 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 142, 13 March 2006 |
Welcome to this year's 11th issue of DistroWatch Weekly. "I've tried about 100 different distros over the past two years and can honestly say I've never seen anything as spectacular as Kororaa Xgl," mused one excited user in an online forum. Yes, Kororaa, a little-known Gentoo-based distribution, stole the spotlight last week after the release of a live CD featuring Novell's amazing Xgl technology; we asked one of the distribution's developers to tell us more about the project. In other news, Fedora and Ubuntu delay releases, CeBIT visitors share KNOPPIX 5.0 torrents, a project builds a live DVD that boots several Linux distributions, and two articles teach the basics of Solaris. Also in this issue: a special report that looks at the growing acceptance of Linux in schools. Happy reading!
 Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in ogg (10.9MB) or mp3 (13.3MB) format (courtesy of Shawn Milo).
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
Content:
- News: Fedora and Ubuntu delays, KNOPPIX 5.0 torrents, a custom DVD that boots several distributions, an introduction to Solaris
- Special report: Linux in education
- Interview: Chris Smart, Kororaa Project
- Released last week
- Upcoming releases: Xandros Desktop 4, OpenBSD 3.9, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
- New additions: AliXe, FreeNAS, nUbuntu, OliveBSD, Tuquito, VideoLinux
- New distributions: A.M.I.C.U.S., Genesis Server, Kwort Linux, Myrinix, RemoLiveCD, Tomahawk Desktop, Trisquel GNU/Linux
- Reader comments
Miscellaneous news: Fedora and Ubuntu delays, KNOPPIX 5.0 torrents, a custom DVD that boots several distributions, an introduction to Solaris
 Let's start with news that won't please those Linux users who are impatiently waiting for the upcoming round of distribution releases. As reported on the Fedora announce mailing list, the highly anticipated release of Fedora Core 5 has been delayed by several days and is now expected on Monday, 20 March: "Due to circumstances outside of our control, we're going to be unable to keep to the scheduled date of March 15th for the release of FC5 and instead are going to have to make the release date Monday, March 20th." In related news, Mark Shuttleworth has proposed that Ubuntu Linux 6.04, scheduled for release on April 20th, be postponed by six weeks. With SUSE Linux already experiencing considerable delays, it seems that none of the big three distributions are able to adhere to their original release plans!
 It's not all bad news though, especially if you are a KNOPPIX user. The project's special edition of its brand new version 5.0, designed for the ongoing CeBIT exhibition (9 - 15 March) in Hannover, is now available for download via BitTorrent. The English version of the live DVD can be obtained from LinuxTracker.org, while the German edition is ready for download from Kurz.net. The 3.88 GB KNOPPIX 5.0 DVD is based on kernel 2.6.15.4, with X.Org 6.9.0, KDE 3.5.1, GNOME 2.12, OpenOffice.org 2.0.1 and many up-to-date applications. A public release of KNOPPIX 5.0 is not expected to be available for at least two weeks after the end of CeBIT.
Have you ever thought about designing a custom live DVD that could boot a number of live Linux distributions? If so, here is more great news: the good folks at Nautopia.net have devised a script that can do just that. Although the accompanying article explaining the process is in Spanish, the included screenshots make it fairly self-explanatory even if you don't understand the language. All you need to do is to download the ISO images of those distributions that you'd like to have on the live DVD, place them into correct directories, set up GRUB's menu.lst, and execute a script. If done correctly, you should end up with a highly useful DVD that can boot a good number of popular Linux distributions. Among the many supported live CDs are ADIOS, Basilisk, Gnoppix, INSERT, KNOPPIX, LiVux, SimplyMEPIS, ProMEPIS, SLAX, Aurox, Berry, KANOTIX, Kurumin, Mandrake Move, PCLinuxOS, R.I.P. and SystemRescueCd.
 The latest version of Yellow Dog Linux, a specialist distribution for the PowerPC processors, has been released to public mirrors. Version 4.1 was originally announced on 5 January 2006 and was made available to members of YDL.net Enhanced and later also for online purchase (from US$59.95). After the usual delay, the new version has now been released for free download. Yellow Dog Linux 4.1 is built on top of kernel 2.6.15 and contains 4 CDs worth of software, including X.Org 6.8.2, KDE 3.4.2, GNOME 2.12, Firefox 1.5 and OpenOffice.org 1.1.2. Read the original release announcement for more information.
 Finally, a couple of valuable links for those of you who would like to expand your horizons and learn more about Solaris. With Sun Microsystem's famous operating system now essentially free in both senses of the word, and with a community of users and developers starting to build around the project, this should be a perfect time to become more fluent in this powerful UNIX. The Accelerated Introduction to Solaris Part 1 and Part 2 will give you a decent overview on the operating system's file system layout, automounter, sudo, disk and device management, networking, software RAID and other essential topics. Well worth spending a few hours getting familiar with Solaris - you never know when you will need it!
* * * * *
Special report: Linux in education
 Recently, I was invited to visit an elementary school. Under normal circumstances I doubt that I would be very excited to go to one of those large grey buildings that provide daily refuge for hundreds of noisy children. But after climbing up to the 4th floor of Da Feng, an elementary school on the outskirts of Taipei, I found that the view from up there was different. In one of the computer labs tucked away at the end of the long corridor, I stared with amazement at a class of 10-year old girls and boys who were in the process of configuring the Thunderbird mail client. The operating system? Fedora Core 3.
Disturbed by the sudden presence of a "tall foreigner", the kids momentarily lost concentration. Luckily, the experienced teacher seemed unfased by the ensuing hubbub, quickly restoring order and diverting the children's attention back to their monitors. It was then that I found myself examining the setup of the classroom equipped with some 40 diskless clients, then watched the pupils perform basic computer tasks. Without realising that their computers had no hard disks, the children were seamlessly accessing applications and files on the central server. Besides configuring Thunderbird, the curriculum also included other essential computer tasks, such as using Firefox to find information on the Internet or writing simple documents in OpenOffice.org.
Da Feng was the first school in Taipei County to switch their computer labs to Linux. The reasons were rather pragmatic - the teachers were growing tired of having to waste so much of their valuable time maintaining virus and malware ridden Windows boxes. This, combined with their enthusiasm for open source software, gave them the idea to try and teach computer classes on Linux. After all, the tasks which the 9 - 12 year old children were to learn could easily be accomplished on any modern Linux distribution.
The experiment started in late 2001. The teachers faced several obstacles, such as lack of textbooks, opposition of parents (why would the school want to teach an operating system that "nobody uses"?), and staff retraining. But the teachers persisted. Instead of books, they wrote their own teaching material, which they printed out and distributed among the pupils. The parents soon accepted the decision too - that's after the teachers explained the value of software that is free of licensing costs. Yes, most of the kids continue to use their Windows computers at home, but by having been exposed to Linux, they have at least become aware of a real alternative.
The teachers did not stop at passing on their knowledge to students. Soon after they set up a successful teaching routine, they began inviting computer teachers from neighbouring schools with whom they shared their experiences. They demonstrated that maintaining 100+ computers could be as simple as maintaining three or four - if something goes wrong, all they need to do is to fix the server! As a result of sharing ideas, Taipei county now has not one, but five Linux schools - three elementary schools and two middle schools. In fact, according to one of the teachers I spoke to, Microsoft has since reduced their licensing fees for primary schools to a symbolic sum of about US$3 per seat - that's for a software bundle consisting of Windows XP and Office XP! Unluckily for them, not even this huge concession was able to save the fate of Windows at Da Feng and four other schools!
The brief visit gave me renewed hope that things are moving in the right direction, after all. Although schools like Da Feng are still rare on this island, they do exist. Perhaps more amazingly, they exist not because of central legislation or some cost reduction exercise - they exist because of enthusiasm and knowledge of ordinary teachers who have set out to prove that Linux and other open source software are a legitimate way to empower their students and provide them with a better, safer alternative. Let's hope that the few early seeds that exist today will eventually grow into a large tree bearing the fruit of software freedom in every single school, in every single country.
Planting a seed at a young age: a 10-year old pupil at Da Feng configures email client on Fedora Core.
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| Interview with Chris Smart, Kororaa Project |
Interview with Chris Smart, Kororaa Project
 Few Linux live CDs have disturbed the Linux distribution scene as much the new Kororaa Xgl. Just to illustrate the awesome effect it had on some of the users who tried it, here is a quote as published by Groklaw.net: "I've tried about 100 different distros over the past 2 years and can honestly say I've never seen anything on a PC as spectacular as Kororaa Xgl. It makes the hair on my neck stand up. It's that good. I'm like a kid who's found the keys to the local sweet shop, I just can't leave it alone."
Up until last week, Kororaa was a little-known distribution - a decent alternative of installing Gentoo Linux on one's hard disk, but otherwise nothing too exciting to write home about. Then all of a sudden, Kororaa shot to fame. Chris Smart (on the right) and Matthew Oliver, the two developers of the project, have released a live CD that integrates Xgl and Compiz with the proprietary NVIDIA and ATI graphics driver to create what is possibly the world's most spectacular Linux live CD. The stunning 3D effects combined with the fact that Kororaa Xgl has been pre-configured to work without any user intervention was an instant success.
We have asked Chris Smart a few questions about the project.
DW: Chris, thank you very much for your time. Let's start with the usual: can you tell us about yourself? How old are you, where do you live, what do you do for living?
CS: It's a real pleasure since I'm a big fan of DistroWatch! Well, my name is Chris Smart and I am 25 years old. I live in Canberra (the capital of Australia, not Sydney!). I am an IT manager running a small computer firm here in the capital.
DW: When did you start using Linux and why?
CS: The two most influential "Linux" people in my life were Alfred Reynolds (writer of 'adminmod' for Half-Life) whom I worked with, and the great Andrew Tridgell (does he need an introduction?) who was working in the same building as me. Alfred used Linux on his desktop and I was sucked in by the "cool" factor. Tridge got me setup with Red Hat 5.1 and fixed my XFree86 config for me. What else can I say? I simply fell in love with Linux.
DW: Since Kororaa is based on Gentoo, you are probably a big fan of the most popular source-based distribution. What attracted you to Gentoo? Have you thought about switching to another distribution? Have you tried other distributions?
CS: Oh boy! Gentoo is truly one of the great loves of my life (after Jesus, my family, and then Linux itself). I tried each and every distro out there I could find. You will probably remember the joys of binary distros back in the day, a little thing called RPM hell? Gentoo intrigued me and I tried version 1.1 which installed perfectly first time (are you shocked?). I learned more about Linux from Gentoo in 3 months than I ever did with other distros. I never looked back. Now that I have Kororaa I never need to look elsewhere (except to get great ideas :)!
DW: Imagine for a moment that you are in charge of the development of Gentoo. What would you change or improve and why?
CS: Gentoo has so many brilliant things about it, this is a tough one. Gentoo is all about choice and as such the only way I see that to continue is to maintain its current philosophies. I believe Gentoo just needs to keep making great tools and improving on the great things it already offers. Gentoo is amazingly flexible and I think that is its strength.
DW: Please tell us about the beginnings of Kororaa? How did it come about?
CS: I have long evangelised about Gentoo and Linux but I found that people just weren't ready to put the effort into trying something they weren't already convinced of. Especially when it's something like Gentoo that can throw lots of curve balls at you! I wanted my friends and others to experience my favourite operating system without the "stress" of it all causing them to give up. I've had the idea for Kororaa for a few years, and one day I talked to my best mate Matthew Oliver and we got started. I wanted a way I could share my love of Gentoo with others to "suck them in", if you will. I hope it's working :)
DW: Kororaa, together with other distributions, such as VLOS or RR4, have been trying to provide an easy way to install Gentoo Linux. But the latest release of Gentoo (2006.0) is, in fact, a much improved operating system - it functions as a live CD and it also has a powerful and intuitive graphical installer. Do you think there is still a reason for Kororaa and others to exist?
CS: Sure, why not! Gentoo is about choice and these other variants (shall we say) all offer something unique which may suit a particular group of people. When I first started developing Kororaa there was no "installer" for Gentoo, and I didn't realise VLOS existed. I think Kororaa is something special. We have written the installer ourselves entirely from scratch along with a useful set of tools. I'm using my Gentoo experience to make what I believe is a good Gentoo system easily accessible and take a lot of the guess work out for new users. I think the Gentoo Installer still requires a lot of Gentoo knowledge to get your system up and running, whereas you need none for Kororaa. All the best to the Gentoo devs though, I hope it really works well for them.
DW: What does the word "kororaa" mean?
CS: Glad you asked! Pronounced "Core-ror-ah", the name is actually a native word for the "Fairy Penguin" which is just the cutest little penguin and happens to be native to Australia and New Zealand. It was perfect for our project. Actually the name is a Maori word, but we Aussies like to claim anything good from New Zealand as our own. Pavlova dessert for instance, and Russell Crowe. Well, we're not too sure about Russell!
DW: What sort of feedback have you had about Kororaa so far?
CS: A few Gentoo users have said "what would I want that for?", but overall the response has been great! People who have tried Kororaa seem to have really enjoyed using it. I think the whole install experience is the best thing. I mean, Gentoo up and running in 45 min? Awesome! I really take the time to help anyone I can and to help make Kororaa better. We are building up a nice little community over at the forums :)
DW: My main complaint about Kororaa (the proper Kororaa, not the live CD) is the fact that it forces me to download two CDs. Wouldn't it be more elegant to provide just one CD with a basic system, then let the user install extra applications over the Internet?
CS: Ahh, yes. Beta1 was a single CD and it was a nice neat little package. Then users wanted package selection, then AMD64 support, then GNOME! And so I went from maintaining only one version to four! In all honesty, it just didn't fit on a single CD anymore. It seemed neat to have one universal installer, and then you just pick your architecture and GUI package CD and away you go! As for an Internet install, I wanted Kororaa to be fully installable without the Internet. We are working on an Internet install for the next release however, so stay tuned ;)
DW: Kororaa Xgl is one of the first live CDs showcasing Novell's Xgl + Compiz technology (as far as I know TrisGuel GNU/Linux, a Spanish Debian-based live CD was the first, beating you by just one day). How did you come up with the idea? How difficult was it to build the live CD?
CS: Darn! I'm in Australia so we're a day ahead of most of the world, does that help at all!?? Seriously though, that's great! The more the merrier, that's what I love about Linux. Like everyone, I had heard about this revolutionary new technology called Xgl. I looked it up and was impressed, but put it on the back burner. Then one day I was looking something to do, so I thought I'd see if I could get it working on a Gentoo box, and I did. Then I heard a voice say "make a live CD" and so I did. Gentoo is so great you can turn it into anything. Soon I had the Xgl live CD working on my NVIDIA card. I then spent a few days trying to get ATI drivers to work, but I didn't give up! Finally I was able to release it to the world. Yay! :)
Kororaa Xgl live CD provides an easy way to taste the new 3D effects.
(full image size: 385kB, resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
DW: What is your personal opinion about Xgl? Is it just eye candy or is it genuinely useful? Are you using it on a daily basis? How stable do you think it is?
CS: Personally I think Xgl is awesome. The great thing about it is not only is it pure eye candy (common, we all love eye candy!) but it's also -- wait for it -- useful! It actually DOES make your life easier. My Mac loving friends (Andrew Goodall and Sam McKeon) would say Linux is just catching up to OSX, but in this regard I think it's starting to surpass it. Of course, being open source we might start seeing some Xgl action in OSX 10.5 ;) I am a KDE person myself, so I can't wait to have KDE working in full Xgl glory. Oh boy, that will be insane!
As for stability, there appears to be a number of bugs in Xgl when used with particular cards. I'm not sure if this is an Xgl compatibility issue or a driver issue. I haven't had any issues with my NVIDIA-based card, but decent ATI support seems to be lacking somewhat. Having said that, I believe Xgl is quite stable enough for everyday use, so long as you're willing to put up with a few glitches here and there and perhaps update from CVS from time to time.
DW: How many developers work on Kororaa?
CS: Well, it's just Matt and I. (That was an easy question!)
DW: What are the future plans for your project?
CS: Well, now that I've spent a week of development time building an Xgl live CD (opps!), it's back to the improvements for the next release. I have a list of about 50 that we're working on at the moment. Long term I would love for Kororaa to become the first choice when wanting to install a binary Gentoo distribution, but we'll just have to wait and see. And of course, last but not least, to make it to the top 10 "average hits per day" on DistroWatch.com :)
DW: Chris, thank you very much and good luck with your project!
CS: No, thank you! The pleasure is all mine.
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| Released Last Week |
ASP Linux 11
ASP Linux 11 has been released. Some of the more prominent features of the new version include: simplicity - all the necessary applications are included and ready for use without any further configuration, irrespective of the purpose of the system; convenience - the presence of graphical configuration tools makes it easy to modify system settings, install and remove software, etc.; broad multimedia support, including out-of-the box support for all popular video formats and availability of proprietary video drivers. ASP Linux ships with kernel 2.6.14, KDE 3.5.0, GNOME 2.12, Firefox 1.5 and Evolution 2.4.1. For more information please read the release announcement (in Russian).
Helix 1.7 (03-07-2006)
An updated release of Helix 1.7, a KNOPPIX-based live CD dedicated to incident response and forensics is available: "A new version of Helix has been released to the mirrors for your testing and use." From the changelog: "Updated 2.6.14 kernel; updated Firefox to 1.5.0.1, dcfldd to 1.3.4, md5deep suite to 1.10, ClamAV to 0.88.1, PyFlag to 0.80, EnCase Linen to 5.04; updated and fixed boot time help code and GRUB options...." Visit the project's home page to read the release announcement and to learn more about the distribution.
Kororaa Xgl Live CD 0.1
The Kororaa project has released a live CD demonstrating the new Xgl technology for 3D window manipulation and other unusual effects: "Today I am happy to release a Kororaa live CD showcasing Xgl technology. If you would like to find out what it's all about, then download the CD and boot up your PC! The Live CD comes with X.Org 7.0, GNOME 2.12.2, 3D support and of course Xgl. Supported drivers are 'nvidia' (NVIDIA) and 'fglrx' (ATI). Minimum recommended configuration is Pentium 3 with NVIDIA GeForce video card." Find more details on the project's home and download pages.
Pie Box Enterprise Linux 4 Update 3
The third update of Pie Box Enterprise Linux 4 has been released: "Update 3 of Pie Box Enterprise Linux 4 was made available today. This update includes the following enhancements: enhanced security including execshield updates, use of GCC FORTIFY_SOURCE build option in some package updates, SELinux policy updates, updated kernel key management support; enhanced system tools including SystemTap dynamic system instrumentation tool...." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details.
EnGarde Secure Linux 3.0.5
EnGarde Secure Linux has been updated to version 3.0.5: "Guardian Digital is happy to announce the release of EnGarde Secure Community 3.0.5. This release includes several bug fixes and feature enhancements to the Guardian Digital WebTool and the SELinux policy, several updated packages, and a couple of new packages available for installation. New features include: support for the 64bit Intel EM64T architecture,users with these machines can now use the x86_64 ISO image in full 64bit mode; the latest stable versions of Aide (0.11), GnuPG (1.4.2.2), Postfix (2.2.9), Samba (3.0.21c), and xinetd (2.3.14)...." Here is the full release announcement.
* * * * *
Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Xandros 4
According to this report at DesktopLinux.com, a new version of Xandros Desktop, a commercial Debian-based distribution for novice Linux users, is expected to be announced next month: "The Xandros spokeswoman also said the company is planning to announce an entirely new line of desktop Linux products designed for both home and business use. The announcement will be made at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in Boston next month, she said." The new release is currently undergoing intensive testing among a selected group of Linux users.
OpenBSD 3.9
The OpenBSD project has announced that version 3.9 of the security-oriented operating system will be released on May 1st, 2006. The long list of new features include extensive support for new audio cards, network cards and SATA controllers, several new tools (a re-written ftp-proxy, sdiff - a side-by-side file comparison tool, getent - a tool to get entries from the administrative databases), new functionality in ancontrol, apmd, nc, ppp, trunk and ipsecctl, and a large number of package updates. For a more detailed list of changes please see the OpenBSD 3.9 page. Pre-orders are now accepted in the project's online store (US$45.00).
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
As widely reported in the media, Novell has announced the upcoming release of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10: "At CeBIT 2006 in Hannover, Germany, Novell today unveiled its next-generation enterprise Linux desktop, delivering technology and design improvements that establish the Linux desktop as a benchmark for basic office productivity and usability." The product is a logical continuation of Novell Linux Desktop 9 released in November 2004 and rumoured to be a product that intended to kick-start the company's in-house migration from Windows desktops to Linux. For more information please read the press release and visit the product's preview pages. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is scheduled to be released in the third quarter of 2006.
* * * * *
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| DistroWatch.com News |
New distributions added to the database
- AliXe. AliXe is a SLAX-based, desktop-oriented live CD with the goal of promoting Linux among the French-speaking public of the Quebec province in Canada.
AliXe - a SLAX-based live CD for the "Québecois".
(full image size: 805kB, resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
- FreeNAS. FreeNAS is a tiny FreeBSD-based operating system which provides free Network-Attached Storage (NAS) services (CIFS, FTP and NFS).
- nUbuntu. nUbuntu is a collection of network and server security testing tools, piled on top of the existing Ubuntu system. While aimed to be mainly a security testing platform, nUbuntu also operates as a desktop environment for the advanced Linux user.
nUbuntu - a new distribution for network administrators and penetration testers.
(full image size: 539kB, resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
- OliveBSD. OliveBSD is a live CD based on OpenBSD with graphical environment (IceWM) and various software packages.
- Tuquito. Tuquito is a Debian-based live CD made in Argentina. It features automatic hardware detection, excellent support for scanners, web cams and digital cameras, and compatibility with MS Office file formats. It is designed for beginners and intermediate Linux users.
- VideoLinux. VideoLinux is a new PCLinuxOS-based distribution with focus on DVD backups, video encoding and transcoding, DVD authoring, format conversion and pretty much anything else you want to do with video.
* * * * *
New distributions added to the waiting list
- A.M.I.C.U.S.. A.M.I.C.U.S. (Automatic Multimedia Installation Configuration Utility System) is a Debian-based distribution whose purpose is to help users quickly and easily install and configure MythTV on generic PC hardware. It is an installation and configuration script based on publicly available information in MythTV on Debian guides.
- Genesis Server. Genesis Server is an operating system built from the ground up and designed for schools. Its main features are user friendliness for both teachers and pupils, reliability and security.
- Kwort Linux. Kwort Linux is a Slackware-based distribution with its desktop and applications based on the GTK+ toolkit. Kwort's most interesting feature is 'kpkg' - a tool for retrieving software packages from download mirrors.
- Myrinix. Myrinix is smart and centralised operating system for the home. Its main feature is the ability to connect a plasma TV or large LCD screen to a central server that can record and play DVD or surf the Internet on the big screen.
- RemoLiveCD. REMO LiveCD is an open source REmote MOnitoring security system packaged as a LiveCD (a bootable Fedora-based CD that can be copied to a dedicated hard drive).
- Tomahawk Desktop. Tomahawk Desktop is a Linux distribution that comes with a complete set of software for home and office use. You can edit documents, create PDF files, create artworks, listen to music, play videos, create MP3 files from CDs, access your phone using Bluetooth, access your digital camera, etc.
- Trisquel GNU/Linux. Trisquel GNU/Linux is a Debian-based distribution developed at Universidade de Vigo in Spain. It supports Galician and Spanish languages. While Trisquel uses the KDE desktop environment, a GNOME variant, inclusive of Xgl and Compiz, is also available under the name of "TrisGuel".
* * * * *
DistroWatch database summary
That's all for today. The next issue of DistroWatch Weekly will be published on Monday, 20 March 2006. See you then :-)
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • 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 |
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| • 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 |
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| • 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 |
| • Issue 1036 (2023-09-11): SDesk 2023.08.12, hiding command line passwords, openSUSE shares contributor survery results, Ubuntu plans seamless disk encryption, GNOME 45 to break extension compatibility |
| • Issue 1035 (2023-09-04): Debian GNU/Hurd 2023, PCLinuxOS 2023.07, do home users need a firewall, AlmaLinux introduces new repositories, Rocky Linux commits to RHEL compatibility, NetBSD machine runs unattended for nine years, Armbian runs wallpaper contest |
| • Issue 1034 (2023-08-28): Void 20230628, types of memory usage, FreeBSD receives port of Linux NVIDIA driver, Fedora plans improved theme handling for Qt applications, Canonical's plans for Ubuntu |
| • Full list of all issues |
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Vanilla OS
Vanilla OS, a fixed-release distribution based on Debian (formerly Ubuntu, prior to version 2) with the GNOME desktop, is an immutable operating system. The core parts of the system are locked down to prevent unwanted changes and corruption from third-party applications or a faulty update.
Status: Active
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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 
