 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 381, 22 November 2010 |
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Welcome to this year's 47th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! OpenBSD isn't the easiest operating system to install, maintain, administer, and -- review. Jesse Smith tries the latest version in a virtual machine as well as on two computers, only to find various compatibility and hardware issues during installation. Nevertheless, once installed and configured, OpenBSD is an operating system like any other, with the added bonus of increased security through code reviews and restricted default settings. Read the full review to learn more about the recently-released version 4.8 of the most security-conscious BSD system. In the news section, the Debian project asks users to upgrade and file last-minute bug reports before the upcoming release of "Squeeze", PCLinuxOS hints that a 64-bit edition of the popular desktop distribution is in preparation, and Mandriva looks to abandon the unmaintained RPM 4.x series and replace it with RPM 5.x for better package management. Finally, six new distributions were submitted to DistroWatch last week, including the Ubuntu-based Bodhi Linux featuring the Enlightenment window manager, a Gentoo-based Liberté Linux focusing on security, and two Russian distributions - one based on Mandriva Linux while the other is a Fedora spin. Happy reading!
Content:
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| Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) |
Raiders of the lost OpenBSD
 A few people asked if I would do a review of the latest release of OpenBSD (version 4.8) and it is with some reluctance that I approached the task. It's not that I have anything against OpenBSD or the developers behind the project, it's the nature of the review. Most of my distro reviews are like visiting a museum and looking at all the interesting things on display. On the virtual shelves are package managers, configuration tools and shiny new desktop environments. Tackling a review of OpenBSD is more akin to a digital Indiana Jones adventure. One enters the deep jungles of the command line, explores the ruins of text-based installers and digs up cryptic package names. In short, it's more work and less sightseeing.
Before we get into the actual running of OpenBSD, I think it's important to explore the mindset of the developers and the community surrounding it. Taking a look at the project's website shows us a lot of clues. There's the simple layout of the site and the links are generally developer oriented, pointing to change logs, patches and talks about cryptography. It's also telling to note there's no link to a user forum, instead we find a bug tracker and mailing lists -- mailing lists where people are asked to use text (not HTML) and format their lines to be 72 characters in length or less. There are manual pages, most of which expect that the reader has some experience with the UNIX family of operating systems and probably some time with the BSDs. But enough looking around, let's get down to business.
Following the announcement of the new 4.8 release took me to a page with a list of international mirrors, which passed me off to a download server. There I dug down through the directory levels, selecting my desired release version and architecture. This brought me to a folder with some packages, a few floppy images and some ISO images. Fortunately for those unfamiliar with OpenBSD there is a manual page provided in this folder so people know which file to grab. I downloaded the installation CD image, which weighs in at a light 212 MB. It had been awhile since I last installed OpenBSD and so I decided to begin with a test run in a virtual machine. I fired up VirtualBox and booted from the install image. The system starts off by displaying a prompt which reads "boot>" and, after waiting a few seconds, continues with loading the system. This being an installation disc, the installer kicks off right after the boot process. I think it's worth noting that the OpenBSD installer works entirely from the console. There are no menus or Next/Back buttons, it's all done with text prompts and typing out responses. The good news, for newcomers, is the prompts almost always come with a default, so just pressing Enter will usually be the correct response if you're uncertain.
OpenBSD 4.8 - the desktop
(full image size: 15kB, resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
At first the installer asks if we would like to perform a fresh install or upgrade an existing install. We're then asked to select a keyboard layout, enter a hostname and configure our network connection. (Again, pressing Enter through these will generally work for most people.) We're then told to set a root password and asked if we would like to have secure shell and network time services enabled. We're then asked if we would like to have an X Window environment installed and we're given the option of creating a new user account. Assuming we do create a regular user account, the installer offers to disable remote root logins, which I think is a good feature. We're then asked to select our time zone and partition the disk. This is where I ran into my first problem. After telling the installer to take over the entire virtual disk, I was given a segfault message and told that my new partition couldn't be mounted. I rebooted and went through the installer again, taking all the defaults and made it past partitioning and had arrived at package selection when I received more segfault messages and was told that the package formats were incorrect.
After confirming that my install image checksum matched the one provided by the OpenBSD project, I did some poking around on forums and found that there are known issues with OpenBSD and VirtualBox. Apparently VirtualBox doesn't act enough like real hardware for OpenBSD's taste and (unofficially at least) Oracle is uninterested in fixing the issues due to lack of demand.
My next step was to try the install on my HP laptop (dual-core 2 GHz CPU, 3 GB of RAM, Intel video card) and things got off to a good start. The installation went smoothly up to, and including, selecting which packages I wanted to install. The files copied over and I was prompted to reboot the machine. This I did and was instantly given a text screen which told me that my hardware was being probed and the system came to a halt. After confirming that my disc had burned cleanly and running through the install again, I once more found that my laptop would hang within seconds of powering up.
A little discouraged, but determined to see this review through, I turned to my desktop machine (2.5 GHz CPU, 2 GB of RAM, NVIDIA video card) and ran through the installer once more. Again, on physical hardware, the install went smoothly and at this point I was feeling grateful that the OpenBSD install can be completed in ten minutes. Upon rebooting the system started up and, about one minute later, I arrived at a graphical login screen. I logged in with my regular user account to find a mostly-empty desktop. The background is a fuzzy grey and we're given a terminal and a virtual desktop map. Clicking on an unoccupied area of the desktop brings up a menu which allows us to launch a few applications or logout. Available programs include a calculator, process monitor (aka the top command) and a screen magnifier. As you might expect, the system doesn't require much memory, generally using less than 100 MB including cache.
OpenBSD 4.8 - the accessibility option
(full image size: 14kB, resolution 800x600 pixels)
A fresh install provides a fairly sparse environment, populated mostly by standard UNIX command-line tools, the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and a handful of text-based games. To retrieve more software, we'll have to turn to the package manager. As with most aspects of OpenBSD, package management is a more hands-on experience than it is with Linux distributions or OpenBSD's cousin, FreeBSD. As with other BSDs, the OpenBSD system includes a kernel and basic userland programs together. They make up a platform upon which we can add third-party ports and packages. To install binary packages first we have to tell the package tool where we can locate new packages. It may seem odd for people coming from Linux that we have to set an environment variable to tell the package manager were the repository is; however, it's something we have to do just once and the process is outlined in the Frequently Asked Questions. After we tell the package tool where our repository is, we can use the command line tool, pkg_add, to download, install and upgrade new software.
For people who like to compile their software, OpenBSD has a ports collection. Again, the ports tree needs to be downloaded and installed manually and, again, the process is laid out in the project's documentation. Once the ports tree is in place it's fairly simple to locate a piece of software we want to install and kick off the build process. I installed a handful programs via the packages repository and a few through ports and found that all of them installed and worked without any problems. It's a theme I saw repeated often during my time with OpenBSD: the initial configuration may look daunting, but once it's in place, things run smoothly.
As I mentioned before, OpenBSD separates the base system from third-party packages. While packages can be easily updated using the pkg_add command, keeping the base system up to date is a bit more complicated. The project doesn't release binary updates, which means users need to apply patches to the source code. Users are required to get a copy of the code, manually apply patches, compile and re-install components. It's a more involved process than we find on most other operating systems, but the good news is that OpenBSD has very few patches for each release -- typically in the range of a dozen. The developers maintain mailing lists to let users know when patches are available.
OpenBSD 4.8 - testing the compiler
(full image size: 13kB, resolution 800x600 pixels)
On the topic of patches, the big drawing factor with OpenBSD is their proactive approach to security. The project has a strong focus on security and stability with their website proudly stating, "Only two remote holes in the default install, in a heck of a long time!" An impressive claim and the operating system lives up to it. Much of this is due to continuous code reviews, but part of being secure is having a small attack area and that means not having vulnerable programs installed and running on the system. There are very few network services running by default: secure shell (if it's enabled during install), Sendmail and a time daemon. Immediately after an install OpenBSD is very bare by modern standards which means that the user will be required to install anything they want to use. The project gives us a solid foundation on which to build and then leaves the user to build their own house the way they see fit, if they can. All projects find a balance between out-of-the-box functionality and security and the OpenBSD team strongly favours security.
I've already mentioned hardware a little in this review and I have just one more thing to add on the subject. As of the time of writing I have been unable to get sound working on my system. The graphical interface runs without any issues on my desktop machine, though the resolution is low. The network card is recognized and automatically connects on start-up so the only missing piece of the puzzle is sound.
When looking at OpenBSD and evaluating it, I think it's important to keep in mind what the project's goals are. This isn't a project trying to make a great desktop OS (though I have talked with people who happily use OpenBSD on their desktops) and it's not making the most powerful server system. The OpenBSD team is interested in producing correct, secure code and they do that. Fortunately their work boils over into other areas of the open source world -- OpenSSH being an excellent example. The operating system is small and simple, resulting in low-resource requirements and a responsive environment. I don't think that many people would accuse OpenBSD of being intuitive, but the community does have sound documentation and the project's processes are very open. These characteristics make OpenBSD not only a good firewall or server, but also a great teaching tool. If you're the sort of person who enjoys building their system from the ground up, OpenBSD is a suitable place to begin. My only complaint while trying out the new release was in regards to hardware. I wasn't able to get OpenBSD running in VirtualBox, nor on my laptop and, so far, I don't have sound on my desktop. Otherwise it was a good adventure and I applaud the developers for producing another solid release.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Ladislav Bodnar) |
Debian "Squeeze" in last-minute testing, PCLinuxOS to get 64-bit edition, Mandriva switches to RPM 5.x
 With the fast approaching end of the current year, there isn't much time left for the Debian GNU/Linux developers to release "Squeeze", the project's upcoming new stable version -- that's assuming that it does release before the end of the year, as indicated in some of the recent release updates. Chances are good though, as one can sense increased urgency with each new release update. The latest one comes from Neil McGovern who urges the "brave" to upgrade, to test the system installer, and to report bugs: "It's time for another release update as we move, like a glacier, inevitably and unstoppably towards the release. Help is needed in this area. On one hand, since Squeeze is almost in its final form, it is a good time for the brave to upgrade their systems, and inform of any troubles by filing a bug against the upgrade-reports package. If you have new systems to install, testing of the Debian Installer would be most welcome. On the other hand, we also need help in processing those bug reports, particularly those filed against upgrade-reports. If you think you could help with this, please do!"
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 Good news for those PCLinuxOS users who have been crying for a 64-bit edition of the popular desktop distribution. The optimism is based on a brief message posted by the project's lead developer. OStatic reports: "Bill 'Texstar' Reynolds, founder and lead developer of PCLinuxOS, said in a blog post today that a new 64-bit version is in the works. Details are sketchy at present, but users have been asking for this for a long time. Reynolds said that he has finished building the first 1,000 packages. First he "upgraded GCC to 4.5.1, glibc 2.12.1, X.Org 1.9.x then started rebuilding the libraries.' Once those are complete he'll begin on the desktop packages. Unfortunately, there is no estimated time for release because there are still about 12,600 more packages to go before making ISO images and testing. This comes on the heels of several quarterly updates for the various 32-bit versions of the distribution released around the period from the last week of October to first week in November."
PCLinuxOS 2010.10 - released last month, though never officially announced
(full image size: 926kB, resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
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 A quick update on Mandriva Linux, coming from a blog post by Per Øyvind Karlsen. The topics mentioned include, new "Cooker" manager, increased activity in Mandriva's development branch, and the upcoming switch to RPM 5.x: "The most interesting and controversial thing is taking over RPM maintenance and now working on preparing the final bits and pieces in place for getting some of the biggest and neatest changes with regards to RPM in Mandriva since probably forever. A lot of new things will now come now that we're not only maintaining obsolete versions of RPM with no interaction and participation in upstream, but we actually help drive it and will be able to satisfy more user requests, distro interest, credibility and more. In the end, I think we will end up being able to be the awesome alternative in the forked world. I expect to upload a new release of RPM 5.x to main/testing by tomorrow, hopefully ironing out the last remaining rpmdb conversion issues, then porting the few remaining related packages (perl-URPM has already been rewritten to pure RPM 5.x native API, with many improvements."
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| Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Getting a Linux tablet PC
Upgrading-from-the-stone-kind asks: Where can I get a Linux tablet, like an iPad but with Linux installed?
DistroWatch answers: After Apple released their iPad, the tablet market really exploded with cheap mobile devices, many of them boasting Linux under the hood and a large collection of them never materializing beyond a rumour. I'm probably not the best person to recommend any one device as I haven't jumped onto the tablet trend yet -- I like my computers to have large screens and keyboards. So I'm hoping that folks who have actually purchased a Linux-based tablet will chime in below.
That being said, I do know some people who have tried/reviewed tablets running Linux and I'll pass along a few of those. First off, I think it's worth mentioning that in some ways the tablet market feels a lot like the dot-com bubble in that there are a lot of good-looking options on the table, but it's not easy to tell which company will deliver and which will disappear overnight. It's worth doing some background checking on a company before purchasing from them.
 - I find that people keep singing the praise of Nokia's N900. Technically it's more of a smart phone than a full-sized tablet, but I haven't heard an ill word spoken by anyone who has purchased one of these devices.
- The RealEase company has a device called the Shogo, which looks like it could be a good Linux-based tablet. The device features a 10-inch screen and has a price tag of US$500.
- Potential buyers may also be interested in the WeTab (apparently the name "WePad" was just a little too risky). The WeTab has an 11.6-inch screen, runs Linux in the background and costs about €449.
Something to keep in mind when shopping around for a tablet running Linux is that a lot of places don't like to say the word "Linux" out loud. Instead they usually talk about running Android or "an open platform". Unfortunately a lot of consumers either aren't familiar with the term "Linux" or, if they are, equate it with geeky, hard-to-learn technology. The Android brand doesn't have that baggage so that's the label companies like to use. Doing a Google search for "Linux tablets" isn't likely to be as helpful as a search for "Android tablets".
Lastly, before purchasing a device, I recommend visiting the Android Tablet Forum. It's a place for users and enthusiasts to talk about, review and exchange tips regarding their Android Tablets. It makes for a good introduction into what is available on the market.
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| Released Last Week |
Untangle Gateway 8.0
Dirk Morris has announced the release of Untangle Gateway 8.0, a Debian-based network gateway with pluggable modules for network applications: "The 8.0 is now available! It contains a new Bandwidth Control application and many platform enhancements. Changelog: added ability to import/export rules and settings in tables; new 'Session Viewer' to view sessions currently being scanned; sessions now shown as stat at top of rack; DNS is now bypassed by default; new kernel for additional features required for Bandwidth Control and QoS; new ExtJS toolkit for UI; new QoS implementation for more functionality and better usability; added the Bandwidth Control application for bandwidth and traffic shaping; added Bandwidth Monitor for real-time session viewing; Bandwidth Control reports for viewing bandwidth usage on the network...." See the release announcement and changelog for a complete list of changes and new features.
Unity Linux 2010_02 "Unite17"
The growing trend of developing Linux distribution featuring the latest Enlightenment 17 continues with the release of Unity Linux 2010_02 "Unite17": "We have another Unite17! A few sentences of the changes: brand-new exterior and interior, because I took the liberty of using the testing repositories. E17 at least not alpha, but beta - of course, there are still some annoying bugs, such as that if you want to start an application, which would need administrator rights, some incomprehensible error message appears; transparency works with minimum of memory while in use; the minimum system requirements at least PIII 900 MHz processor and at least 384 MB of RAM, OpenGL compatible graphics card; the CD image size is 2.5 GB, so it's not small; new Linux kernel (2.6.35.7), updated applications, and two new browser add-ons - Chrome TV plugin, which allows all the available Internet TV broadcast monitored, and an open-source YouTube video downloading add-on." Here is the full release announcement with a screenshot.
NetBSD 5.1
Soren Jacobsen has announced the release of NetBSD 5.1: "The NetBSD Project is pleased to announce that version 5.1 of the NetBSD operating system is now available. NetBSD 5.1 is the first feature update of the NetBSD 5.0 release branch. It represents a selected subset of fixes deemed critical for security or stability reasons, as well as new features and enhancements. Please note that all fixes in security/critical updates are cumulative, so the latest update contains all such fixes since the corresponding minor release. Some highlights include: RAIDframe parity maps, which greatly improve parity rewrite times after unclean shutdown; X.Org updates; support for many more network devices; Xen PAE dom0 support; Xen PCI pass-through support." See the release announcement and release notes for a complete list of changes.
Jibbed 5.1
Zafer Aydogan has announced the release of Jibbed 5.1, a NetBSD-based live CD featuring automatic hardware detection and the Xfce desktop: "And again it's NetBSD time. A new version of the Jibbed live CD has finally arrived. It is freshly built from the NetBSD 5.1 sources, which is the first feature update of the NetBSD 5.0 branch. It includes many bug fixes and contains the latest packages from pkgsrc. As always, it uses X.Org from base and the Xfce desktop. Jibbed is a bootable live CD based on the NetBSD operating system that works directly from a CD without need for a hard drive. Automatic hardware detection provides support for a wide variety of graphics cards, sound cards, network interfaces, and USB devices. This live CD showcases a complete NetBSD environment, including compiler sets, and provides features like tmpfs to simulate read-write access on read-only media." Here is the brief release announcement.
Jibbed 5.1 - a NetBSD-based live CD with the Xfce desktop
(full image size: 110kB, resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| DistroWatch.com News |
New distributions added to waiting list
- Bodhi Linux. Bohdi Linux is a lightweight, Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the Enlightenment 17 window manager.
- CoreBiz. CoreBiz is an Ubuntu-based distribution developed by Linux Information Systems AG in Munich, Germany. It is aimed at small and middle-sized companies which want to invest in open-source operating environments, thus completely replacing any proprietary IT infrastructure. The project's website is in German.
- Liberté Linux. Liberté Linux is a secure, reliable, lightweight and easy-to-use Gentoo-based live USB Linux distribution intended as a communication aid in hostile environments. Liberté installs as a regular directory on a USB/SD key, and after a single-click setup, boots on any desktop computer or laptop.
- Lin2Go. Lin2Go is a minimalist, Slackware-based Linux distribution.
- MagOS Linux. MagOS Linux is a Russian desktop distribution based on Mandriva Linux. The project's website is in Russian.
- RFRemix Linux. RFRemix Linux is a Fedora remix adapted to Russian-speaking users and complying with the legislation of the Russian Federation. RFRemix includes free and proprietary software and a more configurable interface. RFRemix is 100% compatible with Fedora, using RPMFusion and its own repositories. The project's website is in Russian.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 29 November 2010.
Jesse Smith and Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Issue 1045 (2023-11-13): Fedora 39, how to trust software packages, ReactOS booting with UEFI, elementary OS plans to default to Wayland, Mir gaining ability to split work across video cards |
| • Issue 1044 (2023-11-06): Porteus 5.01, disabling IPv6, applications unique to a Linux distro, Linux merges bcachefs, OpenELA makes source packages available |
| • Issue 1043 (2023-10-30): Murena Two with privacy switches, where old files go when packages are updated, UBports on Volla phones, Mint testing Cinnamon on Wayland, Peppermint releases ARM build |
| • Issue 1042 (2023-10-23): Ubuntu Cinnamon compared with Linux Mint, extending battery life on Linux, Debian resumes /usr merge, Canonical publishes fixed install media |
| • Issue 1041 (2023-10-16): FydeOS 17.0, Dr.Parted 23.09, changing UIDs, Fedora partners with Slimbook, GNOME phasing out X11 sessions, Ubuntu revokes 23.10 install media |
| • Issue 1040 (2023-10-09): CROWZ 5.0, changing the location of default directories, Linux Mint updates its Edge edition, Murena crowdfunding new privacy phone, Debian publishes new install media |
| • Issue 1039 (2023-10-02): Zenwalk Current, finding the duration of media files, Peppermint OS tries out new edition, COSMIC gains new features, Canonical reports on security incident in Snap store |
| • Issue 1038 (2023-09-25): Mageia 9, trouble-shooting launchers, running desktop Linux in the cloud, New documentation for Nix, Linux phasing out ReiserFS, GNU celebrates 40 years |
| • Issue 1037 (2023-09-18): Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, finding specific distros and unified package managemnt, Zevenet replaced by two new forks, openSUSE introduces Slowroll branch, Fedora considering dropping Plasma X11 session |
| • Issue 1036 (2023-09-11): SDesk 2023.08.12, hiding command line passwords, openSUSE shares contributor survery results, Ubuntu plans seamless disk encryption, GNOME 45 to break extension compatibility |
| • Issue 1035 (2023-09-04): Debian GNU/Hurd 2023, PCLinuxOS 2023.07, do home users need a firewall, AlmaLinux introduces new repositories, Rocky Linux commits to RHEL compatibility, NetBSD machine runs unattended for nine years, Armbian runs wallpaper contest |
| • Issue 1034 (2023-08-28): Void 20230628, types of memory usage, FreeBSD receives port of Linux NVIDIA driver, Fedora plans improved theme handling for Qt applications, Canonical's plans for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1033 (2023-08-21): MiniOS 20230606, system user accounts, how Red Hat clones are moving forward, Haiku improves WINE performance, Debian turns 30 |
| • Issue 1032 (2023-08-14): MX Linux 23, positioning new windows on the desktop, Linux Containers adopts LXD fork, Oracle, SUSE, and CIQ form OpenELA |
| • Issue 1031 (2023-08-07): Peppermint OS 2023-07-01, preventing a file from being changed, Asahi Linux partners with Fedora, Linux Mint plans new releases |
| • Issue 1030 (2023-07-31): Solus 4.4, Linux Mint 21.2, Debian introduces RISC-V support, Ubuntu patches custom kernel bugs, FreeBSD imports OpenSSL 3 |
| • Issue 1029 (2023-07-24): Running Murena on the Fairphone 4, Flatpak vs Snap sandboxing technologies, Redox OS plans to borrow Linux drivers to expand hardware support, Debian updates Bookworm media |
| • Issue 1028 (2023-07-17): KDE Connect; Oracle, SUSE, and AlmaLinux repsond to Red Hat's source code policy change, KaOS issues media fix, Slackware turns 30; security and immutable distributions |
| • Issue 1027 (2023-07-10): Crystal Linux 2023-03-16, StartOS (embassyOS 0.3.4.2), changing options on a mounted filesystem, Murena launches Fairphone 4 in North America, Fedora debates telemetry for desktop team |
| • Issue 1026 (2023-07-03): Kumander Linux 1.0, Red Hat changing its approach to sharing source code, TrueNAS offers SMB Multichannel, Zorin OS introduces upgrade utility |
| • Issue 1025 (2023-06-26): KaOS with Plasma 6, information which can leak from desktop environments, Red Hat closes door on sharing RHEL source code, SUSE introduces new security features |
| • Issue 1024 (2023-06-19): Debian 12, a safer way to use dd, Debian releases GNU/Hurd 2023, Ubuntu 22.10 nears its end of life, FreeBSD turns 30 |
| • Issue 1023 (2023-06-12): openSUSE 15.5 Leap, the differences between independent distributions, openSUSE lengthens Leap life, Murena offers new phone for North America |
| • Issue 1022 (2023-06-05): GetFreeOS 2023.05.01, Slint 15.0-3, Liya N4Si, cleaning up crowded directories, Ubuntu plans Snap-based variant, Red Hat dropping LireOffice RPM packages |
| • Issue 1021 (2023-05-29): rlxos GNU/Linux, colours in command line output, an overview of Void's unique features, how to use awk, Microsoft publishes a Linux distro |
| • Issue 1020 (2023-05-22): UBports 20.04, finding another machine's IP address, finding distros with a specific kernel, Debian prepares for Bookworm |
| • Issue 1019 (2023-05-15): Rhino Linux (Beta), checking which applications reply on a package, NethServer reborn, System76 improving application responsiveness |
| • Issue 1018 (2023-05-08): Fedora 38, finding relevant manual pages, merging audio files, Fedora plans new immutable edition, Mint works to fix Secure Boot issues |
| • Issue 1017 (2023-05-01): Xubuntu 23.04, Debian elects Project Leaders and updates media, systemd to speed up restarts, Guix System offering ground-up source builds, where package managers install files |
| • Issue 1016 (2023-04-24): Qubes OS 4.1.2, tracking bandwidth usage, Solus resuming development, FreeBSD publishes status report, KaOS offers preview of Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1015 (2023-04-17): Manjaro Linux 22.0, Trisquel GNU/Linux 11.0, Arch Linux powering PINE64 tablets, Ubuntu offering live patching on HWE kernels, gaining compression on ex4 |
| • Issue 1014 (2023-04-10): Quick looks at carbonOS, LibreELEC, and Kodi, Mint polishes themes, Fedora rolls out more encryption plans, elementary OS improves sideloading experience |
| • Issue 1013 (2023-04-03): Alpine Linux 3.17.2, printing manual pages, Ubuntu Cinnamon becomes official flavour, Endeavour OS plans for new installer, HardenedBSD plans for outage |
| • Issue 1012 (2023-03-27): siduction 22.1.1, protecting privacy from proprietary applications, GNOME team shares new features, Canonical updates Ubuntu 20.04, politics and the Linux kernel |
| • Issue 1011 (2023-03-20): Serpent OS, Security Onion 2.3, Gentoo Live, replacing the scp utility, openSUSE sees surge in downloads, Debian runs elction with one candidate |
| • Issue 1010 (2023-03-13): blendOS 2023.01.26, keeping track of which files a package installs, improved network widget coming to elementary OS, Vanilla OS changes its base distro |
| • Issue 1009 (2023-03-06): Nemo Mobile and the PinePhone, matching the performance of one distro on another, Linux Mint adds performance boosts and security, custom Ubuntu and Debian builds through Cubic |
| • Issue 1008 (2023-02-27): elementary OS 7.0, the benefits of boot environments, Purism offers lapdock for Librem 5, Ubuntu community flavours directed to drop Flatpak support for Snap |
| • Issue 1007 (2023-02-20): helloSystem 0.8.0, underrated distributions, Solus team working to repair their website, SUSE testing Micro edition, Canonical publishes real-time edition of Ubuntu 22.04 |
| • Issue 1006 (2023-02-13): Playing music with UBports on a PinePhone, quick command line and shell scripting questions, Fedora expands third-party software support, Vanilla OS adds Nix package support |
| • Issue 1005 (2023-02-06): NuTyX 22.12.0 running CDE, user identification numbers, Pop!_OS shares COSMIC progress, Mint makes keyboard and mouse options more accessible |
| • Issue 1004 (2023-01-30): OpenMandriva ROME, checking the health of a disk, Debian adopting OpenSnitch, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1003 (2023-01-23): risiOS 37, mixing package types, Fedora seeks installer feedback, Sparky offers easier persistence with USB writer |
| • Issue 1002 (2023-01-16): Vanilla OS 22.10, Nobara Project 37, verifying torrent downloads, Haiku improvements, HAMMER2 being ports to NetBSD |
| • Issue 1001 (2023-01-09): Arch Linux, Ubuntu tests new system installer, porting KDE software to OpenBSD, verifying files copied properly |
| • Issue 1000 (2023-01-02): Our favourite projects of all time, Fedora trying out unified kernel images and trying to speed up shutdowns, Slackware tests new kernel, detecting what is taking up disk space |
| • Issue 999 (2022-12-19): Favourite distributions of 2022, Fedora plans Budgie spin, UBports releasing security patches for 16.04, Haiku working on new ports |
| • Issue 998 (2022-12-12): OpenBSD 7.2, Asahi Linux enages video hardware acceleration on Apple ARM computers, Manjaro drops proprietary codecs from Mesa package |
| • Issue 997 (2022-12-05): CachyOS 221023 and AgarimOS, working with filenames which contain special characters, elementary OS team fixes delta updates, new features coming to Xfce |
| • Issue 996 (2022-11-28): Void 20221001, remotely shutting down a machine, complex aliases, Fedora tests new web-based installer, Refox OS running on real hardware |
| • Issue 995 (2022-11-21): Fedora 37, swap files vs swap partitions, Unity running on Arch, UBports seeks testers, Murena adds support for more devices |
| • Issue 994 (2022-11-14): Redcore Linux 2201, changing the terminal font size, Fedora plans Phosh spin, openSUSE publishes on-line manual pages, disabling Snap auto-updates |
| • Issue 993 (2022-11-07): Static Linux, working with just a kernel, Mint streamlines Flatpak management, updates coming to elementary OS |
| • Full list of all issues |
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| Random Distribution | 
LGIS GNU/Linux
LGIS GNU/Linux was a modified version of Red Hat Linux with Ximian Desktop 2, Ximian Evolution mail client, Ximian Red Carpet software management tool and OpenOffice.org office suite. It was primarily designed for desktop use.
Status: Discontinued
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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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