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1 • I Agree (by Platypus on 2016-04-25 00:24:39 GMT from Oceania)
I agree with Jess regarding poor documentation on security and recovery tools.
I agree with Ivan regarding Elementary. If you are an experience Linux user and like to customize your set up then Elementary is not the distro for you. (Up until now I thought it was only me how that that.)
HTTPS is a simple addon for most browsers that uses HTTPS when offered.
2 • elementary OS crashes (by Will B on 2016-04-25 01:18:52 GMT from North America)
While I can't speak to elementary OS specifically, I have noted that some Ubuntu-based distros have serious reliability issues in regards to panels, such as Xfce. For example -- using xubuntu in testing would often give me crash notifications as shown in the elementary review. It's most definitely an Ubuntu issue, but can't even begin to tell you which library or component is causing it.
3 • RSS still uses HTTP (by FootBallHead on 2016-04-25 01:20:30 GMT from North America)
The main way I access the site is through the News and Updates RSS feed which still uses HTTP links. Otherwise I would definitely use HTTPS.
4 • RSS feeds (by Jesse on 2016-04-25 01:35:22 GMT from North America)
@3: You can acess our RSS feeds through HTTPS connections if you want to. Just change the URLs your feed reader access from http to https. The links in the https feeds all point to secure URLs. We provide both secure and non-secure to avoid breaking RSS clients that do not handle secure connections.
5 • RSS feeds again (by Jesse on 2016-04-25 01:40:26 GMT from North America)
As an update to my previous post, it might be easier to think of it this way: If you access our RSS feeds using HTTPS, then all the links in the feed point to our secure site. If you use plain HTTP to access our RSS feed, then the RSS feed contains plain HTTP links, for consistency. We kept the old feeds running to avoid breaking people's feeds, but all our feeds support HTTPS now too.
6 • Alleged Ubuntu instabilities (by mikef90000 on 2016-04-25 01:47:07 GMT from North America)
@2, if you have references regarding Ubuntu 'panel issues', I would like to compare it with my totally rock solid Linux Mint 17.3 Xfce daily driver install. Occasionally I fire up Xubuntu in a VM but can't remember any panel difficulties. Details, please!
WRT Elementary OS, I did find it crashy the last time I tested it. Steam might install better on the 32 bit version but the reviewer didn't make clear which version he tried. Using Midori as a modern browser, what a joke. As an alternative Qupzilla is a decent light weight browser.
Generally I believe that HTTPS is preferable, but I'm not concerned on this site as it doesn't offer downloads.
7 • RSS HTTPS (by FootBallHead on 2016-04-25 01:49:39 GMT from North America)
@5: Ah okay, makes sense. I'm using the secure feed now, thanks!
8 • Kali's target audience is... script kiddies? (by scritch on 2016-04-25 02:37:08 GMT from North America)
visit Kali forum and note all the noobish questions. Said differently, note that ALL the questions, all the discussion threads, involve noobish / clueless issues. I've repeatedly wondered whether the Kali iso is a honeypot of sorts -- backdoored or botnetted. Most of the kidz tripping through that forum likely wouldn't notice.
Maybe the advanced Kali users avoid the forum and use a mailing list instead? Even if that's the case, hard to believe serious users would willingly trust someone else to (pre)install tools, all of which are freely available and easily installed to whichever distro one cares to use. Login to desktop using root account? I just can't envision a saavy, security-minded user finding appeal in doing so.
9 • Kali Popularity (by elliott on 2016-04-25 03:03:01 GMT from North America)
I imagine the recent popularity surrounding Kali Linux is in part due to it's appearance/use on the new television show Mr. Robot.
10 • elementary OS review (by Hoos on 2016-04-25 04:57:36 GMT from Asia)
While I don't play games at all and have pretty standard usage, my general impression of elementary OS is similar to the guest reviewer's.
There is no denying its beauty: the Pantheon DE, icons, window theme.
But I feel like it's trying too hard to be a full-fledged distro beyond the interface and look/feel. So it created its own programs like Geary email client, Calendar program, its own music organiser/player, its own file manager and Scratch, its own text editor. It chooses to include Midori as the default browser, and spruces it up aesthetically.
However, I just found the Music program slow, buggy and limited. Getting it to scan or update your music bogs it down for a long time. It just didn't work well for me, with some crashes/hangs. So I uninstalled it. Midori? Doesn't work very well for video. Uninstalled and replaced with FF/Chromium. Geary and Calendar? I don't use them. Elementary has its own video app, I think. It's gone because I prefer VLC. Scratch? I didn't like its interface and options (or lack thereof). Files? It gave me the same vibe as Gnome 3's Nautilus - both had functions and options removed just to make it "simple".
Which elementary OS app do I actually use? Only the terminal, which admittedly is very pretty, and that's because I don't do much in terminal beyond apt-get update/dist-upgrade . So for me, elementary has indeed been reduced to me liking its DE and looks. Even then, I installed the third-party elementary tweaks package to restore the min/max buttons (another Gnome 3-esque move to remove options and make things "simple") and to give myself more control over some other things.
I liked it a lot at first, and still have it installed in a partition. But lately I find myself using it less and less. It is not because its packages are older now and I prefer a distro with newer, more cutting-edge packages; I use Mint 17 - also based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS - a lot. So I agree it's to do with elementary just feeling less flexible, customisable and versatile to me.
Of course, other users may find it suits their needs completely.
11 • HTTPS Everywhere (by phoenix00 on 2016-04-25 05:13:43 GMT from North America)
https://www.eff.org/HTTPS-EVERYWHERE
Case closed.
12 • DistroWatch Weekly feed is not HTTPS internally. (by Oracle on 2016-04-25 06:00:24 GMT from North America)
@4 & 5: Jesse you should double check the DistroWatch Weekly newsletter RSS feed because it still has internal HTTP links even when the feed was downloaded through HTTPS. All the other RSS feeds on this site have internal HTTPS links just as you said but the DistroWatch Weekly newsletter RSS feed still needs fixed. Thank you for all your hard work!
13 • re. 2 & 6 Xfce/'buntu crashes (by Someguy on 2016-04-25 07:09:56 GMT from Europe)
This issue is propagated into LM17 series with Xfce. There is an unresolved hardware-related (some machines but not all) issue with time-dependent crashes after 1/2-2hrs, often after a period of inactivity. It is NOT a screensaver problem. It is not a memory issue. It is not an HD issue. It is not a screen-related issue. Have reported on LM Forum, nil interest. Sadly beyond my power of diagnosis. Didn't happen on earlier series.
14 • elementary OS review, etc ... (by Greg Zeng on 2016-04-25 09:22:39 GMT from North America)
Thank you this week for a very informative review of the two distributions. It shows how this "elementary" brandname differs from the expectations, with Midori, Geary, etc. Most Linux distributions are unusual, but few (none?) dare mention how & why these are different.
Using standard DEs like XFCE, KDE, GNOME, etc, I found startling deviances from the defaults. But these are no or rarely commented. similarly the standard applications including web browsers often are different from default, but not noticed by reviewers. Comments on these reviews added more information as well.
15 • Both HTTP and HTTPS (by Dale Visser on 2016-04-25 11:50:16 GMT from North America)
RSS feed reading on my phone brings me to HTTP. Browsing on my desktop using "HTTPS Everywhere" gets me the secure site.
16 • RSS newsletter feed (by Jesse on 2016-04-25 11:51:41 GMT from North America)
>> "Jesse you should double check the DistroWatch Weekly newsletter RSS feed because it still has internal HTTP links "
It's been fixed, thanks for catching that.
17 • Pantheon is pretty, but elementary is elementary (by far2fish on 2016-04-25 11:56:44 GMT from Europe)
Very nice with two reviews in one issue ! Thank you for providing such a delightful start of the week, Both the Kali review and the Elementary review were highly interesting.
This is of course subjective, but imho Pantheon is the prettiest Linux DE around. Elementary however is just another Ubuntu derivate. Honestly I wish the elementary developers put all their effort into Pantheon and making sure it could run on as many Linux families as possible.
18 • Are you using HTTPS on DistroWatch? (by brain_death on 2016-04-25 12:05:48 GMT from Europe)
Other: I am directed to your HTTP offering by default...
:)
19 • HTTPS awareness (by tom0mason on 2016-04-25 12:18:08 GMT from Europe)
I note that when searching for 'distrowatch' on 'Google', 'Bing', 'Duckduck Go', and 'ixquick's Start Page', in all cases, the plain HTTP for DistroWatch is top of the list.
HTTPS for DistroWatch is not on the first page of the search if it appears at all.
If however I search for 'HTTPS on DistroWatch', the HTTPS site appears at the top of the list.
You may wish to let those who occasionally look at this site -- especially those from search engine links -- are made more aware, or directed via a link to the availability of HTTPS for DistroWatch on the HTTP page.
20 • Why not https (by Wiz on 2016-04-25 12:36:33 GMT from North America)
Hi All,
I generally don't start a 'PIG' browser unless I really have to.
I use Dillo.... Works GREAT, fast. Since the browser is so dumb, it is small and fast and doesn't bother with the latest flash video or whatever. Thank goodness.
Many web page developers seem to think bigger and more complex is better. I think the HARDEST thing of all is to make things simple and small and run on well on a really dumb old web browser.
The user experience with a dumb old browser is MUCH more friendly :).
Bitchingly yours,
An old guy
21 • Waiting List (by dragonmouth on 2016-04-25 12:39:53 GMT from North America)
The sites for at least 13 distros submitted before 8/15/2014 are either for sale or generate repeated server errors when accessed.
22 • HTTPS... (by Vukota on 2016-04-25 13:48:50 GMT from Europe)
If I type in the browser distrowatch, or distrowatch.com HTTP page opens, thus I do not use HTTPS due to that simple reason. Sites that do care, redirect you to their secure version (in example google.com).
23 • Countries in the Hardware Database (by Jonathan on 2016-04-25 13:53:51 GMT from Asia)
It's great to see an update to the hardware database, it would be even better if the country of the supplier was listed next to the name and a list of the countries they deliver to.
24 • Kali n00bs, Elementary (by mydearwatson on 2016-04-25 14:02:13 GMT from Europe)
Jesse wonders "why so many newcomers to Linux have been installing Kali as their first GNU/Linux distribution". I think it is obvious: to show off that they are 'l337 h4x0rz !!!!!!1111ONEONEONE'
There exists this misconception, esp. in Hollywood-style films, that Linux = hacker operating system. A desktop oriented (and possibly newbie friendly) distro would probably be a great disappointment to someone coming to Linux with such expectations. Kali, however, is the most popular security/penetration testing/forensics distro, so it naturally attracts all the wannabe hackers.
Concerning Elementary, I wonder how (besides the beautiful transparent panel) Pantheon differs from GNOME, especially in everyday usage. And is that beauty really unique to Pantheon? I seem to remember that most desktop environments can have transparent panels ...
Elementary is obviously minimalist - both in the software selection and in interface design. The user shouldn't have choice: if she/he doesn't like the Elementary way of doing things, no customisation - switch to some other distro instead.
25 • Kali (by Bonky on 2016-04-25 14:52:40 GMT from North America)
I used / played about with backtrack for a few years... and learnt a few things along the way.. truth is I never had time to research how to really use most of the different progs...and back then a lot seemed irrelevant as things had moved on a lot..
I havent looked for a while but i expect many of the same programs are still installed so i wonder what their worth still is.
But it was a great Distro and I guess Kali is as good if not better. though it troubles me when you see many people asking in forums etc on how to install it. .....hell if you cant install it you sure as hell won't be using much of it.
Https....I never even knew DW had it !!!!! over my selection of comps and different Browsers I usually type in "distro" and when it shows the full name i click on it...never yet has it had HTTPS.....i just tried it manually and it works so i Bookmarked it..
Elementary ..OK its is at least trying with new things which i give the devs a lot of credit for.....sadly it's on Ubuntu...so I wont take it serious.....
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. personally i still prefer a basic openbox / fluxbox. i3 etc....
26 • Pantheon differing from Gnome 3 (by Hoos on 2016-04-25 14:54:38 GMT from Asia)
" I wonder how (besides the beautiful transparent panel) Pantheon differs from GNOME, especially in everyday usage. And is that beauty really unique to Pantheon? I seem to remember that most desktop environments can have transparent panels ..."
There was one very big difference when I was still on my previous computer: a 9 year old Pentium 4 with old ATI graphics card. I could never run Gnome 3 on it due to its need for 3D graphics. Elementary ran fine on it, complete with all the windows animation, expose and other desktop effects.
Other than that, I guess they are similar in that both remove minimize button and make it hard to customise without installing a separate package - elementary-tweaks and gnome-tweak-tool respectively.
The dock is not really part of Pantheon as it's the Plank dock.
27 • Pantheon (cont from @26) (by Hoos on 2016-04-25 15:01:24 GMT from Asia)
Pantheon is, or was (??), built on certain Gnome 3 or gtk3 elements, I think. So the fact that it could run beautifully on an old computer when Gnome 3 couldn't was impressive to me. I used the older version (Luna, v.0.2) a fair bit.
I guess now that I have a new computer with modern hardware, that ability was no longer a big selling point to me and I could look more deeply into the "meat" of elementary. And my conclusion is that Pantheon itself is great and very pretty, but that's all I liked about elementary.
28 • Re; elementary OS review (by Bill on 2016-04-25 15:13:57 GMT from Europe)
I used to use Elementary OS as my main OS, that was until Freya was released, I found too many problems and it was not as accomplished as it was before.
ChaletOS is my main go to OS, it is better than even Elementary was before Freya. It just works and customization is a breeze.
29 • everybody is different (by Elementary User on 2016-04-25 17:51:06 GMT from North America)
Obviously people's experiences differ, but I've standardized my house on Elementary OS (4 laptops) and it is the best Linux I've used. yes, I've tweaked it (removed Midori, added other stuff) but it works perfectly for me & my wife for everything we want (music, videos, Steam, WPS Office, web development...) and in my opinion, Pantheon is the best looking desktop out there.
30 • Yes_HTTPS-Everywhere_Encrypt the Web! (by k on 2016-04-25 18:20:13 GMT from North America)
The answer to the poll was I am using the HTTPS connection for DistroWatch, using Tor Browser's add-on HTTPS-Everywhere, intended to "Encrypt the Web! Automatically use HTTPS security on many sites".
This time on Tails, but the torbrowser-launcher is so simple to download and install, and reliable -- even from Firejail on other distros, just 8 bytes leaked according to panopticlick --, that it is used for nearly all internet browsing. Kudos to Tor, Tails, and EFF.
31 • correction_to_bits_of_data_leaked_from_Tor_Browser_in_Firejail (by k on 2016-04-25 18:36:36 GMT from Europe)
Re: comment # 30
Sorry, I typed "... 8 bytes leaked according to panopticlick" (test), but it is actually 8.78 bits.
32 • tails-2.3 (by tails on 2016-04-25 18:41:30 GMT from Europe)
http://dl.amnesia.boum.org/tails/stable/tails-i386-2.3/
33 • @6 (by Will B on 2016-04-25 19:40:20 GMT from North America)
You know what? I'm wrong. Instead of Xubuntu I meant to say it was Lubuntu that was having the problems. Sorry about that.
34 • ubuntu(s) 16.04 (by More Gee on 2016-04-25 20:15:17 GMT from North America)
What is with all the buntu wanting me to erase my disk and use GPT? There should be a warning and/or a conversion routine if you are using MBR. I currently does not detected and the only option is to erase the whole drive.
35 • @6,@33 (by MrData on 2016-04-25 20:43:05 GMT from North America)
Lubuntu has always had panel problems, in my experience. Xubuntu's problems lately have involved the Thunar file manager.
36 • Elementary review (by Simon on 2016-04-25 22:35:10 GMT from Oceania)
Distrowatch loves its pros/cons lists: the summaries of major distributions are full of them. Sometimes, they include really helpful points. In this latest review of Elementary OS, here's what we're told are some of the strengths and weaknesses of Elementary OS:
Pros: "Less pre-loaded software".
Cons: "Lack of pre-loaded software".
If reviewers don't have room to explain the different implications of a feature for different groups of users, they should simply report on the feature ("it does things this way..."). Assigning it to a simplistic "pro" or "con" category may look as though it's being helpful...but listing something as a point in favor of an OS and then immediately contradicting yourself by listing it as a point against the OS is not providing readers with useful information.
37 • beauty (by Mike T on 2016-04-26 01:46:56 GMT from North America)
Beauty in a distro is subjective. I personally don't like a lot of flashy stuff that distracts from the main purpose of the PC, working on it. Too much eye candy can make it difficult to get things done, especially when the windows jump between translucent and solid because I move the mouse. I often have multiple documents open and I like to be able to see them without straining these tired old eyes.
Which brings up another question, why are themes either too dark or just a shade of grey. IIRC, the old Gnome allowed setting the window colors, but getting this effect is difficult with newer GTK desktops. I personally prefer consistency on the desktop and this can be difficult to achieve. I suppose I could use the K desktop, but I just don't care for it, never really have.
Sorry for the rant...
Cheers,
Mike T.
PS, Does anyone else have problems with seeing the comment box in the Chrome browser? Had to jump to FF to post this.
38 • @37 - GTK and comment box in Chrome (by Will B on 2016-04-26 02:49:02 GMT from North America)
Re: GTK: I write small / medium apps for Linux and I'm very sad how things have gone with GTK 3. I've posted (a few times now) on here about how memory usage skyrockets when you go from plain X11 to Qt and all of the toolkits in-between. Stinks. I've been looking into writing apps in FLTK, but I'm still mulling that over.
Re: Comment box in Chrome: Yes, I've seen that too. I've been in other non-Firefox browsers and wondered "Did Jesse ban me or something??" :-P
39 • Ivan's review (by PePa on 2016-04-26 08:02:19 GMT from Europe)
Really enjoyed Ivan's style of reviewing, very informative!
40 • HTTPS chose other (by Gee on 2016-04-26 16:08:21 GMT from North America)
I can not use HTTPS on my Mesh network, our government does not allow us to use encryption on wireless Mesh networks unless it is to login to the configuration page of the dish and has to be configured over local Ethernet. I also can not get RSS feeds over the Mesh if they are encrypted.
41 • @36 pros and cons (by Jordan on 2016-04-26 16:39:24 GMT from North America)
I have to agree with the disdain for (unexplained) pros and cons. Even at CNET and other sites the device reviewers have that habit. Sometimes the explanations are not convincing enough to assign the pro or con label at all.
I very often find myself 180 degrees in disagreement with which mentioned aspect is a pro or a con, with the notable exception of course of true discovered flaws or other serious issues.
42 • the_safe_way_to_download_verify_and_install_Tails... (by k on 2016-04-26 17:47:02 GMT from Europe)
... is probably NOT to follow and download from the http: link provided by comment # 32 • tails-2.3 (by tails... )
This issue of DistroWatch Weekly as well as issues 652 and 654 have included focuses on security. This week's poll, just in case someone missed it, is about using safer https:.
So, if you are interested in Tails, start here https://tails.boum.org/install/index.en.html , or at least https://tails.boum.org/doc/get/verify/index.en.html , both with explicit (guided) instructions, as usual excellent standard set by the developers of Tails, Debian -- on which Tails is built --, and the Tor Project.
Happy private and secure browsing to all.
43 • Kali confusion? (by Jeff on 2016-04-26 18:28:33 GMT from North America)
For a long time I have been confused by the Kali distro.
Why build a security penetration distro which mostly runs command line tools and use a bloated pig of a desktop environment like Gnome?
Wouldn't something like antiX or CrunchBang be more to the liking of the sort of user the maker claims is the intended user?
44 • @43 • Kali confusion (by mandog on 2016-04-26 20:04:31 GMT from South America)
No wonder you are confused you name two distributions Antix and Crunchbang 1 being discontinued but can't name the WMs they use then treat gnome as a distribution when its a DE with a shell.
45 • @37 - beauty (by Juan on 2016-04-26 22:45:04 GMT from North America)
The themes in GTK3 are black, dark and dull flat gray because GTK3, it's engines and it's themes are made by ex-windows users like you who come from the windows way of doing things were "PROFFESSiONALiSM" and "PRODUCTIVITY" were the end-all-be-all of computing. These kind of EMO, DEPRESED users HATE BEAUTY AND EYE-CANDY AND COLOR because to them it's UNPROFFESSIONAL, which is why Gnome 3 and Windows 10 are so flat and ugly. THEY ARE MADE BY WRIST-CUTTING EMOS FOR WRIST-CUTTING EMOS.
46 • pentesting confusion (by kiked on 2016-04-27 00:46:06 GMT from Oceania)
Pentesting distros like Kali are confusing. They advertise themselves as "offensive security" and that they know all about hacking. So noobies might think that they are good for securing their puters. But they are not actually "security" distros and have few defensive tools. So ironically noobies can be hacked while using hacking distros.
47 • beauty (by Mike T on 2016-04-27 02:45:54 GMT from North America)
@45 Please don't be rude just because I don't like a lot of flash. I have been using, installing and pushing Linux since 1998. I could care less if YOU or anyone else likes the eye candy, that is fine with me. In fact, I often use this as a reason for people to try Linux systems. I just think it would be nice if I could colorize the desktop like it used to be done. Thankfully, this is still possible with MATE, but it can be a difficult task with most other desktops.
My other problem is actually with the way that people design color schemes. It can be very difficult to read gray or light colored text if the background color isn't right. This has become a serious problem on the WWW and some desktop themes have it as well.
Cheers,
Mike T.
48 • @ 45 (by blah on 2016-04-27 08:14:38 GMT from Europe)
I guess your flashy linux has no spell checker.
49 • OpenIndiana (by Dave Postles on 2016-04-27 13:00:37 GMT from Europe)
Any chance of a review?
50 • HTTPS (by Ford Terrill on 2016-04-27 13:35:05 GMT from North America)
Make HTTPS default and I'll use it every time. I have no reason not to, but it's easier to get to whatever the page defaults to.
51 • Pen Testing Distros (by dhinds on 2016-04-27 22:03:51 GMT from North America)
Since pen test distros based on Debian (i.e. Kali), Arch (BlackArch), Slackware (WifiSlax), openSUSE (Urix), Gentoo (Pentoo) and Fedora (Network Security Toolkit) exist, why not compare them (for the benefit of DW readers)?
52 • HTTPS - depends on the browser or add-ons (by ddalley.ca@gmail.com on 2016-04-28 16:08:33 GMT from North America)
Chrome/Android doesn't tell me if the connection is secured. FireFox has HTTPS Anywhere added and is secured, so it depends on which browser is being used.
53 • Poll - HTTPS (by JDNSW on 2016-04-28 21:59:09 GMT from Oceania)
I wasn't using it because my bookmark (supplied with Mint) did not use it. It does now.
54 • @49 OpenIndiana (by Thomas Mueller on 2016-04-29 05:15:41 GMT from North America)
I believe OpenIndiana was reviewed on this page perhaps a couple years ago. I tried in fall 2011, Firefox ran well, but OpenIndiana couldn't read anything on my hard drive for lack of GPT support. Also, neither Linux, NetBSD nor FreeBSD could read the USB stick where I installed OpenIndiana to. I look for updated information on openindiana.org on each new release, no information about GPT support, so I haven't tried any newer versions of OpenIndiana since late 2011. If OpenIndiana lacks GPT support, they ought to say that clearly on their website since that is now an important consideration, instead of having to infer that information by their instructions for installing Windows, Linux and OpenIndiana on the same hard disk.
55 • Midori is notorious for crashing! (by RJA on 2016-05-01 01:33:15 GMT from North America)
Randomly and frequently, Midori gets terminated when browsing, especially The Weather Channel's web site, weather.com...
I think a lot of them were segfaults...
I dunno if there's anything that segfaults more than Midori...
56 • L33t distros (by M.Z. on 2016-05-01 05:41:12 GMT from North America)
@24
I agree with you about Kali very much being attractive to those who want to become L33t hacker types, regardless of how successful they will be at such efforts. I think that kind of thinking also drives the popularity of distros like Arch so high on the distorwatch hit rankings. Some people like the idea of a challenging OS that scares away non technical users & will gravitate toward either rolling systems with extra fresh software or security focused distros like Kali. I have to admit being in the 'L33t 1%' of PC users has a bit of appeal to me as well, but I'm quite happy to settle for easy to use systems like Mint & PCLOS. I do however try to tell anyone interested that I think my OS is very easy to use, & has other benefits like added security. Regardless of how easy it is to use any version of Linux I think trying it out very much puts you in a slightly more elite class of users who dig into the open secret of just how good Linux is on the desktop & there is a certain satisfaction in that to me.
Number of Comments: 56
Display mode: DWW Only • Comments Only • Both DWW and Comments
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| • Issue 1099 (2024-12-02): AnduinOS 1.0.1, measuring RAM usage, SUSE continues rebranding efforts, UBports prepares for next major version, Murena offering non-NFC phone |
| • Issue 1098 (2024-11-25): Linux Lite 7.2, backing up specific folders, Murena and Fairphone partner in fair trade deal, Arch installer gets new text interface, Ubuntu security tool patched |
| • Issue 1097 (2024-11-18): Chimera Linux vs Chimera OS, choosing between AlmaLinux and Debian, Fedora elevates KDE spin to an edition, Fedora previews new installer, KDE testing its own distro, Qubes-style isolation coming to FreeBSD |
| • Issue 1096 (2024-11-11): Bazzite 40, Playtron OS Alpha 1, Tucana Linux 3.1, detecting Screen sessions, Redox imports COSMIC software centre, FreeBSD booting on the PinePhone Pro, LXQt supports Wayland window managers |
| • Issue 1095 (2024-11-04): Fedora 41 Kinoite, transferring applications between computers, openSUSE Tumbleweed receives multiple upgrades, Ubuntu testing compiler optimizations, Mint partners with Framework |
| • Issue 1094 (2024-10-28): DebLight OS 1, backing up crontab, AlmaLinux introduces Litten branch, openSUSE unveils refreshed look, Ubuntu turns 20
| | • Issue 1093 (2024-10-21): Kubuntu 24.10, atomic vs immutable distributions, Debian upgrading Perl packages, UBports adding VoLTE support, Android to gain native GNU/Linux application support |
| • Issue 1092 (2024-10-14): FunOS 24.04.1, a home directory inside a file, work starts of openSUSE Leap 16.0, improvements in Haiku, KDE neon upgrades its base |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • 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 |
| • Full list of all issues |
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| Random Distribution | 
Namib GNU/Linux
Namib GNU/Linux was a desktop operating system based on (and compatible with) the Arch Linux distribution. Namib was available in multiple desktop editions and can be set up using the Calamares system installer.
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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