 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 268, 1 September 2008 |
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Welcome to this year's 35th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! The world of Linux distribution has traditionally associated the arrival of September with the start of a grand testing period as all major projects are about to finalise their feature lists, freeze their development trees and begin fixing any remaining bugs. So what can we expect when the final products eventually hit the download mirrors? We'll take a look at the feature lists of all major distributions to see what's coming up in the next few months. In the news section, Debian announces the code name of its post-Lenny release, Novell launches SUSE Studio - a web-based tool for building custom distributions, and Linpus Technologies releases an installable Linpus Lite live CD for netbooks. Also among the interesting web links, a user reports how Xubuntu has managed to turn an OLPC into a perfect travelling companion, while the developers of FreeNAS tell us why their FreeBSD-based distribution is an excellent way of storing important files on a remote machine. All this and more in this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. Happy reading!
Content:
 Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in ogg (13MB) and mp3 (13MB) formats (many thanks to Russ Wenner)
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
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| Feature Story |
The upcoming release season
As has been tradition in the distribution development circles, the arrival of September usually means one thing: a highly intensive testing period prior to a big flurry of distribution releases. These will start hitting the download mirrors in the following months, making the time between late September and Christmas the most eagerly anticipated period of the year by all DistroWatchers. Fancy a fresh distro full of updated packages? Enjoy discovering what new features and exciting enhancements the developers have integrated into their products? Eager to exchange the look and feel of your desktop for something fresher and crispier? Then you are at the right place. While we wait for those magic moments, let's take a brief tour of the distribution's feature lists to see what will become reality in just a few short weeks.
* * * * *
 We'll start with the world's biggest distribution - Debian GNU/Linux. While the expected release date of version 5.0 and code name "Lenny" is uncertain due to Debian's policy of "release when ready", the release team has targeted September 2008 as a month with a good chance of completing the current development. This means that, if everything goes as planned, the hundreds of developers who work on the distribution have no more than a few weeks to prepare the new stable version for public consumption. Will it arrive this month? With Debian, one never knows, but it does seem like a strong possibility, given the increased activity on the project's mailing lists and the urgency with which the release team calls for fixing the remaining critical bugs. So what are the most interesting features of the new Debian GNU/Linux 5.0?
- Linux kernel 2.6.26, glibc 2.7, GCC 4.3.1, X.Org 7.3 (xorg-server 1.4.2), GNOME 2.20, KDE 3.5.9, OpenOffice.org 2.4.1
- Over 25,000 binary packages available for installation
- Support for IPv6, NFS 4 and large files
- Switch /bin/sh to dash
- Minor installer improvements and a variety of live CDs as installation option
* * * * *
 Next on the release calendar is Mandriva Linux 2009, scheduled for arrival on 9 October 2008. Given that all of its four development builds released so far were on time, the likelihood of any delay of the final release is fairly small. All that's left to do now is to test the two upcoming release candidates, the first of which is expected later this week. As for the features, all eyes are on Mandriva's integration of KDE 4.1 into the distribution, but there are a few other surprises:
- Linux kernel 2.6.27, glibc 2.8, GCC 4.3.2, X.Org 7.3 (xorg-server 1.4.2), GNOME 2.24, KDE 4.1, OpenOffice.org 3.0
- Radically redesigned installer, both in terms of look & feel and functionality
- Switch to Fedora's system-config-printer as the default printer configuration tool
- Firefox 3.0 with the XULRunner runtime environment
* * * * *
 Three weeks after Mandriva 2009, it will be the turn of Ubuntu to showcase its latest and greatest in the all-new version 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex". No longer constrained by the need to consider long term supportability, this should be a more experimental version than the project's current stable one. At the same time, the Ubuntu base system is likely to be in a much healthier state, since it is based on a Debian tree that was rapidly converging towards a stable release at the time of branching. Following the already completed four alpha builds, the Ubuntu 8.10 development tree has now entered a feature-freeze period, so don't expect any major surprises, other than the usual testing builds - alpha 5 should arrive this week; this will be followed by alpha 6, a beta and a release candidate in roughly two-week intervals. The final release of Ubuntu 8.10 is scheduled for 30 October 2008. Expected major features:
- Linux kernel 2.6.27, glibc 2.8, GCC 4.3.2, X.Org 7.4 (xorg-server 1.5), GNOME 2.24, KDE 4.1, OpenOffice.org 3.0
- Complete theme overhaul (but brown still dominant)
- Compiz 0.7.7 with tons of new effects
- Official USB installation support for converting ISO CD image files into USB-live compatible files.
- Secret ~/Private folder with encryption
- System cleaner for removing unnecessary files and improved Network Manager with 3G support
* * * * *
 Next, it will be the time to focus our attention to Fedora, which has become one of the most bleeding-edge distributions on the market. The original release date of Fedora 10 was scheduled for the end of October, but following the recent compromise of the project's download servers, work on the distribution suffered a two-week delay. The upcoming beta has been rescheduled for 23 September, with the preview release coming at the end of October, and the final release on 18 November 2008. But what can we expect to find in Fedora 10?
- Linux kernel 2.6.27, glibc 2.9, GCC 4.3.2, X.Org 7.4 (xorg-server 1.5), GNOME 2.24, KDE 4.1, OpenOffice.org 3.0
- Web-based software installation interface for Fedora packages
- First Aid Kit - an automated recovery tool that brings together common recovery processes
- OpenChange for accessing Microsoft Exchange
- New security audit system and intrusion detection system
- Miscellaneous improvements to start-up speed, printing, web cam support and remote control systems
* * * * *
 The list of major distribution releases will be completed on 18 December 2008 with the début of the brand-new openSUSE 11.1. Given the prolonged development period and the amount of time still available, it is hardly surprising that the feature list has not been finalised, but a trickle of small announcements indicating new enhancements has been hitting the project's news page in regular intervals. Many expect openSUSE 11.1 to be more of a consolidation and bug-fix release, rather than a major build with thousands of experimental features, but its continued integration of KDE 4 into the distribution should be of interest to KDE fans. Keep an eye on the openSUSE 11.1 page for further updates prior to the release.
- Linux kernel 2.6.27/28, GNOME 2.24, KDE 4.1.1, OpenOffice.org 3.0, Firefox 3.0
- Support for SELinux as an alternative security framework
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So which of these looks to be the most interesting release? Ubuntu 8.10 has some unusual features, such as the ~/Private folder or the new Compiz effects, but Fedora is also coming up with some notable improvements, especially in its web-based installation infrastructure and new security features. On the other hand, Mandriva seems to be concentrating on the integration of KDE 4.1 into the distribution and installer improvements, none of which seem like ground-breaking features. Debian is the same as ever - likely to be solid, stable and dependable, but hardly cutting-edge. And openSUSE? It's still a little unknown at this stage as work on the new version has barely started.
So here is the topic for this week's discussion: which distribution release do you most look forward to and why? Do you intend to do any serious testing and bug reporting during the next few months? Are there any features that you are missing from the features lists? Please discuss below.
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| Miscellaneous News |
SUSE Studio, Lenny + 1 = Squeeze, Xubuntu on OLPC, Linpus Linux Lite, interviews - openSUSE's Joe Brockmeier and FreeNAS's Olivier Cochard-Labbe and Volker Theile
Let's start the news section with an announcement about an interesting service launched recently by Novell. Called SUSE Studio and dabbed as a "Linux construction kit", this web-based interface is designed to provide a number of useful services, such as the ability to create a variety of custom openSUSE distributions tailored to one's individual needs: "What can you do with SUSE Studio? Create a tuned server appliance, containing your application and just enough operating system components; spin a live CD or DVD with just the packages and software you need; create a ready-to-run VMware or Xen virtual server appliance; create a live USB key and carry your Linux system with you wherever you go; build a hard disk image for pre-loading onto hardware; install from your live CD, DVD or USB key to your hard drive." SUSE Studio is currently looking for beta testers - if you are interested, you can sign up on the project's home page. A screencast illustrating its main features is also available.
Speaking about openSUSE, a web site called How Software Is Built has published an interview with Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, the openSUSE community manager: "Q: What are the usual things that you do when you're putting together a distro? Where does the work of the upstream project stop and your work start? A: To illustrate one of the problems historically between a distribution and an upstream project, say you have Fedora and Ubuntu and openSUSE and all these other different distros working on something. You get lossiness when one project decides to innovate in one area or add a few patches or whatever, but those changes don't necessarily make it upstream, or they do make it upstream but after the main project has also started working on the same feature or problem in tandem. As much as possible, we try to work within the projects like GNOME or KDE that benefit us, rather than doing the patches in our own little area and then maybe submitting them back, or letting them come get them, or whatever."
* * * * *
As the Debian development team puts its finishing touches on the upcoming release -- version 5.0 and code name "Lenny" -- many people have been curious about the code name of Lenny's successor. So what will it be? According to a post published today on the debian-devel-announce list, Lenny + 1 = Squeeze: "We will continue to use Toy Story character names for Lenny's successor, which will be called "Squeeze" (three-eyed space alien)." If you've never watched the film or if you've forgotten what Squeeze looks like, here is a picture. Some of the other noteworthy updates mentioned in the above post include guidelines for package uploads during Lenny's freeze period, the upcoming release candidate for Debian Lenny Installer, the bug-squashing party scheduled for later this week, and a call for updates to the release notes.
* * * * *
  OLPC as a portable laptop for everyday work? Surely, nobody in their right mind could possibly consider the hardware designed for children in the developing world as a useful laptop for general computing tasks? Oh yes, claims James Turner, in an article entitled Hacking the OLPC. With a little tweaking and Xubuntu as the operating system running on it, it is entirely possible to use this highly durable piece of hardware for general computer work while on the road: "Within a week I had a pretty amazing little portable to carry around. Although the screen is smaller than a traditional laptop's, its resolution is higher. The XO is light and durable, has superb Wi-Fi reception, and is an eye-catcher wherever it goes. And nothing beats it as a portable Gmail reader at a conference. Even with its limited memory and economy-class processor, the XO runs browsers and remote desktop sessions as well as regular business-class laptops do. I can't wait to try it out on a plane -- no more laptop-in-the-belly syndrome, and the battery might even last the whole flight. You can keep your ASUS Eee PC. I love my Xubuntu-powered XO!"
* * * * *
 Still on the subject of "netbooks" (or ultra-portable laptop computers), a reader has emailed us about the availability of a new version of Linpus Linux Lite, a distribution specially tweaked to run on low-cost, low-resource computers. Unlike the first release of Linpus Lite in December last year, the new version can also be installed to a hard disk. The distribution comes with two user interface types - a "tabbed" one (a heavily customised Xfce), which is very similar to what the ASUS Eee PC ships with, and a standard Xfce for more advanced computer users. One click on an icon in the bottom panel is all it takes to switch between the two. Linpus Linux is based on Fedora, but one important difference between itself and its parent is the use of APT for RPM and Synaptic for package management, together with pre-configured repositories containing extra desktop and server packages. The CD image can be downloaded from here: Linpus_Lite-i386-DVD.iso (699MB, MD5). Apart from Linpus Lite, the distribution's FTP server also provides full installation DVD images for the recently released Linpus Linux 9.6.
Linpus Linux Lite - the "tabbed" desktop
(full image size: 536kB, screen resolution: 1280x800 pixels)
Linpus Linux Lite - the standard Xfce desktop
(full image size: 645kB, screen resolution: 1280x800 pixels)
* * * * *
 Finally, here is a brief interview with Olivier Cochard-Labbe and Volker Theile from the FreeNAS project. This free, specialist operating system based on FreeBSD is gaining momentum as a superb solution for anybody who needs a file-level data storage connected to a computer network: "Few recent trends in storage have had as much momentum as Network Attached Storage (NAS). A NAS device can make a network more efficient and secure by supplying file-based data storage services to networked devices, or it can be used for applications such as streaming media. FreeNAS is free, light-weight, open source network-attached storage server software, based on FreeBSD. You can find a good tutorial on how to set up a free NAS server with it here. We recently caught up with Olivier Cochard-Labbe, FreeNAS founder, and Volker Theile, project administrator." Thiele explains the purpose of FreeNAS: "Two years ago I had a hard disk crash and lost some of the data that had been stored on it - photos and documents. I began to search for a solution to store data more securely. I had some hardware components lying around in the cellar, and I searched the web for a free NAS solution. OpenFiler was a little bit too big for what I was looking for, so I came across FreeNAS. It was easy to install and use."
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| Released Last Week |
Ubuntu Christian Edition 4.0
Jereme Hancock has announced the release of Ubuntu Christian Edition 4.0: "We are excited to announce the release of Ubuntu Christian Edition 4.0. Ubuntu Christian Edition has been on hold for quite a while for various reasons, but we are back up and running. This is a 'back to the basics' release. We have discontinued most of the Windows program installers that we had in previous releases due to the difficulty in maintaining them and changes in some of the Windows programs that made it very difficult to install them automatically. We have added BibleTime as well as a bunch more resources for BibleTime and GnomeSword. We have replaced OpenOffice.org with GNOME Office to keep the ISO size below the 700 MB threshold. We have also updated the site with a cleaner web 2.0 feel." See the release announcement and changelog for further information.
Ubuntu Christian Edition 4.0 - the default desktop
(full image size: 936kB, screen resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
Beyond Linux From Scratch 6.3
Randy McMurchy has announced the release of Beyond Linux From Scratch (BLFS) 6.3, a book that provides detailed build instructions for extending a base Linux From Scratch (LFS) system with popular desktop and server packages and their libraries: "The BLFS Development team is pleased to announce the release of the 6.3 version of BLFS. Many new packages have been introduced in the 6.3 version, as well as many updates, refinements and additions to the existing packages. The BLFS book now provides build and configuration instructions for almost 500 packages. Some of the new packages introduced in this version are: Dash, ksh, D-Bus bindings, Wireshark, rxvt-unicode, Gutenprint, Pidgin, GnuTLS, Qt version 4.x, GnuPG version 2.x, and Amarok. Major updates include GNOME 2.18.3, KDE 3.5.9, Firefox 2.x, Thunderbird 2.x, and most of the mainline server packages." Read the release announcement and release notes for further information.
Turbolinux 12
Japan's Turbolinux has announced the availability of Turbolinux 12 (marketing name: Turbolinux Client 2008 Net User Package), a commercial, user-friendly desktop Linux distribution that combines the best of open source and proprietary software in one compact package. The system is based on a Linux kernel 2.6.24.7 (co-developed at Mambo-Labs in cooperation with Mandriva) and includes KDE 3.5.8 as the default desktop, ATOK X3 Japanese input method, StarSuite office suite, NVIDIA and ATI proprietary graphics drivers, a software update tool and other conveniences. The product is available from several online retailers for ¥9,800 (US$90). For more information please read the press release and visit the product pages (both links in Japanese).
Turbolinux 12 - a new desktop release by one of the world's oldest Linux companies
(full image size: 410kB, screen resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
Kiwi Linux 8.08
Jani Mosones has announced the release of Kiwi Linux 8.08, an Ubuntu-based distribution with support for multimedia codecs, encrypted DVDs, Flash and other desktop conveniences: "Kiwi Linux 8.08 is a desktop CD derivative based on Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS for the x86 architecture. It contains packages necessary for playing restricted audio, video and Flash formats by default and supports the SpeedTouch 330 USB ADSL modem. Differences with respect to Ubuntu 8.04.1: packages up to date as of 28 August 2008; Thunderbird as the default mail client, Audacious as the default music player; Flash plugin and all GStreamer codecs; Compiz extra settings GUI; unrar and MS TrueType fonts; a graphical tool for restoring GRUB; Midnight Commander; the Medibuntu repositories enabled by default to allow installing w32codecs, Skype and Google Earth." Read the full release announcement for more details.
PC/OS 2008v2
PC/OS is a user-friendly distribution based on Xubuntu, with out-of-the-box support for popular multimedia formats, Flash and Java, and addition of packages for content creation and software development. An updated release, version 2008v2, was announced yesterday: "We are proud to announce the general availability of PC/OS 2008v2. This update brings to PC/OS all the bug fixes and distribution updates for Ubuntu 8.04.1, as well as separate application updates for some of the installed packages. Some of the highlights of the client release are: Linux kernel 2.6.24; Flock browser replaces Firefox; MPlayer and GNOME MPlayer replace Movie Player; Audacious and gtkpod replace Rhythmbox; Screenlets 1.4 are now included; for dial-up users GNOME PPP is included. We have also included Picasa for photo management and Google Gears for offline access to Google Applications." Read the rest of the release announcement for further information.
* * * * *
Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix 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 |
August 2008 donation: Parsix GNU/Linux receives US$300.00
 We are pleased to announce that the recipient of the August 2008 DistroWatch.com donation is Parsix GNU/Linux, a Debian-based distribution and live CD. It receives US$300.00 in cash.
Parsix GNU/Linux is a desktop distribution built around Debian's testing branch, but with a custom kernel and kernel modules for improved hardware compatibility. The project's lead developer, Alan Baghumian, is an active contributor to Debian. Besides developing Parsix, he has written a number of Linux books in Persian and has co-developed an English-to-Persian dictionary and other Persian utilities. DistroWatch interviewed Alan in January 2006.
As always, this monthly donations programme is a joint initiative between DistroWatch and two online shops selling low-cost CDs and DVDs with Linux, BSD and other open source software - LinuxCD.org and OSDisc.com. These vendors contributed US$50.00 each towards this month's donation to Parsix GNU/Linux.
Here is the list of projects that received a DistroWatch donation since the launch of the programme (figures in US dollars):
- 2004: GnuCash ($250), Quanta Plus ($200), PCLinuxOS ($300), The GIMP ($300), Vidalinux ($200), Fluxbox ($200), K3b ($350), Arch Linux ($300), Kile KDE LaTeX Editor ($100) and UNICEF - Tsunami Relief Operation ($340)
- 2005: Vim ($250), AbiWord ($220), BitTorrent ($300), NdisWrapper ($250), Audacity ($250), Debian GNU/Linux ($420), GNOME ($425), Enlightenment ($250), MPlayer ($400), Amarok ($300), KANOTIX ($250) and Cacti ($375)
- 2006: Gambas ($250), Krusader ($250), FreeBSD Foundation ($450), GParted ($360), Doxygen ($260), LilyPond ($250), Lua ($250), Gentoo Linux ($500), Blender ($500), Puppy Linux ($350), Inkscape ($350), Cape Linux Users Group ($130), Mandriva Linux ($405, a Powerpack competition), Digikam ($408) and SabayonLinux ($450)
- 2007: GQview ($250), Kaffeine ($250), sidux ($350), CentOS ($400), LyX ($350), VectorLinux ($350), KTorrent ($400), FreeNAS ($350), lighttpd ($400), Damn Small Linux ($350), NimbleX ($450), MEPIS Linux ($300), Zenwalk Linux ($300)
- 2008: VLC ($350), Frugalware Linux ($340), cURL ($300), GSPCA (Linux webcam support) ($400), FileZilla ($400), MythDora ($500), Linux Mint ($400), Parsix GNU/Linux ($300)
Since the launch of the Donations Programme in March 2004, DistroWatch has donated a total of US$18,883 to various open source software projects.
* * * * *
New distributions added to database
* * * * *
New distributions added to waiting list
- iMagicOS. iMagicOS is a commercial Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. Its main features are ease of use, 3D desktop, out-of-the box support for the CNR software installation mechanism and strong compatibility with Microsoft Windows.
- Linux Tiger. Linux Tiger is an Ubuntu-based distribution that uses a new package management technology called SFS. Web site in Italian only.
Linux Tiger 1.0 - Ubuntu with SFS, a new system for software management and usage
(full image size: 1,465kB, screen resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
- Macpup. Macpup is a remastered build of Puppy Linux. It ships with the same packages as Puppy itself, but its IceWM window manager comes with a dockbar and a Mac OS X theme. This distribution is a "donationware".
- Salgix. Salgix is an Ubuntu-based GNU/Linux operating system developed by GMSI for use on its line of workstation and server computer systems. It has been developed primarily for multimedia creation and visual computing uses.
Salgix 3.5 - an Ubuntu-based distribution designed as a multimedia creation system.
(full image size: 379kB, screen resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
- ScratchLinux. ScratchLinux is a French distribution inspired by Linux From Scratch. The project's main purpose is to create a 210 MB mini live CD with a graphical interface based on GNOME, some text-mode utilities and networking tools. Web site in French only.
* * * * *
DistroWatch database summary
* * * * *
And this concludes the latest issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 8 September 2008.
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • 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 |
| • Issue 1033 (2023-08-21): MiniOS 20230606, system user accounts, how Red Hat clones are moving forward, Haiku improves WINE performance, Debian turns 30 |
| • Issue 1032 (2023-08-14): MX Linux 23, positioning new windows on the desktop, Linux Containers adopts LXD fork, Oracle, SUSE, and CIQ form OpenELA |
| • Issue 1031 (2023-08-07): Peppermint OS 2023-07-01, preventing a file from being changed, Asahi Linux partners with Fedora, Linux Mint plans new releases |
| • Issue 1030 (2023-07-31): Solus 4.4, Linux Mint 21.2, Debian introduces RISC-V support, Ubuntu patches custom kernel bugs, FreeBSD imports OpenSSL 3 |
| • Issue 1029 (2023-07-24): Running Murena on the Fairphone 4, Flatpak vs Snap sandboxing technologies, Redox OS plans to borrow Linux drivers to expand hardware support, Debian updates Bookworm media |
| • Issue 1028 (2023-07-17): KDE Connect; Oracle, SUSE, and AlmaLinux repsond to Red Hat's source code policy change, KaOS issues media fix, Slackware turns 30; security and immutable distributions |
| • Issue 1027 (2023-07-10): Crystal Linux 2023-03-16, StartOS (embassyOS 0.3.4.2), changing options on a mounted filesystem, Murena launches Fairphone 4 in North America, Fedora debates telemetry for desktop team |
| • Issue 1026 (2023-07-03): Kumander Linux 1.0, Red Hat changing its approach to sharing source code, TrueNAS offers SMB Multichannel, Zorin OS introduces upgrade utility |
| • Issue 1025 (2023-06-26): KaOS with Plasma 6, information which can leak from desktop environments, Red Hat closes door on sharing RHEL source code, SUSE introduces new security features |
| • Issue 1024 (2023-06-19): Debian 12, a safer way to use dd, Debian releases GNU/Hurd 2023, Ubuntu 22.10 nears its end of life, FreeBSD turns 30 |
| • Issue 1023 (2023-06-12): openSUSE 15.5 Leap, the differences between independent distributions, openSUSE lengthens Leap life, Murena offers new phone for North America |
| • Issue 1022 (2023-06-05): GetFreeOS 2023.05.01, Slint 15.0-3, Liya N4Si, cleaning up crowded directories, Ubuntu plans Snap-based variant, Red Hat dropping LireOffice RPM packages |
| • Issue 1021 (2023-05-29): rlxos GNU/Linux, colours in command line output, an overview of Void's unique features, how to use awk, Microsoft publishes a Linux distro |
| • Issue 1020 (2023-05-22): UBports 20.04, finding another machine's IP address, finding distros with a specific kernel, Debian prepares for Bookworm |
| • Issue 1019 (2023-05-15): Rhino Linux (Beta), checking which applications reply on a package, NethServer reborn, System76 improving application responsiveness |
| • Issue 1018 (2023-05-08): Fedora 38, finding relevant manual pages, merging audio files, Fedora plans new immutable edition, Mint works to fix Secure Boot issues |
| • Issue 1017 (2023-05-01): Xubuntu 23.04, Debian elects Project Leaders and updates media, systemd to speed up restarts, Guix System offering ground-up source builds, where package managers install files |
| • Issue 1016 (2023-04-24): Qubes OS 4.1.2, tracking bandwidth usage, Solus resuming development, FreeBSD publishes status report, KaOS offers preview of Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1015 (2023-04-17): Manjaro Linux 22.0, Trisquel GNU/Linux 11.0, Arch Linux powering PINE64 tablets, Ubuntu offering live patching on HWE kernels, gaining compression on ex4 |
| • Issue 1014 (2023-04-10): Quick looks at carbonOS, LibreELEC, and Kodi, Mint polishes themes, Fedora rolls out more encryption plans, elementary OS improves sideloading experience |
| • Issue 1013 (2023-04-03): Alpine Linux 3.17.2, printing manual pages, Ubuntu Cinnamon becomes official flavour, Endeavour OS plans for new installer, HardenedBSD plans for outage |
| • Issue 1012 (2023-03-27): siduction 22.1.1, protecting privacy from proprietary applications, GNOME team shares new features, Canonical updates Ubuntu 20.04, politics and the Linux kernel |
| • Issue 1011 (2023-03-20): Serpent OS, Security Onion 2.3, Gentoo Live, replacing the scp utility, openSUSE sees surge in downloads, Debian runs elction with one candidate |
| • Issue 1010 (2023-03-13): blendOS 2023.01.26, keeping track of which files a package installs, improved network widget coming to elementary OS, Vanilla OS changes its base distro |
| • Issue 1009 (2023-03-06): Nemo Mobile and the PinePhone, matching the performance of one distro on another, Linux Mint adds performance boosts and security, custom Ubuntu and Debian builds through Cubic |
| • Issue 1008 (2023-02-27): elementary OS 7.0, the benefits of boot environments, Purism offers lapdock for Librem 5, Ubuntu community flavours directed to drop Flatpak support for Snap |
| • Issue 1007 (2023-02-20): helloSystem 0.8.0, underrated distributions, Solus team working to repair their website, SUSE testing Micro edition, Canonical publishes real-time edition of Ubuntu 22.04 |
| • Issue 1006 (2023-02-13): Playing music with UBports on a PinePhone, quick command line and shell scripting questions, Fedora expands third-party software support, Vanilla OS adds Nix package support |
| • Issue 1005 (2023-02-06): NuTyX 22.12.0 running CDE, user identification numbers, Pop!_OS shares COSMIC progress, Mint makes keyboard and mouse options more accessible |
| • Issue 1004 (2023-01-30): OpenMandriva ROME, checking the health of a disk, Debian adopting OpenSnitch, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1003 (2023-01-23): risiOS 37, mixing package types, Fedora seeks installer feedback, Sparky offers easier persistence with USB writer |
| • Issue 1002 (2023-01-16): Vanilla OS 22.10, Nobara Project 37, verifying torrent downloads, Haiku improvements, HAMMER2 being ports to NetBSD |
| • Issue 1001 (2023-01-09): Arch Linux, Ubuntu tests new system installer, porting KDE software to OpenBSD, verifying files copied properly |
| • Issue 1000 (2023-01-02): Our favourite projects of all time, Fedora trying out unified kernel images and trying to speed up shutdowns, Slackware tests new kernel, detecting what is taking up disk space |
| • Issue 999 (2022-12-19): Favourite distributions of 2022, Fedora plans Budgie spin, UBports releasing security patches for 16.04, Haiku working on new ports |
| • Issue 998 (2022-12-12): OpenBSD 7.2, Asahi Linux enages video hardware acceleration on Apple ARM computers, Manjaro drops proprietary codecs from Mesa package |
| • Issue 997 (2022-12-05): CachyOS 221023 and AgarimOS, working with filenames which contain special characters, elementary OS team fixes delta updates, new features coming to Xfce |
| • Issue 996 (2022-11-28): Void 20221001, remotely shutting down a machine, complex aliases, Fedora tests new web-based installer, Refox OS running on real hardware |
| • Issue 995 (2022-11-21): Fedora 37, swap files vs swap partitions, Unity running on Arch, UBports seeks testers, Murena adds support for more devices |
| • Issue 994 (2022-11-14): Redcore Linux 2201, changing the terminal font size, Fedora plans Phosh spin, openSUSE publishes on-line manual pages, disabling Snap auto-updates |
| • Issue 993 (2022-11-07): Static Linux, working with just a kernel, Mint streamlines Flatpak management, updates coming to elementary OS |
| • Issue 992 (2022-10-31): Lubuntu 22.10, setting permissions on home directories, Linux may drop i486, Fedora delays next version for OpenSSL bug |
| • Issue 991 (2022-10-24): XeroLinux 2022.09, learning who ran sudo, exploring firewall tools, Rolling Rhino Remix gets a fresh start, Fedora plans to revamp live media |
| • Issue 990 (2022-10-17): ravynOS 0.4.0, Lion Linux 3.0, accessing low numbered network ports, Pop!_OS makes progress on COSMIC, Murena launches new phone |
| • Issue 989 (2022-10-10): Ubuntu Unity, kernel bug causes issues with Intel cards, Canonical offers free Ubuntu Pro subscriptions, customizing the command line prompt |
| • Issue 988 (2022-10-03): SpiralLinux 11.220628, finding distros for older equipment and other purposes, SUSE begins releasing ALP prototypes, Debian votes on non-free firmware in installer |
| • Issue 987 (2022-09-26): openSUSE's MicroOS, converting people to using Linux, pfSense updates base system and PHP, Python 2 dropped from Arch |
| • Issue 986 (2022-09-19): Porteus 5.0, remotely wiping a hard drive, a new software centre for Ubuntu, Proxmox offers offline updates |
| • Full list of all issues |
| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
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| Shells.com |
Your own personal Linux computer in the cloud, available on any device. Supported operating systems include Android, Debian, Fedora, KDE neon, Kubuntu, Linux Mint, Manjaro and Ubuntu, ready in minutes.
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| Random Distribution | 
Arabbix
Arabbix was the world's first Arabic Live-CD (run-from-CD) distribution that showcases Arabeyes' and others' accomplishments and results - it includes most of the applications an Arab user might require or need. Arabbix was not only intended to attract new users and to cement the virtues of Open Source and Linux as a fully functional Arabic desktop medium, but was also hoped that it will engrave into people's hearts and minds.
Status: Discontinued
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| TUXEDO |
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
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| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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