 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 670, 18 July 2016 |
Welcome to this year's 29th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
Different people want different things from their operating systems. Some of us want more features, others want long term stability, some want beginner friendly interfaces and some crave efficiency. This week we explore a variety of projects, each with a different set of goals. We begin with a review of Linux Lite, a distribution which tries to provide a balance between low resource usage and user friendliness. In our News section we talk about the very lightweight Bodhi Linux project, the pfSense firewall distribution and the highly consistent and conservative FreeDOS operating system. We also share upgrade instructions for the latest release of Linux Mint and report on Ubuntu's forums being compromised. In our Questions and Answers column we talk about getting software packages to work across multiple distributions. We then share the torrents we are seeding and provide a list of last week's releases. We open up the subject of minimal vs full distributions in our Opinion Poll and welcome two new distributions to our waiting list. We wish you all a fantastic week and happy reading!
Content:
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (21MB) and MP3 (30MB) formats
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| Feature Story (by Joshua Allen Holm) |
Linux Lite 3.0
Based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Linux Lite 3.0 is a lightweight distribution with the Xfce 4.12 desktop. In addition to being lightweight, it is also aimed at providing a familiar user experience for users transitioning from Microsoft Windows. In the wide array of Ubuntu derived distributions, Linux Lite has a lot of competition, so what sets Linux Lite apart from the other options? I downloaded the 955MB 64-bit install media to find out and below I share my experience with this very nice, polished distribution.
Booting and installing the distribution is a very familiar experience for anyone who has used Ubuntu or any distribution based on Ubuntu. The standard Ubiquity installer walks the user through the install experience providing guidance and making the experience pretty straight forward. In this regard, Linux Lite 3.0 is almost identical to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.
Because Linux Lite 3.0 is based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, it features version 4.4 of the Linux kernel and supports a wide variety of hardware out of the box using open source drivers. If the user needs proprietary drivers, all the drivers that are available for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS can be installed. Unfortunately users who need to use the proprietary ATI Catalyst drivers will run into problems because Linux Lite 3.0, just like Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, does not support the Catalyst drivers. One other hardware related issue to note is that the Linux Lite documentation recommends switching the computer's BIOS to Legacy mode instead of using UEFI mode and Secure Boot. The documentation states that "Linux Lite does not support or advocate the use of Secure Boot" and it notes that the distribution can be made to work with UEFI booting, but "The solution requires intermediate knowledge of Linux" and provides a link to a YouTube video which provides instructions.
Linux Lite 3.0 -- The application menu
(full image size: 409kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Once installed, Linux Lite 3.0 provides a very polished experience. A nicely themed Light Display Manager (LightDM) handles the login and Xfce, again nicely themed, provides the desktop experience. The two fit together well and provide a consistent visual experience. From boot splash to shutdown, Linux Lite 3.0 has a visually consistent user experience, and given the lightweight nature of the distribution, which uses only 300MB with no applications running, that experience is very responsive. My one issue with the look and feel of the distribution is that the default wallpaper, which is mostly bright yellow, orange, and red, is just way too bright for me, but that is a subjective thing, and it is my only real issue with my entire experience with Linux Lite 3.0. Several of the other available wallpapers are more muted, so it is easy enough to pick a different wallpaper from the included options making it a very, very minor issue.
Linux Lite 3.0 -- The Lite Software graphical package manager
(full image size: 436kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
When it comes to applications, Linux Lite 3.0 provides all the typical applications out of the box. In addition to the standard Xfce applications and utilities, Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice and GIMP all come pre-installed, and everything that is available in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is also available in Linux Lite 3.0. Installing new software is very easy with both Synaptic Package Manager and a utility called Lite Software, which is one of the best value-adds of the Linux Lite experience. Lite Software provides an easy way to install a variety of common software packages that many users add to their system, including Audacity, Dropbox, Skype, PlayOnLinx, VirtualBox, and WINE, just to name a few. Instead of searching through Synaptic, the user can just select a package from the curated list of options and click Install. This is great for new users who might not be familiar with all the software options available in Linux.
Linux Lite 3.0 -- The welcome screen
(full image size: 405kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Other great additions to the user experience are the Linux Lite Welcome application, the Lite Tweaks utility, and a tool for uploading a profile of the hardware in the computer to the Linux Lite Hardware Database. The Welcome screen is the first thing a user sees after the login for the first time and provides easy access to important options like updating software and access to various support options like the on-line forums and the help manual. Lite Tweaks provides a short list of useful functions like setting the default browser and clearing various caches and histories. The Share Hardware Configuration utility does exactly that, providing information about the computer Linux Lite is installed on so that other people can search the Linux Lite Hardware Database to see if their machine will work with Linux Lite.
Linux Lite 3.0 -- The Linux Lite documentation
(full image size: 302kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Of all the things in Linux Lite 3.0 that I liked, what impressed me the most was the documentation. The documentation is easy to find with highly visible links on the desktop and on the welcome screen and the documentation is, thankfully, locally installed on the hard drive, so no Internet access is required to read the manual. It is important for help to be easy to find, but it is more important to be thorough while still being easily readable and Linux Lite's documentation is all of those things. The documentation covers everything from installation to configuring the system and using specific applications. Going beyond just describing their own distribution, the Linux Lite documentation has an excellent glossary of computer terms and a list of Linux alternatives for popular Windows programs. Both of those two things push the documentation from great to truly excellent. Other distributions should take note of the work Linux Lite has done with its documentation.
Linux Lite 3.0 is an excellent option for users seeking a user friendly, lightweight operating system. Because of its Ubuntu base, it has solid hardware support while adding several nice features that set it apart from the official Ubuntu variants. Of course, users who need to use the ATI Catalyst drivers or who need a distribution that supports Secure Boot and UEFI should look elsewhere. Aside from those issues, Linux Lite 3.0 is a very well put together distribution with great documentation and a host of utilities that make it very new user friendly. It is good choice for both new users and experienced users who just want an easy to use, ready to go right after install distribution with very light system requirements.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a Lenovo Ideapad 100-15IBD laptop with the following specifications:
- Processor: 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-5020U CPU
- Storage: Seagate 500GB 5400 RPM hard drive
- Memory: 4GB of RAM
- Networking: Realtek RTL8723BE 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter
- Display: Intel HD Graphics 5500
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Bodhi team plans for 4.0.0, pfSense changes its license, an interview with FreeDOS's founder, Linux Mint offers upgrade path and Ubuntu's forums breached
Jeff Hoogland has posted an update on the work currently being done in the Bodhi Linux project. The Bodhi developers are working on version 4.0.0 of the distribution, which is should be released within the next two months. Work is also ongoing to update the Enlightenment libraries which form the base of Bodhi's desktop environment. "One of my goals for the 4.0.0 release is to realign our core Enlightenment Foundation Libraries with the latest upstream release. Their 1.18 release has been pushed back for several weeks due to the number of things it is integrating (namely the Elementary widgets are part of the core toolkit now) and ideally I would like to include this release by default in Bodhi 4.0.0. The targeted release for an alpha snapshot of the 1.18 EFL libraries is July 18th and assuming they hit that goal we should have an alpha Bodhi 4.0.0 release shortly there after. If the E team has more delays past this, I will start preparing the first Bodhi 4.0.0 discs with the existing 1.17.x EFL / Elementary releases." The full report can be found on the Bodhi Linux blog.
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The pfSense project has changed its license and clarified some of its copyright and trademark conditions. "pfSense is moving to the Apache License 2.0 in order to align the goals of the project with other (unannounced) offerings from Netgate. The Apache License 2.0 is a permissive license similar to the MIT License. The main conditions of this license require preservation of copyright and license notices. Where the 2-Clause and 3-Clause BSD licenses provide no direct language around the areas of copyright, patents and trademarks, the Apache License does. The Apache License is very clear that individual contributors grant copyright license to anyone who receives the code, that their contribution is free from patent encumbrances (and if it is not, that they license that patent to anyone who receives the code,) and that use of Trademarks extends only as far as is necessary to use the product." The full announcement has more details on the license change and pfSense's trademark policy.
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While FreeDOS is not a Unix, Linux or BSD derived operating system, it is an open source platform. FreeDOS, at its core, seeks to duplicate the Microsoft DOS platform while adding its own utilities and features. This combination results in a very familiar (and almost 100% compatible) DOS environment with a few modern and convenient features. Computer World interviewed FreeDOS's creator, Jim Hall, last week. In the interview, Hall talks about the early days of FreeDOS, debates around modernizing DOS and ways in which DOS is still useful to many people. Hall says DOS still runs on older equipment and can keep legacy applications running: "'FreeDOS is still intended for Intel and Intel-compatible computers. You should still be able to run FreeDOS on your old 486 or old Pentium PC to play classic DOS games, run legacy business programs, and support embedded development.'" The full interview is an interesting read and explores where FreeDOS has been and where it is going.
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The latest release of Linux Mint has been out for a few weeks now and the project has announced an upgrade path for people who wish to update from earlier versions to Linux Mint 18. A post on the Linux Mint blog reads: "If you've been waiting for this I'd like to thank you for your patience. It is now possible to upgrade the Cinnamon and MATE editions of Linux Mint 17.3 to version 18." The blog links to these upgrade instructions which walk the user through testing the new version of Mint, performing backups and updating the system's packages.
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Canonical's Jane Silber has announced the Ubuntu community forums have been breached. The notice, which was posted early on July 15, indicates the attacker managed to gain access to the forum's database and access user information. "After some initial investigation, we were able to confirm there had been an exposure of data and shut down the forums as a precautionary measure. Deeper investigation revealed that there was a known SQL injection vulnerability in the Forumrunner add-on in the forums which had not yet been patched. The attacker had the ability to inject certain formatted SQL to the forums database on the forums database servers. This gave them the ability to read from any table but we believe they only ever read from the 'user' table. They used this access to download portions of the 'user' table which contained usernames, email addresses and IPs for two million users. No active passwords were accessed; the passwords stored in this table were random strings as the Ubuntu forums rely on Ubuntu Single Sign On for logins. The attacker did download these random strings (which were hashed and salted). The notice goes on to mention the attacker was not able to access Ubuntu's code or update repositories and could not access users' passwords.
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These and other news stories can be found on our Headlines page.
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| Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Getting software to work across distributions
Moving-packages asks: Why can't I copy a package from one distro and have it work on another? I can't even get packages for one version of my distro to work on another version of the same distro! Why is there no cross-distro compatibility?
DistroWatch answers: First, let's look at some of the different ways software can be packaged and how this affects how the software works. This will help explain why some software continues to work for years across multiple versions of a distribution and why other applications are tied to a specific version of a specific distribution.
One way software can be assembled is by a method called static linking. What this does is essentially gather all of the code an application needs to use and crafts it into one big piece of software. All the libraries and functions the program needs are all included in one file. Because the application has everything it needs in one file, it can be moved to different environments (different distributions) and still work. Since the program replies on very little outsides of itself, it is quite portable.
Having a statically linked program might sound ideal. It is highly portable and it is simple to move the application around, but there are drawbacks. The statically linked program may be larger than other types of software, for example. This approach also means if any software that was used to make the statically linked program has a security flaw, the developer must update the statically linked application and redistribute it. If the original developer is not on top of security updates, the person using the software is at risk of their program being exploited. These restrictions make statically linked programs relatively rare because they are inconvenient to maintain, both for users and developers.
Another approach is to dynamically link software. What this does is allow a program to remain small and use libraries on the user's computer as necessary. Dynamically linked programs tend to be fairly small and rely on other software to provide a good deal of their functionality. This makes dynamically linked programs fairly painless to distribute. When a library used by dynamically linked application is found to contain a flaw, the library can be updated independently of the application.
Most Linux distributions use dynamically linked programs. The packages are small, making them relatively painless to download. Dynamically linked packages simplify security a great deal. If we have 500 programs which depend on the C library and the C library needs to be fixed, dynamic linking allows us to just update the C library once. If all 500 programs were statically linked, we would need to download 500 new versions of all those static programs.
The drawback to dynamically linked packages is that they often require a specific version of a specific library to be installed on the system for the program to work. This means if you want to copy a dynamically linked program from one distribution to another, you need to make sure all the libraries the program uses are also present. This is why dynamically linked packages often will not work when moved to another distribution, or across versions of the same distribution.
There is a third packaging option which tends not to get used much in the Linux community, but has been popular on some other platforms. Some organizations, especially those which sell proprietary software, will dynamically link their programs (making them small and easy to update) while packaging the specific libraries their application needs to function. This means the user ends up installing one large package which contains the application and its dependencies. Afterwards, security updates are provided just for the small libraries the application requires, making long-term maintenance easier for all parties.
The third option may sound like the best of both worlds and usually it is, at least when dealing with proprietary applications. However, since most Linux software is open source, it can be updated by anyone and made to work with newer versions of libraries. This is why most open source software tends to be dynamically linked. It may seem less portable at first since we cannot simply throw an application onto a different distribution. In the long run though open source applications can be better tailored to their specific environment and therefore best benefit from dynamic linking.
This is why most packages cannot be moved between distributions. The software is open source and the developers are leaving it up to each distribution to package the software as best fits their platform. However, it is possible for developers to create statically linked (or hybrid) packages and have them work across multiple distributions and continue to work for years to come. Commercial game companies, for example, tend to take this latter approach.
Lately we have been seeing a lot of interest in portable packages among the various Linux distributions. New package formats such as Snap and Flatpak have been gaining momentum recently and may become increasingly common, especially with third-party and commercial developers.
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Past Questions and Answers columns can be found in our Q&A Archive.
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| Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
Bittorrent is a great way to transfer large files, particularly open source operating system images, from one place to another. Most bittorrent clients recover from dropped connections automatically, check the integrity of files and can re-download corrupted bits of data without starting a download over from scratch. These characteristics make bittorrent well suited for distributing open source operating systems, particularly to regions where Internet connections are slow or unstable.
Many Linux and BSD projects offer bittorrent as a download option, partly for the reasons listed above and partly because bittorrent's peer-to-peer nature takes some of the strain off the project's servers. However, some projects do not offer bittorrent as a download option. There can be several reasons for excluding bittorrent as an option. Some projects do not have enough time or volunteers, some may be restricted by their web host provider's terms of service. Whatever the reason, the lack of a bittorrent option puts more strain on a distribution's bandwidth and may prevent some people from downloading their preferred open source operating system.
With this in mind, DistroWatch plans to give back to the open source community by hosting and seeding bittorrent files. For now, we are hosting a small number of distribution torrents, listed below. The list of torrents offered will be updated each week and we invite readers to e-mail us with suggestions as to which distributions we should be hosting. When you message us, please place the word "Torrent" in the subject line, make sure to include a link to the ISO file you want us to seed. To help us maintain and grow this free service, please consider making a donation.
The table below provides a list of torrents we currently host. If you do not currently have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found here. All torrents we make available here are also listed on the very useful Linux Tracker website. Thanks to Linux Tracker we are able to share the following torrent statistics.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 215
- Total data uploaded: 40.1TB
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| Released Last Week |
IPFire 2.19 Core 103
The IPFire project has announced a new update to the distribution's 2.19 series. The new version, IPFire 2.19 Core 103, features updates to the Squid proxy service, ClamAV anti-virus software and Tor networking software. "The web proxy Squid has been updated to the 3.5 series and various improvements for stability and performance were made. On machines with slow hard disks or on installations with very large caches it was likely to happen that the cache index got corrupted when the proxy was shut down. This resulted in an unstable web proxy after the next start. The shutdown routine was improved so that a cache index corruption is now very unlikely. Additionally we have means installed that allow us to detect if the cache index was corrupted and if so have it automatically rebuilt at the next start. This update will delete the presumably corrupted index on all installations and start a rebuild of the index, which could result in slow operation of the proxy for a short time after installing the update. Details can be found in the project's release announcement.
Untangle NG Firewall 12.1
The Untangle NG Firewall distribution is a firewall solution based on Debian. It offers pluggable modules for network applications like spam blocking, web filtering, anti-virus, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention and VPN. The latest release, Untangle NG Firewall 12.1, offers a number of interface updates as well as geolocation data for all network traffic. "In addition to the user interface enhancements, NG Firewall version 12.1 provides new geolocation capabilities for all traffic. NG Firewall's Integrated Rules Engine can utilize geolocation data to allow network administrators to create and apply rules based on client or server latitude and longitude or country. This enables network administrators to quickly triangulate where a threat is originating and create an appropriate policy response. Geolocation data is also available in NG Firewall's reports and widgets." For additional information, please see the distribution's release announcement.
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll |
Minimal vs full distributions
In the Linux ecosystem there are distributions for every niche. Some distributions strive to include every piece of software the user is likely to want. Other projects ship minimal installation images, leaving the installation of desktop applications to the user. Some projects try to strike a balance, selecting one application to perform each common task.
This week we would like to know if you prefer minimal distributions, one-app-per-task distributions, or do you want lots of software to be available via a full DVD image?
You can see the results of our previous poll on preferred methods of getting technical support here. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Minimal vs full distributions
| I prefer minimal distributions: | 956 (39%) |
| I prefer full distributions: | 670 (27%) |
| I prefer one-app-per-task distributions: | 657 (27%) |
| No preference: | 158 (6%) |
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| DistroWatch.com News |
Distributions added to waiting list
- Boinc.Italy Linux Distro. Boinc.Italy Linux Distro (BILD) is an Italian Linux distribution based on Sabayon. It uses the Xfce desktop by default.
- UbuntuQt. UbuntuQt is an unofficial Ubuntu flavour which uses LXQt as the default desktop environment.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 25 July 2016. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, donations, comments)
- Bruce Patterson (podcast)
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| Archives |
| • 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 |
| • Issue 1044 (2023-11-06): Porteus 5.01, disabling IPv6, applications unique to a Linux distro, Linux merges bcachefs, OpenELA makes source packages available |
| • Issue 1043 (2023-10-30): Murena Two with privacy switches, where old files go when packages are updated, UBports on Volla phones, Mint testing Cinnamon on Wayland, Peppermint releases ARM build |
| • Issue 1042 (2023-10-23): Ubuntu Cinnamon compared with Linux Mint, extending battery life on Linux, Debian resumes /usr merge, Canonical publishes fixed install media |
| • Issue 1041 (2023-10-16): FydeOS 17.0, Dr.Parted 23.09, changing UIDs, Fedora partners with Slimbook, GNOME phasing out X11 sessions, Ubuntu revokes 23.10 install media |
| • Issue 1040 (2023-10-09): CROWZ 5.0, changing the location of default directories, Linux Mint updates its Edge edition, Murena crowdfunding new privacy phone, Debian publishes new install media |
| • Issue 1039 (2023-10-02): Zenwalk Current, finding the duration of media files, Peppermint OS tries out new edition, COSMIC gains new features, Canonical reports on security incident in Snap store |
| • Issue 1038 (2023-09-25): Mageia 9, trouble-shooting launchers, running desktop Linux in the cloud, New documentation for Nix, Linux phasing out ReiserFS, GNU celebrates 40 years |
| • Issue 1037 (2023-09-18): Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, finding specific distros and unified package managemnt, Zevenet replaced by two new forks, openSUSE introduces Slowroll branch, Fedora considering dropping Plasma X11 session |
| • Full list of all issues |
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SparkyLinux
SparkyLinux is a lightweight, fast and simple Linux distribution designed for both old and new computers featuring customised Enlightenment and LXDE desktops. It has been built on the "testing" branch of Debian GNU/Linux.
Status: Active
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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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0x969CD4E778C7b6549A2B00e34114e0168c86A542 
