNOME tests its own distro on real hardware, Redox ports GTK and X11, Mint provides fingerprint authentication |
| • Issue 1124 (2025-06-02): Picking up a Pico, tips for protecting privacy, Rhino tests Plasma desktop, Arch installer supports snapshots, new features from UBports, Ubuntu tests monthly snapshots |
| • Issue 1123 (2025-05-26): CRUX 3.8, preventing a laptop from sleeping, FreeBSD improves laptop support, Fedora confirms GNOME X11 session being dropped, HardenedBSD introduces Rust in userland build, KDE developing a virtual machine manager |
| • Issue 1122 (2025-05-19): GoboLinux 017.01, RHEL 10.0 and Debian 12 updates, openSUSE retires YaST, running X11 apps on Wayland |
| • Issue 1121 (2025-05-12): Bluefin 41, custom file manager actions, openSUSE joins End of 10 while dropping Deepin desktop, Fedora offers tips for building atomic distros, Ubuntu considers replacing sudo with sudo-rs |
| • Issue 1120 (2025-05-05): CachyOS 250330, what it means when a distro breaks, Kali updates repository key, Trinity receives an update, UBports tests directory encryption, Gentoo faces losing key infrastructure |
| • Issue 1119 (2025-04-28): Ubuntu MATE 25.04, what is missing from Linux, CachyOS ships OCCT, Debian enters soft freeze, Fedora discusses removing X11 session from GNOME, Murena plans business services, NetBSD on a Wii |
| • Issue 1118 (2025-04-21): Fedora 42, strange characters in Vim, Nitrux introduces new package tools, Fedora extends reproducibility efforts, PINE64 updates multiple devices running Debian |
| • 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.
|
| Random Distribution | 
SquiggleOS
SquiggleOS was a Linux distribution built from publicly available open source packages provided by Linspire, a prominent North American Linux vendor. SquiggleOS conforms fully with the upstream vendor's redistribution policies and aims to be 100% binary compatible. SquiggleOS mainly changes packages to remove upstream vendor branding and artwork.
Status: Discontinued
|
| 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.
|
|
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
