 DistroWatch Weekly |
| Tip Jar |
If you've enjoyed this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, please consider sending us a tip.
(Tips this week: 0, value: US$0.00) |
|
|
|
 bc1qxes3k2wq3uqzr074tkwwjmwfe63z70gwzfu4lx  lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7ampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7tnhv4kxctttdehhwm30d3h82unvwqhhxarpw3jkc7tzw4ex6cfexyfua2nr  86fA3qPTeQtNb2k1vLwEQaAp3XxkvvvXt69gSG5LGunXXikK9koPWZaRQgfFPBPWhMgXjPjccy9LA9xRFchPWQAnPvxh5Le paypal.me/distrowatchweekly • patreon.com/distrowatch |
|
| Extended Lifecycle Support by TuxCare |
|
|
| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • plank issues (by vern on 2019-07-22 00:15:36 GMT from United States)
Jesse, what issues have you encountered with Xubuntu and Plank?
2 • plank issues1 (by vern on 2019-07-22 00:16:39 GMT from United States)
I never had issues with using Plank and Xubuntu, unless I read your review wrong.
3 • the only one (by slackware on 2019-07-22 00:49:08 GMT from Brazil)
slackware was my first distro. After several attempts with others, there is nothing better than slack. Long live to it!!!
4 • Hexagon (by Jon Wright on 2019-07-22 00:51:38 GMT from United States)
Never heard of a Distro-dotting before but the Hexagon website is dead. This review was a waste of time, one-man-band project based off Ubuntu 18.04??? Even Mint 19 was garbage. Was kind of hoping you'd do a firewall this week. Jesse have you collected any more Raspberry-like toys? Planning to do an AP/firewall off one.
5 • Re: HexagonOS, Plank, and its web site... (by eco2geek on 2019-07-22 01:10:45 GMT from United States)
@1, @2 -- Dunno if Jesse had any problems with Plank, but the quote -- "... HexagonAutoDock (a tool that solve a problem with xfce and plank) ..." -- is directly from HexagonOS's web site.
@4 -- HexagonOS's web site works just fine, at least for me (as does the download link at the bottom of the page):
http://hexagon.pyrossoftware.com/
6 • @4 Hexagon (by mandog on 2019-07-22 01:21:59 GMT from Peru)
Yes the website is alive and kicking you need to apologise for your actions
7 • Hexagon plank (by albinard on 2019-07-22 02:19:10 GMT from United States)
The "plank" in Hexagon looks exactly like what I always add as Panel 1 (vs panel 0 at the top) to installations of Xubuntu. It's a built-in option for Xfce4, and has been for years.
8 • quotas (by greenpossum on 2019-07-22 03:19:29 GMT from Australia)
I give all the users on my computer a stern talking to when the disk starts getting full. :) But seriously as I'm the only user and I keep an eye on usage to buy more disk, I've never had to do this.
At my work, engineers have their own workstations and if they fill /home, they have to clear it. For the shared servers quotas would not work because some users have usage peaks so it would be necessary to overprovision and that makes quotas pointless. They would get upset artificially running out of space on a long simulation. We have to do it by monitoring and cooperation. Quotas work best when a system has a lot of similar users, e.g. students.
9 • quotas (by mmphosis on 2019-07-22 05:58:18 GMT from Canada)
I don't use quotas, but it is nice to know that feature is there. I really liked reading the HOWTO for quotas with commands and descriptions of what to do, and also included was how to do quotas using BSD. We pretty much have limited constrained hardware, like a laptop with a 28GB SSD which could no longer run the OS that came with it. The little 28GB SSD laptop works really well since the SSD was wiped and a "medium" sized Linux distro is now running on it, with a significant amount of room to spare on the 28GB SDD! I find that Pictures, and Videos (and Distros and Developer tools) tend to consume a lot of space, so I move those off of constrained devices to large drives as soon as possible. I am more into maximizing what we have, and Linux has been extremely helpful in this regard.
10 • Quotas (by Alexandru on 2019-07-22 07:20:32 GMT from Romania)
Although I voted (and actually use) hard limitation of disk space per user via separate partitions for each user, the quotas is the right way to do it in Unix like OS for many reasons. Unlike different partitions, quota limit can be changed on the fly and there is the possibility to set "soft quotas".
11 • Academix (by Simon Plaistowe on 2019-07-22 10:50:01 GMT from New Zealand)
Academix looks interesting, it brought Edubuntu to mind, which seems to be discontinued for several years now ...although I expect it won't be anything like Edubuntu when I actually try it.
12 • @7, plank (by Angel on 2019-07-22 11:37:57 GMT from Philippines)
Plank may look the same in Hexagon, but it is not the same as the second panel on XFCE. It is a simple but full-fledged dock, with theming, animations, etc. I prefer a dock, so I used Docky and then Plank for quite a few years. Since I started using Plasma, I've switched to Latte Dock.
13 • Plank (by Jesse on 2019-07-22 12:00:12 GMT from Canada)
@1: I have not had any issues with Plank and/or Xubuntu.
14 • Hexagon (by dragonmouth on 2019-07-22 12:02:22 GMT from United States)
IOW, Hexagon is nothing more than a copy of Xubuntu with a couple of mediocre utilities added. The only purpose it serves is to provide the developer his 15 minutes of fame. It adds very little to the Linux landscape.
15 • @14 Distribution as Software Showcase (by Dr. E.S. Ktorp on 2019-07-22 12:17:44 GMT from United States)
Most distributions exist purely to provide a safe haven for 1 or 2 mediocre pet projects to exist, without their usefulness being questioned. More egregious than this, is the number of distributions that exist purely to push a few cosmetic modifications or a shuffling around of default software. Linux Lite and FerenOS come to mind, but there are so many others whose names I've happily forgotten.
16 • users and disc usage (by Jordan on 2019-07-22 13:13:47 GMT from United States)
There was a time when we had 53 users on 13 machines (at a school). We were switching from Windows to Linux for the very reason of disc usage, security, speed, and student proaction in installing and learning Linux. Yes, disc usage was a subject every day and we went around and around about how to optimize in various ways. Step one was obviously to complete our Windows to Linux transition.
17 • Slackware (by Geo.Savage on 2019-07-22 13:30:32 GMT from Canada)
@3 My hat's off to you. I tried my best, but with precarious employment, a newborn, and a mortgage to feed, it was an exercise in frustration and ultimately failure. I had almost given up on Linux until I tried Mepis (now MX Linux) - it was a revelation. I haven't looked back since. :-)
18 • Slackware (by Semiarticulate on 2019-07-22 13:36:43 GMT from United States)
Happy Birthday, Slackware! Oh, how time has flown.
19 • Still moving on (by Garon on 2019-07-22 14:32:39 GMT from United States)
Happy birthday to Slackware.
@14, 15,
That is what is so great about open source software. You can do anything you want to and for whatever reason. That is the way all software comes about. A few little apps here and a few little changes in design here and now you have a distro to work with. The sad thing about it is you seem to want everything already made or something totally different then anything else. Chances are that the distros and apps you use probability started that same way. You talk like they are trying to make money by stealing other peoples ideas. That cannot happen. Also some people just like to have fun building things and they should be commended for doing so. After all, that's where all the great ideals come from.
20 • Slackware (by Slack on 2019-07-22 14:51:50 GMT from United States)
Happy birthday to Slackware, my first distro as well.
Patrick hope you're not getting too fat on all that sweet t-shirt loot. Managed to make more than 15% of net with your own cafepress site?
(for those of you wondering how far off the deep end I've gone, google slackware store ripped off and enjoy the ride)
21 • Plank xfce isue (by vern on 2019-07-22 16:07:57 GMT from United States)
@Jesse,
I'm referring to this comment:
"a tool that solve a problem with Xfce and Plank"
From the Hexagon review.
22 • @#5 comment (by vern on 2019-07-22 16:11:17 GMT from United States)
@eco2geek,
Thanks. I missed your comment. I thought Jesse was referring to pland & xfce.
23 • @19 Garon: (by dragonmouth on 2019-07-22 18:01:36 GMT from United States)
The sad thing is that you are making an awful lot of assumptions based on absolutely no facts. You are also putting words in my mouth. If you wish to rebut my points, do so. Don't be setting up straw men.
"That is what is so great about open source software. "
That is also the Achilles' heel of Linux. Anybody and everybody who fancies themselves some kind of programmer is trying re-invent the wheel only because they are allowed to. These wannabe distro developers would contribute lots more to Linux if they exercised their creativity by working on existing projects. This is similar to all these script kiddies attempting to write me-too malware. The wannabes and the script kiddies don't want to join existing projects because then they would be part of group and be denied their 15 minutes of fame. There are distros who are begging for additional people. Instead of joining these projects and contributing something worthwhile, the wannabes keep churning out me-too distros.
DW has 900 distros in its database. I would bet that between 600 and 700 of them are basically nothing more than copies of other distros with some utilities added and/or some cosmetics changed. Over 600 distros are either dormant or discontinued. One trick ponies?
Today, I just happened to be looking through the 160 distros listed on the Waiting List. There are distros on the Projects Not Ready and Projects with Concerns lists that date back to 2010 with nobody making any updates to them. There is even one distro that dates back to 2007. Some of the distros on the Waiting List no longer even exist. Obviously the Great Ideas their developers have proven to be not so great.
The vast majority of innovations and improvements in Linux have come from the development teams of the major distributions - Slackware, Debian Red Hat, Gentoo, Ubuntu Arch, etc, not from wannabes.
24 • @19 (by Dr. E.S. Ktorp on 2019-07-22 18:14:48 GMT from United States)
it's just evidence that there isn't enough cooperation between developers. Everyone who develops a software center naturally ends up repackaging an existing distro just for the purpose of getting people to try 1 piece of software. Call it fragmentation I guess, but the bottom line is that it's prohibitively confusing for most people to navigate the ol Linux family tree and most of that is due to overzealous developers trying to Rambo ramrod their pet project via a slapped together respin. Just because people are free to do whatever they wish doesn't mean they end up with good results. I'm not against people respinning, rebranding, etc.. but often they seem to do it for the wrong reasons; most would-be distro admins would be better off joining forces with an existing distribution.
25 • I don't think so. I would never say what you did. (by Garon on 2019-07-22 18:45:33 GMT from United States)
@dragonmouth,
You said, "The only purpose it serves is to provide the developer his 15 minutes of fame. It adds very little to the Linux landscape."
That sounds like you are making a lot of assumptions then and on your latest post is seems the same way. I agree there would be more progress with worthwhile projects if more people were to volunteer but you seem to lump everyone into one group. Sometimes people need a starting point and developing a me-distro may be the first step. It's not really hard to do but it can be somewhat rewarding. After that a person may want to do more. Help in core development, help in application development, and the list can go on. Any effort, no matter how small, should not be frowned upon, (most of the time). A lot of times better direction will come. I know that there a lot of distros that seem to have no purpose and a lot of those are not even under development anymore, but it was a start for someone. It seems we need more people to become interested in the community as a whole. A copy-cat distro may be the first step. Discouragement is never a good thing.
26 • @23, 19 and 15 (by Christian on 2019-07-22 18:48:13 GMT from Brazil)
I mostly agree with 19 and 23 both. Yes software freedom allows us to do anything we want with the software and that's good. Yes, that also leads to am excessive number of small projects that have a very short life.
I guess the point is what defines a distro? I would say that most of the projects on Distrowatch are kind of "re-spins" (I couldn't find a better word) of an existing distro. Or maybe I'm wrong and that's excactly what a distro is.
IMO, it's good that some people go an extra step to create a "distro" that they believe will help someone else. Even if it's a small project, it could help a new user into Linux, into learning Ubuntu or Debian, into learning the importance of free software or even into contributing to free software.
I'll not be using Hexagon OS. But I'm glad someone decided to create something for free software.
Maybe we would enjoy more a "natural" review instead of a "random" review. Maybe by reading a new name (Hexagon OS) we were expecting a system that would do something entirely new or different.
Maybe Hexagon OS is more of a personal project. It doesn't matter.
27 • We're not that far off. (by Garon on 2019-07-22 18:57:12 GMT from United States)
@Dr. K,
You are correct when you say, " Just because people are free to do whatever they wish doesn't mean they end up with good results." That's where the discontinued distros come from. Isn't it great tho when good results do come alone. It may have started with crap-ware, but have evolved along the way. For me it's more of a sit back, wait, and see what happens kind of thing. We will know if people don't warrant our support by the progression of their projects. Anyway I do understand your grievances but I just think we should be a little more patient.
28 • Look back in anger, fondly (by Ennio on 2019-07-22 21:13:25 GMT from Netherlands)
Ladies, gentlemen, the issue of not assured perfectibility in the conception, genesis, maturation of a Linux&GNU distributions picks my nose to the regards of an eventual poll.
Which distro we, I, maybe you, miss the most?
Carpe diem sive rèspice finem.
29 • Distros-Disco (by Bob on 2019-07-22 21:54:04 GMT from United States)
@14 I agree, Hexagon is nothing more than a Stuart-distro. "Look what I can do!"
@28 CrunchBang! #!
(@ fans of BunsenLabs: No Thanks. It is NOT the same as cornominal's #!, and it never will be.)
30 • Distros (by Rev_Don on 2019-07-22 22:09:27 GMT from United States)
"The only purpose it serves is to provide the developer his 15 minutes of fame. It adds very little to the Linux landscape."
"That is also the Achilles' heel of Linux. Anybody and everybody who fancies themselves some kind of programmer is trying re-invent the wheel only because they are allowed to. These wannabe distro developers would contribute lots more to Linux if they exercised their creativity by working on existing projects."
Maybe some of them are. Or could it be that this is their learning process. They have to learn somehow so why not create a re-spin as part of their process. The ones that die off after seeing how difficult it is to maintain over the long haul may well start contributing to a more established project.
31 • Too many distros? (by Angel on 2019-07-23 00:24:24 GMT from Philippines)
I'll agree that Hexagon seems to have little purpose, in my view, along with quite a few others. And then I'll say: So what? It's their time, their effort, their decisions. If someone wants to put out a distro just for English Bob (Ferient OS) I chuckle and move on. As they said in the old days, no skin off my nose.
I suppose Linux users could band together and name a dictator-regulator-police to decide what belongs and what does not. Laughable, but seems to be what some would prefer, with themselves being the authority, of course. Looks to me that there's this fear that with all the fragmentation, Linux desktop will never be mainstream. Again, so what? When I want mainstream I use Windows. Funny, because in Windows there are lots and lots of people working together as directed on a single OS with very limited versions. No little Windows distros made in the kitchen by adjusting someone else's recipe. So it should be superior. Is it?
32 • Much to do about nothing... (by Tech in San Diego on 2019-07-23 02:47:32 GMT from United States)
I for one, and I speak for others as well, that creating a distro, be it from scratch or a rebranding of an existing distro, is no simple task.In the early days of Linux there were very limited resources available. Fast-forward to today's distros and you will find a plethora of innovations, unlike Windows, who's only goal is to satisfy their shareholders.
With very few exceptions, Linux remains unencumbered by profit margins. As a developer myself, I do it for the challenge of seeing hours of hard work come to fruition. For me it's a labor of love and I appreciate watching what the future holds for GNU/Linux.
Lastly, I appreciate DW as a central repository for Linux distros and the resources that Jesse put's in to every evaluation. Until you have put in the effort each week that the DistroWatch team does so well, I would hold my opinions and welcome their effort.
Have you ever donated to a distro, or for that matter DistroWatch? I do and it feels good to further the effort of all the developers out there who work so hard to make Linux what it is today.
All the Best!
Tech in San Diego
Bill Gates dies and goes to heaven, where Saint Peter gives him a nice, modern six-bedroom house with a pretty garden and a tennis court. Pleased with his lot, Bill quickly settles into the afterlife.
One day he is out walking when he bumps into a man wearing a fine tailored suit.
"That's really nice," says Bill. "Where did you get it?"
"Actually," says the man, "I was given 50 of these, plus two mansions, a yacht, a golf course and four Rolls-Royces."
"Wow, were you a pope or a doctor healing the terminally ill?" asks Bill.
"No, I was the captain of the Titanic."
Bill storms off to see Saint Peter. "How come the captain of a sunken ship gets all that while I, the inventor of the Windows Operating System gets a crummy little house?" he asks.
Saint Peter replies, "The Titanic only crashed once."
33 • GNU/Linux = Freedom (by anon on 2019-07-23 06:20:14 GMT from United States)
It seems that some people are so obsessed with competing with Microsoft for market share and mainstream appeal that they would rather eliminate the freedom of others by stopping them from making their own distros and enjoying the opportunity that open source presents to us all. GNU/Linux is not a proprietary, closed source gulag with a top-down command structure where everyone must goose step to the same beat of a single, master distro. The idea of railroading everybody into working on your favorite distro instead of letting them work on whatever they want in an OS that advertises itself as being about freedom and openness is sheer absurdity, especially considering the fact that this stuff is available completely free of charge. If somebody wants to make their own distro, then that is perfectly fine. The only purpose that a distro needs for existing is that somebody wanted to make it. After all, they don't work for you, and they are not beholden to you in any way, shape, or form.
34 • Slackware (by Son of Ivan Stang on 2019-07-23 10:47:53 GMT from Sweden)
Slackware still faces financial issues, but the project can be saved.
Keep Slackware Linux alive by becoming a patreon: https://www.patreon.com/slackwarelinux
35 • @ 32 (by OstroL on 2019-07-23 10:54:14 GMT from Poland)
"Bill storms off to see Saint Peter. "How come the captain of a sunken ship gets all that while I, the inventor of the Windows Operating System gets a crummy little house?" he asks.
Saint Peter replies, "The Titanic only crashed once." "
Well, this fanboism is and was terrible for Linux all the time. One should learn to appreciate other operating systems and other people. If one doesn't want to use another operating system, one should refrain from commenting on that. It is that simple.
We should care for those, who created something, useful for some people (most people) in the world, and stop caring for a Peter that never existed.
Btw, My Windows 10 laptops never crashed a single time; I am using one of them for more than 6 years. And, I am using Linux since October 2004 and have a multitude of Linuxes. Some of them crashed a few times. But, I liked those crashes, for they taught me a lot.
36 • @32 @33 (by Dr. E.S. Ktorp on 2019-07-23 12:26:32 GMT from United States)
@32 "..creating a distro, be it from scratch or a rebranding of an existing distro, is no simple task."
Rebranding an existing distro is waaay easier than it used to be. Start with a live iso of your base distro, configure it the way you want, snapshot that iso, do a few batch renames, clone a repository, come up with a goofy name, notify distrowatch of the coming desktop linux revolution, profit $$$. (okay that last part never happens, but you get the idea) It might not be as simple as squeezing a pimple, but it's evidently a relatively easy task, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing the number and.. ahem-- quality, of distros we see today.
@33 That would be true in situations where people actually behave as if they have built/respun a distro for themselves, but when these projects are uploaded to github, given goofy names with websites, torrent files, marketing fluff, etc, they cease being purely personal labors of love and become Yet Another Linux. That's fine if they have something to offer that sets them apart from the pack; not "reinventing the wheel" as someone said earlier.
Unfortunately, for every unadvertised, custom linux out there, there are probably 10 struggling and defunct "Linux for Humans" "Linux for Everybody" etc.. it used to be embarrassing to watch these things repeatedly sprout and die. Now it's only embarrassing to watch people pretend that every Linux is equally useful, simply by nature of being free. This complaint isn't about people exercising freedom-- that is perfectly fine. My complaint is about pretentious marketing from wannabe developers and those who muddy the waters around these 'joke distros' and similar BS, to protect them from rational (often constructive) criticism.
It's fine when it's your time to waste, but once it's advertised even a little bit.. here or there.. it becomes a time waster for others.
37 • @33: (by dragonmouth on 2019-07-23 13:18:35 GMT from United States)
I couldn't care less whether Linux has 2% or 92% market share. I just want to see it the best it can be, not balkanized into hundreds of similar, mediocre, niche products. It is quality, not quantity that will determine Linux's market share.
It's not about competing, it is about making something or making it better than it is.
If there was road to be repaved or a house to be remodeled, would you want the workers to work as a team following one plan or would you want each of them to be expressing their ingenuity and individuality? How would that road or house look after everybody was done doing their thing?
38 • @37, Good Linux, Bad Linux (by Angel on 2019-07-23 14:37:21 GMT from Philippines)
"It is quality, not quantity that will determine Linux's market share." Market share, by its very definition, is quantity. "I just want to see it the best it can be" Something is not just "the best." It is best at something or for someone. Who determines this "best"? You? Linux is not analogous to a road or a house. You keep going on with this boss>foreman>worker>end-user, top-down undertaking. That is the antithesis of what Linux is about. You may have those within Linux , e.g. Red Hat, Canonical, and others. If they want to build "roads" or "houses" to their own or someone else's specifications, no one is impeding them, but no one is required to join them. It's not a zero-sum game. The time and effort someone spends on their own boutique distro is not deducted from Canonical's or Red Hat's time, and neither can lay claim to the other's time and effort.
Obviously, you are dissatisfied with the state and course of Linux. Fine. Roll up your sleeves, gather other like-minded people, and do something to make it more to your liking. The worst that can happen is that you fail. But I suppose it's easier and risk-free to carp and assign blame on internet forums.
39 • @38 Well Said (by shotdown on 2019-07-23 15:56:46 GMT from United States)
Clap, clap, clap...Couldn't have been said better.
@38 - typical consumer. We'll all be waiting for your Distro to land soon and be reviewed.
40 • @ the usual bickering: we don't need that, nor to re-invent wheels... (by Lambert Simpkins on 2019-07-23 16:21:03 GMT from Austria)
especially when wheels can't actually be improved.
to get attention from most people on the desktop, Linux has to do what they need doing without making mess with the nuts and bolts. new or at least better applications are what's needed. visicalc wasn't tied to an OS. no one cares about wheels so long as they're round
41 • It's open source, not closed source (by anon on 2019-07-23 16:44:37 GMT from United States)
@36: How so? Nobody is forcing anybody to use any of these distros that are off the beaten path. You and anybody else are free to use whatever you want to use, and others are free to start their own little boutique distros. That's the beauty of the whole thing. Nobody is being forced or coerced to do something against their will. Just because somebody advertises something doesn't mean that you automatically have to go out of your way to use it if you are already happy with what you are using, and most new users are going to stick to what is most popular and what is most supported, anyways. So, how is anybody's time being wasted by letting others create and share their own little projects? Yes - there are several distros that advertise themselves as next big thing, and yet the cream always rises to the top and the majority of users both old and new stick to the tried and true. Perhaps the real issue is this idea that anytime anyone makes something in GNU/Linux then it must automatically cater to one's personal tastes and agendas, and that if it doesn't, then it is automatically a "waste of time" or "fragmenting the community" because the entire universe apparently revolves around the individuals casting judgment.
@37: The best that it can be? By whose definition? Yours? As long as it meets the needs of those who use it then what is the problem? It is large enough and versatile enough to satisfy nearly every use case. What you see as balkanization, others see as variety and choice, and aren't those two of the biggest things that the community talks about when explaining GNU/Linux to non-users? And what do you mean by making it better? Again, whose definition of better? By better do you mean making it more like Windows? If so, then why even leave Microsoft to begin with? GNU/Linux is great the way that it is. It powers 500 of the world's supercomputers, it powers the most phones on the planet, and it's being used everywhere from NASA and the New York Stock Exchange to major 3D studios. That it manages to do all of that while respecting your freedom and presenting a near limitless amount of options is pretty impressive, no?
Oh, and bad analogy. Those workers are being *Payed* to work, so they have an actual obligation to do their job exactly as they're told by their superiors. The non-payed workers in GNU/Linux are working because they choose to work, and they have the freedom to work on whatever they damn well please, however they damn well please. There is no contract or obligation (software provided "as is"), and there is no requirement for fitness of purpose. The people who work for Red Hat and Canonical are only obligated to do what Red Hat or Canonical tell them to do, and nothing more. I guess I will never understand people who use a free OS and then act as though they are owed something as if they were a paying customer.
42 • Balkanization of Linux (by dragonmomuth on 2019-07-23 19:19:03 GMT from United States)
@Angel:
There's nothing like purposely misinterpreting a statement to make your point. I should have specified that "it the quality of distros, not the quantity of distros" that determines the market share.
@Angel & anon: "The best that it can be? By whose definition? Yours?"
No, not mine. The prospective users. A very common complaint from prospective Linux users is that there are too many distros which confuses the choice. If these prospective Linux users happen to choose a distro like Hexagon, there is a very good chance they will decide that Linux sucks and stick with their current O/S.
" As long as it meets the needs of those who use it then what is the problem?"
You guys are thinking like the experienced Linux users you are. Try thinking like a newbie.
It is no problem for those already hooked on Linux. They have already pretty much decided on a distro and, if need be, they have the expertise to pick a different one. The problem is with and for those who want to try Linux. How does a newbie coming from Windows or macOS determine which distro meets his or her needs? If (s)he picks the wrong one, it will not work for them and there is a very good chance they will be turned off to Linux.
I'm all for choice. Choice is good but only up to the point it is an informed choice. Past that point, it becomes a crap shoot How does a newbie understand the nuances between different distros based Ubuntu or Arch? How does (s)he make a choice other than eeny-meenie-miny-moe? How do you make a choice between close to 300 items you don't know anything about?
43 • Who is this confused user? (by Tim on 2019-07-24 01:09:49 GMT from United States)
Dragonmouth: do you really think a potential new Linux user is going to mistake a base distro for a one man project?
Anyone coming to Linux on their own accord is going to do a Google search, read several of the "top 5 Linux desktops for 2019" type articles and pick a major distro.
I'm sure each small project has its own goals in mind. Maybe a one man distro exists because someone has gotten good at installing Linux on friends and family's computers and wants a common image. Maybe it is just learning. But this idea that people aren't choosing Linux because they're overwhelmed by the number of distributions needs some evidence to back it up.
44 • Which distro we, I, maybe you, miss the most? (by zcatav on 2019-07-24 04:53:51 GMT from Turkey)
@28 LibraNet
45 • New Users (by anon on 2019-07-24 07:07:25 GMT from United States)
@42: This is not a common complaint that I've come across when dealing with people who are new to it all. Most will ask which distro is the best (read: easiest) for a new user, and they will almost always end up with Ubuntu, Mint, or Manjaro due to search results and/or word of mouth. I hear the "too many distros" complaint more from Windows users who are trying to discredit GNU/Linux than from actual GNU/Linux users. That's not to say that there aren't *any* new users making that complaint, of course. It just seems to be a sticking point with the anti-GNU/Linux crowd, as most of the community seems to believe that having more options is not inherently a bad thing. They may not actively support yet another respin of Ubuntu whose only meaningful addition is a new icon theme, but they understand the nature of open source software, and they either take a look at it or simply ignore it while focusing on the distro that they currently use.
46 • New-to-distros choices (by Somewhat Reticent on 2019-07-24 09:14:54 GMT from United States)
Sure, there's a constant stream of "Top # Distros" articles (and helpful DW tools, thanks!), but a searcher will filter out marketing hype and review support systems for genuine mentoring vs. harassment.
…
LibraNet - from back in the day when people paid for installation media, before deep pockets paid for "free" promotional live/install discs - pioneering the friendly and supportive niche in Freed Open-Source. Excellent illustration.
47 • Which distro do we miss? (by mechanic on 2019-07-24 10:04:56 GMT from United Kingdom)
Fuduntu
48 • New distros, one man shows (by OstroL on 2019-07-24 10:09:30 GMT from Poland)
Just imagine, if there hadn't been a plethora of one-man shows all this time, there wouldn't be Distrowatch.
Those one-man shows are dwindling very fast these days, with most of the former top class developers moving to proprietary OSs (#!), and some even completely dropping what they had created (Budgie) going away. If anyone wants to have look at some of those that was once in the heyday, look here; https://archiveos.org/linux/ You can download them and check them out yourself. This website is there thanks to the Sparky Linux developer.
49 • Hexagon (by tymothy on 2019-07-24 10:26:21 GMT from United States)
nearly everything in the linux ecosystem is borrowed,have you ever taken something ,made a few changes modified something and then wanted to show it off? the differences may seem inconsequential,even silly,but almost no one makes something from whole cloth. yes the Linux landscape does seem to get watered down by it's general decentralization and lack of unified goals, but that diversity has produced some truly remarkable projects. there always seems to be plenty of unhappy souls when comes to either what is seen as too much of either convergence or divergence in Linux,but if this is the toy they want to play with i say let em play! enjoy the show!
50 • Reality Check (by Windows user/Linux newbie on 2019-07-24 12:33:04 GMT from France)
I wander, what if a Linux distribution becomes mainstream; it would be popular, or as hated as Android?
@45 "Windows users who are trying to discredit GNU/Linux"
I occasionally use Linux Live. Most home Windows users don't even heard about GNU or Linux, so, why wold they try to discredit it?
Do I care if there are to many distributions?
NOPE, because is FREE.
Do I wander why nobody come up with something else after Linux kernel? Well, probably because instead of writing NEW code, everybody copy/paste and occasionally modifies the old one, but since I'm not smart enough to do it by myself, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT!!!
51 • Reality check (by Jordan on 2019-07-25 00:03:56 GMT from United States)
@50 Well, several distros have come and gone (Vector, Blag, Yoper.. etc) which had idealism in their dna, as I saw them, Blag in particular which stated that they wanted to "overthrow corporate control of information and technology." Quite the endeavor. Failed, of course. And if they had succeeded would they have become the monster they were attempting to slay? That idealism would have had to be spread across ALL of their users and of course ALL linux users.
Ain't gonna happen. Thus Android, Canonical, etc.
52 • Reality Check (by anon on 2019-07-25 01:24:28 GMT from United States)
@50: I wasn't implying that *most* Windows users are trying to discredit GNU/Linux. I pointed out that the relatively few people that actually make that particular complaint seem to be the particular Windows users who are looking for another way to criticize GNU/Linux. Why would they do that? The same reason why Xbox fans would try to discredit Sony fans, I guess. Human nature being what it is and all. Thankfully, they are relatively few due to most Windows users being happy with their OS and not caring about GNU/Linux.
I miss Korora. It was a pretty good respin of Fedora.
53 • HexagonOS (by Titus_Groan on 2019-07-25 04:59:22 GMT from New Zealand)
as at least one other has said, lets give it a while....
In the (dis)information age, distros (and, pretty much everything else now) grow or die at the whim of (anti)social media.
all current distros / respins started as some-ones vision and grew from there.
Human nature seems particularly adept at weeding out "rubbish", be it one man band or corporate supplied.
look back 10 / 15 (or more) years and try to remember all those brands that have fallen by the wayside of human choice (or not)
54 • New Linux distros (by OstroL on 2019-07-25 07:39:34 GMT from Poland)
It is very good that there are still enthusiasts ready to create "re-spins." Most of those, who comment here don't even know how to make a live iso off his installed Linux system. But, they comment, as commenting is free.
We see a bit less of those new Linux distros -- every Linux system that's given away to others, free or for money is a distro -- at Distrowatch, maybe one or two at a time in a week. But, if you are really keen to find out, there are quite a lot of new Linux distros uploaded to another web site, practically every day! Most of the distros appear there, before they appear here.
It is always goo that there are newcomers, who try to do something interesting with their Linux system, and then upload it for others. That's how Linux Mint, Manjaro etc happened. That's how #!, the nimble Debian remix, made an impact on the Linux community.
Keep on doing it! Don't even read the negative (and ugly), non-constructive remarks!
55 • Nature of Open Source, Innovation, & Number of Distros (by M.Z. on 2019-07-25 08:37:31 GMT from United States)
I find these occasional complaints about too many distros extremely ironic, because true innovation often involves dozens or even hundreds of failures along the way. If they didn't try 39 other things first & keep going we wouldn't have WD-40, let along the number of failed light bulb prototypes there were or number of rockets that blew up on the pad or came hurdling off course before one made it into orbit.
Linux is a terrific place to start an adventure in creating a new operating system project & has tons of people available to help you get off the ground with a new idea. It even has a project to document making something up entirely new called Linux From Scratch. What better way is there to let someone scratch an itch & try too innovate or just do something for them self is there? What more dynamic OS family is there with more possibilities for innovation?
Linux & it's open license handed everyone who care to give it a try the right to do something, anything, with their GPL software as long as others can do the same with what's built. Sure some things go nowhere, but others are reused, or have team members that go on to successful projects or succeed as new projects outright on their own merits. Why complain about people trying new things, or about things blowing up? It's not the Soviet space program, so we get to see all the fireworks & explosions of things going wrong. Either ignore it or sit back & enjoy the show, because one of these days some Linux project will start chugging along in the sky & then do something unexpected like make a complete 180 in the sky & stick a landing like no one has ever seen before. I have seen such things with my own two eyes come from folks that failed repeatedly & which some would have written off as two bit nothings with half baked ideas.
I don't care a bit about the failure rate, the fact that so many people are trying new things with Linux tells me that a few groups are bound to succeed eventually & will keep Linux on the cutting edge of innovation well into the future.
Number of Comments: 55
Display mode: DWW Only • Comments Only • Both DWW and Comments
| | |
| 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.
|
| Archives |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Issue 1045 (2023-11-13): Fedora 39, how to trust software packages, ReactOS booting with UEFI, elementary OS plans to default to Wayland, Mir gaining ability to split work across video cards |
| • Issue 1044 (2023-11-06): Porteus 5.01, disabling IPv6, applications unique to a Linux distro, Linux merges bcachefs, OpenELA makes source packages available |
| • Issue 1043 (2023-10-30): Murena Two with privacy switches, where old files go when packages are updated, UBports on Volla phones, Mint testing Cinnamon on Wayland, Peppermint releases ARM build |
| • Issue 1042 (2023-10-23): Ubuntu Cinnamon compared with Linux Mint, extending battery life on Linux, Debian resumes /usr merge, Canonical publishes fixed install media |
| • Issue 1041 (2023-10-16): FydeOS 17.0, Dr.Parted 23.09, changing UIDs, Fedora partners with Slimbook, GNOME phasing out X11 sessions, Ubuntu revokes 23.10 install media |
| • Issue 1040 (2023-10-09): CROWZ 5.0, changing the location of default directories, Linux Mint updates its Edge edition, Murena crowdfunding new privacy phone, Debian publishes new install media |
| • Issue 1039 (2023-10-02): Zenwalk Current, finding the duration of media files, Peppermint OS tries out new edition, COSMIC gains new features, Canonical reports on security incident in Snap store |
| • Issue 1038 (2023-09-25): Mageia 9, trouble-shooting launchers, running desktop Linux in the cloud, New documentation for Nix, Linux phasing out ReiserFS, GNU celebrates 40 years |
| • Issue 1037 (2023-09-18): Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, finding specific distros and unified package managemnt, Zevenet replaced by two new forks, openSUSE introduces Slowroll branch, Fedora considering dropping Plasma X11 session |
| • Full list of all issues |
| 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.
|
| Random Distribution | 
Turbolinux
Turbolinux distributions are designed from the ground-up specifically for enterprise computing. Turbolinux 7 Server was the first-ever to conform to Internationalization standards to help simplify development of applications that require multiple language support - a critical requirement for software distributed globally. Turbolinux 7 Server also supports the Large File Support (LFS) standard for working with applications that manage or handle up to four terabytes of data - a common requirement for infrastructures serving Fortune 500 and larger companies. Such industrial-strength environments provide the basis upon which PowerCockpit and other Turbolinux innovations were created.
Status: Discontinued
|
| 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.
|
|
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
0x969CD4E778C7b6549A2B00e34114e0168c86A542 
