 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 273, 6 October 2008 |
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Welcome to this year's 40th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! After two weeks or refining the package management cheatsheet, DistroWatch takes a break from this project to update its rapidly ageing Major Distributions page. Linux Mint, which has become the third most-often used Linux-based operating system among the visitors of this web site gets a well-deserved place among the elite, while CentOS, an increasingly popular community distribution among users preferring stability and reliability over bleeding-edge features also enters the exclusive list for the first time. Read on for brief overviews of the two projects. In the news, Barry Kauler resigns from the position of a benevolent dictator at Puppy Linux, OpenSolaris 2008.11 gets a range of excellent new features, and DistroWatch is showcased on Voice of America's Website of the Week. Also in this week's issue, two new distributions for those users who like to preserve their privacy while surfing the Internet: the Gentoo-based Incognito and the Debian-based Privatix. Finally, we are pleased to announce that the recipient of the DistroWatch September 2008 donation is Miro, an Internet video player. Happy reading!
Content:
 Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in ogg (12MB) and mp3 (12MB) formats (many thanks to Russ Wenner)
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
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| Feature Story |
Major distribution updates: Linux Mint and CentOS
The upcoming release of Mandriva Linux 2009 later this week signals the start of a new, intensive release season that will last until the end of this year. Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE and dozens of smaller projects will continue to showcase their latest innovations in semi-regular intervals, making the following two months a dream come true for every distro hopper and open source software enthusiast. Which distribution will you run this Christmas? And which will get a thumbs down from the users? The next several weeks will answer most of these types of questions.
While speaking about new releases, many DistroWatch readers have emailed us recently saying that our Major Distributions page no longer reflects the reality and needs an update. That's true. Compiled in April 2007, the page is a testament of just how fast the Linux distribution world can change in just a few short months. While some projects go from strength to strength, others, especially the smaller ones, can burn out and fade away. All these little evolutions give a sense of dynamism to the world of distributions that many people find so irresistibly exciting and which many enjoy discussing in forums around the Internet.
So the time has come to update the Major Distributions page - with two changes. The first one is the replacement of MEPIS Linux with Linux Mint in the category of user-friendly distributions. While MEPIS has long held the position of being one of the best distros for users new to Linux, Mint has become a very strong contender in recent months. In fact, anybody who compares the two today, can't but notice the enormous amount of activity, innovation and excitement at Linux Mint. In contrast, MEPIS, while still remaining a solid distribution, has lost much of its lustre, with release frequencies dropping considerably and with many MEPIS community sites having closed down. According to the Apache logs on DistroWatch, four times as many DistroWatch readers visit this site with a version of Linux Mint than those who come with MEPIS. In short, Linux Mint is clearly where much of the newbie-friendly action is taking place right now.
The second change is the replacement of KNOPPIX with CentOS. Like MEPIS, KNOPPIX too has lost much of its stardom that brought it to the attention of Linux users early this decade when it was the first hands-off live CD capable of booting just about any computer. But as most other distributions caught up and developed their own "live" products, KNOPPIX has slowly taken a backstage role. Nowadays, its releases are few and far between and the quality isn't what it used to be either. The KNOPPIX mailing list rarely receives more than a handful of messages in a month. As such, it will drop out of the major distributions page to be replaced by CentOS, a large (and still growing) community project that rebuilds Red Hat Enterprise Linux into a completely free distribution with long-term support. Although CentOS doesn't do any innovation of its own, it provides new CentOS versions and all security updates in a prompt and responsible manner. Many sizeable organisations and companies use CentOS, especially on their servers.
So without further ado, here are the descriptions of Linux Mint and CentOS for the Major Distributions page, pending corrections and suggestions from the readers:
* * * * *
 Linux Mint, a distribution based on Ubuntu, was first launched in 2006 by Clement Lefebvre, a French-born IT specialist living and working in Ireland. Originally maintaining a Linux web site dedicated to providing help, tips and documentation to new Linux users, the author saw the potential of developing a Linux distribution that would address the many usability drawbacks associated with the generally more technical, mainstream products. After soliciting feedback from the visitors on his web site, he proceeded with building what many refer to today as an "improved Ubuntu".
But Linux Mint is not just an Ubuntu with a new set of applications and an updated desktop theme. Since its beginnings, the developers have been adding a variety of graphical "mint" tools for enhanced usability; this includes mintDesktop - a utility for configuring the desktop environment, mintMenu - a new and elegant menu structure for easier navigation, mintInstall - an easy-to-use software installer, and mintUpdate - a software updater, just to mention a few more prominent ones among several other tools and hundreds of additional improvements. The project also designs its own artwork, while its reputation for ease of use has been further enhanced by the inclusion of proprietary and patent-encumbered multimedia codecs that are often absent from larger distributions due to potential legal threats. However, one of the best features of Linux Mint is the fact that the developers listen to the users and are always fast in implementing good suggestions.
While Linux Mint is available as a free download, the project generates revenue from donations, advertising and professional support services. It doesn't have a fixed release schedule or a list of planned features, but one can expect a new version of Linux Mint several weeks after each stable Ubuntu release. Besides the "main" edition which features the GNOME desktop, the project also builds a variety of semi-regular "community" editions with alternative desktops, such as KDE, Xfce and Fluxbox. However, these are often completed several months after the release of the "main" GNOME edition and may sometimes miss some of the "minty" tools and other features found in the project's flagship product. Linux Mint does not adhere to the principles of software freedom and it does not publish security advisories.
- Pros: Superb collection of "minty" tools developed in-house, hundreds of user-friendly enhancements, inclusion of multimedia codecs, open to users' suggestions
- Cons: The alternative "community" editions don't always include the latest features, the project does not issue security advisories and lacks a bug-tracking facility
- Software package management: APT with mintInstall using DEB packages (compatible with Ubuntu repositories)
- Available editions: A "main" edition (with GNOME) for 32-bit and 64-bit computers, a variety of "community" editions (with KDE, Xfce and Fluxbox) for 32-bit computers
- Possible alternative: SimplyMEPIS
Linux Mint 5.0
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* * * * *
 Launched in late 2003, CentOS is a community project with the goals of rebuilding the source code for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) into an installable Linux distribution and to provide timely security updates for all included software packages. To put in more bluntly, CentOS is nothing more than a clone of RHEL. The only technical difference between the two is branding - CentOS replaces all Red Hat trademarks and logos with its own. But the connection between RHEL and CentOS is not immediately visible on the CentOS web site; due to trademark laws, Red Hat is referred to as a "Prominent North American Enterprise Linux Vendor", rather than by its proper name. Nevertheless, the relations between Red Hat and CentOS remain amicable and many CentOS developers are in active contact with Red Hat engineers.
CentOS is often seen as a reliable server distribution. It comes with the same set of well-tested and stable Linux kernel and software packages that form the basis of its parent, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Despite being a community project run by volunteers, it has gained a reputation of being a solid, free alternative to the more costly server products on the market, especially among the more experienced Linux system administrators. CentOS is also suitable as an enterprise desktop solution, specifically where stability, reliability and long-term support are preferred over latest software and features. Like RHEL, CentOS is supported with a minimum of 5 years of security updates.
Despite its advantages, CentOS might not be the best solution in all deployment scenarios. Those users who prefer a distribution with the latest Linux technologies and newest software packages should look elsewhere. Major CentOS versions, which follow RHEL versioning, are only released every 2 - 3 years, while "point" releases (e.g. 5.1) tend to arrive in 6 - 9 month intervals. The point releases do not usually contain any major features (although they do sometimes include support for more recent hardware) and only a handful of software packages may get updated to newer versions. The Linux kernel, the base system and most application versions remain unchanged, but occasionally a newer version of an important software package (e.g. OpenOffice.org or Firefox) may be provided on an experimental basis. Relative to RHEL, most CentOS point releases arrive within weeks of the upstream release, but major versions can take up to two months before they are made available. The CentOS project is supported by donations.
- Pros: Extremely well-tested, stable and reliable; free to download and use; comes with 5-years of free security updates; prompt releases and security updates
- Cons: Lacks latest Linux technologies; by the time of release, most software packages are outdated
- Software package management: YUM graphical and command line utility using RPM packages
- Available editions: Installation DVDs and installable live CDs (with GNOME) for i386 and x86_64 processors; older versions (3.x and 4.x) also available for Alpha, IA64 and IBM z-series (s390, s390x) processors.
- Other RHEL clones and CentOS-based distributions: Scientific Linux, SME Server, StartCom Enterprise Linux, Fermi Linux, Rocks Cluster Distribution, Oracle Enterprise Linux
CentOS 5.2
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* * * * *
Note: The package management cheatsheet will return next week, hopefully in its final version.
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| Miscellaneous News |
Barry Kauler retires from Puppy Linux, more OpenSolaris features
 Last week was a quiet one. Apart from a few beta releases of major distributions and a couple of stable releases of minor ones, there wasn't much to report. But the imminent release of Puppy Linux 4.1 was accompanied by a warning for the fans of the popular mini-distribution: Barry Kauler, the project's founder and lead developer, is about to retire as the project leader: "I have decided to bow out from my position as leader (also known as 'benevolent dictator') of the Puppy Linux project (held since I released version 0.1 in mid-2003), and take a back seat. Version 4.1 is my final release as leader. A small group of trusted developers will take over, although the details are still to be worked out -- there are a couple of threads on the forum discussing this. I won't be going away totally, and plan to focus on a 'puplet' (derivative of Puppy) based on my 'UniPup' concept and targeting specific hardware, probably one or more of the baby laptops. This will be a more part-time project than the hectic full-time pace that I have maintained over the last couple of years." This is not a new phenomenon in the world of Linux distributions - we have seen the leaders of other projects retire after achieving reasonable success (Arch's Judd Vinet or CRUX's Per Liden come to mind). But there are exceptions to this trend. Patrick Volkerding, who founded Slackware Linux in 1993, is still at the head of the project some 15 years later! Quite an achievement that!
* * * * *
 In recent issues we talked about some of the desktop features in the upcoming OpenSolaris 2008.11. Of course, there is a lot more to OpenSolaris that just GNOME, so here is a list of some of the other new stuff that has been added to the latest build: "SD card support; audio HD improvements - many more laptops will now have working audio; fast reboot; Brussels (NIC Administration) - a greatly improved manageability for network interfaces; suspend (S3) support." The author, Garrett D'Amore, can't hide his enthusiasm for the new version: "I think OpenSolaris 2008.11 is going to be great - I confess that I was skeptical about the earlier releases, but this release is shaping up to be really awesome." That's another interesting release that no open source software enthusiast should miss, so do keep an eye on DistroWatch for the announcement of the first beta.
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| Released Last Week |
Ultima Linux 8.4
Martin Ultima has announced the release of Ultima Linux 8.4, a Slackware-compatible desktop and server distribution built around the KDE desktop: "The Ultima Linux project is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Ultima Linux 8.4. This release includes over 850 packages, including the Linux kernel 2.6.24.7, X.Org 7.3 with ATI and NVIDIA proprietary drivers, KDE 3.5.10, OpenOffice.org 2.4.1. Highlights: all-new code base based on the ultima-scripts package and live CD build system; more optimized base system, including i686-optimized kernel and glibc on x86, and greater use of native code on AMD64; improved hardware support for wireless, ATI and NVIDIA drivers, and some 'netbooks' such as the ASUS Eee PC; cleaner, more refined desktop with numerous Ultima tweaks and enhancements...." Read the full release announcement for further information.
NetSecL 2.3
Iuri Stanchev has announced the release of NetSecL 2.3, a Slackware-based distribution with advanced security features: "As the NetSecL project developer, I am proud to announce the release of NetSecL 2.3. The main highlights: improved full setup using rsync - we were able to get a full install in 5 minutes, this is the fastest result for now; smaller size of the ISO image file - another 100 MB got melted; a source-based portage system CruxPorts4Slack - mainly suitable for upgrade of command-line utilities from source; a conversion system adding PT_PAX_FLAGS to ELF binaries; a more advanced kernel configuration and additional modules (NDISwrapper and Dazuko - fixed); X.Org update thanks to the excellent packages from Zenwalk, additionally, with small modifications to the X.Org ATI driver, we added support for the latest ATI 4850/4870 video cards." Read the complete release announcement for more details.
GParted LiveCD 0.3.9-4
A new stable version of GParted LiveCD, a specialist, Debian-based live medium featuring a popular hard disk partitioning tool, has been released. From the release notes: "Comes with GParted 0.3.9; based on Debian 'Lenny' as of 2008-10-01; Linux kernel 2.6.26; package hfsprogs was added; three boot parameters were added: gl_lang, gl_kbd, and gl_batch (example: 'gl_lang=en_US gl_kbd=NONE gl_batch' will use en_US.UTF-8 locale, will do nothing about keyboard mapping change and will not wait for entering key before starting X); VGA 1024x768 is used for framebuffer when booting; the icon of USB on desktop was removed since it does not fit the way USB Flash drive was made; updated with newer live-initramfs 1.139.1."
VectorLinux 5.9 "Live"
VectorLinux 5.9 "Live" has been released: "The VectorLinux Live team is proud to announce the release of VectorLinux 5.9 Standard Live CD (and the first 5.9 Light beta live CD). This is the final release for 5.9 Standard Live. We like to keep our live CDs as close to the installed versions as possible, except for the addition of GParted for easy GUI partitioning. The 5.9 Standard Live CD has been updated with all the latest packages from the 5.9 repository. Also installed in these live editions are vmklive, a live remastering tool that makes live CD remastering easy for everyone. These live CDs include browser plugins, SeaMonkey, Firefox and Opera, the newest Xfce desktop, The Gimp, AbiWord and Gnumeric, vasm and vl-hot, wireless drivers and configuration tools, support for read and write to NTFS, and lots of fun and games." Here is the full release announcement.
* * * * *
Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
- SimplyMEPIS 8.0-beta2, the release announcement
- Fedora 10-beta, the release announcement
- FreeNAS 0.69-beta4, the release notes
- Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and Mythbuntu, 8.10-beta, the release announcement
- Momonga Linux 5-rc, the release announcement (in Japanese)
- openSUSE 11.1-beta2, the release announcement
- Berry Linux 0.92
- Momonga Linux 5.0-beta2
- VectorLinux 5.9-beta "Lite Live"
- Scientific Linux 4.7 "Live CD/DVD"
- Clonezilla Live 1.2.0-27
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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 on Voice of America
 It is a great pleasure to announce that DistroWatch.com was featured on Voice of America's Website of the Week programme last Friday. Voice of America (VOA) is an international broadcasting service funded in 1942 by the U.S. Government, broadcasting more than 1,250 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of 134 million people. Its Website of the Week feature is generally geared towards popular political, environmental and cultural web sites, so it was somewhat surprising to see the programme's editor, Art Chimes, choosing a site dedicated to free and open source software for its latest edition. Besides the brief introduction to DistroWatch.com, the above page also links to a short (2:30 min) audio file in MP3 format.
* * * * *
September 2008 donation: Miro receives US$300.00
 We are pleased to announce that the recipient of the September 2008 DistroWatch.com donation is Miro, a free and open source Internet video player. It receives US$300 in cash.
If you've never heard of Miro, here is the description from its web site: "Miro is a free application for channels of Internet video (also known as video podcasts and video RSS). Miro is designed to be easy to use and to give you an elegant full-screen viewing experience. There are thousands of free Internet video channels that you can watch. You'll be able to download all the videos that each channel offers and when new ones are released, Miro will grab them automatically. Unlike tiny videos on web sites like YouTube, Miro videos are usually very of high quality and look great when watched in full screen. Since Miro downloads videos completely before you watch, your videos will never skip or stutter while they are playing." More and more distributions now include Miro in their repositories; the latest version (1.2.7) can be found in Fedora's and Mandriva's development repositories, but slightly older versions are also available for openSUSE, FreeBSD and Arch Linux, among many others.
Miro - an free and open source Internet video player
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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 Miro
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 ($400), FileZilla ($400), MythDora ($500), Linux Mint ($400), Parsix GNU/Linux ($300), Miro ($300).
Since the launch of the Donations Programme in March 2004, DistroWatch has donated a total of US$19,183 to various open source software projects.
* * * * *
New distributions added to database
* * * * *
New distributions added to waiting list
- Incogninto LiveCD. Incognito LiveCD is a Gentoo-based distribution with a goal of providing a secure and anonymous use of the Internet on the go. It can be used from either a CD or a USB drive and has several Internet applications (web browser, IRC client, mail client, instant messenger) pre-configured with security in mind. All Internet traffic is anonymised by routing it through the Tor network. Incognito is officially endorsed by -- but not part of -- the Tor project.
- Privatix Live-System. Privatix Live-System is a Debian-based live CD featuring enhanced encryption and privacy. It can be used either as an installer to set up a Debian GNU/Linux system with a persistent home on an encrypted USB storage device or as a live CD for rescue and administration work requiring encryption tools. The live CD also enables anonymous Internet surfing with Tor, Firefox and Torbutton.
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DistroWatch database summary
* * * * *
And this concludes the latest issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 13 October 2008. Until next week,
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1100 (2024-12-09): Oreon 9.3, differences in speed, IPFire's new appliance, Fedora Asahi Remix gets new video drivers, openSUSE Leap Micro updated, Redox OS running Redox OS |
| • Issue 1099 (2024-12-02): AnduinOS 1.0.1, measuring RAM usage, SUSE continues rebranding efforts, UBports prepares for next major version, Murena offering non-NFC phone |
| • Issue 1098 (2024-11-25): Linux Lite 7.2, backing up specific folders, Murena and Fairphone partner in fair trade deal, Arch installer gets new text interface, Ubuntu security tool patched |
| • Issue 1097 (2024-11-18): Chimera Linux vs Chimera OS, choosing between AlmaLinux and Debian, Fedora elevates KDE spin to an edition, Fedora previews new installer, KDE testing its own distro, Qubes-style isolation coming to FreeBSD |
| • Issue 1096 (2024-11-11): Bazzite 40, Playtron OS Alpha 1, Tucana Linux 3.1, detecting Screen sessions, Redox imports COSMIC software centre, FreeBSD booting on the PinePhone Pro, LXQt supports Wayland window managers |
| • Issue 1095 (2024-11-04): Fedora 41 Kinoite, transferring applications between computers, openSUSE Tumbleweed receives multiple upgrades, Ubuntu testing compiler optimizations, Mint partners with Framework |
| • Issue 1094 (2024-10-28): DebLight OS 1, backing up crontab, AlmaLinux introduces Litten branch, openSUSE unveils refreshed look, Ubuntu turns 20
| | • Issue 1093 (2024-10-21): Kubuntu 24.10, atomic vs immutable distributions, Debian upgrading Perl packages, UBports adding VoLTE support, Android to gain native GNU/Linux application support |
| • Issue 1092 (2024-10-14): FunOS 24.04.1, a home directory inside a file, work starts of openSUSE Leap 16.0, improvements in Haiku, KDE neon upgrades its base |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Full list of all issues |
| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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| Random Distribution | 
Phaeronix
Phaeronix was a Gentoo-based live CD with GNOME, Reiser4-enabled GRUB, automatic hardware detection with NVIDIA 3D support - all ready for multimedia, Internet, and Arabic.
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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