 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 698, 6 February 2017 |
Welcome to this year's 6th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
A large part of what defines an operating system and its usefulness is the software it can run. This means the methods by which we find, install and maintain software on our systems are significant and we spend time this week talking about different approaches to bundling and deploying software. In our News section we discuss Snap packages being backported to Ubuntu 14.04 and our Questions and Answers column explores the differences between containers and modern packaging formats such as Flatpak and Snap. We invite our readers to weigh in on the subject of packages, containers and virtual machines as ways to distribute software in our Opinion Poll. Also this week we talk about delays in getting Ubuntu 16.04.2 released to the public and Debian preparing to launch Debian 9 "Stretch". Plus we discuss running Steam on TrueOS and the Tails distribution migrating from 32-bit to 64-bit builds. First though, we share a review of Solus by guest author Alwan Rosyidi. We are also pleased to bring you a list of last week's distribution releases and we share the torrents we are currently seeding. Plus we welcome the Arch-based OBRevenge OS distribution to our database. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (32MB) and MP3 (20MB) formats.
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| Feature Story (by Alwan Rosyidi) |
Solus 2017.01.01.0: Impressive newcomer
Solus is an independent Linux distribution where the rising Budgie desktop was born. Despite the fact it is relatively a new Linux distribution, Solus brings many stunning features. The most interesting feature is, of course, the superstar Budgie desktop that has catalyzed another important project called Ubuntu Budgie. The newest version of Solus, Solus 2017.01.01.0, was released on January 2017 and offers us plenty of new and interesting things to look around.
1. Technical overview
Solus 2017.01.01.0 is built on top of the Linux kernel version 4.8.15. It only supports 64-bit architecture, which has been a new trend among other Linux distributions today. It's said that 64-bit operating systems consume more memory and run poorly on slow computers. Is this true or not, and happening in Solus? This is another interesting thing we have to find out.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- The Budgie desktop
(full image size: 1.9MB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
2. Budgie desktop
Budgie desktop is a new desktop which has been created by the Solus developers. It is a built on top of GNOME libraries. Solus 2017.01.01.0 uses Budgie desktop version 10.2.9 built on top of GNOME stack version 3.20.3.
Budgie desktop consists of five parts:
Main menu - Placed at the left top corner panel, there is a main traditional menu similar to the main menu of elementary OS.
Pinned shortcut - Beside the main menu, there are pinned application shortcuts. You could pin your most used applications here. To pin the applications shortcut, you have to open the application, then right click on the taskbar, and then select Pin to panel.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- Pin to panel
(full image size: 187kB, resolution: 543x369 pixels)
Taskbar - Right after Pinned shortcuts, there is a taskbar of running applications.
Applets/Indicators - At the right of the panel, there is an applets bar offering important functions such as: Network Manager indicator, notification indicator, battery/power indicator, sound indicator, shutdown indicator, date indicator, and at the right corner of panel there is a shortcut to access Budgie desktop settings.
Budgie desktop settings - Budgie's desktop settings panel is hidden in the right corner panel. It's a complete settings panel with options to move the desktop panel position, arrange the panel's items, applets, and change desktop themes. At the bottom, there are shortcuts to shutdown the computer, lock the computer, and a shortcut to GNOME's system settings.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- A collection of snapshots of the settings panel
(full image size: 262kB, resolution: 848x768 pixels)
3. Built-in apps - Solus 2017.01.01.0 comes with a minimal number of built-in apps. There is no LibreOffice office suite or GIMP image editor. The good news is, there is the VLC media player and Rhythmbox music player to enjoy your multimedia collection.
4. Package management and software repository - Solus has its own package manager called eopkg. It is very similar to Debian's dpkg with apt and quite easy to use. We can install an application easily by executing the command: sudo eopkg install app_name. We could find popular Linux apps in default Solus 2017.01.01.0 such as GIMP, Inkscape, SMPlayer, and more. Unfortunately, the very popular Chromium browser isn't included yet in this Solus version. Alternatively, you could use the AppImage version of the Chromium browser.
There is also a graphical Software Center very similar to Ubuntu Software Center or GNOME Software. There is also very nice documentation about using eopkg package management in Solus's wiki.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- The software manager
(full image size: 191kB, resolution: 952x695 pixels)
5. Installation - Solus comes with a modern, easy to use graphical installer very similar to Ubuntu's Ubiquity which comes with guided installation, replacing all existing Linux installations, and advanced partitioning. However, the advanced partitioning isn't as complete as Ubuntu's Ubiquity. There is no option to mount NTFS/FAT32 partitions so, if you have one, you have to mount these partitions manually after installation. However, the installer is still relatively easy to use.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- Partitioning with the system installer
(full image size: 48kB, resolution: 768x553 pixels)
6. Memory Utilization - RAM is now cheaper and is not a big issue among today's users. But in case you are curious about the distribution's resource utilization, it consumes about 700MB to 800MB of RAM in an idle mode.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- Checking memory usage
(full image size: 46kB, resolution: 702x545 pixels)
7. Desktop theming - Solus uses the Arc GTK theme and Arc icon theme. It is good looking and modern. The desktop wallpapers can be changed by right-clicking on the desktop. There are plenty beautiful wallpapers available in Solus-2017.01.01.0.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- Selecting new wallpaper
(full image size: 452kB, resolution: 843x466 pixels)
8. Solus 2017.01.01.0 MATE - Solus 2017.01.01.0 also comes with a MATE edition that uses MATE desktop version 1.16.1. Solus 2017.01.01.0 MATE brings a brand new application menu called Brisk Menu which looks very similar to the Cardapio menu. It is a simple, fast, traditional menu that resembles the look and functionality of Xfce's Whisker Menu.
Just like Linux Mint MATE, Solus 2017.01.01.0 MATE only provides a single panel at the bottom of the desktop, with the Brisk Menu at the left corner, and a system tray applet in the right corner.
Solus 2017.01.01.0 -- Running the MATE desktop
(full image size: 1.2MB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
9. Overall performance and conclusion - Installed on an old, dual core Intel Pentium with 4GB of RAM, Solus 2017.01.01.0 runs quite well, without lags or crash issues. If you are starting to feel bored with your current distro, Solus 2017.01.01.0 is an impressive alternative you can try. It's fresh, fast, good looking, and easy to use. The lack of some of the most popular Linux apps like the Chromium browser is an issue and I hope Solus developers will put it in Solus's official repository in the future releases. Overall, I could simply say Solus 2017.01.01.0 is impressive. It could be, in the future, a fair rival to the good looking elementary OS.
As the conclusion, here is my personal scoring for Solus 2017.01.01.0:
- Build quality : 8/10
- Performance : 8/10
- Ease of use : 8/10
- Artwork : 8/10
- Installation : 7/10
- Software Management : 9/10
- Software Repository : 6/10
- Overall score : 8/10
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Tails migrating to 64-bit, Debian Stretch freezes, Ubuntu backports Snap, Ubuntu 16.04.2 delayed again, running Steam games on TrueOS
The Tails distribution is a Debian-based project which is used to anonymously browse the web, scrub meta-data from files and securely transfer files. The Tails project has announced their distribution will soon shift from providing 32-bit builds to 64-bit builds exclusively. "Tails 3.0 will require a 64-bit x86-64 compatible processor. As opposed to older versions of Tails, it will not work on 32-bit processors. We have waited for years until we felt it was the right time to do this switch. Still, this was a hard decision for us to make. Today, we want to explain why we eventually made this decision, how it will affect users, and when..." Tails 3.0 will drop support for 32-bit computers on June 13, 2017, according to the project's roadmap. The change is being made to take advantage of 64-bit security features and improve package compatibility. Details on this change can be found in the Tails announcement.
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The Debian project is well known for releasing new stable versions of the distribution when they are considered ready rather than on a set schedule. Though Debian does not have a specific schedule, the distribution does appear to be nearing the release of Debian 9 "Stretch". Jonathan Wiltshire reported Debian has entered its final freeze leading into the release of the next version: "The Release Team is pleased to announce that Debian 9.0 "stretch" has entered the final phase of development and is now frozen."
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Snap packages have been supported by the past couple of Ubuntu releases. Snap packages handle their own dependencies and offer a number of security features which make them appealing, particularly for distributing software not available in Ubuntu's official repositories. The Snap technology has recently been backported to Ubuntu's previous long term support release, Ubuntu 14.04 "Trusty Tahr". This allows people running older copies of Ubuntu to experiment with Snap packages. The OMG Ubuntu website offers further details: "While most people reading this post will be doing so from a more recent version of Ubuntu than Trusty, the arrival of Snapd in the Trusty archives means even more folks can fool around with the new software deployment and package management system." Instructions for installing the Snap software can be found in the announcement.
The Ubuntu team pushes out updates to the distribution's long term support (LTS) releases on a regular basis to provide fresh installation media for users. These updated builds are not brand new versions of the operating system, but include additional drivers and packages with security fixes. The most recent update, Ubuntu 16.04.2, has been delayed twice now and the team plans to hold it back until February 9th to allow for further quality assurance testing. Leann Ogasawara explained the reason for the delay: "We would like to formally request an extension for 16.04.2's release. We have just identified a serious boot regression on arm64. The resolution looks to require landing changes to the kernel, flash-kernel, and possibly d-i. While we can likely physically get those changes into the archive in time for the release, there would be next to no time to test this nor provide appropriate regression testing on other platforms. We would be much more comfortable giving that some proper testing before releasing and therefore would like to request an additional extension for the point release date."
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Josh Smith has published a tutorial which explores how gamers can get some of their favourite gaming titles running on TrueOS and, by extension, related operating systems such as FreeBSD. The tutorial walks readers through setting up the Windows version of Steam on TrueOS using WINE and an application called PlayOnBSD. "If you're a PC gamer, you should definitely give PlayOnBSD a try! You may be surprised at how well it works. If you want to know ahead of time if your games are well supported or not, head on over to WineHQ and do a search. Many people have tested and provided feedback and even solutions for potential problems with a large variety of video games. This is a great resource if you run into a glitch or other problem." The tutorial includes detailed installation instructions and screen shots of Steam games running on TrueOS.
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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) |
Comparing containers with portable applications
They-are-all-portable asks: I recently read your piece in DistroWatch Weekly 668 comparing Snap, Flatpak, and AppImage. I found it very interesting, but one question came to mind as I was reading it: What functionally differentiates these newer packaging formats from container formats such as Docker?
I don't know much about any of these except that containers are marketed more as an alternative to virtualization rather than alternative packaging, but from my perspective they all seem to do the same thing. Install a framework (except AppImage), download a bundle containing the application and relevant libraries, and run it. Are they just marketed differently, or perhaps accomplishing the same end goal, but going about it in completely different ways under the hood? Or is there something big and important that differentiates these technologies that I just don't know?
DistroWatch answers: Let's talk about AppImage first. I would like to point out that AppImage is relatively old, compared to Docker, Snap and Flatpak. AppImage was first launched back around 2004 while Docker arrived on the scene in 2013. (Flatpak and Snap are about the same age, or just a little younger than Docker, respectively.) AppImage provides a way for developers to bundle up an application and its dependencies into one package file. The end user downloads the package and runs it and, from the end user's point of view, the application and its dependencies are one big file.
AppImage, from the end user's perspective, is very convenient. The user does not need to have administrator/sudo access to download and run AppImage packages. No package manager is required either. While AppImage does not provide any sandboxing security on its own, tools like Firejail can be used to isolate AppImage programs with little to no configuration or effort on the part of the user.
Flatpak and Snap, while they have their differences, both provide a framework that either comes pre-installed on the operating system or is set up by the administrator. Then the administrator can install applications and services on the system. Flatpak and Snap programs are somewhat isolated from the system and provide some potentially nice security features. Dependencies are handled by the framework and/or the developer so the administrator does not need to worry about them.
What each of these three (AppImage, Snap and Flatpak) have in common is they are designed with a single application or service in mind. I might download the Krita AppImage, Apache Snap or a Firefox Flatpak, but chances are I am after just one specific application when I use these technologies. When I download a program bundled with one of these technologies, I get just the program and its immediate dependencies.
Docker is quite a bit different. As the original question pointed out, Docker is a lightweight alternative to virtualization, not to packaging. Docker provides a container which people tend to use to make little, portable operating systems with a small number of applications or services. While an AppImage might include a single desktop application and its immediate dependencies, a Docker container is likely to include (for example) a copy of the Debian operating system, a network service and maybe development tools.
Docker shines when it is being used to build layers. The Docker website has a helpful diagram which shows how Docker containers can be used to stack independent pieces. The host system really just provides the Linux kernel and Docker framework. The containers then can hold an operating system and any specific tools we want. A Docker container might hold an entire development environment which can be shared among coders in an organization, or it might hold an Apache, database and PHP stack for web hosting.
It might be easiest to think of it this way: AppImage provides portable applications, with no framework required, that can be installed by end users. Flatpak and Snap provide a framework administrators use to deploy a program or service. Docker offers a way to deploy and share operating systems and complete development or production environments. They all bundle dependencies to make software portable, but their use cases and approaches vary quite a bit behind the scenes.
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For more questions and answers, visit our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
OPNsense 17.1
The OPNsense operating system is a FreeBSD-based specialist operating system (and a fork of pfSense) designed for firewalls and routers. The project has released a new stable version of the OPNsense operating system, version 17.1. "The OPNsense team is proud to announce the final availability of version 17.1, nicknamed Eclectic Eagle. This major release features FreeBSD 11.0, the SSH remote installer, new languages Italian / Czech / Portuguese, state-of-the-art HardenedBSD security features, PHP 7.0, new plugins for FTP Proxy / Tinc VPN / Let's Encrypt, native PAM authentication against e.g. 2FA (TOTP), as well a rewritten Nano-style card images that adapt to media size to name only a few. We would like to encourage everyone to supervise this major upgrade physically. As such, it cannot be performed from the GUI. Instead, go to the root console menu, choose option 12 and type '17.1' at the prompt. The process will download a full set of updates and reboot multiple. All operating system files and packages will be re-installed as a consequence." Additional information can be found in the project's release announcement.
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not 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: 291
- Total data uploaded: 55.6TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll |
Virtual machines, packages and containers
This week we talked about virtual machines, containers and packages. As a follow-up we would like to find out if you use any of the technologies we talked about to run applications or services. Do you use packages that bundle dependencies such as AppImage, FlatPak and Snap? Or do you run services in a Docker container or a virtual machine? Feel free to share your preferences in a comment.
You can see the results of our previous poll on running alternative phone operating systems here. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Virtual machines, packages and containers
| I use virtual machines: | 947 (54%) |
| I use bundled packages: | 54 (3%) |
| I use containers/Docker: | 41 (2%) |
| I use a combination of the above: | 174 (10%) |
| I use none of the above: | 534 (31%) |
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| DistroWatch.com News |
New distributions added to database
OBRevenge OS
OBRevenge OS is a desktop operating system that is based on the Arch Linux distribution. OBRevenge features a live DVD and offers users the Xfce desktop environment with the Whisker menu as the default login session. The distribution includes a welcome window and the Pamac graphical software manager to help users get set up with the software and drivers they need. The distribution can be installed using the Calamares system installer.
OBRevenge OS 2017.01 -- Displaying the welcome screen and application menu
(full image size: 130kB, resolution: 1280x1024 pixels)
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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, 13 February 2017. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. 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 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 |
| • Issue 1036 (2023-09-11): SDesk 2023.08.12, hiding command line passwords, openSUSE shares contributor survery results, Ubuntu plans seamless disk encryption, GNOME 45 to break extension compatibility |
| • Full list of all issues |
| 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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| Random Distribution | 
Webconverger
Webconverger was a live, Debian-based web kiosk. It was designed for deployments in places like offices or Internet cafés where only web applications are used. Webconverger maintains a proprietary fault tolerant configuration service with email support to help deploy Webconverger en masse. The service was optional.
Status: Discontinued
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| TUXEDO |
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
|
| 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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