 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 294, 16 March 2009 |
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Welcome to this year's 11th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! This week we follow up on our introduction to Logical Volume Management with a walk-through guide on using it with some of the most popular Linux distributions. In the news section, Slackware presents a massive first update of its 'current' tree since version 12.2 was released three months ago, Ubuntu packages Plymouth, the kernel-based mode-setting splash program for 'Karmic Koala', openSUSE battles to restore its main download server after a hardware fault, Tiny Core presents a new version of its revolutionary 10 MB desktop distro, and Debian delivers the first glimpses of 'Squeeze', the distribution's next stable release. The issue also focuses on the ext4 file system after reports of possible data loss - is it safe to use it? Finally, two links to interviews with Debian and Ubuntu developers, as well as TuxRadar's nostalgic look at the best desktop environments of 2000. Happy reading!
Content:
- Tutorial: Installing Linux with Logical Volume Management
- News: Slackware switches to KDE 4, Ubuntu packages Plymouth, openSUSE resurrects broken download server, Debian overviews 'Squeeze', Tiny Core reveals 10 MB desktop distro, best window managers of 2000
- Released last week: PCLinuxOS 2009.1, Tiny Core Linux 1.2
- Upcoming releases: OpenBSD 4.5 pre-orders, Frugalware Linux 1.0
- New additions: moonOS
- New distributions: ARAnyM/AFROS Live CD, FuguIta, Jarro Negro Linux, Livre S.O.
- Reader comments
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
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| Feature Story |
Installing Linux with Logical Volume Management
In last week's DistroWatch Weekly, we introduced Logical Volume Management (LVM), a way to dynamically re-size and extend your computer's partitions. This week we walk through a standard Linux installation, using LVM as the main partition method. Most modern distributions support LVM within their installers and so for the majority, the configuration is fairly easy. While the partitioning tools of each distribution will differ, the principles remain the same.
Recapitulation
From the previous article, you should be aware that LVM consists of three main components:
- Physical Volume (a standard partition of type 8e, no file system)
- Volume Group (a selection of Physical Volumes grouped under one name)
- Logical Volume (a partition made from the Volume Group which will contain a file system and be assigned a mount point)
Most computers use the MSDOS partition table which stores the information about the partitions in a very limited amount of space at the beginning of the drive called the Master Boot Record (the first 512 bytes of the disk). By convention there is not enough space to store information for more than four partitions. Using only primary partitions, the configuration of a standard Linux installation may look something like this:
|
Device
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Partition
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Type
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File System
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Mount Point
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|
/dev/sde1
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Primary
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/boot
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|
/dev/sde2
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Primary
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82 (Swap)
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swap
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none
|
|
/dev/sde3
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Primary
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/
|
|
/dev/sde4
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Primary
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/home
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GParted - partitioning primary only
(full image size: 38kB, screen resolution: 660x338 pixels)
Partitioning the hard drive this way means that the user can no longer add any new partitions as all four primary positions are taken. To get around this, the extended partition type was created which allows unlimited logical partitions to exist underneath it. An extended partition is a primary partition, which often takes up the remainder of the drive's space. Logical partitions are then nested inside this space with their partition information stored there too, rather than in the MBR. This way logical partitions can be re-sized down and a new one created in the free space, which provides a more flexible approach. A partitioning arrangement using this method might look something like this (note the extra partitions):
|
Device
|
Partition
|
Type
|
File System
|
Mount Point
|
|
/dev/sde1
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Primary
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/boot
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|
/dev/sde2
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Primary
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82 (swap)
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swap
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none
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|
/dev/sde3
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Extended
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5 (Extended)
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none
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none
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/dev/sde5
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Logical
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/
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|
/dev/sde6
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Logical
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/home
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|
/dev/sde7
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Logical
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/var
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|
/dev/sde8
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Logical
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83 (Linux)
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ext3
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/opt
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GParted - partitioning with extended
(full image size: 48kB, screen resolution: 658x403 pixels)
Using LVM things get a little simpler. We need only two partitions, the standard Linux partition for /boot (remember Linux cannot boot directly from LVM) and the physical partition to use for LVM. In a similar way to extended partitions, the partition information for LVM volumes is stored within the space that this LVM partition takes up on the disk.
|
Device
|
Partition
|
Type
|
File System
|
Mount Point
|
|
/dev/sde1
|
Primary
|
83 (Linux)
|
ext3
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/boot
|
|
/dev/sde2
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Primary
|
8e (LVM)
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none
|
none
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GParted - partitioning for LVM
(full image size: 31kB, screen resolution: 609x291 pixels)
GParted does not support LVM, hence the above screenshot doesn't look very pretty. We are going to install Linux using the final partitioning method. If you dual boot with Windows, then it should be your first primary partition (i.e. /dev/sda1).
Installing with LVM
We are not going to cover everything to do with an install, just the partitioning components. For the remainder of the installation, just proceed with whatever packages you wish to use. If you are installing with Debian, Fedora or openSUSE, these distributions support LVM via their default installer. If you are using Ubuntu however, you must download either the DVD or the Alternate CD and use the text mode option to gain LVM support - the live CD and graphical installer do not include LVM. Before you start, I do suggest you back up your data :-)
When installing with LVM, many installers will offer you the choice to automatically configure your drives to use it for you. This is not a good idea as they will use up the entire space on your drive(s). This means you will need to downsize your logical volumes in order to make another one larger, and resizing file systems down is not always safe. It's better to manually partition your drives and create your own smaller logical volumes, without using up all available space. It's trivial to increase the size of one of these at a later date. So, when the time comes to partition your drives, remember to create a small physical partition for /boot (around 100 MB should suffice) and then a second partition of type 8e (for LVM). Let's start with Ubuntu and you'll later appreciate how easy the others are!
Ubuntu
Booting to the Ubuntu install media, select Install Ubuntu in text mode and continue. This will use a dialog based installer (the same as Debian). Begin the install and it should soon prompt you for a partitioning method. Choose to manually partition your drives.
Ubuntu - choose a partition method
(full image size: 8.5kB, screen resolution: 640x480 pixels)
Create partition for /boot
Once you choose Manual, you should see your hard drive listed with all current partitions. The installer works on an individual partition basis by using the keyboard to navigate to the partition and then hitting the Enter key. This then loads up the options available for that partition such as assigning a file system, mount point and even deletion. If you have old partitions which you do not want, you should delete these first. To do so, for each one select it and hit Enter. At the resulting menu, navigate down the bottom to Delete the partition and hit Enter. Once you have a clean hard drive, or are ready to begin partitioning, we shall proceed to create a physical partition for /boot and the LVM devices. To do so, navigate to FREE SPACE and hit Enter. At the resulting menu, choose to Create a new partition and then enter a size of 100M. The Type for the new partition will always be Primary and you want to create the device at the Beginning of available free space. At this point you should be at the sub menu for the partition we just created. Here we will set the file system, mount point and other information.
Ubuntu - partition sub menu
(full image size: 7.9kB, screen resolution: 640x480 pixels)
The installer remembers previous settings for each option, but by default it should show ext3 journal file system for the Use as setting. This means that the selected partition will be formatted using the ext3 file system and is exactly what we want for our /boot partition. Leave this as is and navigate down to Mount point. Hit Enter and set it to /boot. If you like, give the partition a Label, else toggle Bootable flag to on and then choose Done setting up the partition.
Create partition for LVM
You have just created your /boot partition which will house the kernel, initial RAM disk and the boot loader, GRUB. Back at the Partition disks menu you should see this partition and underneath it will be FREE SPACE. Navigate to the free space once again and we will now create the LVM partition. This time when setting the size, leave it at the default which is to assign the remaining free space. Set the partition type to Primary and you should once again be at the partition sub menu. This partition will not contain a file system, so we need to change Use as to physical volume for LVM. Do this by navigating up to the entry and selecting the correct option from the list. Back at the sub menu you should notice that the previous list of options has now disappeared. This is because you will use another tool to configure the LVM devices themselves. Well done, we have just created our physical partition to use for LVM. Once again, select Done setting up the partition and you should be returned to the partition manager where we can now select Configure the Logical Volume Manager. This will load the tool to create the LVM devices, but will first prompt whether to Write the changes to disks and configure LVM? Select Yes.
Create Volume Group
By default, the new LVM manager should show one Free Physical Volume and no configured Volume Groups or Logical Volumes. The first thing we need is? Yep, a volume group. Navigate down to Create volume group and at the following menu give it the name system (this can be anything, so if you prefer to you can call it something else). Next we need to assign a physical device to be a member of this volume group - this is our LVM partition we created in the partitioning step. It should already show your device (/dev/sda2), so simply hit the space bar to enable it and then Enter. The LVM manager should now show one Volume Group. Great! Next, we need to create our logical volumes, our every day partitions. We will want to create one for the root file system, /home and a swap partition at least. You can create as many as you like!
Ubuntu - LVM manager
(full image size: 6.5kB, screen resolution: 640x480 pixels)
Create Logical Volumes
Navigate down to Create logical volume and then select the volume group it is to be created from, which is system. Give it a name. I like to use the name of the distro I'm installing, so will type ubuntu. Next, give it a size (remember it doesn't have to be massive as we can increase the size later) and we're done! Repeat this process for every device you want to create, including a swap partition if you want one. If you need to, you can delete any logical volume you create and start again. Once you're happy, select Finish which will return us to the partition manager.
Back at the partitioner you should see a familiar list, with the addition of all the logical volumes you just created. As you did with the /boot partition, we now want to assign file systems and mount points to these devices. Repeat the same step above as with /boot - that is, select the device, hit Enter, assign Use as to the ext3 file system and then set the correct mount point, etc. If you created a logical volume for swap, then don't forget to set this Use as option to swap area! Once you have configured all your partitions, choose Finish partitioning and write changes to disk to continue with the installation.
Ubuntu - partitioner with LVM
(full image size: 12kB, screen resolution: 640x480 pixels)
From here on, Ubuntu will take care of your system and automatically update GRUB to boot the correct device. There's nothing more you need to do but finish the install and enjoy using your system!
Fedora
The installer for Fedora is graphical, so it will be much easier to use than the Debian one that Ubuntu uses. It actually uses LVM as the default partition layout, but as is often the case they assign all the space to a single partition for root (/). You should know by now that I think this is not the most flexible way to use LVM, so let's install and create our own partition structure. When it comes time to selecting a partition structure, choose Create custom layout from the drop down menu. This should bring up a screen with a graphical representation of your drive and partitions at the top, with a more detailed list below.
Fedora - choose a partition layout
(full image size: 91kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Create partition for /boot
As with the Ubuntu instructions above, select and delete any partitions you need to in order to create the new structure. First we need to create our /boot partition, so click to select the Free space in the list at the bottom and click New. This will kick up a sub menu where we can specify the mount point, file system, size, etc. Click the Mount Point drop down menu and choose /boot, set File System Type to ext3 and change the size if you like (the default is 200 MB). Check Force to be a primary partition and then click OK to create the partition and return to the partitioner.
Fedora - partition sub menu
(full image size: 95kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Create partition for LVM
Back at the partitioner, again select the free space and create a new partition. At the partition sub menu, ignore the mount point option and change the File System Type to physical volume (LVM). Also ignore the Size, but tick Fill to maximum allowable size, followed by Force to be a primary partition and then hit OK. Great! Now we have our partitions for /boot and LVM. You should see your two partitions listed at the installer.
Create Volume Group and Logical Volumes
Now it's time to create our LVM groups and logical volumes. Click the LVM button at the partitioner which will kick up the LVM manager. As with the Ubuntu section, enter a value for Volume Group Name, which I like to call system. Leave Physical Extent at its default values and under the Logical Volumes section at the bottom click Add to create our logical volumes. Unlike with Ubuntu, this is all done in one step. Similar to the partition sub menu, select a Mount Point (i.e. /), File System Type (i.e. ext3), Logical Volume Name (i.e. fedora), and Size (i.e. 2000). Don't forget to create a partition for swap if you want one!
Fedora - LVM manager
(full image size: 104kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Once you have created all your logical volumes, hit OK to return to the partitioner. You should now be able to see not only your hard drive with its partition for /boot and LVM, but also all your newly created logical volumes with their assigned mount points and file systems.
Fedora - partition layout with LVM
(full image size: 99kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
When you are happy, proceed with the installation by clicking Next. The installer will prompt to write your changes to disk and continue the install. That's all you have to do! The installer will keep track of your LVM settings and configure your boot device for you.
Mandriva
The Mandriva One disk has a simple installer which supports LVM. Boot the Live CD and then run the Live Install program from the desktop. This should kick up the installer and when prompted, choose Custom disk partitioning. The partitioner is very graphical, using colours to differentiate different kinds of partitions. Click on any partitions you wish to remove and click the Delete button on the right hand side. In order to be able to create LVM devices, you will need to click the Toggle expert mode button.
Mandriva partitioner - expert mode
(full image size: 589kB, screen resolution: 1024x768 pixels)
Create partition for /boot
First we need to create our /boot partition. To do this, simply click on the free space in the graphical representation of the drive at the top and click Create on the right hand side. This should bring up a new menu where you can specify the size, file system and mount point and other options. Leave Start sector to the default, set the size to 100 MB, set file system type to Journalised FS: ext3, the Mount point should be set to /boot and finally set Preference to Primary.
Mandriva - create partition
(full image size: 575kB, screen resolution: 1024x768 pixels)
Create partition for LVM
Back at the partitioner, click the free space and create a new partition for LVM. Once again leave Start sector, but in Size in MB click and hold the up arrow until it takes up the rest of your hard drive space. Under file system type we need to set it to Linux Logical Volume Manager, so click the drop down menu and find it among the hundreds of entries. Also set the Preference to Primary and click OK.
Create Volume Group and Logical Volumes
Now that we have a physical partition for LVM we need to create the volume group and logical volumes. Click the dark grey area representing your LVM partition and on the right click Add to LVM. This will prompt to write your changes to disk and then pop up the LVM manager. It will ask you to provide an LVM Name which I call system. At this point Mandriva warned that it needed the lvm2 package and prompted to install it. This actually failed saying "Mandatory package lvm2 missing," but it did allow me to continue. This may be a bug, in which case booting may fail unless you install the package. Once you have created your volume group, you should see it as a tab at the top of the partitioner. Click this, and in a similar manner to creating partitions under your hard drive, select the free space and on the right click Create. Set the size, file system and mount point but now you also get to specify the Logical volume name. I called my root device mandriva. Create as many partitions as you need and don't forget swap if you want one.
Mandriva - partitions with LVM
(full image size: 596kB, screen resolution: 1024x768 pixels)
Once you have created all your partitions and assigned all their mount points and file systems you are ready to continue the install. Simply click Done to proceed with the install. The partitioner should track all your devices and configure your system accordingly. That's it!
openSUSE
openSUSE sports one of the most advanced and beautiful installers in the business, so let's take a look at how openSUSE handles an install with LVM. Once you get to the partitioner, openSUSE does offer the option to automatically configure LVM for you, but as with the other installs we want to do it ourselves. Ignore the options at the top and select the Create Partition Setup button. This will then present a second screen with your detected hard drive. Select the second option, Custom Partitioning (for experts) and click Next.
openSUSE - custom partitioning
(full image size: 197kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Create partition for /boot
The partitioner presents all available options in a column on the left called System View. One of the sections there is Hard Disks, which lists your physical hard drive partitions, and Volume Management, which handles your LVM system. The right hand side presents the configuration options for the section you choose on the left. From System View, click on your drive under Hard Disks and select any partitions on the right hand side which you wish to remove (if any). Now, let's create our /boot partition. Under the Partitions tab on the right hand side, select Add at the bottom. Set the partition type to Primary Partition and hit Next. At the following screen, click Custom Size and set it to 100 MB. Next set File system to ext3 and below set the Mount Point to /boot.
openSUSE - creating a partition
(full image size: 197kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Create partition for LVM
Back at the partitioner, you should see your freshly created partition. Now we need to create the physical partition for LVM. Click Add once again, set the partition to be primary, leave it set to Maximum Size. Finally, select Do not format partition and set the File system ID to 8E Linux LVM from the drop down menu. Now we have our two required physical partitions.
Create Volume Group
Now we can configure the system for LVM. On the left under System View, select Volume Management. On the right, click Add Volume Group, which will kick up the LVM manager. Under Volume Group Name, type system and leave Physical Extent Size. On the left you should see a list of Available Physical Volumes, where your LVM partition should be listed (/dev/sda2). Click it and hit the Add -> button in the middle to add this device to the volume group you are creating.
openSUSE - creating a Volume Group
(full image size: 180kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
Create Logical Volumes
Back at the installer, you should now see your newly created volume group, /dev/system listed under Volume Management. Click it, and then on the right hand side select the Logical Volume tab at the top. Here we will add our logical volumes. Click Add and enter a name for the root device (I called this opensuse), set a Manual Size for the device and continue. The next step is the same as for the /boot partition, setting a file system and mount point. Repeat this procedure for the remainder of the logical partitions you desire and don't forget about swap if you want it! When you're done, hit Accept and then continue with the install.
openSUSE - partitions with LVM
(full image size: 181kB, screen resolution: 800x600 pixels)
That's all you need to do! openSUSE will manage your system configuration from here and set your LVM devices where needed. The openSUSE partitioner is very powerful, but it can be confusing to use. Take your time and feel free to delete what you've done and start again.
Conclusion
Naturally, we haven't looked at every Linux distribution in existence, but hopefully your distro is one of these or a derivative thereof. As with anything new, LVM can appear scary, but it's not once you get the hang of it. Some distributions actually use LVM for their default partition structure, so you may have been using it without knowing it!
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| Miscellaneous News |
Slackware switches to KDE 4, Ubuntu packages Plymouth, openSUSE resurrects broken download server, Debian overviews 'Squeeze', Tiny Core reveals 10 MB desktop distro, best window managers of 2000
 Last week, Slackware founder Patrick Volkerding released a major set of updates for the distribution's development branch, including an upgrade to version 4.2.1 of KDE, which now completely replaces the previous 3.5.10 release. KDE 4 has been in testing for a while, but with the availability of 4.2.1, it finally appears suitable for the average user. As such, it has now been moved into the 'current' tree, so the next major release of Slackware should include this new version by default. Xfce is one of the most revered lightweight desktop environments and a popular alternative to GNOME as it is also built on the GTK+ graphical libraries. It has also seen an upgrade to the recent 4.6 release. Desktop environments are not the only improvements, however, as the update also includes a new kernel and many core packages. Also, according to Slackware team member Eric Hameleers: "One neat feature addition which did not make the ChangeLog, but is definitely worth mentioning: the initrd.img and usbboot.img files which contain the Slackware installer, have also been updated for the new 2.6.28.7 kernel. As a result, you can now install Slackware to an ext4 file system!"
* * * * *
 With its recent status upgraded to 'stable' in the Linux kernel, the ext4 file system is now included in many distributions development builds. Vigorous testing of the new file system among the open source community has now begun and recently, an 'ext4 bug' appeared on the Ubuntu tracker describing data loss if the computer crashes. According to chief developer Theodore Ts'o, this is actually not a problem with ext4 but with poorly programmed applications. Part of the issue lays in a feature called 'delayed allocation' (which delays the writing of data for up to 60 seconds) and applications which truncate files but don't synchronise the data to disk. In an explanation on the bug page, Ts'o writes: "The file system does not 'truncate' files. The application truncates files, or is constantly overwriting the files using the rename system call. This is a fundamentally unsafe thing to do, and ext3 just happened to paper things over. But both XFS and ext4 do delayed allocation, which means that data blocks don't get allocated right away, and they don't get written right away. Btrfs will be doing delayed allocation as well; all modern file systems will do this, because it's how you get better performance." One of the reasons this issue did not rear its head previously is because ext3 has a default commit time of five seconds. Nevertheless, some patches have been written to help ease the issue but they won't make it into the kernel until 2.6.30.
In other Ubuntu news, packages for Plymouth, Fedora's kernel-based mode-setting splash program, have become available on the Personal Package Archive in preparation for the 9.10 'Karmic Koala' release in October. From the project's web site: "Plymouth is an application that runs very early in the boot process (even before the root file system is mounted!) that provides a graphical boot animation while the boot process happens in the background. It is designed to work on systems with DRM modesetting drivers. The idea is that early on in the boot process the native mode for the computer is set, Plymouth uses that mode, and that mode stays throughout the entire boot process up to and after X starts. Ideally, the goal is to get rid of all flicker during start-up." Currently, Ubuntu uses Usplash to display a boot screen using framebuffer or VESA. Plymouth will allow Ubuntu to create far more fancy splash screens and higher quality artwork, which is a goal of the upcoming release. The packages are currently only available for the yet-to-be released 9.04 Jaunty and have no effect until kernel-mode setting becomes available in the 2.6.29 kernel. Jaunty will ship 2.6.28, but 'Karmic' should see the later version included as the default.
Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) is a tool which gives Windows users the ability to safely and easily install Linux onto their computer (and remove it), all from within their Windows environment. A blog called How Software is Built has published an interview with Agostino Russo, the chief developer of Wubi. They discuss the history of the project and the impact it has had, how it is implemented and what it does for users, and discuss the feedback they have received from members of the community. Russo explains: "Wubi actually wasn't designed to do long-term installations. The main aim was really to let people try out Ubuntu with confidence. Normally, users that start with Wubi tend to upgrade to a full installation to a dedicated partition at the next release cycle." He continues: "What people like to see in the Windows world is an EXE, not an ISO. They download a file, double-click on it, and it something gets installed. If they decide they don't want it any more, they uninstall it. This is what they are familiar with, and there's no technical reason why we shouldn't be able to provide a Linux installation in that form."
* * * * *
 This week the primary openSUSE download mirror went offline. Developer Peter Poeml announcing to the list, "I'm sorry to say that download.opensuse.org will be unavailable for some time," wrote openSUSE developer Peter Poeml. "Its storage array broke down once again, and we have no backup. (We are in need of hardware; if anyone would be able to sponsor some, we would be very glad.) This affects stage.opensuse.org as well (same box). I can't give a timeline yet, but expect it to be offline for one to several days." The next day, a temporary solution was put in place while the storage array continued to be worked on. Poeml continued: "A temporary solution is in place now. It knows all mirrors, does full geographical redirection, and is reachable at http://download.opensuse.org/ as usual. The broken disk array is being worked on. A time estimate is hard to give. We are confident that the replacement will be ready soon but the amount of time we need to get it finished depends on the amount of damage to the storage. Meanwhile, the workaround should be 98% functional -- so you should not have to worry."
This event prompted community manager Joe Brockmeier to post a response regarding the issue: "We've done a lot to improve openSUSE infrastructure uptime in the last year, and we're continuing to move forward there. On this particular issue, we're adding the redundancy we need to ensure that we have a backup in place for download.opensuse.org in the event the primary machine is down for some reason." In the midst of layoffs of Novell staff, the company has been quick to re-assure the community that they are still supporting openSUSE development.
* * * * *
 With the release of Debian 'Lenny' now complete, development has now shifted focus to 'Squeeze', the current testing and future stable release. Adeodato Simó posted an overview of the release to the development mail list. He writes, "This first mail (in a hopefully regular series) is a declaration of principles, a call for feedback and ideas, a planning of our next actions, an update on the current state of affairs, and some other bits." In the message he outlines the principles of the release, criticism and wishes, discusses what the next actions will be and closes with some immediate affairs of the release team.
In other Debian news, developers are going to the polls once again to elect a new project leader. Recently, open source news site H-Online published an interview with Steve McIntyre, the current Debian Project Leader (DPL), who is once again in the running. The interview centres on the present state of the distro, how it compares to others and its relationship with Ubuntu, how the internals of the project work and where it needs to improve in the future. McIntyre writes: "The main things for me right now are the two issues we just voted on: firmware and contributors. There will be more work on communications (*grin*), and finally what I would want us to do is encourage more of the Debian family to work together more closely. We have dozens of distributions that are using Debian as a base now, and it would be great if more of those people were actually contributing directly to Debian so that everybody gains from their changes."
* * * * *
 Everyone knows Linux can run on anything and that's almost true. That's true for the Linux kernel, not necessarily for Linux distributions. Just try running some of the top distros on a machine with 64 MB of memory! Of course that's not the market these larger distros are designed for, which is left to speciality distributions such as Puppy Linux or Damn Small Linux. But newcomer Tiny Core looks to shake things up. From the project's web site: "Tiny Core Linux is a very small (10 MB) minimal Linux Desktop. It is based on Linux 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, FLTK, and JWM. The core runs entirely in RAM and boots very quickly. It is not a complete desktop, nor is all hardware completely supported. It represents only the core needed to boot into a very minimal X desktop typically with wired Internet access. The user has complete control over which applications and/or additional hardware to have supported, be it for a desktop, a netbook, an appliance, or server, selectable by the user by installing additional applications from online repositories, or easily compiling most anything you desire using tools provided." Tiny Core is created by former Damn Small Linux developer Robert Shingledecker.
* * * * *
With KDE 4 gaining more and more steam and GNOME considering a more adventurous 3.0 release, it seems fitting that the guys at TuxRadar have released an article on the best window managers of 2000. Following up on their previous publication, the best distros of 2000, this time they show us what we were using just shy of a decade ago. They write: "Almost nine years have passed since this article was written, and we think it's amazing to see how KDE has blossomed from a fairly simple desktop environment into one of the most important free software projects around, with thousands of applications written for it. Some of the others, most notably TWM and IceWM, haven't changed that much, yet still attract users because of their speed and simplicity. And then, of course, there's Enlightenment. You either love its 'stunning desktop designs' or you think it just looks dated, but we think everyone has to admit that it was the first window manager for Linux that looked good, and the project continued to lead the way in a number of areas for years to come." For a little trip down memory lane, take a look at what was on offer back in the day.
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| Released Last Week |
Bluewhite64 Linux 12.2 "LiveDVD"
Attila Crăciun has announced the release of the "LiveDVD" edition of Bluewhite64 Linux 12.2, an unofficial port of Slackware Linux to the x86_64 architecture: "I have the joy announcing that Bluewhite64 Linux 12.2 LiveDVD stable version is ready for download! Bluewhite64 Linux 12.2 LiveDVD includes almost all programs from the Bluewhite64 Linux install DVD, and packages made by the Bluewhite64 Linux community. The LiveDVD is designed to run on a single or multi-core AMD64 and Intel EM64T servers and workstations. Since Bluewhite64 Linux 12.2-BETA LiveDVD, we have added new packages and updated some of the already installed ones which fix one or more security issues. The LiveDVD is powered by the Linux Kernel 2.6.27.10 with advanced features and is optimized for performance. Also, you will find the default window manager, K Desktop Environment, version 4.2...." Read the full release announcement for more details.
Vyatta 5.0.2
Dave Roberts has announced the release of Vyatta 5.0.2, a complete, ready-to-use, Debian-based distribution that is designed to transform standard x86 hardware into an enterprise-class router or firewall: "I'm pleased to announce that Vyatta Community 5 has officially been released." From the release notes: "New in this release: introduced the first phase of a redesigned web GUI interface for interacting with the Vyatta system. In this initial phase; added support for OpenVPN; implemented support for intrusion protection system (IPS) and traffic filtering based on inspection of traffic content; Vyatta can be now configured to act as a web proxy server for web caching and URL filtering; included support for DNS forwarding; introduced support for Dynamic DNS; included the open-vm-tools library to provide enhanced performance in VMware environments...." See the release announcement and release notes (in PDF format) for a detailed list of new features.
PC/OS 2009v2a
Roberto J. Dohnert has announced the availability of an updated release of PC/OS, a user-friendly desktop Linux distribution based on Xubuntu: "PC/OS 2009v2a has been released for the general public. This release fixes many of the application stability issues that users had with PC/OS 2009v2. With this release we went ahead and installed all updates, so all security updates since PC/OS 2009v2 have been applied. The changes to PC/OS 2009v2a applications are common across all releases: Asunder 1.6.2, Audacity 1.3.7, Brasero 0.8.4, GIMP 2.6.5, Gufw 0.20.7, Pidgin 2.5.5, Murrine Engine 0.60.1 SVN143, WINE 1.1.16, Opera 9.64. The OpenWorkstation no longer has the Qt designer application or Qt developer tools, it now includes the Qt SDK with Qt Creator 1.0." Read the full release announcement for further information.
Tiny Core Linux 1.2
Robert Shingledecker has announced the release of Tiny Core Linux 1.2, an extensible, 10 MB mini-distribution with the JWM window manager. From the release announcement: "Tiny Core Linux 1.2 is now posted. Change log: new tcz-symlinker dramatically improves both boot and on-demand TCZ handling; updated udev rules 90-permission rules for USB; updated mnttool to better support other devices; removed unused files; fixed missing applications menu with persistent /opt; dropped unneeded loop in /root/.profile; added version command; added more support for traditional (scatter mode) installation; fixed duplicate icons in scatter mode; enabled suid on tclocal mounts; updated pci.ids."
PCLinuxOS 2009.1
The long-awaited PCLinuxOS 2009 has been released: "The Ripper Gang is pleased to announce the final public ISO image release of PCLinuxOS 2009.1. This release features Linux kernel 2.6.26.8, KDE 3.5.10, OpenOffice.org 3.0, Firefox 3.0.7, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, KTorrent, Frostwire, Amarok, Flash, Java JRE, Compiz Fusion 3D and much more. We decided to use KDE 3.5.10 as our default desktop as we could not achieve a similar functionality from KDE 4. We will however offer KDE 4 as an alternative desktop environment available from the repository once we stabilize it." Here is the brief release announcement.
PCLinuxOS 2009.1 - project's first major release in nearly two years
(full image size: 366kB, screen resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
Greenie Linux 4I R3
Stanislav Hoferek has announced the availability of the third revision of Greenie Linux 4I, a user-friendly Ubuntu-based distribution optimised for use by Slovak and Czech-speaking users: "Greenie 4I R3 combines packages from the official Ubuntu repositories with those from GetDeb.net." Some of the more important changes in this release include: "Kino was replaced by Avidemux; Songbird was removed; several useful applications were added - AcetoneISO, Bleachbit, Deluge, Discwrapper, Gnome-format, GTK RecordMyDesktop, Gufw, and Reconstructor 2.8.1; Pidgin 2.5.5 works well with the ICQ protocol; some bug fixes. Also the lighter 'Galadriel' edition for advanced users is out now." Read the release announcement (in Slovak) for more information."
* * * * *
Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
- PC-BSD 7.1-beta1, the release announcement
- Mandriva Linux 2009.1-rc1, the release announcement
- Parsix GNU/Linux 2.0-test3, the release announcement
- Wolvix GNU/Linux 2.0.0-beta1, the release announcement
- Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Mythbuntu 9.04-alpha6, the release announcement
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.8-beta, the release announcement
- Linux Mint 6-rc1 (Fluxbox and KDE editions)
- Voltalinux 2.2-beta
- Easy Peasy 1.1-rc
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
OpenBSD 4.5 Pre-Orders
The OpenBSD project has announced that its upcoming release, version 4.5, is now available for pre-order (C$50.00 + shipping). Scheduled for release on 1 May 2009, OpenBSD 4.5 will ship with a large number of new features, including the following: "Initial ports to the xscale-based gumstix platform and the ARM-based OpenMoko; new vdsk and vnet drivers provide support for virtual I/O between logical domains on Sun's CoolThreads servers; several new or improved drivers for sensors; OpenSSH 5.2; over 5,500 ports, minor robustness improvements in package tools; improvements in manual pages and other documentation; new tools and functionality, code clean-up." For more information please see the OpenBSD 4.5 features page.
* * * * *
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| DistroWatch.com News |
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New distributions added to database
* * * * *
New distributions added to waiting list
- ARAnyM/AFROS Live CD. ARAnyM/AFROS Live CD is a SLAX-based bootable CD with a small collection of GNU/Linux software, ARAnyM (a software virtual machine similar to VirtualBox or Bochs) and AFROS (Atari FRee Operating System). It is meant as a demo version of ARAnyM/AFROS.
- FuguIta. FuguIta is an OpenBSD live CD featuring portable workplace, low hardware requirements, additional software, and partial support for Japanese. This live CD was intended to be as close as possible to the default OpenBSD when installed on a hard disk.
- Jarro Negro Linux. Jarro Negro Linux is an independently-developed Mexican distribution and live CD for the desktop.
- Livre S.O.. Livre S.O. is a Debian-based, general purpose desktop distribution made in Brazil. The project's web site is in Portuguese.
* * * * *
DistroWatch database summary
* * * * *
And this concludes the latest issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 23 March 2009.
Chris Smart
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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 |
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| Random Distribution | 
Cool Linux CD
Cool Linux was part of the LINUX EMERGENCY CD project and was based on Red Hat Linux. It was a bootable, live Linux CD with NVidia drivers, Blender, VMware (trial), OpenOffice and plenty of other software.
Status: Discontinued
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| Tips, Tricks, Q&As | | Tips and tricks: Find common words in text, find high memory processs, cd short-cuts, pushd & popd, record desktop |
| Questions and answers: Trusting binary packages |
| Tips and tricks: Tools for rescuing the operating system and data files |
| Tips and tricks: Transitioning from PC-BSD to TrueOS |
| Tips and tricks: Gathering system information with osquery |
| Tips and tricks: Command line weather, ionice, rename files, video preview snapshot, calednar, ls colour settings |
| Questions and answers: Selecting an init implementation |
| Tips and tricks: Managing boot environments with zedenv |
| Questions and answers: Compiling a custom kernel for performance gains |
| Questions and answers: Setting up disk partitions and bash on Windows |
| More Tips & Tricks and Questions & Answers |
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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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