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1 • Stoked about the Ubuntu/Android synergy (by MIkademus on 2012-02-27 12:27:30 GMT from Sweden)
I have never been very enthralled with Ubuntu and have viewed Canonicals obvious inroads towards mobile devices with some careful scepticism, but in this time of multi-core mobile phones the idea of concurrent symbiosis of Android/Linux where the phone will become your desktop computer when connected to a monitor and keyboard is sheer genius. It can be the move that justifies everything Canonical has done the last few years. Colour me interested and optimistic.
2 • Fedora new leader (by musty on 2012-02-27 12:59:50 GMT from France)
I hope the new leader will give more visibility to Fedora, which seemed less communicative, while at the same time, fedora made significant progress and major breakthroughs for the good of the world Linux.
good review of SalineOS ( there is also SalineOS PSE: Personal Server Edition).
thanks.
3 • Magnet links (by JimB on 2012-02-27 13:04:55 GMT from United States)
I have found that Firefox does not recognize magnet links unless it is told what they are. To do so type about:config into the address bar. Click the Ill be careful button. Right click on the list and choose New then Boolean. Type in network.protocol-handler.expose.magnet in the box, click ok, then set it to true.
This will then have Firefox ask what application to use when you click on a magnet link.
4 • Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) (by Joe on 2012-02-27 13:21:41 GMT from India)
As much as i love your reviews & try out the ones you recommend i have a slight
problem.
You never seem to mention if Network-manager & Modem -manager/wicd/etc is present
I use a usb modem and after downloading find it is not working(no modem-manager & network-manager)
So please do provide the info about internet connectivity
Love your reviews
Thank-you
5 • ububtu unity 5.4: launcher to lose intellihide (by pazuzuthewise on 2012-02-27 13:29:40 GMT from Romania)
If intellihide (dodge windows launcher behavior) was found to be confusing for NEW users, then the logical solution would have been not to set it as default, but I don't understand why remove it altogether.
6 • Saline (by hayden on 2012-02-27 13:40:22 GMT from United States)
Thanks for the review of Saline. While light versions for old hardware and heavy ones for new are established categories, there is also a need for distros that devote most of their energy to getting the job done with as little as possible wasted on decorations. This has become more important recently as more of the big dsitros switch to in-your-face and in-your-way interfaces.
7 • Reply (by RickS on 2012-02-27 14:09:34 GMT from United States)
Magnet links (by JimB on 2012-02-27 13:04:55 GMT from United States)
I have found that Firefox does not recognize magnet links unless it is told what they are. To do so type about:config into the address bar. Click the Ill be careful button. Right click on the list and choose New then Boolean. Type in network.protocol-handler.expose.magnet in the box, click ok, then set it to true.
This will then have Firefox ask what application to use when you click on a magnet link.
Thanks Very helpful
8 • Ubuntu Business Remix (by David McCann on 2012-02-27 17:30:03 GMT from United Kingdom)
I've just read the article by Christopher Tozzi. Of 7 comments, 4 are along the lines of "a complete non-starter for my firm, because of Unity". Why am I not surprised?
9 • @5 Intellihide/ Dodge Windows behavior (by DavidEF on 2012-02-27 19:18:51 GMT from United States)
I agree that this behavior should not be removed, just the default changed. I've come to rely on Dodge Window behavior on my desktop, although sometimes it is hard to get it to unhide. Maybe they'll change their minds anf find a way to include it for those of us who use it.
10 • @1 Android/Ubuntu phone (by DavidEF on 2012-02-27 19:20:42 GMT from United States)
I'm not convinced it will be powerful enough hardware to be useful as a full fledged desktop. Maybe a lightweight, tablet-style desktop. Still, I'd love to be proven wrong, cause it sounds cool!
11 • Ubuntu desktop on a phone (by Vic on 2012-02-27 19:21:27 GMT from Canada)
The concept of a desktop and phone in one has been a dream device since I first started using a smartphone. Really excited to see if and how they implement this. The details so far seem promising. I currently use and Android phone and as far as getting things done on that form factor, it's decent. But being able to launch a complete desktop with full data integration would be my new dream device (even if I was stuck adopting Unity, though I hope there is an option to sub in other DEs). Looking forward to what comes of this, that it is much better than what Motorola did with their Atrix and Firefox. Which required added expensive docks to access, and only offered the browser, no real desktop.
12 • @5,17 intelli-hide - feel the same (by Vic on 2012-02-27 19:26:16 GMT from Canada)
If I use a dock in the desktop that is my preferred setting for it. Makes little sense to remove the setting. Just change the default to auto, or persistent. Anyone that is the type to get confused by dodge behaviour probably isn't the type to spend time tweaking the dock behaviour and would probably never see the feature anyway.
13 • To whom it may concern RE: packages in review (by DavidEF on 2012-02-27 19:32:32 GMT from United States)
Reviewers can only give their impression of an O/S based on their particular hardware. Just including a note on whether a certain program related to your hardware is present or not will not tell you whether it will work for you or not. If you would like to know if your particular piece of hardware will work with a certain distro, may I suggest donating hardware to the cause. Even still, it's impractical for any one reviewer to make provision for all the hardware available in the world. I agree with what Vic initially said (post #14) about the poll to get packages on the "tracked" list.
14 • Regarding the update feature in Saline's task bar (by Vic on 2012-02-27 19:36:20 GMT from Canada)
I personally liked the implementation Saline had for updates. It was quick and effective and being the type to always run my updates from the CLI it was a nice bonus. I liked it so much I copied the idea over to my Vector Linux box to stream line my desktops. Not that I would argue the inclusion of a graphical component for those that use them...
Otherwise good review, glad you found this release of Saline favourable too. I've enjoyed trying it myself and see it as an easy way to get a Debian Xfce desktop up with little to no effort for most people.
Cheers!
15 • that Ubuntu thing (by meanpt on 2012-02-27 21:39:38 GMT from Portugal)
There must be a catch, cause if it was a desktop buntu, it would run also the default desktop applications that come bundle with it, which it doesn't, instead of the droid stuff ... but, it seems this is another buntu branded shell, instead of a real buntu ... I don't expect too much of this cloudy thing ...
16 • Phone with a Linux desktop (by Vic on 2012-02-27 22:52:48 GMT from Canada)
This is something that gets me really excited. Motorola sort of had the right idea when they included Firefox on the Atrix. Unfortunately the implementation left much to be desired. In order to access the browser you needed to purchase either the laptop or desktop docking devices, which were an added expense. And you really only got a very limited desktop functionality in the form of the full browser. Great for anyone who mainly spends their time on the web but useless to anyone who required anything else. I hope Canonical and whoever their hardware partners are get this device done, and done right. I hope to see it offer a full desktop experience similar to what I have on a desktop system now but that I can carry with me in my pocket. I sort of accomplish that now with my Android phone and a usb key. But that's a far from ideal solution and integration of data is a pain and the usb still requires a complete system to run on. I'd like to have one device that could really do everything in one. Not to replace my laptop, desktop, camera etc., but to be an ever ready, ever accessible device I keep on hand so I always have it on me. My current phone (original galaxy s) does a decent job at the basics but it leaves much to be desired as a full computing substitute. If Ubuntu can run on a device similar to what I carry now I'd happily adopt using it (with Unity even though I would hope the DE could be changed just like on the desktop). Here's to hoping for it to be a reality.
17 • @15 what apps will it run (by Julian on 2012-02-27 23:54:58 GMT from United States)
from the description they plan to have it be a full install of ubuntu with some technology allowing two OSes, Android and Ubuntu, to run at once. (though they may be running on top of just one kernel; that's unclear )
What this means is that ALL of the well known Ubuntu compatible open source software will be available and most of the obscure stuff too (but only things that can be compiled for ARM)
18 • Ubuntu/Android (by FSFer on 2012-02-28 02:34:34 GMT from United States)
I really only want a true Gnu/linux distribution on the smartphone. No chroot. No Android. I want Gnu (or free-software) userspace on the linux kernel, distributed in the repository model, including phone functions.
That is my dream.
19 • . (by Eric Leung on 2012-02-28 06:04:19 GMT from Hong Kong)
It is interesting to see Ubuntu move to android platform. Unlike normal desktop PC, android device are ideal instruction on the road. It has lots of features such as 3G, Wifi, GPS, light senor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetc field senor, atomspheric pressure, ....This should open new area to explore.
20 • @18 I agree (by Vic on 2012-02-28 07:07:08 GMT from United States)
I agree. Ultimately that would be a wicked device. Openmoko got my hopes up years ago but ever since the birth of Google's Android the project seems to have gone defunct. I was so close to buying a developer device to play with back when I first discovered it but decided to hold off for a more polished device and nothing else got released. One day I imagine some one will get it right and release a real computer in a phone that is actual useful but until then I'll try to get by with what there is.
21 • @20 - realy computer in a phone (by me on 2012-02-28 10:13:58 GMT from Slovenia)
I know this is not what was ment here but i find it an interesting concept - Asus PadPhone or is it PhonePad). It's a phone you can stick into a pad and it turns into a tablet and then you can stick that tablet to keyboard and becomes a notebook.
Now if only it also had propper desktop applicaitons...
22 • @21 - about the padphone (by meanpt on 2012-02-28 12:27:58 GMT from Portugal)
I agree with you, that's a hell of a nice concept I even began thinking of about two years ago and questioning myself why apple didn't further explore that direction at the time. When HP bought palm and rumors about a tablet in the works began spreading, I thought they were going to do it. Well, they didn't and went to the market with more of the same and became a commodity. Nonetheless, pricing of these devices is still in the stupid side of the equation ... somewhere in the next galaxy ... even for a device that's three in one, the way laptops have been two in one when docked at work. Moreover, the padphone still lacks a proper OS ... peaty ...
23 • DWW Reviews (by Coffee on 2012-02-28 15:52:27 GMT from France)
Yesterday there were a number of comments here bashing Jesse's review of SalineOS. These comments have since mysteriously disappeared. But when I first read them I began to write a comment myself, then got busy elsewhere and forgot about it. I just discovered this short piece of text named "a" in my temp directory. So, here it goes ...
It's not an easy thing to come up week after week with an interesting and readable piece of prose about always the same subject. I think, so far Jesse (as before him Caitlyn) has done a great job with his reviews of GNU/Linux distributions here in DWW. The Internet is awash with such reviews and in my opinion many of them are written by less competent authors who neglect important technical aspects and concentrate on intricacies of the desktop that can be easily changed by the user.
But I'm also wondering whether a more standardized, schematic approach to such reviews would be more useful? The great advantage of this is that important aspects like hardware support, security (an absolute must!), resource consumption, power management, package management, repository etc. cannot be ignored or overlooked by the author. Another advantage is that all the findings and evaluations of the review can be seen at a glance as they're always in the same place. This makes comparisons with other distributions more easy. But there are downsides to this, too. For one: who wants to read tables? Another problem is that a schematic review like this doesn't lend itself well to suit the vast zoo of GNU/Linux distributions out there. E.g.: no one would criticize Tiny Core for not coming with an integrated office suite but Red Hat would rightfully receive some flak if they did the same thing; should Damn Vulnerable Linux be criticized for being, err... damn vulnerable?; etc. etc. I can't make up my mind about all of this. Maybe someone here has some ideas about how to simplify and improve such reviews?
24 • Reviews parts and style (by Jesse on 2012-02-28 17:19:37 GMT from Canada)
@23
As you pointed out, having a standard form for a review would cover all the bases, but it has some serious drawbacks. For one, it would be boring to read. For another, it would be boring to write. And, as you pointed out, it wouldn't give a clear picture of niche distributions like Tiny Core or Clonezilla, Puppy, etc.
One of the things I love about the Linux ecosystem is its variety and its ability to fill niches. Linux is very flexible and I believe it's natural to adapt a flexible writing style to match. Some aspects of distros may get overlooked (previous posters rightly pointed out more information on networking tools would be nice), but I like to think the flexible style makes for a more interesting read and avoids extra information people don't want.
What post 23 describes sounds to me like QA testing rather than reviewing. And QA testing is important, vital even for large projects, but I don't think it gives a feel for running a distribution, which is what I hope I provide.
25 • Re: 34, Reviews parts and style (by Coffee on 2012-02-28 18:02:12 GMT from France)
> What post 23 describes sounds to me like QA testing rather than reviewing.
... this is a definition of "review" that has never occurred to me. I always thought the review of an os/desktop/applications bundle like a GNU/Linux distribution was all about, well ... everything, every perceivable aspect of such a complex piece of software (hardware compatibility, stability, security, functionality, user friendliness etc.) But if you're right with your definition, then this explains why I find so many reviews (elsewhere, not here) disappointing as they all too often don't address any of these important aspects and leave many questions unanswered.
26 • Fedora Project Leader + Reviews (by Landor on 2012-02-28 18:25:04 GMT from Canada)
Fedora Project Leader:
As some of you may recall, I don't really have much in the way of something nice to say about Fedora. What I can say though is that I personally believe that two of the best people currently working for RH and for Fedora are: Robyn Bergeron and Máirín Duffy. I wasn't surprised at all to read that Robyn was now the Fedora Project Leader. Hopefully her integrity and professionalism will be able to surmount the obstacles of the position where she'll be able to actually affect real change within Fedora. She has a rough road to hoe if she is going to make any real change, let alone anything lasting. Congratulations Robyn, and here's hoping you can leave an indelible mark.
Reviews:
I think that a standard format for a reviewing process is essential. For those that actually rely upon a review instead of following their own experiences, they need a process in which they can measure all other reviews of distributions. Now, I know that's not possible for other sites, but where the majority of reviews are written at one site, by one author, this is essential. The reason being is that each review can become a benchmark for said users, to gauge the value of each distribution based on the previous review(s). That would further help them decide if they indeed want to try either/or for their own personal use. This can be easily done without comparing distributions at all. One way would be to have a standard review process and criteria, which could be tailored to fit all distributions. Another could be to have a rating system, which later, Ladislav could easily have a new entry in his database for each distribution, and search criteria off the search page. This is something that should have been implemented years ago here.
I also believe readers here jumping to the defense of any reviewer/visible member of this community is sheer fallacy. While on one hand you have someone who does not like the review/reviewer for whatever reviews, you know have someone willing to take up arms to defend the slight simply because they feel this sort of 'digital gallantry' and almost a fanbois connection to the reviewer. The lines become easily blurred on which is the one the rest don't want to read.
27 • Styles (by Jesse on 2012-02-28 18:30:10 GMT from Canada)
@25:
The way I see it a distro review plays out a lot like a film review or a book review. If you read film reviews they don't give every details of the plot, camera angles, a list of supporting actors, production costs etc. They give an overview with impressions and observations about the film in general. People who want a deep level in-depth detail watch the director commentary and read IMDB and Wikipedia. I write my software reviews the same way I'd write a film or music album review.
I don't know of anyone who goes into fine-grained detail in their reviews in order to cover everything, nor anyone who would have the time to do so on a weekly basis.
28 • Clicked On Submit Accidently: (by Landor on 2012-02-28 18:31:12 GMT from Canada)
Continued from 26:
I also feel that reviews should have hardware stated, and all optional means of network connections.
Many who view this site are from rural areas, or countries that do not have the advantages of high speed connections at a reasonable rate (as if anyone does in all truth). To forget these individuals leaves a gap in the review process. It also can become costly for those that download distributions had a great expense, to only find that they cannot use it. It will also help those that purchase CDs/DVDs from DistroWatch partners, again knowing if these distribution do in fact, or not as the case may be, have the required applications for them to be able to make a connection to a network in some manner.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Landor
29 • Re: 26/28 DWW Reviews (by Coffee on 2012-02-28 21:14:14 GMT from France)
Landor, you can't imagine my surprise when I noticed the void at the bottom of your first comment. Could this be true? I was rubbing my eyes in disbelief and it took me a while to come to the realization ... "He doesn't do it any more. He's come to his senses. At last!" But alas, this was a little premature. What a disappointment, when it all turned out to be just a mistake.
I do hope you were not referring to me when you commented on fanbois jumping to the defense of any reviewer. I'm too bright (and too old) to be anybody's fanboi. I have criticized things Jesse has written in DWW and don't get me started on the arguments I had here with Caitlyn a long time ago. But both Caitlyn and Jesse come from a technical background which gives them a better understanding of the inner workings of a GNU/Linux distribution than the average user has. Both know how to structure an article and both express themselves clearly and fluently. All of this makes their reviews stand out from much of the stuff one finds on other web sites and on private blogs where some of the "reviewers" don't care about the engine room but write 3000 word pieces about the color of the deck chairs and the piano in the cocktail bar.
30 • SalineOS (by Andy Prough on 2012-02-29 00:44:00 GMT from United States)
My takeaway from Jesse's review is that SalineOS is Debian-Squeeze+XFCE+fish-wallpaper. And that it works pretty good.
Is this a distro for people who want an easy-to-install Debian XFCE desktop? Other than the fish (and the French keyboard layout), I'm not sure I see anything here any different than basic Debian. It's probably good, though, that Debian has some easy-to-install versions of XFCE.
31 • ubuntu phone + reviews (by JR on 2012-02-29 03:21:26 GMT from Brazil)
Ubuntu phone:
maybe now we can agree that Ubuntu is moving towards smartphones and tablets (people said that the new interface had nothing to do with tablets), Ubuntu may not be a phone yet, but it's coming closer!
reviewers:
I think that the difference between standardized reviews and free reviews or with a certain personal touch does not necessarily have to do with being better or worse for the reader, but with the style of the reviewer, some need a cake recipe as a guide to make reviews, others not, it seems to me as simple as that, the rest is personal taste .....
32 • Reviews (by TheBullDog on 2012-02-29 05:05:05 GMT from United States)
IMHO, many reviews that we read in Linux magazines and on the internet are impressions of an individual journalist's experience installing, configuring, and using a given distro. They may be sprinkled with a little information on how the release compares to the parent distribution or to another sibling of the same genre. They may give us a flavor for the direction the distribution is taking, its base and default configurations, and their impression based on their hardware, software used, and difficulties encountered.
Individuals can then download and install the distribution on their own equipment to see how it works for them. They shouldn't think that a single review, based on a limited mix of hardware and used for a limited period of time, will answer every possible problem that can arise with the myriad hardware and application combinations in use around the world.
Should I expect a review to answer all my questions? No. But, the review might just peak my interest and get me started on doing an analysis of my own.
If I'm considering the distribution I just read about to play a prominent role in my home or on my business network, either I, or a technical analyst (for a business of any size), would be responsible for doing the research and lab testing to ensure the distribution would work with the existing hardware base, determine if new hardware was required, see if software applications work as expected, see if the distribution and applications integrate seamlessly into the existing environment, and work with the vendor to resolve any problems that might be encountered. Time and monetary constraints would also need to be taken into consideration. No small task -- I assure you.
At the very least, I would hope to provide feedback to the distribution's manager(s) to let them know about any problems I encountered, with solutions if known, and provide them with a snapshot of my hardware configuration, should they ask.
Just my opinion,
TheBullDog
33 • @29 (by Adam Williamson on 2012-02-29 05:30:39 GMT from Canada)
yeah, I nearly had an aneurysm when I saw that one. I didn't know where to put my stick any more!
34 • @33 Non-stick deadpan. (by Antony on 2012-02-29 10:25:01 GMT from United Kingdom)
Ahh.....but, alas! What of the forsaken of our brethren, having neither ice, nor stick?
Reviews: There are so many variables. A review is necessarily limited, and not normally the best resource for very detailed and specific information.
35 • MINIX (by Jesse on 2012-02-29 21:30:14 GMT from Canada)
On a different topic, is anyone else interested in the new release of MINIX? I've been considering a review. On the one hand MINIX is, to me at least, an interesting project. On the other hand it's a small project without much of a following compared to Linux or the BSDs. Is MINIX an operating system you'd like to see covered in DWW?
36 • RE: 35 (by A. Person on 2012-02-29 22:48:37 GMT from United States)
Why not -- go for it. Always interesting to learn something new.
37 • @35, Minix (by TobiSGD on 2012-02-29 22:53:00 GMT from Germany)
Well, Minix is a Unix like and listed on Distrowatch, so I would like to see a review, especially in comparison to Linux/BSD.
38 • Re: 35, MINIX (by Coffee on 2012-02-29 23:34:58 GMT from France)
The only time I ever came across MINIX was in the late 1980s when a colleague compiled and installed a copy (probably the very first release) on one of our then super luxurious 6 MHz IBM ATs. But there was no time then to play with it because we had to put DOS back onto that machine so we could get on with our work. So, yes, I'd be very interested to hear what has become of MINIX after all these years. It would also be nice if once in a while there was a short update on status of GNU Hurd, Genode and stuff like this. It doesn't have to be a feature length article ...
P.S.: there's an interesting article today about Genode over at OSNews.
39 • Minix review (by subg on 2012-02-29 23:45:33 GMT from United States)
Yes, a Minix review would be interesting. There are also several (now) well-established distros that applied but failed to make it on Distrowatch in past years that would seem worth looking at again.
40 • #35 (by Andy Prough on 2012-03-01 07:43:47 GMT from United States)
Jesse - how about reviewing Haiku - the new BeOS project? It's in Alpha 3 now, looks like it can be installed with some slight difficulty, or run in VirtualBox.
41 • SalineOS, reviews, etc. (by eco2geek on 2012-03-01 08:22:47 GMT from United States)
From the review:
> I think it would make sense to name items in the application menu by their purpose
> rather than by the application's name.
It's too bad Saline uses Xfce 4.6 then; in Xfce 4.8 you have tooltips that tell you what each menu item does.
> The update button in the system tray works well enough, but given SalineOS'
> friendly approach to most things, I think it makes sense to put a graphical
> update tool in its place.
One could use GNOME's GUI-based update manager. Then again, it doesn't delete downloaded packages after it's installed them, does it? (Besides, it's Debian. You're supposed to learn how to use the command line to update your system and install software. :-)
I think reviews (of anything) have a tendency to reflect the views and needs of the individual reviewer, to a greater or lesser extent. This is a feature, not a bug. If reviews posted here had to follow a certain rigid format every time, they'd get boring very quickly.
Keep your stick on the...wait, where is it supposed to be kept again?
42 • MINIX 3.2.0 (by zykoda on 2012-03-01 08:39:28 GMT from United Kingdom)
Version 3.1.2 had both USB and pendrive images, not for later versions! Are there other ways to achieve the same object from isos without resorting to virtual machines? dd?
43 • Haiku (by Jesse on 2012-03-01 13:28:40 GMT from Canada)
>> "Jesse - how about reviewing Haiku - the new BeOS project? It's in Alpha 3 now, looks like it can be installed with some slight difficulty, or run in VirtualBox."
I already reviewed Haiku (alpha). Probably won't look at it again until (or unless) it hits its first stable release.
44 • @ Jesse Minix, reviews... (by Vic on 2012-03-01 15:20:17 GMT from Dominican Republic)
Plus one on reviewing Minix!
Also keep up the good reviews! You are correct, your relaxed writing style is a large part of why I continue to read what you guys offer here. It is easy reading and keeps me coming back.
Thanks, Vic
45 • Reviews (by Jesse on 2012-03-01 17:35:56 GMT from Canada)
@44: Thanks, Vic. I appreciate that.
And thanks to everyone for the comments and e-mails regarding MINIX. It looks like there is enough interest there for me to give the operating system a try. It won't be next week, but probably the week after.
46 • MiniX (by Neal on 2012-03-04 13:27:07 GMT from United States)
Jesse, please do a MiniX review. I have always been intrigued by it but never had the courage to try it. My understanding is its been around a good long while....
After all there are 51 DW weeks in a year available for reviews....
Number of Comments: 46
Display mode: DWW Only • Comments Only • Both DWW and Comments
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1172 (2026-05-11): Fedora 44, dealing with extra fonts, Fedora plans to provide AI tools, problems with Ubuntu's new coreutils, TrueNAS extends its development cycle, postmarktetOS improves the boot splash screen, Redox ports tmux |
| • Issue 1171 (2026-05-04): Xubuntu 26.04, extending memory with VRAM, Ubuntu plans AI features, Devuan developer forks GTK2, Mint introduces hardware enablement builds, Linux running on a PlayStation 5, local kernel exploit found in Linux |
| • Issue 1170 (2026-04-27): ENux 5.2.1, picking a second distro, AlmaLinux expands CPU support, FreeBSD publishes Status Report, Ubuntu MATE skips 26.04 release |
| • Issue 1169 (2026-04-20): Lakka 6.1, free software and source-based distributions, FreeBSD Foundation publishes compatible laptop list, Debian holds Project Leader election, Haiku progresses ARM64 port, Mint to extend development cycle, Linux 7.0 released |
| • Issue 1168 (2026-04-13): pearOS 2026.03, EndeavourOS 2026.03.06, which distros are adopting age verification, Arch adjusts its firewall packages, Linux dropping i486 support, Red Hat extends its release cycle, Debian's APT introduces rollbacks, Redox improves its scheduler |
| • Issue 1167 (2026-04-06): Origami Linux 2026.03, answering questions for Linux newcomers, Ubuntu MATE seeking new contributors, Ubuntu software centre is expanding Deb support, FreeBSD fixes forum exploit, openSUSE 15 Leap nears its end of life |
| • Issue 1166 (2026-03-30): NetBSD jails, publishing software for Linux, Ubuntu joins Rust Foundation, Canonical plans to trim GRUB features, Peppermint works on new utilities, PINE64 shows off open hardware capabilities |
| • Issue 1165 (2026-03-23): Argent Linux 1.5.3, disk space required by Linux, Manjaro team goes on strike, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA driver support and builds RISC-V packages, systemd introduces age tracking |
| • Issue 1164 (2026-03-16): d77void, age verification laws and Linux, SUSE may be for sale, TrueNAS takes its build system private, Debian publishes updated Trixie media, MidnightBSD and System76 respond to age verification laws |
| • Issue 1163 (2026-03-09): KaOS 2026.02, TinyCore 17.0, NuTyX 26.02.2, Would one big collection of packages help?, Guix offers 64-bit Hurd options, Linux communities discuss age delcaration laws, Mint unveils new screensaver for Cinnamon, Redox ports new COSMIC features |
| • Issue 1162 (2026-03-02): AerynOS 2026.01, anti-virus and firewall tools, Manjaro fixes website certificate, Ubuntu splits firmware package, jails for NetBSD, extended support for some Linux kernel releases, Murena creating a map app |
| • Issue 1161 (2026-02-23): The Guix package manager, quick Q&As, Gentoo migrating its mirrors, Fedora considers more informative kernel panic screens, GhostBSD testing alternative X11 implementation, Asahi makes progress with Apple M3, NetBSD userland ported, FreeBSD improves web-based system management |
| • Issue 1160 (2026-02-16): Noid and AgarimOS, command line tips, KDE Linux introduces delta updates, Redox OS hits development milestone, Linux Mint develops a desktop-neutral account manager, sudo developer seeks sponsorship |
| • Issue 1159 (2026-02-09): Sharing files on a network, isolating processes on Linux, LFS to focus on systemd, openSUSE polishes atomic updates, NetBSD not likely to adopt Rust code, COSMIC roadmap |
| • Issue 1158 (2026-02-02): Manjaro 26.0, fastest filesystem, postmarketOS progress report, Xfce begins developing its own Wayland window manager, Bazzite founder interviewed |
| • Issue 1157 (2026-01-26): Setting up a home server, what happened to convergence, malicious software entering the Snap store, postmarketOS automates hardware tests, KDE's login manager works with systemd only |
| • Issue 1156 (2026-01-19): Chimera Linux's new installer, using the DistroWatch Torrent Corner, new package tools for Arch, Haiku improves EFI support, Redcore streamlines branches, Synex introduces install-time ZFS options |
| • Issue 1155 (2026-01-12): MenuetOS, CDE on Sparky, iDeal OS 2025.12.07, recommended flavour of BSD, Debian seeks new Data Protection Team, Ubuntu 25.04 nears its end of life, Google limits Android source code releases, Fedora plans to replace SDDM, Budgie migrates to Wayland |
| • Issue 1154 (2026-01-05): postmarketOS 25.06/25.12, switching to Linux and educational resources, FreeBSD improving laptop support, Unix v4 available for download, new X11 server in development, CachyOS team plans server edtion |
| • Issue 1153 (2025-12-22): Best projects of 2025, is software ever truly finished?, Firefox to adopt AI components, Asahi works on improving the install experience, Mageia presents plans for version 10 |
| • Issue 1152 (2025-12-15): OpenBSD 7.8, filtering websites, Jolla working on a Linux phone, Germany saves money with Linux, Ubuntu to package AMD tools, Fedora demonstrates AI troubleshooting, Haiku packages Go language |
| • Issue 1151 (2025-12-08): FreeBSD 15.0, fun command line tricks, Canonical presents plans for Ubutnu 26.04, SparkyLinux updates CDE packages, Redox OS gets modesetting driver |
| • Issue 1150 (2025-12-01): Gnoppix 25_10, exploring if distributions matter, openSUSE updates tumbleweed's boot loader, Fedora plans better handling of broken packages, Plasma to become Wayland-only, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1149 (2025-11-24): MX Linux 25, why are video drivers special, systemd experiments with musl, Debian Libre Live publishes new media, Xubuntu reviews website hack |
| • Issue 1148 (2025-11-17): Zorin OS 18, deleting a file with an unusual name, NetBSD experiments with sandboxing, postmarketOS unifies its documentation, OpenBSD refines upgrades, Canonical offers 15 years of support for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1147 (2025-11-10): Fedora 43, the size and stability of the Linux kernel, Debian introducing Rust to APT, Redox ports web engine, Kubuntu website off-line, Mint creates new troubleshooting tools, FreeBSD improves reproducible builds, Flatpak development resumes |
| • Issue 1146 (2025-11-03): StartOS 0.4.0, testing piped commands, Ubuntu Unity seeks help, Canonical offers Ubuntu credentials, Red Hat partners with NVIDIA, SUSE to bundle AI agent with SLE 16 |
| • Issue 1145 (2025-10-27): Linux Mint 7 "LMDE", advice for new Linux users, AlmaLinux to offer Btrfs, KDE launches Plasma 6.5, Fedora accepts contributions written by AI, Ubuntu 25.10 fails to install automatic updates |
| • Issue 1144 (2025-10-20): Kubuntu 25.10, creating and restoring encrypted backups, Fedora team debates AI, FSF plans free software for phones, ReactOS addresses newer drivers, Xubuntu reacts to website attack |
| • Issue 1143 (2025-10-13): openSUSE 16.0 Leap, safest source for new applications, Redox introduces performance improvements, TrueNAS Connect available for testing, Flatpaks do not work on Ubuntu 25.10, Kamarada plans to switch its base, Solus enters new epoch, Frugalware discontinued |
| • Issue 1142 (2025-10-06): Linux Kamarada 15.6, managing ZIP files with SQLite, F-Droid warns of impact of Android lockdown, Alpine moves ahead with merged /usr, Cinnamon gets a redesigned application menu |
| • Issue 1141 (2025-09-29): KDE Linux and GNOME OS, finding mobile flavours of Linux, Murena to offer phones with kill switches, Redox OS running on a smartphone, Artix drops GNOME |
| • Issue 1140 (2025-09-22): NetBSD 10.1, avoiding AI services, AlmaLinux enables CRB repository, Haiku improves disk access performance, Mageia addresses service outage, GNOME 49 released, Linux introduces multikernel support |
| • Issue 1139 (2025-09-15): EasyOS 7.0, Linux and central authority, FreeBSD running Plasma 6 on Wayland, GNOME restores X11 support temporarily, openSUSE dropping BCacheFS in new kernels |
| • Issue 1138 (2025-09-08): Shebang 25.8, LibreELEC 12.2.0, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, the importance of software updates, AerynOS introduces package sets, postmarketOS encourages patching upstream, openSUSE extends Leap support, Debian refreshes Trixie media |
| • Issue 1137 (2025-09-01): Tribblix 0m37, malware scanners flagging Linux ISO files, KDE introduces first-run setup wizard, CalyxOS plans update prior to infrastructure overhaul, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1136 (2025-08-25): CalyxOS 6.8.20, distros for running containers, Arch Linux website under attack,illumos Cafe launched, CachyOS creates web dashboard for repositories |
| • Issue 1135 (2025-08-18): Debian 13, Proton, WINE, Wayland, and Wayback, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, KDE gets advanced Liquid Glass, Haiku improves authentication tools |
| • Issue 1134 (2025-08-11): Rhino Linux 2025.3, thoughts on malware in the AUR, Fedora brings hammered websites back on-line, NetBSD reveals features for version 11, Ubuntu swaps some command line tools for 25.10, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA support |
| • Issue 1133 (2025-08-04): Expirion Linux 6.0, running Plasma on Linux Mint, finding distros which support X11, Debian addresses 22 year old bug, FreeBSD discusses potential issues with pkgbase, CDE ported to OpenBSD, Btrfs corruption bug hitting Fedora users, more malware found in Arch User Repository |
| • Issue 1132 (2025-07-28): deepin 25, wars in the open source community, proposal to have Fedora enable Flathub repository, FreeBSD plans desktop install option, Wayback gets its first release |
| • Issue 1131 (2025-07-21): HeliumOS 10.0, settling on one distro, Mint plans new releases, Arch discovers malware in AUR, Plasma Bigscreen returns, Clear Linux discontinued |
| • Issue 1130 (2025-07-14): openSUSE MicroOS and RefreshOS, sharing aliases between computers, Bazzite makes Bazaar its default Flatpak store, Alpine plans Wayback release, Wayland and X11 benchmarked, Red Hat offers additional developer licenses, openSUSE seeks feedback from ARM users, Ubuntu 24.10 reaches the end of its life |
| • Issue 1129 (2025-07-07): GLF OS Omnislash, the worst Linux distro, Alpine introduces Wayback, Fedora drops plans to stop i686 support, AlmaLinux builds EPEL repository for older CPUs, Ubuntu dropping existing RISC-V device support, Rhino partners with UBports, PCLinuxOS recovering from website outage |
| • Issue 1128 (2025-06-30): AxOS 25.06, AlmaLinux OS 10.0, transferring Flaptak bundles to off-line computers, Ubuntu to boost Intel graphics performance, Fedora considers dropping i686 packages, SDesk switches from SELinux to AppArmor |
| • Issue 1127 (2025-06-23): LastOSLinux 2025-05-25, most unique Linux distro, Haiku stabilises, KDE publishes Plasma 6.4, Arch splits Plasma packages, Slackware infrastructure migrating |
| • Issue 1126 (2025-06-16): SDesk 2025.05.06, renewed interest in Ubuntu Touch, a BASIC device running NetBSD, Ubuntu dropping X11 GNOME session, GNOME increases dependency on systemd, Google holding back Pixel source code, Nitrux changing its desktop, EFF turns 35 |
| • Issue 1125 (2025-06-09): RHEL 10, distributions likely to survive a decade, Murena partners with more hardware makers, GNOME tests its own distro on real hardware, Redox ports GTK and X11, Mint provides fingerprint authentication |
| • Issue 1124 (2025-06-02): Picking up a Pico, tips for protecting privacy, Rhino tests Plasma desktop, Arch installer supports snapshots, new features from UBports, Ubuntu tests monthly snapshots |
| • Issue 1123 (2025-05-26): CRUX 3.8, preventing a laptop from sleeping, FreeBSD improves laptop support, Fedora confirms GNOME X11 session being dropped, HardenedBSD introduces Rust in userland build, KDE developing a virtual machine manager |
| • Issue 1122 (2025-05-19): GoboLinux 017.01, RHEL 10.0 and Debian 12 updates, openSUSE retires YaST, running X11 apps on Wayland |
| • Issue 1121 (2025-05-12): Bluefin 41, custom file manager actions, openSUSE joins End of 10 while dropping Deepin desktop, Fedora offers tips for building atomic distros, Ubuntu considers replacing sudo with sudo-rs |
| • Full list of all issues |
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Caos Linux
Caos Linux NSA was a light-weight, fast, efficient, stable, and secure distribution of Linux that was appropriate for servers, compute nodes, network appliances, and even the latest desktop and laptop computers. It was maintained and managed by a team of computer science experts with numerous proven skills. With resources pooled together, they created a multifunctional operating system with mission critical dependability. Caos Linux was designed to run on all x86_64 and i386 hardware ranging from clusters and servers to production level appliances to personal desktops and laptops. Supporting a wide variety of software, Caos Linux was based on the best aspects of GNU/Linux and has full binary compatibility with the most popular enterprise distribution of Linux.
Status: Discontinued
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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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