 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 721, 17 July 2017 |
Welcome to this year's 29th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
The Fedora distribution regularly acts as a test bed for new technologies and fresh versions of popular open source programs. In this issue we begin with a look at the latest version of the distribution, Fedora 26. Joshua Allen Holm took Fedora 26's Workstation edition and two other spins for a test drive and reports on his findings in our Feature Story. In our News section, we discuss the new features in Fedora's installer. We also talk about how people who are visually impaired can install DragonFly BSD and we cover Yunit packages becoming available to Ubuntu LTS users. In our Questions and Answers column we discuss rolling release source-based distributions and where to find them. Our Opinion Poll this week also talks about installing software from source packages and we would like to know how many of our readers install software from source code. Plus we provide a list of the distributions released last week and cover the torrents we are seeding. This week we are also happy to welcome two new projects, DFLinux and Cucumber Linux, to our waiting list. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
- Review: Fedora 26
- News: New Fedora features, installing DragonFly BSD with Orca, Yunit packages backported to Ubuntu 16.04
- Questions and answers: Source based Linux distributions
- Released last week: Fedora 26, Parrot Security 3.7, SolydXK 9, Mageia 6
- Torrent corner: ExTiX, Fedora, KaOS, Mageia, Parrot Security, Redcore, SolydXK, Sparky, Ultimate, Zevenet
- Opinion poll: Installing source-based packages
- New distributions: Cucumber Linux, DFLinux
- Reader comments
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (59MB) and MP3 (94MB) formats.
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| Feature Story (by Joshua Allen Holm) |
Fedora 26
The twenty-sixth release of Fedora is stable, polished, but kind of boring. The changes from Fedora 25 can be summarized as "newer versions of various packages." Fedora Workstation now comes with GNOME 3.24, which adds a built-in Night Light function that changes the color of the display at night, and LibreOffice 5.3, which can use the new Notebookbar interface if experimental features are enabled. There are also minor, incremental improvements to the Anaconda installer, DNF package manager, and sundry other packages.
The really interesting changes come in the form of a new spin, a variant featuring a different desktop environment that uses the LXQt desktop and a new Lab variant that focuses on Python programming. These two new editions are far more interesting than the changes to Fedora Workstation so, after I take a look at Fedora Workstation's new features, I will explore each of these new Fedora flavours before sharing my final thoughts on Fedora 26 as a whole.
Fedora Workstation
Packing a decent selection of software into a 1.6GB ISO, Fedora Workstation provides a near-complete desktop experience out of the box. Sure, developers and other people with more advanced needs will need to install additional software, but for basic use, Fedora comes with enough software pre-installed. Firefox for web browsing, Evolution for e-mail, LibreOffice for editing documents, plus the standard selection of GNOME applications, like Rhythmbox and Videos. The only thing lacking is some of the media codecs that have to be installed from RPM Fusion or some other source.
Fedora 26 -- The Workstation edition's GNOME desktop
(full image size: 928kB, resolution 1366x768 pixels)
Installing Fedora Workstation is a straightforward experience for anyone familiar with modern Red Hat-style distributions. Boot the live media, run the Anaconda installer, select a few options, and the operating system is installed on the computer's hard drive. Users already running Fedora can also use GNOME Software or the DNF package manager to upgrade to newer versions of Fedora.
Fedora 26 -- The Anaconda system installer
(full image size: 68kB, resolution 1366x768 pixels)
There have been a few refinements to Anaconda since Fedora 25, but most are minor. The only exception is that the partitioning disks step now has an advanced option for power users. This new option uses Blivet GUI to provide a more feature-rich partitioning experience. I tried out this new advanced option when I installed Fedora 26 and found that it provided a superior partitioning experience, but only if you really need to tweak your options. I always change my partition sizes from Fedora's defaults, but the older manual partitioning option has always been more the enough for my purposes. Blivet GUI is not something I see myself using very frequently, but it will be a very welcome addition for users that really need advanced partitioning tools.
Overall, Fedora Workstation is a well put together desktop experience, but like I noted in my introduction, it is kind of boring. It looks like all the big changes to Fedora are slated for future releases. Users of Fedora 25 should consider upgrading as soon as possible to take advantage of new features like Night Light, and users shopping for a new distribution should definitely give Fedora Workstation a try.
Fedora's LXQt spin
I will admit that Fedora Workstation with its GNOME desktop is my normal setup. I use it daily and like it, but I was interested in checking out the new LXQt spin. While I do have some issues with it, which I cover below, I found the LXQt spin to be a nice change of pace. It is still Fedora under the hood, so it is not a radical departure, but it was different enough from the standard Workstation/GNOME experience to be interesting. The layout of the LXQt desktop is more traditional, with the taskbar at the bottom of the screen in a layout similar to Windows and KDE. LXQt is lightweight but still looks modern.
The LXQt spin's 1.0GB ISO is smaller than the Workstation ISO, but that is not just because the LXQt desktop is a more lightweight desktop. Unfortunately, the ISO is smaller because the live image does not come with much software. There is a web browser (QupZilla), the Qtransmission bittorrent client, Quassel IRC program, and a various system utilities but not much else. No graphical e-mail client. No office suite. The lack of an e-mail client in the age of webmail I can understand, but no office software makes for a sub-optimal live desktop experience. Including either LibreOffice or the Calligra office suite would provide a much better out of box experience.
Fedora 26 -- The dnfdragora software manager
(full image size: 125kB, resolution 1366x768 pixels)
While it would be nice to have more software included on the ISO, the LXQt spin can install any Fedora package. Unlike Fedora Workstation, which uses GNOME Software to install packages, the LXQt spin uses dnfdragora. This graphic package manager provides a pretty typical experience for users familiar with various graphic package managers. dnfdragora lets users install, uninstall, and update packages. Users can search though packages visually or by a keyword search. Pretty typical experience really, but nice and easy to use. The only frustration is that one has to use it just to get the LXQt spin into a usable state. A lot of software can fit into 600MB, so it would be nice to see future releases of the LXQt spin have ISOs closer in size to Workstation's ISO, just so the user experience is more complete right after installing.
Fedora Python Classroom
Out of all the new things available in Fedora 26, the new Python Classroom Lab variant is the most interesting. This specialized Fedora lab is focused entirely on Python development. It uses the GNOME desktop environment, but aside from a few utilities, most of the standard applications are removed. The only graphical software included is Calculator, Emacs, Files, Firefox, IDLE 3, Ninja-IDE, Settings, Software, Text Editor, and various basic utilities. If it is not Python related or does not support programming Python, it is not included.
Fedora 26 -- The Python Classroom applications
(full image size: 775kB, resolution 1366x768 pixels)
The Python Classroom ISO is almost a large as Fedora Workstation's and all of the space saved by removing applications goes towards providing a Python programming environment. A lot more Python packages are included on this ISO, making it possible to do a wide variety of Python programming right from the live environment without having to install anything. While professional Python programmers will probably find things lacking for their own purposes, the Python Classroom lab provides plenty of packages for use in a learning environment. A handful of spare computers, Fedora Python Classroom on USB drives, and an introductory Python programming text are a great way to quickly and easily create a learning lab for teaching new programmers.
Fedora 26 -- The Ninja-IDE
(full image size: 123kB, resolution 1366x768 pixels)
Ninja-IDE is the primary development tool provided and it is a reasonable choice. Sure, some developers might want their favorite IDE instead, but Ninja-IDE strikes a excellent balance between lightweight and providing tools to help developers create software. It is a well-rounded IDE that provides a good set of features without being too heavy like Eclipse with Python development tools installed could be, and it is more robust than any of the text editors with syntax highlighting options that are available. By using Ninja-IDE, the Python Classroom lab provides a development solution that should work well on even on slightly older hardware. Ninja-IDE is also cross-platform, so users who start learning Python through a Python Classroom experience can continue learning using the same IDE on their Windows or macOS computer, if they are not yet comfortable making the switch to Linux.
My only caveat with the Python Classroom lab is that Emacs has an icon in the application list, but Vim does not. I have no particular preference in the great Emacs vs Vi debate, but it would have been nice to include graphical versions of both applications, so that the icons for both appeared on the desktop instead of there being an icon for one and requiring opening a terminal to access the other.
Final thoughts
Fedora 26 is a great release of one of the major Linux distributions. Yes, the differences between Fedora 26's and Fedora 25's Workstation variants are minimal, but the few changes that are there are solid reasons to upgrade. For users interested in different desktop environments, Fedora's various spins provide a solid Fedora core experience with different desktop environments on top. The LXQt spin in particular is an interesting new addition to the Fedora family and is worth checking out. Though, the real star of this release is the Python Classroom Lab, which is a wonderful way to provide a Python programming environment for classrooms. Even when running off live media, it is very functional, making it a great way to temporarily turn a few general purpose computers into a lab for teaching programming without a lot of work.
If the worst thing I can say is that Fedora 26 is boring, I think the developers have done a great job. I really look forward to the next few releases of Fedora, which should be much more interesting, assuming planned developments actually make it into the releases.
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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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Visitor supplied rating
Fedora has a visitor supplied average rating of: 8.2/10 from 343 review(s).
Have you used Fedora? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
New Fedora features, installing DragonFly BSD with Orca, Yunit packages backported to Ubuntu 16.04
The newly launched Fedora 26 introduced several package updates and minor improvements, but most of the eye catching changes were in Fedora's system installer. The installer, called Anaconda, has been updated with a number of improvements to disk partitioning and networking options. "Anaconda - the Fedora installer - has many new features and improvements implemented for Fedora 26. The most visible addition is the introduction of Blivet GUI, providing power users an alternate way to configure partitioning. Additionally, there are improvements to automated installation with kickstart, a range of networking improvements, better status reporting when your install is under way, and much more." Fedora Magazine lists the new Anaconda features and provides screen shots of the new disk partitioning tool in action.
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When people think of DragonFly BSD they tend to envision a high performance server operating system or a platform for using the advanced HAMMER file system. However, one person has discovered DragonFly BSD can be installed and utilized by visually impaired users. "I just thought I would post this here to see if there are any other users of DragonFly BSD that are totally blind. If there are, we could possibly connect and share experiences and tips. I use Orca which is a screen reader for the GUI to access my laptop and desktop in DragonFly. There are console screen readers available, however, I have not tried to get any of them working yet mostly because Orca can read GUI terminals like MATE-terminal Xfce4-terminal etc." The user's mailing post describes the steps they used to get DragonFly BSD installed using the Orca screen reader.
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Back in April Canonical announced that the company, which develops the Ubuntu operating system, would cease work on their Unity 8 desktop environment. Since then, open source developers have taken the Unity 8 desktop code and rebranded it Yunit. The Yunit project has since released packages for Debian and, this week, the developers announced they have backported Yunit to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. This means that Ubuntu LTS users can enable a new repository and install Yunit, letting them experience the interface Canonical had previously planned to bring to the Desktop edition of Ubuntu. The new packages should work on Ubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, Lubuntu and Xubuntu. There are some package conflicts which prevent the desktop from working on Kubuntu and Ubuntu MATE. Additional information on this release and Yunit's future can be found in the project's announcement.
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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) |
Source based Linux distributions
Building-everything-from-source asks: Do you know where I can find a list of source-based distributions? I'm interested primarily in rolling release distros where everything is built from source for maximum flexibility.
DistroWatch answers: I am pleased to be able to tell you our Search page can help you find both rolling release distributions and source-based distributions, as well as projects which combine both features. If you are new to exploring source-based distributions, I recommend starting out with a project that offers source-based packages as an option while also providing the user with pre-built binary packages. This allows you to get up and running quickly while giving you the option to later build any packages you wish from scratch. For example, Gentoo is a popular source-based distribution and the Calculate Linux project is based on Gentoo. Calculate can build software from its source code, while also providing an easy installation process and the option of using pre-built packages.
I would also like to point out that most distributions, while not geared specifically toward building software from source code, do provide options which make it fairly easy to do so. As an example, any Debian-based distribution can download the source and dependencies for any packaged software so you can build and install it yourself. Other Linux distributions, and flavours of BSD, have similar options to make it easy to tweak and build your own software from its source. Most Linux distributions are not set up this way by default as compiling source code is not convenient, but most do provide the option.
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More answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
Fedora 26
Matthew Miller has announced the launch of Fedora 26. The Fedora distribution is available in three editions: Workstation, Server and Atomic Host and can be run on a variety of hardware, including i686, x86_64 and ARM boards. Fedora 26 features a new partition manager in the Anaconda system installer along with many package updates: "First, of course, we have thousands of improvements from the various upstream software we integrate, including new development tools like GCC 7, Golang 1.8, and Python 3.6. We’ve added a new partitioning tool to Anaconda (the Fedora installer) - the existing workflow is great for non-experts, but this option will be appreciated by enthusiasts and sysadmins who like to build up their storage scheme from basic building blocks. F26 also has many under-the-hood improvements, like better caching of user and group info and better handling of debug information. And the DNF package manager is at a new major version (2.5), bringing many new features." Additional information can be found in the release announcement and in the distribution's release notes.
Fedora 26 -- Running the GNOME desktop
(full image size: 934kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Parrot Security OS 3.7
The Parrot Security team have announced a new update to their Debian-based, security and penetration testing distribution. The new release, Parrot Security OS 3.7, introduces mostly small improvements and fresh package versions, compliments of Debian's Testing branch: "Of course the release of Debian 9 as the new Stable branch brought many important changes in Debian, but for those distributions based on Debian Testing, the main change was the introduction of many many updated packages that remained locked in the Unstable branch because of the pre-release testing freeze. We decided to not introduce significant changes on our side in this new release, and we just wanted to focus on making existing things better. The most evident change is the introduction of the ARC theme, while also the auto-updater received an important change to show the progress of system upgrades. The old Linux 4.9 kernel was replaced with the new 4.11 branch, and this introduced a better support for many devices." Further details can be found in the project's release notes.
ExTiX 17.7
The ExTiX project has announced the release of a new version of the Ubuntu-based desktop distribution. The new version, ExTiX 17.7, ships with the Budgie desktop environment and features Refracta Tools for remastering the operating system. "I've made a new extra version of ExTiX with the Budgie Desktop. Budgie is focused on simplicity and elegance. Designed with the modern user in mind. Only a minimum of packages are installed in ExTiX Budgie. You can of course install all the packages you want, even while running ExTiX Budgie live. i.e. from a DVD or USB stick. All four ExTiX systems are based on Ubuntu and Debian. While running ExTiX Budgie 17.7 live or from hard drive you can use Refracta Tools (pre-installed) to create your own live installable Ubuntu system." Additional details on ExTiX 17.7 can be found in the project's release announcement.
Mageia 6
Following several delays during the development cycle, the Mageia project has announced the release of Mageia 6. The new version includes the KDE Plasma 5 desktop environment, the DNF package manager is now available alongside urpmi and Mageia 6 includes live test media for the Xfce desktop environment: "The extra time that has gone into this release has allowed for many exciting additions, here are a few of the major additions and key features of Mageia 6: KDE Plasma 5 replaces the previous KDE SC 4 desktop environment. The new package manager DNF is provided as an alternative to urpmi, enabling a great packaging ecosystem: Support for AppStream and thus GNOME Software and Plasma Discover; support for Fedora COPR and openSUSE Build Service to provide third-party packages for Mageia 6 and later; dnfdragora, a new GUI tool for package management inspired from rpmdrake. Brand new icon theme for all Mageia tools, notably the Mageia Control Center. Successful integration of the ARM port (ARMv5 and ARMv7) in the build system, allowing to setup ARM chroots. Installation images are not available yet but will come in the future. GRUB2 as the default bootloader. New Xfce Live images to test Mageia with a lighter weight environment." Additional information on Mageia 6 can be found in the project's release announcement and in the release notes.
Mageia 6 -- Running the Plasma desktop
(full image size: 218kB, resolution: 1680x1050 pixels)
SolydXK 9
The SolydXK project has announced the availability SolydXK 9, which is based on packages from the recently released Debian 9. Apart from the new base, SolydXK has removed the Backports repository by default (though it can be re-enabled), added a tool to assist in encrypting partitions and introduced new desktop themes. "In the past three weeks we have been testing, improving, developing and exercising parts of our vocabulary that our mothers didn't even know we had but finally we are satisfied with the result. It is time to release the new SolydX and SolydK version 9. Changes: New themes for SolydX and SolydK. You can choose a light or dark theme. SolydXK Systems has a GUI now where you can encrypt partitions (and your USB flash drive), localize your system, select the fastest repositories, hold back packages and cleanup your system. The encryption part of this application is functioning but still in beta. Use at your own risk! The backport repository was removed by default but can be enabled in the new SolydXK System application. The solydx/k-info packages were integrated in the solydx/k-system-adjustments packages and are now obsolete." More details on SolydXK 9 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 in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. If you would like to upload your distribution's torrents to our torrent tracker you may do so on our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 491
- Total data uploaded: 14.5TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll |
Installing source-based packages
Most open source operating systems provide binary software packages in repositories for their users to install. While this is a quick and easy way to install new software, some people prefer to compile their applications from source code. Several Linux distributions and the BSD projects make it easy to install new software from source code. Compiling from source can provide additional flexibility as to which features are included and, in some instances, may offer improved performance.
This week we would like to find our how many of our readers regularly install software from source packages (sometimes called ports). If you install some of your packages from source, please let us know why in the comments.
You can see the results of our previous poll on installing software on Debian Stable in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Installing source-based packages
| I only install binary packages: | 611 (42%) |
| I install one or two source-based packages: | 413 (29%) |
| I install several source-based packages: | 335 (23%) |
| I install all software from source packages: | 86 (6%) |
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| DistroWatch.com News |
Distributions added to waiting list
- DFLinux. DFLinux, also known as Debian Facile (or Easy Debian), is a French distribution which continues the efforts of HandyLinux to create a beginner friendly, Debian based Linux distribution.
- Cucumber Linux. Cucumber Linux is an independent distribution which aims to provide a Linux distribution that is usable as an every day, general purpose operating system. It aims to this in as minimalistic a way as possible and in a way that follows the Unix Philosophy. Cucumber Linux favors simplicity and modularity of design over simplicity of use. It runs the Sys V init software.
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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, 24 July 2017. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
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| Extended Lifecycle Support by TuxCare |
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Building (installing from source) (by Tux Raider on 2017-07-17 00:20:03 GMT from United States)
i have debian 9 and it runs great and has a lot of packages to select from, and i have a hobby of listening to hf radio (shortwave) i have a KiwiSDR, SDRPlay, and a couple of rtl-sdr dongles, and CubicSDR is not available as a package on debian (not yet anyway) so i built it from source code as per the developer's instructions and it works quite good, i also run OpenWebRX and i had to build a library to get it to run,
2 • Error Fedora 26 when upgrade from 25 (by Joana Puig on 2017-07-17 00:56:11 GMT from Spain)
Everything works Ok except only one thing. On startup appears this error related to bluetooth:
FAILED TO APPLY NETWORK SETTING
YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE BLUETOOTH NETWORK VIA THIS MACHINE.
EXCEPCION: g-io-error-quark.......(10 lines)...
I do not use bluetooth on my laptop, close the window and everything runs ok like fedora 25.
3 • Why I install source packages (by Mauro Shaw on 2017-07-17 01:21:59 GMT from United States)
I do install packages from source occasionally, but here is the reason: some programs simply haven't been packaged for Debian. Take, for example, the GNU talk filters (http://www.hyperrealm.com/main.php?s=talkfilters) and the Wikipedia tool Huggle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Huggle).
That's all.
4 • I only build the kernel from source (by Matt on 2017-07-17 01:48:23 GMT from United States)
Kernel bug fixes and security packages are released in source files well before binary packages are released by distributions. The kernel is usually the only thing compiled from source on my computer. In fact, I am posting this using Kernel version 4.9.38 (source code released just yesterday).
5 • @4 (by mandog on 2017-07-17 03:21:22 GMT from Peru)
Kernel version 4.9.38 (source code released just yesterday). wow that's old?
I'm on arch stable Linux 4.11.9-1 that is a binary stable
6 • Fedora 26 (by Andy Prough on 2017-07-17 03:26:20 GMT from United States)
Not sure this is a ringing endorsement for Fedora. Night Light came out with Gnome 3.24 in March - it's now July. By the time you upgrade, you're already falling behind again.
7 • ports (by Trihexagonal on 2017-07-17 03:49:19 GMT from United States)
I have always used ports exclusively on my FreeBSD boxen.
8 • kubuntu 26 live (by Bobbie Sellers on 2017-07-17 04:14:14 GMT from United States)
I was very disappointed in the Live DVD performance,
The Office software was strictly KDE,no LibreOffice.
Multimedia lacked VLC.
Utilities lacked Konsole and Kate.
I was going to try an installation then try to get the missing
software on my test bed,. a Dell Latitude e6420,
The installer was not flexible enough to let me do that it
never let me get to the partitioning.
So I went back to the weak KDE Partitioning Tool and
it was so weak that I threw up my hands(figuratively)
and gave up.
Also the KDE System Setting tool could not be
configured to provide the Tree view..
On the other hand it is just about as boring as
possible.
Now on the other hand Mageia despite using the same
sort of KDE has all the software one could hope for..
I just updated the Mageia 6 RC and am pretty sure it
is up to the Mageia 6 final release.
bliss
9 • Fedora 26 total fail (by hobbitland on 2017-07-17 04:53:27 GMT from United Kingdom)
Tried to boot Fedora 26 in VirtualBox and black screen. Its a total failure but Fedora 25 boots.
10 • Compiling from source? No! unless ... (by LiuYan on 2017-07-17 05:27:07 GMT from China)
A normal user without computer knowledge would/could not install from source. Countless people ask technicians to install software even if they have binary package.
Compiling/Installing from source happened on me when I have no choice, such as
(1) There's no samba-ad-dc in Red Hat family linux.
(2) vmnet & vmmon module of VMware. This one could be nightmare if you often upgrade linux kernel -- change of API of linux kernel often caused vmnet&vmmon compilation failed.
(3) dahdi-linux driver from Asterisk project
11 • Compiling from source - not if I can help it (by rdaniels on 2017-07-17 06:15:00 GMT from United States)
I ran LFS once upon a time, so it's not like I can't do the compiling. It's just that at this point I want things to install and run without futzing about with that part of the process.
I did have to compile a kernel on OpenSUSE Leap for Skylake support before I switched distros, and I have installed one or two things from the AUR until the main repos caught up, but that's about all the compiling I've done in years.
12 • @ 4 & 5 newer kernel (by kaczor on 2017-07-17 07:49:47 GMT from United States)
I am using kernel 4.13.0-rc1 on Ubuntu 17.10, the mainline kernel from http://kernel.ubuntu.com. Its compiled, so the need to compile by yourself is gone. The stable kernel is 4.11, though.
13 • @ 8 (by murphy on 2017-07-17 07:56:13 GMT from United States)
Leave Kubuntu alone, please.
14 • Fedora (by Fernando on 2017-07-17 08:29:51 GMT from Spain)
What I most like about fedora 26, actually gnome 3.24: three fingers pinch shows the overview.
15 • Poll (by a on 2017-07-17 09:36:53 GMT from France)
Poll needs a "I install almost all software from source packages". While technically that falls inside the "several" category, I feel that "several" means something like "half a dozen" and not "99.5%", so I didn't (again) answer the poll.
16 • Using Sources (by John on 2017-07-17 09:41:09 GMT from United States)
Hi All,
Recently I compiled Kicad from sources so I could view some recent schematics and PCB designs.
It was MUCH too difficult. Things needed that were not documented, etc.
So it was a real trip, but eventually it did work.
I could not compile on 2 laptops due to thermal overload. They quit half way through. I finally was able to compile on a desktop computer.
Once done, KIcad still had several obvious bugs to work around. eeschem and pcbnew had to be started from the command line.
Why oh why is the recent version of Kicad not available as a Debian package. Loading a predone Debian package is so much easier.
:) :)
John
17 • binary/source packages (by me2 on 2017-07-17 10:36:37 GMT from United Kingdom)
Even when I am using freebsd I install as many binary packages as possible - if not all. I generally use slackware though; but still binary as much as possible. Compiling from source is time consuming, and on freebsd you seem to need to be there constantly holding its hand.
18 • @8 kubuntu 26 live (by Marco on 2017-07-17 10:53:50 GMT from United States)
Perhaps you meant Fedora 26 KDE Spin instead of Kubuntu, because Kubuntu absolutely ships with Lbre Office, Kate, and Konsole, and has done so at least since Ubuntu switched to Unity, and probably before.
Briefly, a couple of years ago, during testing, Kubuntu considered Calligra but reverted to Libre Office before GA, and is currently considering VLC (as a potential replacement of Amarok, which still relies on Qt4, IIRC), but the live ISO has always had a reasonable suite of software. The community has preferred to let the ISO size grow rather than arbitrarily remove software.
19 • !@ 12 New kernels (by OstroL on 2017-07-17 11:06:18 GMT from Poland)
I also use kernel 4.13.0-rc1 on my Openbox + Ubuntu 17.10.
I don't compile anything as my laptop gets too hot and shuts off.
20 • Opinion Poll (by Kevin on 2017-07-17 12:44:06 GMT from United States)
I couldn't answer the opinion poll. There wasn't an "I install most software from source packages" option. I run FreeBSD on my web/mail server and Gentoo at home on my desktop PC. Between the two boxes I have four binary packages installed. Everything else is from source. I do have two Raspberry Pi's at home running Arch Linux and Kodi. Most software on those are from binary packages, but there are a few packages on those from the AUR that were installed from source. Still overall I think I have enough packages built from source to say I install most software from source packages. With all of the above being fact, not opinion, I guess this week is another week where the opinion poll is actually a fact poll.
21 • binary packages (by dogma on 2017-07-17 13:18:35 GMT from United States)
Although I somewhat like the idea of compiling software for my processor and trimming down dependencies, in my circumstances I can’t justify the compilation effort and time spent fixing problems with ports.
22 • Installing source based packaged (by Kennedy on 2017-07-17 13:21:55 GMT from South Africa)
I use slackbuilds in Slackware. That's compiling yes but most of the job has been done by the contributor of the slackbuid. In fact I don't know what I am doing I just follow the instructions on the Howto at slackbuilds.org. For some packages like webkitgtk it takes too long but I don't mind.
23 • More now than previously (by azuvil on 2017-07-17 15:46:31 GMT from United States)
Well, I recently got into the "Gentoo way" and compile pretty much everything, though portage makes that a much more streamlined process than the usual method. I'm under no delusions that it makes overall operation significantly faster or anything like that. It also doesn't mean I'm somehow more technically adept than others (I'm probably not). I just like the fine-grained control and variety available to me, plus the documentation that makes it easy to get what you want out of the system. It's nice to finally have a machine that generally compiles source code at very acceptable speeds too, often not much slower than fetching and installing a binary (unless it's building something like WebKit, ugh).
I'll be the first to admit though, plenty of people will get by if they're given pre-compiled packages with sane defaults. Living in that part of the world, though, becomes less appealing when you have built up strong preferences or have specific needs.
24 • Source Install Poll (by cykodrone on 2017-07-17 15:48:15 GMT from Canada)
Github is my new friend. :D
Actually, it has been for quite a while, I've even scooped cosmetic (GUI) elements from there. Github has save my rear or had my what I needed so many times, I lost count.
25 • Fedora 26 (by Tim on 2017-07-17 16:27:43 GMT from United States)
I'm running F26 on my HP notebook PC. As far as I'm concerned, it is an excellent release. New updates are still coming, daily (more than seems usual, that is), so it's still improving.
26 • Compiling (by Bonky Ozmond on 2017-07-17 18:18:10 GMT from Nicaragua)
I still compile things even though i really don't have to.. I use Gentoo.and Slackware and derivatives of I still usually do Kernel every now and then though its getting less and less
I Tried Fedora a long time back and liked it though i dont think ive had that experience again.....there is always some problem comes up... the last release i had an issue with touchpad like it didnt work at all ever, one before installation problems, ....so far this wont install off my USB...maybe ill burn a disc later
The best Fedora based distro i ever used was Fuduntu though
I have never found the Fedora forums too willing to help either....
27 • The opinion poll (by Alexandre Dumas on 2017-07-17 22:23:48 GMT from Australia)
@20 'I couldn't answer the opinion poll. There wasn't an "I install most software from source packages" option.'
+1
28 • FreeBSD ports (by Trihexagonal on 2017-07-17 22:26:57 GMT from United States)
@17 "Compiling from source is time consuming, and on freebsd you seem to need to be there constantly holding its hand."
Compiling from source is without a doubt time consuming, the difference in building Xorg on a machine with an Intel Dual Core T2060 @ 1.60GHZ with 2GB RAM vs one with an Intel Quad Core i7-2820QM @ 2.30GHz with 8GB RAM being several hours.
However, if you use portmaster you can set all your variables at the beginning and walk away to let it do the job with no further intervention on your part.
29 • Use cases (by azuvil on 2017-07-17 23:16:19 GMT from United States)
It's funny how opinion or fact polls always seem to miss something. Maybe the option "I compile almost everything" is not quite an edge case, though I don't know what would be more on the fringe...
Something like "I compile everything that can be successfully offloaded to my second positronic grid, whose power consumption is partially regulated by an intelligent gerbil-like life form running on a tritanium wheel".
... I've been watching way too much Star Trek lately.
30 • Installing source-based packages (by kaczor on 2017-07-18 16:36:16 GMT from United States)
Most probably, we who come here don't care much about installing packages from source or don't know how or why. If we did, we won't be distro hopping. We'd all have our own distros made from scratch. We are here, because we use mainline distros (or other remixes) and use their repos to install applications. Then, who is goingt o read Distrowatch?
31 • Poll (by Chris on 2017-07-18 19:55:05 GMT from United States)
I selected, "I install one or two source-based packages." For my standard use, normally everything I need and want is available through my chosen distribution's binary repositories, and using such is far more efficient for me (especially with my preference for older hardware). However, I will occasionally need to compile a newer than available in the repository kernel or driver (i.e., hplip) for a new peripheral or such.
Seperately, I have continued (albeit slowly) with my customized Minimal Linux Live project, which I commented about in a recent DWW Comments section. Through my extensive trial and error process, I have been compiling a lot lately, obviously 100% source-based for that project.
32 • @31 (by kaczor on 2017-07-18 20:28:49 GMT from United States)
Once you finish your project successfully, you'd stop coming here. The need to distro hop would stop.
33 • Distrohopping (by Doug M on 2017-07-18 22:33:55 GMT from United States)
Distrohopping isn't the only reason to visit distrowatch.
I have settled on LM 17.3 for quite awhile now, but I keep a partition open for new and interesting distros. I just like to check them out. But I stick with Linux Mint.
I also like to see the tips and tricks section.
And reading DWW comments is just enjoyable.
34 • @32 & @33 (by Chris on 2017-07-19 00:24:56 GMT from United States)
Funny enough, I have never been a true distro hopper, yet I still come to DistroWatch.com ("DW") frequently. I have been using my preferred distro for many, many years (flaws and all), and am unlikely to ever change it; however, I will load an occasional distro into a VM, which looks like it could teach me something. Such only happens once or twice a year, if that much.
I come to DW for its excellent, continuously improving central repository of information, to "feel" the pulse of the overall FOSS community, and to get educational glimpses into new ideas/ways of doing things.
Even if I could someday turn my Minimal Linux Live project into my personal perfect distro, I cannot see myself not coming to DW.
35 • Compiling (by pepa65 on 2017-07-19 02:47:02 GMT from Thailand)
My days of running Gentoo are many years past, but nowadays I find myself compiling more and more, mostly because the software I want hasn't been packaged (yet). Often I get things from github, although source packages from a project's download page are a second.
36 • Source based... (by kaczor on 2017-07-19 09:53:38 GMT from United States)
One might get some satisfaction, when one compiles from the source code, that is, if one has lot of free time, or free computer for that alone. In today's fast spaced life, people simply don't have time to play the "pioneer."
Taking Gentoo as an example, you can install it by the Gentoo way keeping one (or two) day free to do that, or use an readymade Gentoo based distro such as Calculate or Sabayon in a few minutes. When yu use the readymade distros, you might be bored and distro hop, but if you spend quite lot of time and nerves to install Gentoo the Gentoo way, most probably you'd stay put with it.
37 • @36 (by azuvil on 2017-07-19 15:40:25 GMT from United States)
I reckon them's fightin' words, pilgrim. Hope ya brought a six-shooter and a long wooden box.
Nah, I'm only kidding. Really, you have some valid points - Gentoo isn't aimed at people who want the ready-made, very quick solution. But that's perfectly alright. Gentoo users often know what they're after and are able to get it without much fuss.
To be perfectly fair, whether I'm using a more common pre-packaged distro or Gentoo, the total setup time isn't something I bother to calculate, because I'll often add software on an as-needed basis over the course of days and weeks in either case. Getting the basic environment, including a GUI, surely doesn't take 24 hours or longer though.
38 • Slackware package-building (by davidnotcoulthard on 2017-07-19 16:11:36 GMT from Indonesia)
@22 there's always the Slackonly repo if you want the packages but not the building (dependencies get resolved with slapt too).
39 • Installing Source based packages (by alexis on 2017-07-19 16:18:02 GMT from France)
I run Archlinux and am a web programmer. As such I often pull packages from the community-driven AUR repository, and pretty often that just pulls the sources and builds the package.
Also I (rarely) run in to a app that isn't in the repo or not in the right version, in which case I have to build from source myself.
But most of the time I'm just installing pre-compiled binaries, and I don't see any reason to do otherwise unless you are targeting some low-end or specialized hardware (such as a Raspberry Pi), where the potential gain in performance and overall footprint could make a significant difference.
On a modern computer, sporting at least a quad-core i5, 1To hd and 8 G Ram, the gain will be totally insignificant whereas the hassle of configuring/maintaining custom compiled software will quickly become a pain (not to mention the time it takes as compiling a fully-fledged modern desktop environment with a decent array of software can easily take up to a week counting the inevitable dependence problems that will arise).
40 • Installing Source based packages (by DaveT on 2017-07-19 20:08:22 GMT from United Kingdom)
I like using NetBSD pkgsrc on linux. Install the most minimal working version of your favourite distro and then install pkgsrc. Ideal for any hardware that suffers from any 'that bit doesn't work on BSD' problems, usually WiFi or sound, or both if you are 'lucky'!
41 • Source Packages and Gentoo (by Andy Figueroa on 2017-07-20 03:10:10 GMT from United States)
The answers for the poll were not sufficiently fine grained for my answer, so I selected that I compile everything from source, but I don't quite really. I use Gentoo and usually install LibreOffice, Firefox and Thunderbird from binary.
Installing from source is not that time consuming. Compiling runs in the background while I do other work. It's not really not that healthy or edifying to watch your programs compile.
42 • @6 Fedora 26 and Night Light (by David on 2017-07-20 13:58:29 GMT from United States)
"Night Light came out with Gnome 3.24 in March - it's now July. By the time you upgrade, you're already falling behind again."
If you are saying that Night Light is not included, see Fedora 26 Workstation: Settings --> Displays to turn on Night Light.
43 • dubious search result (by tim on 2017-07-20 17:14:21 GMT from United States)
CoreOS (Container Linux) and Scientific Linux ~~ both are listed in the DistroWatch "distributions without systemd" search results... yet both seem to utilitze systemd init (contrary to their individual DW pages, which state "init:other")
44 • systemd-less (by Doug M on 2017-07-20 22:08:09 GMT from United States)
Those 2 distros aren't listed here.
45 • @42 Fedora and Night Light (by Andy Prough on 2017-07-21 02:18:48 GMT from United States)
No, I'm saying that Fedora users are getting Night Light 4 months after it was released. And soon after installing Fedora 26, they'll fall behind on other new features. It's not really a great way of running a system anymore.
46 • DW search results (by tim on 2017-07-21 02:41:12 GMT from United States)
Doug, I see those listing pages are corrected now (subsequent to my post), so they're now absent from the search result. I'm guessing that some distros haven't stated which init in their DW submission, or that their init has changed across releases; either way, explains why they wind up marked "init:other"
next up, #8 in the search result: "OpenMandriva Lx"
https://wiki.openmandriva.org/en/2014.0/Release_Notes https://wiki.openmandriva.org/en/3.0/Release_Notes
Again, clearly using systemd init
47 • dw search results (again) (by tim on 2017-07-21 03:29:20 GMT from United States)
#9 in the search results "Oracle Linux"
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E52668_01/E54669/html/ol7-systemd.html https://oracle-base.com/articles/linux/linux-services-systemd
again, clearly using systemd
#10 "AryaLinux"
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/aryalinux-120/systemd-or-not-4175600785/ "Aryalinux is based on the systemd builds of LFS and BLFS"
#11 "OpenELEC"
http://openelec.tv/news/22-releases/184-stable-openelec-8-0-released
"...Apr 9, 2017 - ... systemd updated to 233 (229)"
#30 "ALT Linux"
http://without-systemd.org/wiki/index.php/Talk:Main_Page
"ALT Linux is derived from Mandrake. Prior releases did use PID1 systemd, but does the "Jan2017 Sisyphus" release have systemd as default init?"
#37 "Clear Linux"
https://clearlinux.org/documentation/clear-linux/bundles/os-core.html
"os-core. This bundle contains the basic core components of the operating system. Clear Linux* OS for Intel® Architecture relies on systemd to provide the basic ..."
#42 "Fermi Linux"
Fermi Linux LTS (Long-Term Support) is a distribution based on Scientific Linux, which is in essence Red Hat Enterprise Linux, recompiled.
redirects to http://www.scientificlinux.org/at-fermilab/
and here we can read their "systemd security and bug fix update"
http://www.scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20162610-1/
I didn't check further in the search results. Would be nice if folks can pitch in, citing references to clear up the remaining listed distributions marked "init=other"
48 • It's Komplicated (by Kragle von Schnitzelbank on 2017-07-21 07:10:50 GMT from United States)
Some distros provide for more than one process-management system (systemd, openrc, runit) with varying levels of support for each option.
It's simply not binary.
(O_o - is this an opportunity to demonstrate dextrous database design?)
49 • systemd distros (by Jesse on 2017-07-21 13:40:22 GMT from Canada)
@47: Thanks Tim, I appreciate the assistance. I don't always have time to hunt down the relevant links and some stuff does get filed under "other/misc" until I have time to deal with it. Having direct links to the information is a big help.
50 • re: It's simply not binary (by tim on 2017-07-21 14:11:23 GMT from United States)
Of course it's not binary (nor ternary, your post mentioned three), but "other" is analagous to "unknown". It fails to convey useful information. Perhaps by tweaking, any init can be used with any distribution but... obviously, the immediate question for someone searching is this:
Which init should I expect will be PID1 when I boot the current version of a given distribution?
For LFS and other source-based distributions which incur manual configuration prior to first boot, search results would be more enlightening if the value/label displayed "various" rather than "other:
51 • @17 FreeBSD ports. (by Eamonn on 2017-07-22 11:34:33 GMT from Ireland)
I compile everything from source on FreeBSD using the poudriere package building system on my main workstation. I can then install those packages on my home theatre pc, laptop and vps webservers. You set your options once then just update the ports tree regularly and recompile what has been updated, all easily automated with a few cron jobs.
52 • Installing from source via packages (by Alan on 2017-07-22 18:29:05 GMT from United States)
Because I have a specific range of software that is not all available all the time on binary distros.
I have used Gentoo, but eventually tired of constant compiling. After some distro hopping, I have more or less settled on Arch Linux. An important reason for using Arch is AUR, which seems to mirror Gentoo's portage/ports, and for which almost any software I need is available. I like Arch for other reasons as well: it is solid, and even with many, many packages and DEs, I seldom experience problems. I think the developers are careful and persistent: most packages are up to date, and it is easy enough to rewrite a PKGBUILD for a newer version if it's out of date, though not always.
I am attracted to the concept of compiling software from source; it was a core feature I came to know and love from early GNU/LInux days, as I often had to compile applications for Slackware. That has always been my inclination; I had wished Debian had been centered on that concept. I would probably be using Gentoo today if it were not so easy to install binary based distributions, though, compared to compiling everything. Now that I have a reasonably fast machine I am considering whether I have time and sufficient grit to try it again. I would avoid KDE in that case, as updates to KDE always got me into trouble on Gentoo---that was almost always the source of inconsistencies, but that was nearly a decade ago. Arch demands less tweaking, by far, the USE flag idea is excellent, but required a thorough understanding of all the parameters.
Emacs is another reason. I still do not understand why it is onboard on OS/X out of the box, but not on GNU/Linux distros, which owe much more to it. (Or why emacs keystrokes *just work* on OS/X, but not with GNU/Linux most of the time.) Each distro has its own unique approach to providing emacs packages. Arch linux has a git package in AUR that works nicely. AUR woirks seamlessly, and the Emacs install adheres to the canonical Emacs way, without extras that I might have to keep track of.
53 • Systemd-free / Updating Distrowatch info (by Pestokiwa on 2017-07-23 08:08:29 GMT from Sweden)
Please take note that as of this summer, Archbang have kicked systemd off their distro and switched to OpenRC. http://bbs.archbang.org/viewtopic.php?pid=33401#p33401
Aside of not being listed on Distrowatch's respective search page, also on AB's overview page it is still marked as: "init: systemd".
54 • Compiling from source (by Maudib-insight on 2017-07-23 12:57:02 GMT from United States)
I always install from packages(Debian). After reading everyone's comments about compiling from the source I am very compile curious. This box is an intel I7 (6 as 12 processors). I am confident it could handle the job of compiling code but this system is the home utility system. My life's responsibilities are done via this box so I don't want to permanently screw it up. The first rule of rural mechanics is, "If it works then don't fix it." The system has been up for 206 days and counting. Now I do have some old, but still serviceable, [3,4,5]86 machines in the house. I can probably fire up one these old guys and use it for a "test" system for getting my feet wet with learning to compile code. Maybe do that Linux From Scratch thing if it still comes in a 386 flavor. Maybe install a standard Linux addition system and try compiling a single application. There are those guys in the above comments that keep their kernel bleeding edge up to date. Maybe I can be so bold?! (Famous last words.) So now I am inspired. Uhmm, wish me luck.
55 • be inspired - but on an old machine (by nano-me on 2017-07-23 13:34:04 GMT from United Kingdom)
@55 If you depend on a computer for everyday work, be guided by your instincts and don't touch! Your old x86 computers should be powerful enough for playing with source builds. If you are tempted to touch your everyday computer, at least set it up as a "dual boot" system with old and new distros on separate partitions so that you can switch between them by using GRUB. You can, of course, learn about using GRUB in this way on an old [aka disposable] machine.
56 • ArchBang (by Jesse on 2017-07-23 13:39:17 GMT from Canada)
@53: Thanks for pointing that out. I'll update the ArchBang page. Looks like they're 64-bit only now too so I'll update their architecture tags.
57 • Compiling from source (by Bloody on 2017-07-23 15:17:52 GMT from Germany)
As a Gentoo user, i got used to compile everything from source, obviously.
Some packages are a bit annoying, such as llvm, firefox, webkit etc., but with a fast enough machine (i5 or some AMD octacore) it's at least no longer as nerve-wrecking as it's been in the past, with 1 GHz 'machines' clustered together via distcc... i'm just glad that these days are over now.
I only use Gentoo because of the enourmous, unmatched flexibility. If there ever is any problem arising with Linux, Gentoo is the most likely distro to provide the solution. For example, flexible downgrading of any package within the stable or testing branch, always with multiple versions to choose from in case the latest version doesn't work for me.
I've gotten used to this flexibility so much that other distros are no longer an option for my desktop workstation. It's Gentoo or die. ;)
The only thing one shouldn't do with Gentoo is to upgrade only very rarely, like only every couple of months, as the number of packages to be upgraded simultaneously often creates minor problems to be fiddled with. Upgrading every few days or maybe every 1-2 weeks is far less annoying.
58 • curisoty killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back (by Trihexagonal on 2017-07-23 19:05:47 GMT from United States)
@54 I am very compile curious. - Now I do have some old, but still serviceable, [3,4,5]86 machines in the house...
I recommend you consider FreeBSD. You start with the base system, a terminal and install 3rd party programs as you see fit. All my machines are Win7 vintage or older and FreeBSD has breathed new life into them.
If you have a question about how to set it up I have a tutorial that targets people who have never used UNIX or the command line that spells it out step-by-step to from beginning to end using portmaster to compile from source which was linked to by FreeBSD News,
Number of Comments: 58
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| • 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 |
| • Issue 1035 (2023-09-04): Debian GNU/Hurd 2023, PCLinuxOS 2023.07, do home users need a firewall, AlmaLinux introduces new repositories, Rocky Linux commits to RHEL compatibility, NetBSD machine runs unattended for nine years, Armbian runs wallpaper contest |
| • Issue 1034 (2023-08-28): Void 20230628, types of memory usage, FreeBSD receives port of Linux NVIDIA driver, Fedora plans improved theme handling for Qt applications, Canonical's plans for Ubuntu |
| • Full list of all issues |
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| Random Distribution | 
Xarnoppix
Xarnoppix was a Knoppix-based live CD with support for Catalan and Spanish.
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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0x969CD4E778C7b6549A2B00e34114e0168c86A542 
