 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 160, 17 July 2006 |
Welcome to this year's 28th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! As you may recall, Ladislav is on vacation in Fiji. When he asked if I'd like to write DistroWatch Weekly in his absence, I admit I was a bit intimidated. So, be gentle with me kind readers, it's my first time. In the news section the big news this week was Novell's decision to rename SUSE Linux to openSUSE, a Debian server was hacked, and PCLOS is still logo shopping. Released this week was BLAG Linux and GNU 50000, PC-BSD 1.2, and SUSE Linux 10.2 Alpha 2. This week we are presenting an in-depth interview with our own "keeper of the record." Oh, and as Ladislav always says, "Happy reading!"
Content:
 Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG format (13MB)
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in MP3 format (13MB)
(The Podcast edition is provided by Shawn Milo.)
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
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| Miscellaneous News |
SUSE Linux renamed, Mepis delayed, Debian Conference and server hacked, PCLinuxOS logo
 SUSE Linux 10.2 alpha 2 was released on July 13. The biggest change to accompany this release was the decision to rename the open source version to openSUSE. This change was attributed to internal and external confusion between the openSUSE project and Novell's Linux business products. The upcoming community version will be named openSUSE 10.2. Effective Alpha 3, they should have a fully renamed distribution by Beta 1 in November.
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 Mepis released rc3 of their upcoming SimplyMepis 6.0 on July 11, and announced that the final will be delayed until around July 18, 2006 due to a license audit. Warren Woodford said, "We are in the process of making sure that 6.0 will be in compliance with the GPL and other licenses. It appears that the lame source code is originally licensed under the GPL and the LGPL. Lame incorporates algorithms that could to be subject to patent claims and licensing fees. It is my understanding that the GPLv2 license is incompatible with software that is subject to licensing fees and therefore it is not legal under the GPLv2 for us to download the source code or distribute binaries of lame." The audit is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
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 It was announced in the July 11th Debian Weekly News, that the Next Debian Conference will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was chosen over Sarajevo for several reasons, but perhaps primarily because Edinburgh is home to a well-known debian community and several developers. Other priorities included affordability, network connectivity, and good food.
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In other Debian news, James Troup reported Wednesday in an email to the debian-devel-announce mailing list that one of their servers, gluck.debian.org, had been compromised. They promptly took that server off-line for investigation and subsequent reinstall. In further response, they tightened security on the others limiting access to DSA only. Minimal to no damage was sustained by the gain of root access due to the kernel vulnerability CVE-2006-2451, although now all servers have had or will have kernel updates performed.
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 PCLinuxOS has been looking for a new logo for their upcoming highly anticipated release. A contest began in May and over 270 entries were received. Elimination voting narrowed the running to 13 semi-finalists and two wildcard spots were awarded by developers. Final voting begins today at mypclinuxos.com. Six finalists will be chosen by user votes then developers will pick the ultimate winner. The winning logo will be submitted to a patent attorney for evaluation and trademark registration. Good luck to all the entries.
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| Interview |
Ladislav Bodnar - Keeper of the Record
 While Ladislav is vacationing in sunny Fiji, I figured this would be the perfect time to talk about him behind his back. I'm sure no one reading this is clueless to the fact that Ladislav Bodnar is our benevolent 'keeper of the record.' One can find some nice introductory information on DW's about page. However, as informative as that page is, I wanted to know more. I'm not the typical female found about. Linus Torvalds is "The King." Some of my favorite bands are SUSE, PCLOS, and of course, Gentoo. New distros headline my Saturday night rave. Distrowatch is my Rolling Stone magazine. As such, I've always found Ladislav to be of particular interest. We've had a few email exchanges and I've monitored Distrowatch closely over the years. I found the Distrowatch Weekly offered a bit of an insight to the personality of Ladislav, but I had no idea the depths of this gentleman until he reluctantly agreed to answer my interview questions. I hope you find him as fascinating as I do.
Ladislav Bodnar, who will turn 41 next month, was born in eastern Czechoslovakia and spent most of his formative years in Kosice. He "studied metallurgy at the Technical University in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, majoring in metallurgy of non-ferrous metals" and subsequently worked in Prague. In 1991 he moved to South Africa where he "spent ten years working for several mining/metallurgical companies." In 2001 he relocated to and currently resides in Taipei, Taiwan with his wife and "two naughty parrots."
Outside of the realm of computing and Linux, some of Ladislav's hobbies include travelling, foreign languages, and physical fitness. There are many places I am planning to visit in the next few years - I especially enjoy visiting places that are off the beaten track. Just to give you an idea - I'd like to see Antarctica, trek in the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan, or check out the amazing wildlife on the Galapagos islands near Ecuador. Recently I read a book by a 60-year old Frenchman who walked from Turkey to China - this is the kind of adventure that really attracts me.
I also exercise quite a bit these days - I go jogging about once a week, swimming twice a week and I also practice yoga 2 - 3 hours (my wife is a part-time yoga teacher, so I don't have a choice).
Most fascinating to me is his love of languages. Perhaps because I've always been tone-deaf to the nuances of foreign languages, it amazes me when someone can not only learn, but become fluent in other languages. English is Ladislav's second language and no one had a clue. His use is flawless. Besides being fluent in Slovak and English, he can "comprehend simple text in French, Spanish, Hungarian, Russian and most other Slavic languages, Chinese and Japanese." In addition, he plans "to start learning Arabic one of these days" when time permits.
Living in Taipei doesn't lend itself well to owning and operating a motor vehicle. As such, Ladislav's interest in automobiles is practically nonexistent. His favorite foods include anything spicy, but more specifically Thai and Mexican. Being health-conscious, his preferred drink is a bottle of Perrier. He likes popular music and enjoys "listening to some of the popular Asian pop stars from around" Taipei. Of television and movies Ladislav said, "Just about the only thing I watch on TV is sports (especially cricket). Movies? I avoid anything made in Hollywood and Hong Kong, but find myself attracted to the kind of movies that never break any box office records - you know, the ones made in Iran, Russia or Colombia, depicting lives or ordinary people in distant countries."
Like most of us, computers and, more specifically, Linux is probably Ladislav's main focus. What distro does Ladislav run on his personal computer?
Ladislav began using Linux in the year 2000. His first installation was Corel Linux. Due to hardware capability issues, it was soon replaced with Mandrake Linux, which Ladislav states, "was a completely different story!" However, he "was mostly a Windows user until about the middle of 2002" when he "finally switched to Linux full time and removed Windows from [his] computers."
The Bodnar household currently accommodates three functioning computers. They consist of:1. My main production box - a self-assembled AMD64 3500+ machine with 2GB of RAM and 370GB of hard disk space, an NVIDIA graphics card, CD/DVD burner and a 19" monitor. I use it for all my work + testing the various 64-bit distros.
2. My test box - a self-assembled 5-year old machine with Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz with 384 MB of RAM and two hard disks; the first one has 27 Linux partitions, while the second one has just one - I keep it for testing those distros that insist on taking over the entire hard disk.
3. A Toshiba satellite laptop, used mostly by my wife. It has Windows XP (it came with the thing) + Ubuntu Dapper. My wife doesn't care so much which operating system she uses, but she does need Windows for work sometimes.
So which linux distribution does Ladislav run on his personal computer? He tells us, "Right now it's Ubuntu Dapper." Interestingly, he runs the distrowatch.com server on "FreeBSD. Before that it was running on Debian "woody"."
DistroWatch went live 31 May 2001 and contained detailed information on 12 Linux distributions: "CLE (a community project from Taiwan), Caldera Open Linux, Corel Linux, Debian GNU/Linux, Libranet GNU/Linux, Linpus Linux (my employer at the time), Mandrake Linux, Progeny Debian, Red Hat Linux, Slackware Linux, SuSE Linux and Turbolinux." An early snapshot of the site can be found at web.archive.org.
DistroWatch began as a task for Ladislav's then employer. He recalls, I needed to create a comparison matrix of all the main distributions and identify some strong points of ours. To save time, I started with searching for a usable resource on the Internet, but to my surprise, I couldn't find any page that would provide a comprehensive and up-to-date comparison of the main Linux distributions. So I spent the next few days compiling the data from each distro's web site. Once it was done I thought that there might be others who would find such a comparison useful, so I registered a free web page with an ISP and uploaded the data.
Soon, the page was getting more visitors than the free web service could handle, so I registered the distrowatch.com domain name and moved the site to the domain registrar's web hosting service and later to a web server hosted by the Linux From Scratch project. But DistroWatch.com was growing so fast that less than two years since I started it I found myself renting a dedicated server to keep up with all the traffic!
SL: Did you have any idea that your site would become the enormous success that it has (i.e., sheer number of visitors, extensively quoted, and even relied upon as a necessary tool)?
Ladislav: Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that one day the site would be visited by 80,000 - 100,000 people every day!
SL: Your site appears to be php (is that right?), yet I've not seen another like it. Did you write all the code for DistroWatch yourself or is it a cms (or other)?
Ladislav: Yes, it's all PHP, which I wrote myself. Initially the pages were static HTML, but about a year after launching the site I switched to PHP. It's not really what you'd call a CMS - for example, there is no web front for submitting stories or updating the pages. Most of the work is still done by editing text files, uploading them to the server and running a few bash scripts. I don't think it's a very elegant system, but since it ain't broken....
SL: Which database do you use on the backend?
Ladislav: The general distribution data are in a handful of SQLite tables, while all the package version data are in plain text files. There is no SQL server running on the server hosting DistroWatch.
SL: What do you think about the explosion in the number of distros past few years?
Ladislav: I don't want to think too much about that. My first priority is to report about them, so it doesn't matter if there are just a dozen distributions or if there are a thousand of them.
That said, the fact is that there _are_ too many distributions. Not because there are 500+ of them, but because the lifespan of most of them can be counted in months rather than years. That means that many distribution projects start with great enthusiasm just to die after hitting the first obstacles or after completing their first release. Especially creating a Linux live CD is so pathetically easy these days that every Tom, Dick and Harry has one.
As a result, one of my new responsibilities is to try to differentiate between really good, unique distro projects that might make an impact on the Linux/BSD scene, and the many vanity distros that will probably disappear after a couple of months. Developers' enthusiasm is no longer enough to make a correct call; there needs to be something truly unique that would arouse curiosity - perhaps a new way of presenting the desktop or a new combination of software + kernel (good examples are Symphony OS, Nexenta or PC-BSD).
SL: How does a distro gets added to your waiting list?
Ladislav: There are several ways. Many distro creators email me to let me know about their new baby. I also log what visitors type in the search box on DistroWatch and if a word appears regularly then it probably is a new distro. Of course, I also monitor dozens of Linux news sites for news about new distributions.
SL: What are the criteria for then being included in your Linux distro database?
Ladislav: There are no firm criteria. Obviously it would be great if I didn't have to maintain a "waiting list" and if all new distros could be added straight into the main database - but then I'd be doing nothing else than listing new distros! So I look at each new distro with a critical eye of somebody who has been monitoring the world of distributions for 5 years and try to judge if it is worth the time it takes to create a new page. There are many subtle criteria that hint at the usefulness of the distro: Does it offer anything unique? Does it have a logo? Does its web site look respectable? Are there spelling errors or broken links on the site? Does it offer mailing lists, user forums, wikis...? Does it offer free downloads? Does it have enough mirrors?
Creating a live CD is dead easy. Creating a complete project infrastructure for users to enjoy is not.
SL: How do you keep up with all the happenings in the Linux world?
Ladislav: One word: Liferea. A fantastic tool! Liferea, email, DistroWatch search box logs and a handful of bash scripts that crawl FTP and HTTP servers in regular intervals.
SL: What is the first website you visit upon rising each day? Second?
Ladislav: Well, obviously my first concern after I wake up in the morning is whether I missed any important distribution release while I was enjoying my sleep. So the first thing I do is to check my email. Many distribution maintainers email me to let me know about a new release, but there might also be emails generated by some scripts that traverse FTP and HTTP servers of many distributions and warn me if there is any interesting activity. Then I shift my attention on to Liferea, which has a collection of about 300 RSS feeds from various Linux and BSD web sites from all over the world. Again, the first thing I do is to scan the feeds from distribution web sites to see if there were any release announcements.
If I had to name two web sites that are my first stops on my morning routine then it would have to be OSNews and Tuxmachines (no, I am not kidding!). Both of them adhere to a publishing philosophy similar to DistroWatch - namely that they are very fast with publishing stories and that they often publish stories not found on other news sites. The fact that both run original stories from time to time is a bonus. OSNews has lost some of its luster since Eugenia gave up her day-to-day responsibilities on the site, but it's still worth checking out.
I used to enjoy visiting the Linux/UNIX section on Digg.com, but lately I find the whole concept somewhat flawed - many readers don't bother checking if a story has already been published and are happy to submit the same story over and over, while others keep "spamming" the place - I am really sick and tired of all the silly "screenshot tour" stories that keep popping up over there. Digg.com carries good stories too, but it's a pity that some people are not disciplined enough to keep it clean and useful.
SL: Are you associated with any other sites?
Ladislav: Not really associated. I write (or used to write) for LWN.net and Linux Format, but it's all strictly on a freelance basis.
SL: Have you ever entertained notions of starting another site? What would it be like?
Ladislav: Yes, a couple of years ago I was thinking about creating a general Linux news site. For various reasons I was dissatisfied with the existing ones and thought that the community deserved a better coverage of Linux news - from a community viewpoint, if you like. But before I had a chance to think it over, Lxer.com came into existence and it filled the gap very nicely.
SL: Do you have anybody helping out with the maintenance of dw?
Ladislav: DistroWatch started as a one-man project and it's still 95% one-man project five years later. That said, there a few regular contributors - WT Zhu who keeps a close eye on spelling and grammar on the site, Robert Storey who writes occasional articles, and Shawn Milo who narrates the podcast edition of DistroWatch Weekly. There is also a legion of volunteer translators, some more active than others and irregular contributors of articles, corrections and bug reports. But the meat of the site, i.e. the news section, the distro pages and DistroWatch Weekly are all maintained and written by myself.
SL: Do you still enjoy working on dw as much as in the beginning?
Ladislav: It depends on what time of the day you ask me :-) If it's in the morning when I am still fresh and enthusiastic, then the answer is yes. But if I am just about ready to retire for the night and suddenly there are two new announcements in my mailbox, then you'd probably hear some swearing if you were in the same room!
But seriously, it's hard to compare 5 years ago with now. In the beginning, you couldn't get me away from the computer - that's how much I wanted to work on the site, look for news, write stories... I think I must have spent 12 - 16 hours a day working on DistroWatch during the first 2 - 3 years. Nowadays, things are a bit more settled - I try not to work more than 8 hours a day, except for the days when there are important releases or when I have an article deadline. In the beginning, I replied to every single email I received, but now I can't - otherwise I'd be still working 12 - 16 hours a day!
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Working at the Nuclear Research Institute in Prague and for diamond mining companies off the Atlantic Ocean coast of South Africa and Namibia is a long way from IT and maintaining DistroWatch. After the seven year stint on diamond mining ships, Ladislav became "interested in computing and decided to enroll in a distance course in computer programming (C and Visual Basic)" and later became interested in Linux. Wanting to work in IT, he "came across a job with a Taiwan-based Linux company called Linpus Technologies." Starting in 2001, he remained with Linpus Technologies for approximately 18 months before leaving to work on DistroWatch fulltime. Ladislav also does some freelance writing for Linux Weekly News (lwn.net) and Linux Format (www.linuxformat.co.uk).
Linux Format magazine is a very popular monthly Linux publication. Ladislav states of his duties there, "My relationship with Linux Format started about a year ago when the magazine's editor Nick Veitch emailed me to ask whether I'd be interested in maintaining a 2-page "Distrowatch" section in the magazine. Since I really enjoy the publication (I have been a subscriber for over 5 years), I agreed and that's why you can now see my face in every issue of the magazine."
What started as a hobby has become an icon for Linux distribution information in the Linux community and beyond. Many have found it to be an indispensable resource, while many others have found it a tremendous help in choosing a new operating system. It caters to the full spectrum of users, from newcomer to highly experienced. Its data are quoted on numerous websites and its Page Hit Rankings have become a gauge of Linux distribution success.
Ladislav has said time and time again not to take the distribution Page Hit Ranking too seriously, but still it is considered by many to be, at least somewhat, authoritative. I, myself, use it as an indication of community interest. Although specific numbers can be manipulated to an extent, it still makes for a good starting point.
More importantly, as a Linux website editor, Distrowatch is my main tool for learning of new releases and deciding about which distros to write. In fact, it is also my greatest resource in finding the websites for the individual distributions and a shortcut to downloading. It is my one-stop shop for Linux and BSD distros. My site wouldn't exist, at least in its present incarnation, without DistroWatch. What would we do without Ladislav?
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| Quick Look |
Kate OS 3.0 Beta 1
Kate OS 3.0 Beta 1 was released a few days ago and is well on its way to final release. I've long been a fan of Kate OS and very much enjoy seeing it evolve and mature. On the surface, one never knows what the next release will bring. For me that's part of its charm. Underneath, it updates and improves, yet remains stable and true to its goals.
Kate OS is a Linux operating system once based on Slackware Linux. It expands the Slackware installer to include not only extra software package groups, but adds options to aid in the configuration of the system. It doesn't complicate the process, yet when the new system boots, it is ready to work and play.
The default desktop is Xfce4. Kate OS includes other desktops such as fluxbox or windowmaker, and separate module downloads can provide Gnome or KDE. It comes with all the standard applications expected and sometimes a bit of the unexpected. In addition, Kate OS has its own package management system to simplify the installation of software called updateos.
This release is looking great. The theme this time consists of a fruity gel motif. The wallpaper features a lovely rendering of strawberries accompanied by the os name. The background is a blending of darker yellows to sunshine orange. The windec is a brownish or perhaps a dark bronze, in a raised 3D effect with tasteful inlaid buttons. This is a bit of a departure from the mascaline sci-fi theme of version 2.3. As stated, one never knows what look and feel will come in the next release of Kate OS. I find this to be an exciting element of their whole philosophy. It's an indication of the attention to detail applied to the distro. It adds polish and a sense of completion. Not only that, one never gets bored. There's always a reason to download the new release of Kate OS, even it's just to see the new theme.
New themes aren't the only reason to download new releases of Kate OS. They are constantly updating and improving their operating system. This release brings the very latest in versions of our favorite applications such as Firefox 1.5.0.4, OpenOffice.org 2.0.3, Mplayer 1.0pre8, Xorg 7.1, and Xfce 4.3.90.2. Also with this release one can now write to their NTFS partition.
  
Some exciting new developments are taking place with Kate OS. Quoting lead developer Damian Rakowski, "Inside the Kate OS project, three subprojects have been created - libsmarttools (basic classes/functions used in updateos2 ), libupdateos (provides simple API for remote operations on TGZex packages), and updateos2 (CLI interface for libupdateos). These projects will simplify the process of creating new system tools, and are intended to underlie a uniform package management system."
I am very much looking forward to final release of Kate OS 3.0 and testing more extensively. For now we can see some wonderfully exciting new looks, the software versions, and improvements to original tools. Kate OS is always rock solid and stable with better than average performance. If this beta is any indication, I'm sure Kate OS will stay on my top 10 list for many years to come.
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| Released Last Week |
BLAG Linux And GNU 50000
Jeff Moe has announced the final release of BLAG Linux And GNU 50000 - a single-CD, Fedora-based distribution with multimedia support and extra applications: "BLAG 50000 ('grass') has been released. BLAG 50000 is based on Fedora Core 5 and uses packages from Extras, FreshRPMS, Dries, and ATrpms. It includes all Fedora updates as of time of release." The new version is built on top of the Linux kernel 2.6.17, with glibc 2.4, X.Org 7.0, GNOME 2.14.1, Firefox 1.5.0.4, the latest GNOME Office, and a collection of multimedia applications, codecs and libraries. Please see the release announcement for further details and download links.
BeleniX 0.4.4
BeleniX 0.4.4 has been released. What's new in the latest version of the OpenSolaris-based live CD? "This release marks one more important step for live CD performance. After a couple of months of hacking and testing, this release includes an enhancement to the HSFS filesystem module that improves CD-ROM access time by up to 30%. The source code for the modified HSFS module along with context diffs can be downloaded here. In addition, a bunch of work is going around packaging so the next major release should be complete with packaging based on Pkgsrc." Visit the project's home page to read the full release announcement.
Devil-Linux 1.2.10
Bruce Smith has announced the release of Devil-Linux 1.2.10: "I'm proud to announce v1.2.10 of Devil-Linux has been released. This release includes many new packages, updates to newer versions for many existing packages, and various bug fixes." The Linux kernel in the new version of the popular firewall/server live CD has been upgraded to version 2.4.32 (patched with Grsecurity), while the list of newly added packages includes Awstats, Curl, DSPAM, Logwatch, mod_perl, Nmap and NUT. Read the release announcement and changelog for further details.
BSD Release: PC-BSD 1.2
"PC-BSD software is pleased to announce the immediate availability of PC-BSD 1.2 for x86 based processors. PC-BSD 1.2 now utilizes the FreeBSD advanced ULE scheduler and is compiled with optimizations for 686 processors (all support for 386, 486 and 586 microcode is disabled in kernel). This release of PC-BSD ushers in a new era of stability and simplicity for desktop operating systems based on UNIX, making it a solid release for home and business usage. Version 1.2 is powered by the latest FreeBSD 6.1 OS and integrated with the popular KDE 3.5.3 desktop environment." Read the press release for more information.
dyne:bolic 2.1
Jaromil has announced dyne:bolic 2.1, an updated version of the recently released version 2.0 of the distribution targetting media producers and artists: "Version 2.1 is out with an updated kernel, important fixes and new audio applications." Updates and fixes since 2.0 include: "upgrade to kernel 2.6.17; fix to dock and nest on USB storage; support for LVM and raid volumes; network file system tools; new in audio: Seq24, SooperLooper, Rosegarden, Icecast; fixes to MuSE (updated to development version); better VGA detection; miscellaneous fixes to desktop usability." See the release announcement for a more complete list of changes.
Endian Firewall 2.0
Endian Firewall 2.0 "Community" edition is out: "Endian Firewall 2 released! Endian Firewall is a 'turn-key' Linux security distribution that turns every system into a full-featured security appliance." From the release notes: "HTTP Antivirus now supports video/music streaming useragents, so HTTP virus scanning does not prohibit streaming; ClamAV anti-virus engine updated to the latest release, now configurable via web administration Interface; outgoing firewall enhancements; SMTP proxy now supports authentication against IMAP server...."
Dreamlinux 2.0 Works
The version 2.0 of the Dreamlinux distro is available, called WORKS and it brings the most known Linux apps for a production environment, like OpenOffice, Inkscape, Gimp, etc. Full support to multimedia, automatic detection of video cards and monitors, and the version 2.5 of MKDistro, tool for distros' building. More info and links for download can be found at the project's homepage.
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Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| DistroWatch.com News |
DistroWatch database summary
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Thanks!
I just want to thank everyone for tuning in this week while our fearless leader is on vacation. I can not even dream of trying to fill his shoes, but I hope this week's newsletter can somewhat keep you up-to-date with the happenings in our Linux community. Also, I hope you enjoyed our in-depth interview with Ladislav Bodnar. I want to thank him for participating. I'll be here with you for two more weeks, and as I don't have the resources and connections Ladislav has, I'd welcome any pointers to the latest in news around the community. If you'd like to contribute, please feel free to email me with links. Thank you again, and have a great week!
Susan Linton
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • How's "SUSE" pronounced? (by just john on 2006-07-17 14:21:37 GMT from Fremont, United States)
I ask 'cuz if it's pronounced with two syllables, they have their ad slogan right in front of them: openSUSE me!
2 • Hello (by Rel at 2006-07-17 14:28:47 GMT from Plano, United States)
rock on.
Thanks for all your hard work, Ladislav!
Viva la OSS
3 • Hello Susan! (by IMQ on 2006-07-17 15:08:28 GMT from Decatur, United States)
Not bad for first time around! Not bad at all.
:)
4 • Credit where credit is due (by Don Granger on 2006-07-17 15:18:30 GMT from Winnetka, United States)
Thanks, Susan Linton, for the extensive interview with Ladislav and a better appreciation of all he has accomplished with DistroWatch. He--and DistroWatch--are truly indispensable. Bravo!
5 • SLED 10 already released (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-17 15:23:04 GMT from Roma, Italy)
Well, not officially just yet, but you can already download it:
http://download.novell.com/Download?buildid=N1YveG_t53Y~
6 • Nice work Susan (by CoolGoose on 2006-07-17 15:23:28 GMT from Bucharest, Romania)
Very nice work Susan you are filling his shoes nicely :P
7 • Congrats (by Nick on 2006-07-17 15:24:45 GMT from Saint Petersburg, United States)
Susan,
See, you had nothing to be worried about, great job!
8 • Great job (by Jochem Kossen on 2006-07-17 15:33:13 GMT from Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Great job Susan! Nice read, and interesting to read some "Ladislav background" :)
9 • SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 (by Nick at 2006-07-17 15:45:51 GMT from Wichita, United States)
Has anyone tried this yet? I've never been a big fan os SUSE, but this turned out to be a very nice distro. The only thing I didn't like was the installer.
10 • thanks Susan, well done (by Ken Yap on 2006-07-17 15:57:04 GMT from Canberra, Australia)
That interview with Ladislav was very interesting. He's on the spot with why there are too many distros. On the other hand most of them will fade away after a few months so I guess they can chalked down to experimentation.
Keep up the good work at Distrowatch. It's an invaluable resource.
11 • Great Weekly (by Darren on 2006-07-17 16:17:08 GMT from Plano, United States)
Susan,
I've been reading all the great content @ tuxmachines lately and it has become the first website I look at every day. I's great to see you here sharing your knowledge and passion. You are truly a tireless provider of Linux info and I for one couldn't appreciate it more. I hope Ladislav is wearing his sunscreen down there in the South Pacific - he looks like he might burn easily. :) (No offense, Lad.)
I'm already lokoing forward to next week's Weekly.
Cheers!
Darren
12 • RE: #9 • SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-17 16:20:28 GMT from Roma, Italy)
I am downloading it now, pretty slowly. I'll report later.
13 • Great interview! (by Tofu Bandit on 2006-07-17 16:21:51 GMT from Albuquerque, United States)
interesting to take a deeper look into the life and times of someone so critical to the community. Good work, Susan.
14 • PC-BSD (by Elephant Man on 2006-07-17 16:37:27 GMT from Savannah, United States)
Great to see PC-BSD 1.2 released last week - another solid release to continue the series of fine incremental improvements we have seen with each release over the last few months.
So it's no surprise that PC-BSD is one of the fastest growing operating systems out there, as shown by it's climb up the Distrowatch charts.
Well done to all concerned - I can't wait for the next release!
15 • Re: PC-BSD (by RedBoar on 2006-07-17 16:50:02 GMT from Chicago, United States)
Does "fine incremental improvements" include being able to boot from the first partition of a hard drive ONLY? I have no idea why I keep giving this distro a chance.
16 • Slackware! (by Anonymous on 2006-07-17 16:56:43 GMT from Grand Rapids, United States)
Don't forget the upcoming Slackware 11.0 release!
17 • New Author (by Jesse on 2006-07-17 17:49:03 GMT from Calgary, Canada)
Nicely done Susan. Your positive views, style and passion for
Linux are a welcome addition to DW.
18 • KateOS, etc. (by JustinWhitaker on 2006-07-17 18:22:11 GMT from Quincy, United States)
First: Susan, great work! For your first DWW, that's damn fine work!
But did you have to talk about KateOS? Now I have to go download it.....I used to think that KateOS was sort of in the "Slackware, but different" category, but it looks more like it's its own thing.
My bandwidth, she canna take it!
:-)
19 • Thanks for the interview (by Claus Futtrup on 2006-07-17 18:46:31 GMT from Horsens, Denmark)
Dear Susan Linton - thank you for the interview with Ladislav Bodnar. Informative - it gave me at least a handful of new links to check out.
20 • Debian (by tom on 2006-07-17 19:09:04 GMT from Helena, United States)
Ever wonder how to set up a Debian install for multimedia. Nvidia drivers, 3D, integration of Firefox with audio?
Look no further:
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/2812/how-to_setup_debian
Note: This how-to starts following a fresh Debian (testing) install:
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
Enjoy!
21 • Freespire just finished downloading (by Andy on 2006-07-17 20:26:30 GMT from Oxford, United Kingdom)
Just about to install Freespire Beta 1 to a spare HDD. Wish me luck!!!!! Never touched Linspire before due to the ethics, but glad to see Kevin Carmony started to see the light. Certainly sounds good.
22 • Re: Re: PC-BSD (by Elephant Man on 2006-07-17 20:31:50 GMT from Savannah, United States)
Does "fine incremental improvements" include being able to boot from the first partition of a hard drive ONLY?
No. It includes the faster filesystem, new control panel modules, DBSD tools, KMenu improvements and bugfixes. You can boot it from any partition you like.
23 • Kudos for Susan (by AC on 2006-07-17 20:46:52 GMT from , United States)
Excellent first outing. And I like your style.
24 • RE: How's "SUSE" pronounced? (by warpengi on 2006-07-17 21:31:58 GMT from Calgary, Canada)
That is a whole topic on it's own.
soos, like Dr. Zeuss with an s (my preference as I read it in an interview with one of the founders once, I think)
soo suh
soos ee
suzy
sooz
soo sah
Who really knows for sure?
25 • Thanks! (by Susan on 2006-07-17 21:50:13 GMT from Hermitage, United States)
Thank you everyone for your kind words. I appreciate it so much.
26 • SLED 10 very first impressions (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-17 22:47:28 GMT from Roma, Italy)
I agree with user Nick (post #9): the installer could be better. I find in particular that the "standard" SUSE package selection is more intuitive.
SLED 10 seems very resources hungry (Pentium D920 here and 2 Gig of DDR2 RAM)
27 • Blag 50000 / Warren Woodford and GPL (by spiritraveller on 2006-07-17 23:58:37 GMT from Atlanta, United States)
Been running Blag for a few days now. One thing not mentioned is that all software in this distribution is Free. It is even recommended by the Free Software Foundation...
It also comes with mp3 support and works quite well out of the box (it's based on Fedora Core 5)
I'm not sure why Warren Woodford of the MEPIS distro thinks that distributing anything with mp3 support would violate the GPL. The owner of the copyright is the one who chooses to distribute it under the GPL, and also the one who put mp3 support in it. It would be absurd for the developer of lame to say that you are violating his license by distributing the software with the features he chose to include!
I seriously wonder if Warren isn't just trying to drum up some FUD.
28 • re 24 (by JAG on 2006-07-18 00:04:33 GMT from Linden, United States)
I believe it's more closely pronounced like 'soozuh'...(accent on first syllable).
29 • 24&28 (by AC on 2006-07-18 00:08:11 GMT from , United States)
Yes, I'd been told in the past that it was pronounced like the last name of the American composer of marches, John Philip Souza, SOO zuh
30 • The Cobbler's Shoes (by Paul on 2006-07-18 00:08:49 GMT from Saint Louis, United States)
Susan, thanks for the candid interview with Ladislav. I was totally shocked that his main axe and other gear were so humble. I expected a 16 core rack, complete virtualization, Raid 0, a monitor the size of Kansas, and a 45 mbit connection to the backbone.
It reminds me that I don't need more gear... I really need more skill.
31 • Warren's FUD (by AC on 2006-07-18 00:12:38 GMT from , United States)
Warren has a history of bashing RMS and the GPL that goes back some time. Unfairly blaming the GPL wouldn't surprise me at all.
There is a patent issue, in the US at least, and the GPL will not protect someone who is accused of patent violation. But blaming the GPL for that is absurd.
32 • Susan's writing (by AC on 2006-07-18 00:17:09 GMT from , United States)
"This release is looking great. The theme this time consists of a fruity gel motif. The wallpaper features a lovely rendering of strawberries accompanied by the os name. The background is a blending of darker yellows to sunshine orange. The windec is a brownish or perhaps a dark bronze, in a raised 3D effect with tasteful inlaid buttons."
I want to express my appreciation here. You really "paint a picture" and draw our attention to aspects of the screenshot we might have overlooked. Sometimes "a woman's touch" can be nice, even though of course men too can make aesthetic judgements and women can describe technical aspects.
33 • Thank you Susan (by JM from Sweden on 2006-07-18 00:21:59 GMT from Kista, Sweden)
This is very, very good, Susan. Please do it again, I almost didn't miss Ladislav. ;-)
34 • freespire (by toxicfreak on 2006-07-18 01:13:24 GMT from Lachine, Canada)
i just tried it i work fine its very nicely done BUT you have to be member to download anything ............. i found quite funny that you have to pay for a beta ........
35 • How's "SUSE" pronounced? (by rglk on 2006-07-18 01:29:34 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
SuSE (now SUSE) is a German acronym for "Software- und System-Entwicklung" ("software and system development"). If it's pronounced straight as a German word, it should be pronounced zoo zuh (stress on the first syllable). On the other hand, since the first letter stems from "software" which German software developers undoubtedly pronounce with a sharp "s" (rather than "zoftvare" as a besoffener German Hinterwaeldler would pronounce it), it should probably be pronounced soo zuh. But guess who would know?
Robert
36 • re #24,28,29 et al (by Glenn Ewald on 2006-07-18 01:51:06 GMT from Bartow, United States)
Always wondered about this. I just figured since SUSE originated in Germany, it would be pronounced as a german word, i.e., Soo_say, since there are no silent letters in German, and "e" is pronounced as "a"? Maybe its and acronym and isn't a word at all, like NASA or NORAD here in the U.S.
Add my "great job" to your compliment list, Susan!
37 • Re 34 - Freespire (by Allan on 2006-07-18 02:05:21 GMT from Parkes, Australia)
The FAQ which was linked in the release announcement for Freespire beta referred to a staged release, starting with the Linspire servers as they are hoping their Linspire Insiders will help seed bittorrents. If it hasn't already, it will become available on free mirrors as well as via bittorrent shortly.
38 • SLED 10 - Activation Code??? (by rglk on 2006-07-18 02:56:53 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
Thanks, Anonymous Penguin, for posting the link to the download section for the brand new Novell/SUSE SLED 10.
http://download.novell.com/Download?buildid=N1YveG_t53Y
I found the following info there:
-------------------------
SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Evaluation version requires an Activation Code for access to product updates. The Activation Code is valid for 60 days, and does not include access to Novell Support services. Click the following button to receive your activation code. Make note of the code, then click the link under Download Media to return to the download site.
Get Activation Code
To purchase a regular activation code, which includes unlimited access to product updates and Novell Support services, see How to Buy
-------------------------
"How to Buy" brings you here:
Product Subscription Price
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 1-Device 1-Year Subscription $50.00
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 1-Device 3-Year Subscription $125.00
-------------------------
Good Lord, activation code? Can install it on only one device, for one year, at a cost of $50?
What about FREE OSS? Hasn't a commercial beast such as this SLED been vociferously decried just two weeks ago, in this very forum, with the example of Xandros 4? I expect there will be another outcry from free OSS partisans.
In any case, AP, let us know what you think of it, even if you obviously would never dream of running it on your own machine ..... :-)
Robert
39 • Re: SLED 10 - Activation Code??? (by Ken Yap on 2006-07-18 04:03:45 GMT from Sydney, Australia)
No, I believe that 60 day code applies to installation support, if you want to get some help. For the regular activation code, that would be for updates and support for paid up customers. Nothing new, Novell does this for enterprise products.
Nothing is totally free as in beer. Either it's your time or the company's money.
40 • Activation (by tom on 2006-07-18 06:40:55 GMT from La Junta, United States)
I do not mind paying for software and enjoy the freedom to support any OS or application (of my preference) with a donation by choice. I believe developers and maintainers deserve to be paid for their efforts, so long as the system of payment (registration) remains voluntary.
I strongly object to any "Activation code", "registration", or payments for support for GNU/Linux. Such policies seem contrary to the spirit of Opensource and GNU (which is what drew me away from Micosoft). If this means I can not run Xandros, Novell, Red Hat Enterprise, Freespire, Mandriva or what have you so be it. In my experience distros with such activation fees or "clubs" have nothing to offer over distro's without such policies and I would never advise such a product to a newbie.
I do not mind payments to developers or maintainers of distros or software as long as such payments remain voluntary. For example, several distros offer a policy that basically amounts to technical support (Red Hat for example) and I do not object as this is voluntary and I do not need to purchase support to run their OS (Fedora core, OpenSUSE). This is unlike Xandros or Freespire where I am forced to register and/or make payments just for the privilege of installing their software. [I am aware I can install Xandros, Novell, and Freespire at no cost, but the OS is crippled and it seems like a bait and switch tactic].
I do not currently run Ubuntu and have seen the criticism, but up to now Ubuntu remains free.
Frankly, if I want such a system Windows is more polished and "just works" with a wider range of both hardware and software.
41 • Novell Activation for SUSE (by Soloact on 2006-07-18 06:52:13 GMT from Redding, United States)
If it is anything like purchasing a boxed installation set of previous SUSE versions, then the "activation" is just a way of making yourself eligible for the short-term installation assistance. In pre-Novell SUSE, the code came with the boxed set, but there wasn't a requirement to "activate" or "register" for installation and usage of the Operating System.
42 • Novell (by tom on 2006-07-18 07:13:46 GMT from La Junta, United States)
From Novell
http://download.novell.com/Download?buildid=N1YveG_t53Y
"SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Evaluation version requires an Activation Code for access to product updates.".
First the Activation is REQUIRED.
Second, there is nothing on the Novell site to imply that activation is in any way for "short-term installation assistance" as has been suggested by #39 and #41.
The Novell site states "... for access to product updates". If the product can not be updated, it is crippled.
As far as I can tell posters #39 and 41 are misrepresenting the intent of Novell's stated purpose of activation and, as such, is misinformation/propaganda.
It is one thing to provide a demo, or even charge for software, but you should not misrepresent Novell's intent of activation as some type of "short-term installation assistance".
43 • RE: #38 (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-18 07:31:24 GMT from Roma, Italy)
OK, let's try and clarify a few issues about SLED 10.
1)The 60 days activation code is free, as in free beer
2) You pay $50 a year (if you want), for updates and support
3)You are free to download and use SLED 10, nobody will call you a pirate and a thief. You even get 60 days free updates, as I said above.
4)*The main point*: SLED is an enterprise class product, that is why you are charged for support. If you don't want to pay, do one of the following:
1)Use OpenSUSE instead
2)Use SLED if you want, and get your updates from OpenSUSE
I hope this clarifies things, because I will not go into an endless debate about this.
On a side note, even Linspire has a community driven counterpart now, leaving Xandros as the only unfree distro out there.
44 • AP 43 (by AC on 2006-07-18 08:08:48 GMT from , United States)
"I hope this clarifies things, because I will not go into an endless debate about this"
Darn!
It's probably wise though. I was just hoping for someone else to make Ariszlo and I to look less silly. ;-)
My two cents: activation codes are an annoyance. Some schemes are more annoying than others. They don't violate the four fundamental freedoms, but they offend the sensibilities, no doubt largely because of where most of us first encountered the practice. My preference: I won't use any software that has an additional mechanism to test my right to use it. But I can see why some mght draw the line at different places.
45 • No subject (by AC on 2006-07-18 08:10:44 GMT from , United States)
"I won't use any software that has an additional mechanism to test my right to use it"
that should specify, unless I am ultimately in control of that mechanism, e.g. passwords
46 • SLED (by Ken Yap on 2006-07-18 08:39:14 GMT from Canberra, Australia)
>"I won't use any software that has an additional mechanism to test my >right to use it"
>
>that should specify, unless I am ultimately in control of that mechanism, >e.g. passwords
No, SLED doesn't test this. It doesn't self-destruct if you don't activate the code. As already pointed out in #43, it's for support. You can continue to use what you have without paying a cent or feeling guilty, but you'll have to get your updates somewhere else, e.g. OpenSUSE.
SLED is not aimed at your sector of the market.
47 • No subject (by Anonymous on 2006-07-18 08:54:49 GMT from Vienna, Austria)
Lame allows both GPL and LGPL but since mpglib uses GPL, I dont see what use LGPL has.
48 • Re comment 34 - Pay for Freespire? (by Andy on 2006-07-18 08:58:31 GMT from Oxford, United Kingdom)
Uh!!! I didn't pay a thing, got it free off a mirror site. Are you refering to some of the software in CNR???
49 • Good Job Susan and congratulation PcBSD (by Daniel Mery on 2006-07-18 11:48:36 GMT from Seffner, United States)
Hello,
Susan great Job !!!!!!!!
Congratulation to PcBSD team for the new release.
Regards,
dmery
50 • very good... (by KiM on 2006-07-18 12:09:43 GMT from , Egypt)
Dear susan...
still it is a lovely day when i read distroweekly...
you have done a great job... keep it up..
about kateOS... i am one of its fans and i think they are on the right path..
wish them all luck waiting for their next stable release...
Happy reading..thanks again
KiM
51 • Pronouncing "SUSE" (by just john on 2006-07-18 14:00:00 GMT from Fremont, United States)
rglk: Sounds like we have similar guesses. So "openSUSE me" is close enough to "Open Sesame" for advertising purposes.
And a "royal" version could be called "Kaiser SUSE" ...
52 • RE: How's "SUSE" pronounced? (by Gato Azul on 2006-07-18 16:49:35 GMT from Sioux Falls, United States)
Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, the director of marketing for Linux and open source at Novell, says that SUSE is pronounced like SUE suh. With his position, I figure that he probably knows what he's talking about! Google for "If I knew openSUSE I'd see a Linux desktop" for the reference to that (or click on my name for the link to that article). Also, if you look at the Wikipedia article for SUSE, it gives the IPA notation pronunciation for SUSE (/susə/), which is consistant with Greg's pronunciation.
53 • DreamLinux (by Michael on 2006-07-18 17:26:47 GMT from Nashville, United States)
Downloaded the two new versions (Works and XGL) last night and ran them. Oh, my! DreamLinux is something to behold. Imagine Carmen Electra as a distro. It will get your heart pumping. Those guys from Brazil have an eye for beauty. DreamLinux also uses the Kanotix kernel and being a devoted Kanotix fan, I like that.
Michael
P.S. Great job, Susan. And thank you for the interview with Ladislav.
54 • Re: #30 (by Anonymous on 2006-07-18 19:16:39 GMT from Cincinnati, United States)
"It reminds me that I don't need more gear... I really need more skill."
How true !!!
I love working with the 'gear' as you call it. Upgrading, assembling, acquiring parts to slap a system together; I must have 6 or 7 working PC's laying around. Being a distro junkie, I loaded most of them with different versions of Linux just for fun.
If only I had the discipline to spend that time learning skills (programming, DBA, etc) as opposed to just having fun, I would be better off.
55 • RE: #53 • DreamLinux (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-18 19:34:46 GMT from Roma, Italy)
Unfortunately here DreamLinux hangs at video detection. Using an Intel GMA950.
56 • Re3: PC-BSD (by RedBoar on 2006-07-18 19:38:32 GMT from Chicago, United States)
You can boot it from any partition you like.
Really? I tried installing it on the second partition of my hard drive (first one has Ubuntu and will stay that way) and it says " Can't load 'kernel' " from the boot loader.
Why don't you check their own forums before you try browbeating me on an unrelated-to-topic message board?
57 • Now about that interview with you.... (by Susan on 2006-07-18 20:59:55 GMT from Tewksbury, United States)
"Susan Linton is the owner and operator of Tuxmachines.org. You may know her better as srlinuxx."
We are honored.
58 • Re 52 • How's "SUSE" pronounced? (by rglk on 2006-07-18 22:20:26 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
Mancusi-Ungaro presumably is American (Novell is based in Waltham, Mass.). He may have adapted the pronunciation of SUSE for international consumption. What I'd like to know is how the German developers of SUSE in Nuernberg pronounce it. My guess is SOO-zuh.
We could be dealing with something similar to the variant pronunciations of Linux.
Linus T. pronounces it a bit like LEE-nux (longish EE) but the most common international pronunciation appears to be LIN-nux (short EE).
Robert
59 • #43 OpenSUSE (by tom on 2006-07-18 22:22:29 GMT from Helena, United States)
I would stay with OpenSUSE.
Except SUSE is too bloated
60 • SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (by rglk on 2006-07-18 22:39:39 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
SLED 10 has received excellent reviews; some say it simply is the best distro around. I'd be tempted to try it out.
Some reservations though:
1. If I wanted to use it for any longer than one year, it would cost me at least $100.
2. What's the deal about this "1-device subscription"? Am I allowed to install SLED on only one machine? That would be a no-no, I would want to run it on a desktop and a laptop.
3. What are the details of their "activation" policy?
Robert
61 • BLAG (by Jason at 2006-07-19 00:08:38 GMT from Westminster, United States)
It's too bad you didn't get in a review of BLAG 50K, a very interesting Linux. I use it and think it deserves one.
62 • dyne:bolic (by Just wondering on 2006-07-19 01:12:39 GMT from Southfield, United States)
I was really interested in this distro, downloaded and burnt both 2.0 and 2.1, it just will not work on my machine. 2.0 will boot and get to a desktop-the african looking lady-eventually-very very slow as live CDs go-then it just freezes, no apps will open at all. 2.1 never finishes booting at all. I reburnt both distros at 2x speed just to see if that made a dif, nope, didn't. Chaintech mobo (sorry, forget the number now), nVidia chipset, nVidia 5500 agp vid card, half gig RAM, AMD sempron, etc. a modest machine but seems to run most other linux distros OK. Anyone else having booting problems on this one or any tips? They don't have a forum, just a mailing list, and a very limited faq area,I don't use email lists anymore (mostly completely stopped using email, use chat or forums, that's it)(about the best spam fix I have found!).
63 • #27, 31 Warren FUD (by Jimtho on 2006-07-19 01:24:17 GMT from , United States)
What the hell is with this lets bash Warren Woodford crap? If anyone is stirring up any FUD its you two! Criticism of this kind seems pointless to me but if you see it otherwise maybe you should drop him a line and get his take on this issue ! Its not only demeaning to him it allso tarnishes your own image in my eyes .I dont come to Distrowatch to read this kind of BS, and i'll wager a lot of others feel the same ! This kind of thing should be avoided like the plague. It does nobody any good plus sending bad vibes to those who might be passing by for the first to take a crack at linux. What i assume is our passion or we wouldnt be here. End if rant !
Not too becoming is it!
My apoligies to the new lady on the watch. Liked your read!
jim
64 • Warren (by spiritraveller on 2006-07-19 01:49:50 GMT from Atlanta, United States)
I don't think it's too becoming to complain about the GPL, which is the entire reason that Linux exists... when your business only exists because of it.
I don't think it's too becoming to go nuts with exclamation marks just because someone criticized a public figure on a public forum.
I think it's more important that people have a proper understanding of the GPL than that they have a warm fuzzy feeling associated with Linux. If you don't come here to read this, then don't.
65 • Jimtho (by AC on 2006-07-19 01:53:30 GMT from , United States)
You can call it FUD and insult us all you like, but you've offerred no counter-argument to the point that the patent issue surrounding mp3s has nothing to do with the GPL.
As for my claim of his history of anti-GPL FUD, I offer mr. Woodford from 2003:
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...d=2
"But now I have been alienated, so it's too late.
So much for the world of GPL,"
"I had no problem with releasing the source code, rather I had a problem with someone demanding it--right now--or else. And then when I didn't respond favorably to bullying, he insisted that Trolltech sue me, which is laughable--from a real world perspective. Although I'm sure that some members of the RMS-cult would take the idea seriously."
"But the GPL is not the same as the Open Source community. While most Open Source developers who use the GPL are undoubtedly nice people and while the GPL has been a model license agreement for Open Source, on the other hand, the GPL community contains unpleasant people who are rigid, juvenile, and generally offensive in their zeal to make the GPL the supreme law in the world. Their condition could be labeled mental illness. In my opinion, such people are a detriment to the Open Source community and I now that I know about them, I want to have nothing to do with them."
"I blame RMS. It was his poison that I recently tasted, delivered by of one of his followers."
Now, these histrionics could well be taken as an aberration, but misrepresentation the situation with mp3s makes me seriously doubt it.
66 • correction (by AC on 2006-07-19 02:49:13 GMT from , United States)
I wrote:
"the point that the patent issue surrounding mp3s has nothing to do with the GPL."
That is an overstatement. I hasten to correct myself
Section 11 of GPL v2 states:
"If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
may not distribute the Library at all..."
The "other pertinent obligations" (software patents in the US) are the issue, not the GPL, per se. but that's not to say that the GPL has nothing to do with it, only that his wrongs are wrong to insinuate that violating the GPL is the primary issue.
67 • correcting correction (by AC on 2006-07-19 02:52:03 GMT from , United States)
"only that his wrongs are wrong to insinuate"
wtf?
only that he's wrong to insinuate
68 • Re: 42 (by Soloact on 2006-07-19 03:23:30 GMT from Redding, United States)
"As far as I can tell posters #39 and 41 are misrepresenting the intent of Novell's stated purpose of activation and, as such, is misinformation/propaganda"
Please take the time to read the posts thoroughly, as mine (41) starts with the word "If". It also mentions pre-Novell versions as a basis for the comment. Please read the full comments before flaming them as "misinformation/propaganda". The mention was that it was a possibility that the "Activation" was as it had been in the past. Obviously others had found that it isn't as it had been. So maybe my comment is made obsolete by more recent information, please refrain from accusing others of "misinformation/propaganda" until you actually read the full comments in their full context.
69 • "username and password for iChain at xlfiles.novell.com" (by Anonymous on 2006-07-19 05:01:45 GMT from Ploiesti, Romania)
I'm trying to download SLED 10, but in all the browsers and download managers I tried it asks for "username and password for iChain at xlfiles.novell.com." I have a Novell account, but that's not accepted. Does anybody know what you must enter here ?
70 • RE: #69 (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-19 10:30:44 GMT from Roma, Italy)
Have you tried to log in first and then download?
71 • # 68 (by tom on 2006-07-19 13:09:21 GMT from Helena, United States)
I apologize for "flaming" you and am happy to see you admit you posted information regarding Novell's activation code in error.
I did read you post carefully as well as # 38 just above yours.
Since # 38 contains a direct quote from Novell and is accurate I find it ironic and amusing you accuse me of not reading "the full comments in their full context".
72 • 43 (by tom on 2006-07-19 13:19:11 GMT from Helena, United States)
Anonymous Penguin
You stated
"I hope this clarifies things, because I will not go into an endless debate about this."
As long as you advocate activation codes or registration of software on distrowatch I will debate you. If you wish to stop the "endless debate" go ahead and stop.
73 • 72 (by tom on 2006-07-19 13:33:48 GMT from Helena, United States)
Oops....
What I meant was activation or registration of Linux/BSD. The term software is too broad.
I am not opposed to people (software developers, hardware, sys admin, hardware maintance) making a living, I just feel the basic OS should be freely available and opensource, thus am drawn to GNU/Linux and BSD.
I am in no way opposed to the use of cost of proprietary software as long as I have the option not to buy.
If you want to make a living as a software developer perhaps you should work for an outfit that will hire you to develop software and not develop GNU/Linux.
GNU/Linux will go on without profiteering as there are, as this site testifies, may people committed to the concept of a freely available, opensource OS for a variety of reasons.
74 • Lemmings (by Jesse on 2006-07-19 14:30:40 GMT from Calgary, Canada)
And once again, a fine edition of Distro Watch is tarnished
by posts of "Stop!", "No, you stop!". "Mommey,
he called my GPL a bad name."
75 • No subject (by AC on 2006-07-19 15:44:53 GMT from , United States)
....not to mention posts of "I'm so mature I have nothing to contribute other than half-witted mockery"
76 • 74 (by tom on 2006-07-19 16:32:30 GMT from Helena, United States)
We live in a free and democratic society, debate is healthy. I a sorry if my debating skills are not up to your high standards. If you do not like it, don't read it.
77 • DreamLinux (by hank on 2006-07-19 18:57:41 GMT from Hamburg, Germany)
ohwee.. does anyone knows a better download (mirror) for Dreamlinux 2.0 (the main one runs only at incredible 25kb/s for my location) ? i checked a lot mirrors so far, even was looking for a torrent.. no success until now :(
78 • nice! (by Ajay Chahar on 2006-07-19 19:20:00 GMT from New Delhi, India)
Really nice work!!!
Btw i am working on a gentoo based distro that will showcase latest techonologies from the linux world! The name of the distro is Kroovy!
U may join us at #worlddomination at freenode!
Ajay
79 • RE: #70 (by Anonymous on 2006-07-19 19:58:48 GMT from Ploiesti, Romania)
Anonymous Penguin wrote:
Have you tried to log in first and then download?
Yes, I have a Novell acount and I did log in before starting the download. Otherwise you cannot download. But when I resume a paused download in Opera or Firefox or when I use a download manager (GetRight on Windows), I am prompted to enter username and password for iChain at xfiles.novell.com and it won't accept my Novell account credentials.
80 • RE: #79 (by Anonymous Penguin on 2006-07-19 20:14:58 GMT from Roma, Italy)
They have an how to use a download manager link.
In Windows I suggest you use Internet Download Manager. You can freely try it for 30 days, if I remember correctly.
81 • Re: 65 • by AC (by Warpengi on 2006-07-19 20:46:14 GMT from Calgary, Canada)
Nice clarification of where your views about Warren come from. Having read through the thread i don't really think Warren appreciates what the GPL does for him. Perhaps he will come around some day. On the other hand with his attitude I would not invest my time in trying his distro. Who knows when another incident might upset him and he decides to storm out of the party.
82 • 81 (by AC on 2006-07-19 20:55:55 GMT from , United States)
My sentiments exactly. And thank you for the positive feedback. I'd hoped my remarks would be of value to someone rather than being taken merely as FUD.
83 • DreamLinux (by Michael on 2006-07-19 23:48:08 GMT from Nashville, United States)
For those of you who are having troubling downloading DreamLinux, I'm sure it's because they're overwhelmed with hits. You're patience will be rewarded, however. The XGL version is fun. It's Debian-based with a Kanotix kernel and an xfce desktop. There's a review on tuxmachines.org.
84 • Re: 71 & 69 about Novell's SLED 10 (by Soloact on 2006-07-20 10:21:53 GMT from Redding, United States)
Hi Tom, it's always good when folks can get along *handshake* :-)
Now, if I can get the SLED 10 to finish the download. I'm having the same problem as Anonymous on #69, even after logging in and getting an activation code. I've downloaded about half of the CDs (DVDs flat out didn't work), now I can't get the downloads to continue. I'm using a download manager (Flashget) according to Novell's instructions. Guess I'll have to wait awhile, then try to start over.
85 • the pronunciation of SUSE in german (by German Hinterwaeldler ;-) on 2006-07-20 10:45:16 GMT from Frankfurt Am Main, Germany)
Re 58 "What I'd like to know is how the German developers of SUSE in Nuernberg pronounce it."
Try this:
- speak the first three letters "SUS" like in the name "Susan"
- add the "E" pronounced like the first letter in "Elephant" or "Enterprise"
Hope that helps.
86 • 84 (by tom on 2006-07-20 12:26:40 GMT from La Junta, United States)
Soloact- No problem. As I said I did not meant to be so offensive, just informative.
Good luck with your download and let us know if it is better then OpenSUSE.
87 • Re: the pronunciation of SUSE in german (by Ariszló on 2006-07-20 12:54:43 GMT from Budapest, Hungary)
German Hinterwaeldler wrote: speak the first three letters "SUS" like in the name "Susan"
Interesting. AFAIK German s is pronounced like English z if it is followed by a vowel. So why do they pronounce the first letter of SUSE as in Susan? Why do not they pronounce it as if it were a German word: Zoo-zuh?
88 • dynebolic and more pronunciations (by just john on 2006-07-20 13:03:57 GMT from Fremont, United States)
First, I've been able to boot dyne 2.0 on two different ThinkPads. On the older machine, it boots and works, except that the CD drive continues to run in an alarming manner (funny noise) throughout. On the newer ThinkPad, it boots and runs relatively well, tho some crashes have occured. Haven't tried 2.1 yet. So far, dyne 1.4.1 has been the one that's worked best for me.
Now for another pronunciation question: MEPIS . How's that pronounced? I have to doubt that they intend it to sound as if an illiterate English-speaker were announcing that he/she were urinating.
89 • dyne:bolic (by tom on 2006-07-20 15:07:04 GMT from Helena, United States)
I'v been looking at dyne:bolic, but have not had the time.
My questions are how is it a docking? How about clustering? What about installing additional software?
I know it has docking (nesting?) and zeroinstall. What about package management. I thought it had none and I would need to install applications from source, which is time consuming.
90 • Kudos (by Dimitri on 2006-07-20 15:28:58 GMT from Portland, United States)
Good on ya, Susan, for stepping up to help out at DistroWatch. You did a fine job! And, thanks for a very illuminating piece on Ladislav.
91 • pronunciations (by German Hinterwaeldler on 2006-07-20 17:16:38 GMT from Eschborn, Germany)
Re: 87 "AFAIK German s is pronounced like English z if it is followed by a vowel."
Maybe there are some exceptions, but in this case the "s" is pronounced very soft. Not so hard like the english "z".
92 • for ladislav (when he is back from fiji) (by German Hinterwaeldler on 2006-07-20 17:22:30 GMT from Eschborn, Germany)
BTW: DeniX ist twice on the waiting list:
DeniX (submitted on 2006-04-18)
DeniX (submitted on 2006-06-10)
93 • Re 85, 87, 91 - Pronouncing SUSE (by rglk on 2006-07-21 00:50:28 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
Why is the first S sharp? I explained that in post #35.
So I got it right - Soo-zuh in phonetic English, consonants as in Suzie Q.
Robert
94 • Re 88 - How to pronounce MEE-piss (by rglk on 2006-07-21 01:03:53 GMT from Edgewater, United States)
According to Warren Woodford himself, the name MEPIS is pronounced like "Memphis" (the city in Tennessee, United States) with the extra letters removed and of course not pronounced. The word "MEPIS" doesn't mean anything in particular, it came about by mistake, Warren misunderstood a friend over a bad phone connection, he decided to keep the name because it was a simple five-letter word and there were no other companies or products with that name. (Wikipedia)
95 • No so DWW question (by Sigfrido on 2006-07-21 03:00:47 GMT from San Juan, Costa Rica)
Greetings
I discover M$ Vision today in college, and i whant to know if there is an alternative for mister Vole product?, any plataform will be fine.
96 • No subject (by AC on 2006-07-21 07:34:27 GMT from , United States)
I don't know Vole software that well. Do you mean Visio?
http://www.xml.com/cs/user/view/cs_msg/366
97 • THIS link. (by AC on 2006-07-21 07:35:32 GMT from , United States)
http://www.gnome.org/projects/dia/
98 • Re: dynebolic and more pronunciations (by Ariszló on 2006-07-21 10:24:30 GMT from Budapest, Hungary)
It is Mep-is with a shor e, not Me-pis.
99 • Zenwalk (by tom on 2006-07-21 13:38:29 GMT from Helena, United States)
Zenwalk 2.8 ??
I just finished looking at 2.6.
Cool
100 • SLED 10 - Activation Code??? (by Misty on 2006-07-21 14:33:03 GMT from Valley Stream, United States)
Well, I'm glad that was settled; it seems you need an activation only for the enterprise version. Nevertheless, I'm sad to see this sort of thing spreading in the *nix world. I'll stick with Debian, thank you. And I have to say this as well: as much as I dislike prop software, at least Apple hasn't stooped to this yet. One would think they might have by now, since no doubt some Mac-users have pirated OS X to use on their older Macs. Personally, I think distros like Xandros are shooting themselves in the foot with this tactic. One of the many things people switching from Windows to *nix want to be free from is product activation and the other assorted anti-piracy crap like WGA.
And very nice work all around, Susan. It was especially clever to use this opportunity to give us some info about Ladislav as well. :D
101 • Mepis released (by Bryan on 2006-07-21 20:31:07 GMT from Staunton, United States)
Mepis 6.0 (final) has hit the ftp server for subscribers.
102 • 100 SLED Activation code (by tom on 2006-07-21 20:46:24 GMT from Helena, United States)
Like OMG!! all this time I thought
SLED= Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop
103 • Power Abuse (by Ariszló on 2006-07-21 20:51:11 GMT from Budapest, Hungary)
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/31855.html
104 • Power Abuse, continued (by Ariszló on 2006-07-21 20:53:56 GMT from Budapest, Hungary)
OSNews Comments:
http://osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=15183
105 • Re: Mepis released (by Ariszló on 2006-07-21 21:25:54 GMT from Budapest, Hungary)
Not only for subscribers. Anyone can freely download it.
106 • Mepis (by tom on 2006-07-21 22:21:04 GMT from Helena, United States)
Mepis and Zenwalk in the same day. I must have died and gone to heaven.
107 • Heaven (by tom on 2006-07-21 22:46:19 GMT from Helena, United States)
Heaven. Dragon Naturally Speaking 9, Zenwalk, and Mepis.
All in one day.
Number of Comments: 107
Display mode: DWW Only • Comments Only • Both DWW and Comments
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