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1 • Making a custom distribution: Beyond Linux From Slack (by Microlinux on 2013-10-07 09:19:19 GMT from France)
The article quotes the usual suspects in building a custom Linux distribution, e. g. modding Ubuntu, using the openSUSE Build Service or diving into Linux From Scratch. For my company's needs, I'm using a different angle, which is "Linux From Slack". Build everything on top of a rock-solid Slackware Linux base system.
http://www.microlinux.fr/slackware/
MLES is the server, MLED the Xfce-based desktop, and MLWS the KDE-based workstation.
It's relatively easy to "expand the system from source without tossing a wrench into the package manager", as Patrick Volkerding recently stated it on the LinuxQuestions.org forum.
2 • Ubuntu & MIR (by Mike on 2013-10-07 12:07:28 GMT from Belgium)
why doesn't it surprize me at all that Ubuntu decided not to ship MIR with 13.10.... They always seem to aim too high lately and just can't pull it off. I hope for the Ubuntu users they are not shipping it with the next LTS release, that would be the most stupid thing because a LTS release shouldn't be used as a test playground. Postponed the whole MIR development until everything is as should be. But heck.... why do i care, i left Ubuntu behind me for the second time because they don't fix a thing you report on the 12.04.3 LTS. Since version 12.04.1 up to 12.04.3 it's a mess and messages pop up complaining about a Internal System error and it's been the same all the time. So what use is it when we report it but it doesn't get fixed?
3 • Puppy (by Georgia on 2013-10-07 12:37:48 GMT from Canada)
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Barry for all his hard work; and to all those who worked so hard on Puppy and all the Puplets like Macpup.
I wish them all well, during a well deserved break, and that they will return in some capacity lend their expertise to other Linux projects.
4 • Much Thanks, Barry K! (by Mark on 2013-10-07 13:37:54 GMT from United States)
I've been an enthusiastic user of Puppy (Lucid & Precise) for the last two years. I've lost track of all the times it's saved my bacon! As a rescue CD alone it's useful for fixing my other Ubuntu- and Debian-based systems when they break.
Hopefully the Puppy community is organized enough to keep the effort going once Mr. Kauler retires. It seems like the Woof tool is mature enough to build newer Puppies from future releases of Ubuntu & Slackware without too much more tweaking besides minor bug-fixes.
5 • Thanks Barry.... (by Ian on 2013-10-07 14:55:09 GMT from United Kingdom)
....and all the best for the future. Puppy is a brilliant distro in all it's guises and has helped me on a couple of occasions to rescue other people's data. An excellent distro to keep in the top pocket.
6 • Another custom distro making tool (by DavidEF on 2013-10-07 16:23:16 GMT from United States)
Can anyone guess what another custom distro building tool is? Let me give you a hint. It's mentioned by Mark in post #4 above. It's the Woof Puppy Builder! It can take packages from the Ubuntu or Slackware repositories, automatically slim them down to Puppy size, and build a custom low-resource distro which is still binary compatible with its parent. Woof was written from scratch by Barry Kauler, who also wrote the first Puppy linux from scratch years ago.
Also, even before Woof, Puppy linux had a remastering tool built into it, which lots of people made use of for spinning up their own custom Puppy derivatives. I sure hope Puppy linux doesn't go away, and instead gets a new "leash" on life from some enterprising young puppy-loving developer. Puppy has been a life-saver to many of my computers in the past, as well as other people's computers that I've worked on. It would boot sometimes when nothing else would.
7 • Semplice...why? (by DavidEF on 2013-10-07 16:34:20 GMT from United States)
For all the trouble Jesse had with Semplice, he gives it an "okay" in the end. I'm left wondering what is special about Semplice that would make it worth putting up with. Tell me again why Semplice is unique. Is there anything at all that hasn't been done before or is being done better by Semplice? Is there any point to this distribution? If so, I've totally missed it. Help me out here, please.
8 • @7: Semplice (by Sam on 2013-10-07 17:20:38 GMT from United States)
I too had problems when I tried out Semplice. My problem is not knowing enough about the fundamentals of Linux AND not testing Semplice and Debian at the same time to know what were issues created by Debian and what were issues introduced by the Semplice devs.
To answer your question from my perspective, on paper, Semplice offers a robust Debian base with a very light-weight window manager and some codecs and whatnot preinstalled. For new Linux users or new-ish Linux users with older systems (you know, the ones that can't handle Unity or Gnome3), that could be an appealing alternative to other Debian-based distros with heavier window managers.
9 • yes "Semplice...why?" was my same impression (by Sam on 2013-10-07 17:39:49 GMT from United States)
Compared to xyz, its sole "remarkable feature" is an alternative openbox configuration widget? If so, that's (a solution looking for a problem and) a weak value proposition.
10 • Semplice and LVM (by Eugenio on 2013-10-07 18:05:38 GMT from Italy)
Thank you Jesse for your review. It is awesome to be featured on the DistroWatch weekly! :)
For the bug reports you have pointed out, I will take a look. We are planning a point release this month with bugfixes & the latest updates in sid.
For the LVM issue you had, have you created a LVM Physical Volume first? I'm guessing the dialog you opened was the "Manage LVM Volume Groups" window.
To create a LVM Physical Volume, just check the "Use as LVM Physical Volume" radiobutton when creating a new partition.
Then you can add a Volume Group via the "Manage LVM Volume Groups" window.
I made a video to show that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAPLAFbup6s
Eugenio Semplice Developer
11 • MIR vs Wayland (by MZ on 2013-10-07 18:43:28 GMT from United States)
I keep wondering where things would be if Canonical tried harder to actually work within existing projects like Wayland. I suppose they had a time table for their phone OS, but the entire notion of MIR still seems awful messy and counter productive to me. The push back from Intel and the realities of making it passable by release time seem to be proving that Canonical bit off more than they could chew. They have enough money to play things their own way, but it doesn't seem like Canonical is proving themselves to be doing any better on their own than they would have by adding their efforts to Wayland. And of course they're lowering the benefit of all that work to the rest of the community by going it alone.
12 • Mir (by pilotbay on 2013-10-07 20:31:12 GMT from United States)
Ubuntu is trying to get away from all these developers that only develop for themselves, and expect every user to be a coder geek. Ubuntu is developing for those who want an OS to "just work" out of the box.
13 • @12/MIR (by MZ on 2013-10-07 20:58:58 GMT from United States)
I think the existence of MIR proves that Canonical does on occasion only develop for themselves. Canonical may have done alot of good in the past with making Ubuntu 'just work', but it looks to me like things are getting more convoluted from an average user perspective and not less.
14 • #7 Semplice...why not? (by anticapitalista on 2013-10-07 21:24:21 GMT from Greece)
#7 Does a distro have to be 'unique' to get a review on DW? Most distros aren't, and IMo there is no problem with that.
15 • #7 Semplice...why not? (by anticapitalista on 2013-10-07 21:29:47 GMT from Greece)
Whoops pressed submit too soon :-)
Just to add that all distros offer something, maybe not to everyones liking and maybe not a lot is offered, but it certainly adds spice to life as Mr Cowper says.
Semplice is a fine distro. Beats any 'unique' fedora hands down!
16 • Ubuntu-Builder home page (by Mike on 2013-10-07 21:46:10 GMT from United States)
I think that the wrong URL was posted above. The home appears to be on launchpad, not Google Code: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-builder The former site has FAQs and some other documentation. Haven't found an explanation yet, but the packages whose name contains 'gb3' may reference the Gambas source code dependencies.
17 • Ubnutu Mir (by pilotbay on 2013-10-07 22:17:04 GMT from United States)
@13 Lets all just go back and use the command line!
18 • Ubuntu and MIr (by bam on 2013-10-07 23:25:35 GMT from United States)
Here we go again: All the other UIs run on top of that crappy crashing X Window. Years ago I tried using Linux as my main OS, all different brands such as SUSE, Red Hat, Mandriva etc. and with Gnome and KDE UIs. The developers haven't a clue what the regular user wants. An OS "That just works", and that is not what any of these gave me. Finding video drivers, and printer drivers and wireless drivers to install after the fact. And if I was lucky enough to search the web and find them, the next update of KDE or Gnome would break them again. Had to live with constant regression.
Ubuntu is trying to get away from all these developers that only develop for themselves, and expect every user to be a coder geek. Ubuntu is developing for those who want an OS to "just work" out of the box.
19 • Semplice and LVM (by Jesse on 2013-10-08 00:27:39 GMT from Canada)
@10: Thanks for posting feedback and the suggestion.
>> "For the LVM issue you had, have you created a LVM Physical Volume first?"
Yes, that was the approach I took. I successfully created the LVM volume, I tried both encrypted and plain volumes. Then, when I went into the Volume Group Manager section of the partition manager, I tried to add a new group. I could type in the desired name of the new LVM, but the button to apply the name was disabled. My only option was to click Cancel to go back to the partition manager.
I watched the video you posted and I think the issue I was running into was I wasn't applying the changes to the disk prior to using the LVM Manager. I expected the partition manager to do the creation and assigning the group name all in two steps (create, add), but the video shows it is actually three steps (create, apply, add). I had thought applying my changes would take me to the next screen of the installer and begin the installation. The video shows this isn't the case, that applying changes to the disk keeps the user on the same screen to perform further configuration.
It seems what I ran into was not a bug, but rather a misunderstanding of how the installer expected things to be done.
20 • Haiku (by J.L. on 2013-10-08 01:41:52 GMT from Canada)
Now if someone would please tell me how to install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Haiku (please email if able to provide instructions): http://www.haiku-os.org/community/forum/how_install_virtualbox_guest_additions https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=55078&p=263330#p263330
21 • @7 Semplice...why not? (by Hoos on 2013-10-08 02:08:27 GMT from Singapore)
Well, I am one of those people with an old PC "that can't handle Unity or Gnome3", and Semplice works fine with my machine. Of course, my usage of the PC is straightforward, so YMMV.
Installation was not a problem at all and was done in 15-20 mins. The preinstalled programs and codecs fit my usage, so again, I hardly need to install more stuff. It boots up in about 25 sec on my old machine, which is good compared to XFCE and KDE distros.
I have Crunchbang which is also Openbox-based, runs fine and boots up quickly. WattOS is LXDE-based and boots fast as well. However unlike these 2 (which I do like), Semplice is rolling release so I don't have to reinstall Semplice whenever they have a new release - I've used it since Semplice 3.
The packages in Debian Sid are also more current than Crunchbang which is based on Stable.
The openbox right-click menu in Semplice automatically adds in new entries when you do install new programs, unlike in Crunchbang, where you manually edit the menu.
The overall look of Semplice is pleasing to me.
The developer is helpful and replies to questions on the forum quickly.
22 • @7 Semplice...why not? [part2] (by Hoos on 2013-10-08 02:14:16 GMT from Singapore)
I forgot to add that despite it being based on Sid with the resultant risk of breakage at each update, I have "dist-upgraded" regularly since Semplice 3 with no glitch or breakage, except for once when a minor issue arose involving Semplice's themes after update.
This was solved very quickly and didn't stop the system from being used.
23 • Semplice and Luks/LVM (by PePas on 2013-10-08 03:19:48 GMT from Canada)
Eugenio, the creator of Semplice Linux, has made a stellar effort in creating an installer that can be used with logical volumes in a luks-encrypted container. I have installed it many times in a Virtual Machine, and I have to admit, the partitioner is perhaps slightly unusual, but then, it is rare for an installer to have there capabilities. It allowed me to also install on my actual hardware which is fully encrypted. I didn't encounter any problems doing that. I personally prefer some more LXDE elements, but they are just an apt-get install away. I really appreciate to have a Debian install that has all the "non-free" elements preinstalled. It is beautiful, elegant, functional and utterly snappy. The main advantage of Semplice is that the developer is super-helpful and accessible, you basically have your personal unpaid support!! The rate of development is quick too, Semplice 6 is just around the corner, so do report any bugs in the forums. I also encountered the colours-bug in the terminal, but it never reverted back on my. As I said, I have used it in numerous installs.
24 • Custom DEBIAN distro? (by Keith on 2013-10-08 13:30:40 GMT from United States)
Does anyone know if there is a way to make a custom Debian ISO? I'm running CrunchBang. I know Remastersys is long gone, and Ubuntu Builder is not compatable with Debian systems.
25 • Semplice...why? Part Deux (by DavidEF on 2013-10-08 15:57:17 GMT from United States)
Thanks to Sam (post #8), Hoos (posts #21,22) and PePas (post #23) for some helpful answers to my question about Semplice. Answers like post #14 are not helpful at all, but you guys knew that. I was asking only because it seems Jesse found several bumps in the road in testing it. To me, everything comes down to balance. The good has to outweigh the bad, or it's not worth considering. It has nothing to do with whether Semplice deserves to exist, or deserves to be reviewed. I agree that all distros are useful to someone, and I wouldn't limit their existence in any way. My question was about whether Semplice was worth using, considering the problems Jesse encountered. In other words, I've used beta and even alpha software before, because it fulfilled a need I had, even when it had some severely rough edges. If Semplice is a bumpy ride, what does it do that makes it worth it?
26 • @25 -- Semplice...why? Part Deux (by Hoos on 2013-10-08 18:10:09 GMT from Singapore)
"My question was about whether Semplice was worth using, considering the problems Jesse encountered.... If Semplice is a bumpy ride, what does it do that makes it worth it?"
It might depend on your hardware, though. Like I said, your mileage may vary. It just works for me, it's fast on my old PC (bootup and in usage), and there's just something I personally like about it.
Jesse has also confirmed in post 19 that "what [he] ran into was not a bug, but rather a misunderstanding of how the installer expected things to be done."
So perhaps Eugenio the developer will now explore the UI of the installer, to see if he can/should make it clearer to the user. But it's not that the LVM bits didn't work.
To me, there are distros out there with bumpier rides than Semplice. :-)
IMO it's been put together thoughtfully and is still being improved upon, while already being very usable.
27 • Puppy Linux fixing broken hard drive (by Lawrence E. HEnry on 2013-10-08 21:04:23 GMT from United States)
My roomie totally corrupted the file system on her Windows Vista OS. It would not even run the "Recover" Cd. I booted with a Puppy 5.7.1 "Live" CD used G-Parted to take a look at the hard drive.; It gave an error of the file hierarchy being corrupted. I used G-Parted to reformat it to "NTFS" and ran the recover CD and it then worked and the recovery process started. It took over 4+ hours to do it all but Donna has a working Vista system now. I just can't get her to make the break to Puppy...."I can't even run Vista right...etc and etc..." Oh well...I use 528 on a 9 year old eMachines Win-XP box and I love it... AMD Athlon 3200+, ATi-Radeon-200, 2 MG of RAM. Larry
28 • @27 Puppy for Vista? (by greg on 2013-10-09 07:29:50 GMT from Slovenia)
Puppy for Vista is a bit too hardcore. Why not Linux Mint or Kubuntu or Zorin OS with Vista look. They should be easier to maintain (the applicaitons etc) and also perhaps look more familiar. Whatever you might think of Ubuntu - it is easy for those trying to grasp new Linux concepts.
29 • @28 Puppy for Vista (by DavidEF on 2013-10-09 16:08:30 GMT from United States)
When I bought my laptop that came with Vista, I kept it on there for a couple months just to say I gave it a fair shot. I was never happier to get an OS off my disk! I've helped others "upgrade" from Vista to XP a few times. Only one person I know actually liked Vista. So, changing to any distro of linux, including Puppy, should be a breath of fresh air, unless she is one of those rare few.
However, I agree on your point that Ubuntu is a lot easier for Windows converts. Years ago, Ubuntu 5.04 was the first distro I could get installed on my AMD Athlon 2000+ with 512MB RAM. I'd tried a couple other distros and couldn't get them to install. I never had to be sold on Linux. I went looking for it, not knowing it existed. Windows drove me away, and Ubuntu welcomed me in. And, in spite of all the negativity some people feel toward it now, it's still welcoming new users every day.
30 • @24 Regarding Remastersys (by Tony B on 2013-10-09 16:44:31 GMT from Canada)
I may have stopped developing remastersys but it is far from gone. The repo is still there. It is still relevant for all current versions of debian and ubuntu. I just won't be creating any new versions for newer versions of debian or ubuntu but that doesn't stop anyone from obtaining the sources and continuing or just updating their own install as it is mostly script based anyway.
I still maintain my Debian Wheezy based personal home distro with icewm as the window manager for lxde as you can get much nicer window decorations for icewm than you can for openbox.
31 • @ 30 Thanks! (by Keith on 2013-10-09 20:14:08 GMT from United States)
Thanks Tony B. I found the site and got the Wheezy repo link and gpg key. Long story short, I thought all of that was long gone.
32 • Semplice (by mjjzf on 2013-10-10 06:51:59 GMT from Denmark)
To the somewhat reasonable question asked by #7: The justification of Semplice - Semplice is quite close to Debian, and I see it mostly as a slightly simplified installer. While I have found it useful because of the live option, we all know that the installed result of any Debian-based distribution could be accomplished by an apt-script following a Debian base install. The same goes for the Arch spinoffs with Pacman. Korora could do the same. Just package the settings and themeing files in a tarball, wget it upon post-installing the relevant apps, and voila: Here is your Manjaro/Semplice/Pointlinux/Korora/SparkyLinux/ElementaryOS/Zorin/Peppermint - well, you catch my drift. I like the general setup of Semplice, experienced no issues with booting or installing on my T60. It was quick, light and attractive. While it is not difficult, setting up Openbox can take some time, if you do not happen to have the rc.xml lying about from before. Of course, I generally recreate the same distribution: I use Openbox or Xfce, I store all application settings, the Manjaro themeing and the Elementary Xfce icon set on my OwnCloud - so I can mjjzf-ize any distribution quite quickly...
33 • Semplice (by Mirix on 2013-10-10 08:13:09 GMT from Belgium)
Semplice is a great distro. People should carefully read the relevant sections of any distro's website before trying to slander it, because unjustified criticism only shows the ignorance of the commenter.
1.- Semplice is based on Debian Sid (unstable). Therefore it provides the user with very current versions of all software. It should therefore not be compared to Debian Stable, CrunchBang or any distro which is not based on Sid. Semplice is thus more current than Ubuntu, for instance.
2.- Semplice tries to make Sid more stable and more appealing to the end user. Let's not forget that Debian does not provide official installation media for Sid, for it is considered unstable (even if it can be installed from some of the official media). In that sense, Semplice is to be compared to Aptosid, Siduction, LinuxBBQ, etc. I have installed and run Semplice in three very different laptops and used it without a glitch for months. So mission accomplished.
3.- The Semplice installer is pretty good and user-friendly (even if I personally prefer Debian netinstall) and it is started from a LiveCD/LiveDVD, which allows the user to test the system prior to installation. The same applies to the Siduction installer, but Semplice's is more full featured and Siduction does not provide OpenBox.
4.- Semplice comes with a very elegant, minimalistic and preconfigured OpenBox that is completely usable out of the box. Plain Debian does not offer that option. CrunchBang does, but, again, it is not based on Sid and therefore it is not so current. Configuring OpenBox to make it Semplice-like is not very difficult but it takes time and there is obviously a learning curve (you need to know what to install to keep it both functional and light-weight and you need to manually edit a lot of configuration files).
In summary, if you are searching a very current, elegant, minimalistic, ready-to.use and light-weight Debian-based distro, you should look no further.
That said, as I do a lot of number-crunching, I am currently migrating to Funtoo to check whether or not the performance I might gain compensates for the troubles...
34 • @30 (by Mac on 2013-10-10 21:41:17 GMT from United States)
I have used your remastersys for years now and have got it to work on Kubuntu 13.10 daily build. Man this is one user that hates to see you go. But wish you all the luck in the word. Mack
35 • System imager (by @34 on 2013-10-11 07:33:15 GMT from Slovenia)
Remastersys continues it's life as OS/4 system imager
36 • Linux for ARM devices (by Chanath on 2013-10-11 10:00:08 GMT from Sri Lanka)
I had been using Linux for quite a long time, and had not been using Win7, even though it had come with the laptop for more than 2 years. I wasn't even interested I finding out what is Win8.
That was until, I was give a ARM based laptop with a strange OS called, Windows RT. I was wary at the beginning. I am quite at home with Android on mobile devices. I also have a partition with Android for x86 along with my Linux partitions.
I also found out the Windows community doesn't like the Windows RT. Anyway, I started using this laptop, breaking down my own barrier about using Windows. I am surprised at the ease of using the OS and the laptop. I wonder how nice it would be to have a Linux OS for ARM, so we could use such laptops in Linux.
I was not interested in ARM chips before, but now, I am not sure. I wish, there'd be Linux for ARM.
37 • @36 - Linux for ARM (by Uncle Slacky on 2013-10-11 10:41:35 GMT from France)
There are already several Linux distros with ARM variants, though the appropriate one to use depends strongly on your hardware. Which laptop is it? If it's a Surface RT, I don't think anyone's managed to create a distro for it as it is locked down by Secure Boot.
38 • @37 (by Chanath on 2013-10-11 11:11:40 GMT from Sri Lanka)
It is Lenovo Yoga 11. I wasn't sure, I'd even use it, but the OS in it works very nicely. I know, the ARM chips and devices need separate OSs to work; I've seen this in Android devices. If Android, which is based on Linux can be made to work in all kinds of ARM devices, why not one general Linux distro for all is the question.
Anyway, we'd wait and see.
39 • PCBSD (by divadgnol on 2013-10-11 12:42:16 GMT from United States)
I normally run stock OpenBSD or FreeBSD. I recently tried PCBSD and I must say this is a great way for the unexperienced unix user to get their hands wet but not too messy. A lot is hidden, but underneath the hood its FreeBSD.
The installer is simple, but effective, and being able to choose your DE is a nice touch.
Congrats to the PCBSD team for putting out a nice alternative to stock FreeBSD.
divadgnol
40 • RE 36 GNUlinux for ARMs has been existing for years (by dbrion on 2013-10-11 15:56:16 GMT from France)
". I wish, there'd be Linux for ARM."
GNU linux for ARMs has been existing for .....years (at least as a tty connection, without WM/DE) : Dual screen playstation (two arms : one for computing, the other for display) could get aa linux kernel and some utilities, though they had little ressources (4M IIRC).
see http://www.armadeus.com/wiki/index.php?title=Setup&limit=500&action=history : an **elaborate** version of GNUlinux, able to interface with complex circuits -therefore, was built upon simpler versions- had a wiki -therefore, stable settings-in 2006....
It can be qemulated (qemu-arm comes with standard mageia/Fedora/Debian packages,AFAIK on any GNU-linux PC (no need to buy an ARM) : see http://www.armadeus.com/wiki/index.php?title=QEMU.
debian (or fedora, though they are less known) packages can replace a slow and -maybe- complicated SDK (this is a constant evolution : people are less and less ready to cross compile from source) : this is necessary with things like RPi (256/512M instead of 8-32 M : a WM or a simple DE can be installed, though RPis may be considered as a cheap(!) piece of programmable hardware, able to recognise motions, transmit images and not needing a DE)
41 • PCLinuxOS on flash drive ("pen drive") (by Jordan on 2013-10-11 16:22:31 GMT from United States)
On a whim I removed my hdd from this HP Pavilion M7 and placed my 32Gb Sandisk 3.0 USB in the 3.0 slot.
I went into BIOS and changed the boot order to CD/DVD then USB, allowing the live PCLOS to boot up. Then to install it found the flash drive and formatted and installed with its own partition scheme.
That was yesterday morning. It is blazing fast and amazing in many other ways, not the least of which is that after shut down it booted right up as if it were a hdd and had all my setting, etc saved.
I thought Puppy and Knoppix etc were the only distros that could do that, with their special overlay partition, etc.
42 • Installing on flash drive. (by LinuxMan on 2013-10-11 17:59:49 GMT from United States)
Are you talking about installing a distro on a flash drive and using all of the drive for saving settings and downloads or applications. There are a lot of good applications for creating a Linux bootable jumpdrive with persistent and you can do it with just about any distro. It's nice to take your OS with you.
43 • Persistence (by Jordan on 2013-10-11 18:17:39 GMT from United States)
That was what I saw about Knoppix, Puppy and the apps you speak of. But I used no app and only, on a whim as I say, loaded the live CD "Mate" version of PCLOS, then hit "install" and it picked up the flash drive itself right away.
I'd removed the hard drive, so that was the only available drive. I'm surprised PCLOS is remembering my settings ("persistence") and remains fast, faster than when on my hdd. I simply installed it to the 32Gb flash drive.
After a shut down and removing the flash drive, it came right back up on boot up. I then took the drive to my old Toshiba and it booted up on that and ran great.
44 • @40 Arm & Linux (by Chanath on 2013-10-12 07:38:44 GMT from Sri Lanka)
I suppose you didn't understand me. I am a Linux guy. I didn't use Win7 for quite a long time. Few weeks ago, I was given a ARM laptop powered by Windows RT, which the Windows community doesn't like. That was the first time, I tried Windows 8, RT or not. The thing is I liked the experience, I never thought I'd be liking.
Linux Distress can be installed in any Intel powered computer, while it cannot be installed in ARM powered one--you need to have a customs made bistro for that. Bodhi is doing something, but it cannot be installed in all ARM devices.
The mater is I am liking the Windows RT experience and wishing I can get the Linux experience in my ARM powered laptop.
Its so swift and the battery lasts more than 12 hours! Android, based on Linux eats up the battery, while this doesn't. I've seen Ubuntu on mobile, and would love to have it on this laptop. Even though, I am enjoying the Windows RT experience, I'm still a Linux guy.
45 • @44 (by Chanath on 2013-10-12 07:40:55 GMT from Sri Lanka)
It should be Linux distros, not 'distress' in the comment above. Sorry!
46 • Point Linux (by Ari Torres on 2013-10-12 09:38:20 GMT from United States)
Finally,some one is making sense. A Distro based on Debian with minimal apps but the most useful ones also the latest version on those apps,stable,ready to roll with most codecs and plugins installed right out of the box,small,simple,believe me when I say so. I am an Ubuntu's lover but got tired of their crap and tons of useless apps, keep it simple! keep it like Point Linux. I am not an expert neither an advance user just a regular guy with all source of hardware and different pcs trying to help ppl with old machines to keep on going in this ever changing tech world. Ubuntu was always my distro of choice but that all change after 10.04 and it keeps getting worse. Thanks point linux and Peter Ryzhenkov (Thank You)
47 • Pointlinux (by Ken on 2013-10-12 14:00:12 GMT from United States)
Point linux; Maybe the best distro out there today. I am a Linux user for more than 10 years. I distro-hop for a hobby. I've tried hundreds of releases and actually have used several different distros on my day to day machine. Admittedly there are several very good distros out there at the present but Pointlinux is smooth, good looking and it did a great job of detecting and configuring all my hardware. It was painless to install and just worked good out of the box. The Pointlinux team has given us a very good basic selection of applications and downloading other favorite apps has never gone so smooth.
A BIG THANK YOU to the Pointlinux team. And to Distro-Watch
48 • RE 44 : There are differences between GNU/linux and distributions (by dbrion on 2013-10-12 16:45:01 GMT from France)
whatever their spelling:
* A Linux kernel is a piece of software able to drive every other one (if it works, you might not notice it exists) and to provide every other one interfaces to hardware and time . * A GNU/linux distribution is a bunch of software, claimed to be easy (or funny) to install. Except horrible bugs, it comes with a Linux kernel....
** A binary distribution has every piece of software already compiled -therefore, it depends on a given processor family- and ready to use. Almost each and every GNU/linux is binary to day (one needs an emulator to have them (maybe) working on other architectures).
**A source distribution needs every part of it to be compiled (but you can adapt its source, if you have time + skills+need) or cross compiled (a compiler such as gcc begins to be sometimes happy with 32 M RAM: if a card has "only" 4 M, your PC can cross compile and has huge RAM)...
As ARMs were rather expensive (or very tiny : some have 32 K : a tiny minimalist Linux kernel needs 1M) programming them was an individual affair. "Only" Debian -since Potatoo in 2000- and gentoo had ARM support (and people building/selling ARM cards +linux+ some applications shipped them with (an IT link to) their own SDK, needing compilation -they found ideas in gentoo and LFS, maybe- and sometimes modifications).
If you want a cheap "laptop" with ARM and GNU linux, the easiest solution would be to buy a RPi, a USB hub, a USB keyboard , a mouse , a screen (if you break your laptop's screen, it might be more expensive to repair it/change it than a new laptop) and ... a SD card with Rapsbian.... This is a cheap solution, and, if a part breaks, it is very easy to fix...
I bet wikipedia can explain better than I did....
49 • @Chanath (by Uncle SLacky on 2013-10-12 16:50:21 GMT from France)
It appears that Secure Boot on Surface RT has not yet been broken. Until that happens, it won't be possible to put Linux on it. See here for example: http://askubuntu.com/questions/322916/ubuntu-on-lenovo-yoga-11
50 • @ 48 & 49 (by Chanath on 2013-10-13 05:41:20 GMT from Sri Lanka)
@48; I don't need a cheap ARM laptop, I just got one, and that laptop took me to the ARM world with Windows 8 RT. Explaining again, I didn't want Windows 8, but got a cut down version--the windows community doesn't like it--and had to look in to it. The fact is I am liking the experience. I've been using Linux since Ubuntu 4.10, so saying that I am beginning to like this Windows 8 RT is something, at least for me.
I am saddled with it, and I don't want to sell the laptop, as the makers don't produce it anymore.
@49; Thanks for your time. I searched the net, since I got this Yoga 11. Too bad that we can't have Linux for all kinds of ARM devices, like we do for Intel/AMD ones.
On my "normal" laptop, I use Linux distro(s), but on this Yoga I'd have to use Windows RT, which I am getting to like. This Yoga 11 doesn't heat up, so I can keep it on my lap. Strange though, none of the other "laptops" can be kept on the lap, because of heat. The "normal" laptop had become a desktop.
Number of Comments: 50
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