 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 860, 6 April 2020 |
Welcome to this year's 14th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
One of the interesting characteristics of open source software is the way it can evolve and expand into new areas, be adapted to new situations. This week we discuss new features coming to the Void-based Project Trident distribution, including a new network connection manager. Plus we talk about the UBports mobile operating system being bundled with the PinePhone and Linux Mint providing an upgrade path for the distribution's Debian-based branch. First though we explore the latest version of Linux Mint's Debian Edition which features the project's Cinnamon desktop and utilities on an alternative base. In our Questions and Answers column we explore a new OpenSSH feature, called "fingerprint", for checking the identity of remote servers. This fingerprint feature is still being rolled out to Linux distributions and we are curious to know if you find it useful in our Opinion Poll. Plus we are pleased to share the releases of the past week and list the torrents we are seeding. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
- Review: Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition"
- News: Linux Mint offers upgrade path for LMDE, Project Trident unveils new connection manager, UBports to ship on the PinePhone
- Questions and answers: Working with OpenSSH fingerprints
- Released last week: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.8, NetBSD 8.2, OpenMediaVault 5.3.9
- Torrent corner: Arch Linux, BEE free, ExTiX, GhostBSD, MakuluLinux, NetBSD, OpenMediaVault, OSMC, Paldo, Rescatux, SparkyLinux, Tiny Core
- Upcoming releases: Tails 4.5
- Opinion poll: Using the OpenSSH fingerprint option
- Reader comments
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| Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) |
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition"
Linux Mint is a popular desktop distribution which features two main branches. The first branch is based on Ubuntu long-term support (LTS) releases and is available in three editions: Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce. The second branch uses Debian Stable releases as its foundation and is available in one edition: Cinnamon.
The project's latest release is Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition", also sometimes written LMDE 4. Much of the work which has gone into LMDE 4 focuses on bringing the Debian branch of Linux Mint up to date with the Ubuntu branch, which seems to get the bulk of the developers' focus. The latest improvements include better VirtualBox support, access to the System Reports tool, and APT's recommended packages being enabled by default:
This new version of LMDE contains many improvements. Here are some of the main ones: automated partitioning with support for LVM and full-disk encryption; home directory encryption; support for automated installation of NVIDIA drivers; NVMe support; Secure Boot support; Btrfs sub-modules support; revamped installer; automatic installation of microcode packages; automatic resolution bump for the live session to a minimum of 1024×768 in VirtualBox; Linux Mint 19.3 improvements (HDT, boot-repair, system reports, language settings, HiDPI and artwork improvements, new boot menus, Celluloid, Gnote, Drawing, Cinnamon 4.4, XApp status icons); APT recommends enabled by default; removed deb-multimedia repository and packages; Debian 10 'Buster' package base with backports repository.
LMDE 4 is available for both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86_64) machines. I downloaded the 64-bit build which is 1.9GB in size. Booting from the live media brings up a boot menu which offers to start the live session normally, launch the live desktop in compatibility mode, or boot with NVIDIA video drivers enabled. I stuck with the default normal mode.
The live media then brings up the Cinnamon desktop which places a panel along the bottom edge of the display. This panel is home to the application menu, task switcher, and the system tray. The wallpaper is mostly black with the Linux Mint logo in the centre. Icons on the desktop launch the file manager and system installer.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- The application menu
(full image size: 138kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Installing
Mint uses a custom installer which did not fit on my desktop when running the distribution in a VirtualBox environment. The navigation buttons at the bottom of the window were hidden behind the desktop panel. The installer window cannot be made smaller. Moving the Cinnamon panel to the side of the screen worked around this issue. The hidden button problem did not occur when running Mint on my physical laptop computer.
The installer runs us through the usual steps of selecting our preferred language, our time zone, and keyboard layout. We are then asked to make up a username and password. Optionally we can choose to encrypt our home directory. As a bonus, I found my home directory was set up with permissions so that only my own user could access it. User accounts I added later were not locked down and their home directories were accessible.
We are then asked if the installer should wipe and take over the hard drive or have us manually partition the disk. The manual option displays a list of available partitions we can take over. We can then assign filesystems and mount points to the listed partitions. If we want to create or destroy partitions we can click a button to launch the GParted partition editor. I opted to set up Mint on a Btrfs volume. We can then optionally choose to install a boot loader and pick its location. The installer goes to work copying files and then offers to restart the computer.
I ran into a few problems with the installer. During two of my install attempts the installer aborted, reporting the file /target/tmp/passwd could not be found. The other three times I ran through the installer no such error occurred though I used the same settings every time.
During one install attempt I tried to repartition the disk using GParted. I was informed GParted could not work on the device as it (/dev/sda) was busy and could not be altered. It turned out a partition on the drive had been mounted during the live session, but even with the device unmounted and the installer restarted I still ran into the same error and could not proceed. Rebooting the computer and starting the install process over worked around the issue.
Early impressions
LMDE boots to a graphical login screen. From here we can sign into the Cinnamon desktop. There is a second session option for signing into Cinnamon with software rendering enabled. This may be useful for testing performance in situations where we do not have access to good video hardware or suitable video driver support.
Once we sign into the desktop a welcome window appears. The welcome window contains five screens. The first simply offers a welcoming message. Three others provide links to community resources (such as the support forum and IRC channel), links to ways people can contribute to the distribution, and links to documentation. The most interesting screen is titled First Steps and it lists tasks that should be performed early on. These suggestions, such as taking a snapshot of the operating system using Timeshift, enabling the firewall, and checking for package updates, are all accompanied by a button to launch the appropriate tool. I tried a few of these and the tools all launched and worked as expected.
I was a bit disappointed to discover that LMDE's default filesystem layout when installed on Btrfs does not allow Timeshift to take snapshots of the operating system. This is a feature which works well on the Ubuntu-based flavour of Linux Mint and I had hoped to use it on LMDE too.
Once the welcome window is dismissed I noticed there is an icon in the system tray which lets us know when software updates become available. The icon is blue when updates are available and green when the operating system is up to date. Clicking the icon opens the update manager. Mint's update manager has been streamlined in recent years. By default it no longer ranks the safety of new updates or filters them. Instead it marks which updates are security fixes and which ones are regular fixes or updates. Now that Mint supplies Timeshift, the update manager no longer needs to help us protect against breaking the system as, in theory, it is easier to restore a from a snapshot following a broken upgrade.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- The update manager
(full image size: 113kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Another icon in the system tray looks like a triangular yield sign and clicking it opens the System Reports tool. This application can show system information (useful for trouble-shooting problems) and potential issues. For example, I was warned I might be missing some language packs and media codecs. In my case, the suspected problems could be fixed by pressing a supplied button under the listed issue to download the missing components. I really like the idea of the System Reports tool as it provides a proactive approach to warning users about common issues and, just as importantly, provides one-click solutions.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- The System Reports tool
(full image size: 83kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Hardware
When I first started using LMDE I was running it in a VirtualBox environment. When run in the virtual machine LMDE ran without any crashes or serious problems and I could resize the Mint desktop by resizing the VirtualBox window. The process was nicely integrated and seamless. However, Cinnamon ran slowly in VirtualBox and there was always a frustrating amount of lag when clicking on menus or moving windows.
Cinnamon performed much better when run on my laptop. The desktop was responsive even on my laptop's modest hardware. All of the computer's hardware was properly detected and used, allowing me to connect to the local wireless network, play videos, and get my work done. By default Mint used "natural" scrolling on my laptop's touchpad which I do not like. This feature can be toggled in the settings panel.
When signed into Cinnamon, Mint used about 610MB of memory and a fresh installation consumed 6.9GB of disk space. These statistics makes LMDE a little heavier than the average distribution. It also means LMDE is heavier, both on disk and in memory, than Linux Mint's most recent Ubuntu-based MATE edition which I tested about two years ago.
Applications
Mint ships with a tidy application menu with just a handful of programs in each of its categories. We are given the Firefox browser, Thunderbird for handling e-mail, the Transmission bittorrent client, and the HexChat IRC client. The distribution provides LibreOffice, a calendar application, and an image viewer. The Celluloid video player (a front-end to MPV) and the Rhythmbox audio player are featured. There are also some great little utilities such as a text editor, archive manager, and a backup tool. The backup application can both archive our data files and save a list of programs we have installed through the software manager to make it easier to re-create our installation on another computer.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- Using the backup utility and Timeshift
(full image size: 123kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
LMDE ships with Java installed, offers a copy of the GNU Compiler Collection, and uses systemd for its init software. In the background we find version 4.19 of the Linux kernel.
Settings panel
I feel the Cinnamon settings panel is worth mentioning. While we can access specific configuration modules through the application menu, the settings panel places all of our configuration tools in one place. The panel features the usual tools for changing the look and feel of the desktop, adjusting the keyboard layout, and fine-tuning mouse behaviour. We can also configure the firewall, get system information, and manage user accounts.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- The Cinnamon settings panel
(full image size: 146kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
The settings panel is well organized and its modules are clearly labelled. I feel the Cinnamon settings are noteworthy in that they were pleasantly boring and predictable. They generally just worked the way I expected without any surprises and I like when that happens.
Software management
Mint provides a few tools for managing software packages. The first is the Software Centre (also known as mintInstall) which begins by presenting us with a grouping of popular applications near the top of the window. The bottom half of the main screen shows categories of software we can browse. Clicking on an application brings up a full page description and screenshot of the selected software. From the description page, software can be installed or removed with a single click.
Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" -- Exploring Software Centre
(full image size: 176kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
One thing I found odd while using Software Centre was that, as far as I could tell, it was sometimes possible to install programs which had already been downloaded. For instance, the GNU Image Manipulation Program was installed prior to me opening the centre. I could run GIMP from the command line or application menu. I'd also installed a Flatpak version for testing purposes. However, I could then install the same program again through Software Centre.
Speaking of Flatpak, the Flatpak framework is installed by default. The popular Flathub repository is enabled too, making it easy to install most popular Flatpak packages. Support for Snap packages is not installed out of the box, but Snap can be installed through the package manager, giving us access to a wider range of portable software.
The Synaptic package manager is also available to help us work with low-level packages and available repositories. Synaptic, while not as pretty as mintInstall, works well and quickly.
Conclusions
Most of the time I was using Linux Mint's latest Debian Edition, I enjoyed it. The desktop has a nice layout, there are enough applications to make many people happy without being overwhelming, and the Software Centre is straight forward to use. I especially like the Cinnamon settings panel which provides a lot of flexibility without feeling cluttered.
The above are, I feel, common traits when talking about Linux Mint and will probably not surprise anyone. The feature which stood out this time around was the System Reports utility which does a great job of presenting users with potential (or common) issues and offering one-click solutions. I believe this is an excellent and very convenient way to help users, especially those who might be new and unfamiliar with how to manage features like media codecs.
There were some rough edges while running LMDE. I repeatedly ran into problems with the installer. The missing file and issues with GParted got my trial off on the wrong foot. I was also disappointed to find that while the Ubuntu-based branch of Mint properly sets up Btrfs volumes so they may be snapshotted, the Debian-based branch does not. This means LMDE ships with the powerful Timeshift snapshot utility, but its key features cannot be used with the default filesystem layout.
I have mixed feelings about LMDE being available in just the one edition (Cinnamon). For most people Cinnamon probably makes sense. It is the distribution's flagship desktop, it's pretty flexible and easy to use. Linux newcomers tend to get along well with Cinnamon, in my experience. However, Cinnamon is heavier than either MATE or Xfce (Mint's other supported desktops on its Ubuntu base) and the desktop requires 3-D hardware and driver support to function properly. This means some people running old or poorly supported hardware will have a sub-par experience and running LMDE in a virtual machine is not pleasant.
All in all, I think LMDE is a good desktop distribution and certainly above average in terms of features, friendliness, desktop settings, and package management. I don't think it is quite as polished and problem-free as I found Mint's most recent Ubuntu-based version to be though. I'd still recommend most people use the Ubuntu-based version unless there is a specific need a user has that is better fulfilled by the Debian base.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a de-branded HP laptop with the following
specifications:
- Processor: Intel i3 2.5GHz CPU
- Display: Intel integrated video
- Storage: Western Digital 700GB hard drive
- Memory: 6GB of RAM
- Wired network device: Realtek RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast
- Wireless network device: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless network card
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Visitor supplied rating
Linux Mint has a visitor supplied average rating of: 8.8/10 from 739 review(s).
Have you used Linux Mint? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Linux Mint offers upgrade path for LMDE, Project Trident unveils new connection manager, UBports to ship on the PinePhone
The Linux Mint team, following the project's launch of Linux Mint 4 "Debian Edition" (LMDE 4) have announced plans for Linux Mint 20 and the scheduled end-of-life for LMDE 3. "LMDE 3 will reach EOL (End-Of-Life) on July 1st 2020. Past that date the repositories will continue to work but the release will no longer receive bug fixes and security updates from Linux Mint. To upgrade LMDE 3 to LMDE 4 read How to upgrade to LMDE 4. The codename for Linux Mint 20 is Ulyana. Linux Mint 20 will be based on Ubuntu 20.04 and feature 3 editions: Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce. Unlike previous releases, it will only be available in 64-bit." Additional changes coming to Linux Mint can be found in the project's newsletter.
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The Project Trident team recently transitioned from TrueOS to Void for their base. Trident is adding custom tools to their Void-based distribution, including a new network connection manager. "trident-networkmgr - This is a brand-new utility from Project Trident, specifically for managing network setup and devices. Key Features: View current status of all network links. Selectively enable/disable specific links (typically not needed for daily use). Browse and connect to wifi networks (if wifi device is available). This uses wpa_supplicant in the backend - so that service must be enabled for this functionality to work. PT already enables this service out-of-box. Setup static IP profiles which will activate based upon which network you connect to. This uses dhcpcd in the backend - so that service must be enabled for this functionality to work. PT already enables this service out-of-box. If you connect to a network where none of your profiles match, it will automatically use DHCP address assignment." Further information on the connection manager and other Trident tools can be found in the project's blog post.
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The UBports team have announced that their mobile operating system will soon be available as a pre-installed option on PINE64's PinePhone. The minimal PinePhone is designed to be open and work with multiple Linux-based operating systems. The UBports and PINE64 organizations have been working together to port UBports to the new device and sort out issues. "The PinePhone UBports 'Community Edition' is the culmination of all our work over the past 18 months, from the first laggy Unity8 [now Lomiri] demos on the 'Anakin' development unit, to fighting with the modem on the 'Don't be Evil' prototype (turns out the SIM slot wasn't wired correctly), through to our work to make the 'Braveheart' units suitable for use by early adopters and enthusiasts. The result is a phone open to modding by hackers, tinkerers, repairers, and yes, even people who just want to use a phone!" Further details and pre-order links can be found in the UBports blog post
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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) |
Working with OpenSSH fingerprints
Checking-for-prints asks: When connecting to a new server for the first time, scp asks me if I really want to connect to that particular server. In the past, the answer was "yes/no", but with more recent OpenSSH versions, I see a third option - "fingerprint". I was wondering if you could cover this and explain how to use the fingerprint option?
DistroWatch answers: For those not familiar with this prompt, the secure shell (ssh) and secure copy (scp) tools provided by OpenSSH are often used to remotely administer servers and securely transfer files between computers. In the past, OpenSSH would display the following prompt when connecting to a new or unknown computer for the first time:
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:h7oOpD78GWTFZhK/Za8Kk5rEBkaMZE+rqZHxeUNi02Y.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
Recent versions of the OpenSSH suite of tools have added an extra option to the prompt, which now looks like this:
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:h7oOpD78GWTFZhK/Za8Kk5rEBkaMZE+rqZHxeUNi02Y.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?
Which caused some people to wonder what the "fingerprint" option does. To answer that, first we should talk about what OpenSSH is asking us when it displays this prompt.
When we connect to a new computer, one we haven't accessed through OpenSSH before, the OpenSSH client does not yet know if it should trust the remote computer. Maybe it is the computer we wanted to connect to, or maybe we made a typo in the address and we are accidentally accessing the wrong machine. It is also possible our network traffic has been hijacked and we are about to talk to a remote server controlled by a malicious user. However we ended up talking to a new server, OpenSSH wants to make sure we (the users) trust this new computer before it sends our credentials.
The remote computer has a unique fingerprint. The fingerprint, along with the algorithm used to create the fingerprint, is displayed on the first line of the prompt. In my case, OpenSSH reports SHA256 is the method used to create the fingerprint and the unique identifier is "h7oOpD78GWTFZhK/Za8Kk5rEBkaMZE+rqZHxeUNi02Y". We are then asked if we wish to continue with the connection.
The idea here is that if we are connecting to a familiar server, the prompt should not appear at all (the prompt is not shown for machines we have connected to in the past). If we are trying to connect to a familiar server and the prompt is shown then something has gone wrong and the user should type "no" to drop the connection and figure out what went wrong.
However, if we are connecting to a new server for the first time then it is expected the fingerprint will be shown to us. We can then, in theory, compare the displayed fingerprint with the server's known fingerprint to confirm they match. Ideally, you can contact the server's owner and get a copy of the server's official fingerprint to compare with the one displayed by OpenSSH. Assuming the two fingerprints match, we can type "yes" to complete the connection to the new server and send our login credentials.
This explains the "yes" and "no" options, but what does the new "fingerprint" option do in the OpenSSH prompt? Basically, the problem with the old method was people are slow and sometimes inaccurate when comparing two digital fingerprints. Going through a pair of about 40 characters, comparing them one at a time to make sure they match, is not something humans are great at doing. Especially if we are asked to compare the letter O to the number 0. Computers though are great at quickly comparing two strings of letters and numbers and reporting whether they are identical.
With the newer versions of OpenSSH, when we are prompted "yes/no/[fingerprint]" we still have the option of typing "yes" or "no" to complete or drop the connection. We can now also type (or more likely copy/paste) the server's known fingerprint into the prompt. OpenSSH will then compare our copy of the fingerprint against the one provided by the new server. If the two fingerprints match, the connection is completed successfully. However, if the fingerprint we pasted into the prompt does not match the one provided by the remote computer, then something has gone wrong and OpenSSH does not proceed.
Basically, the new "fingerprint" option in the prompt is a convenience to help people when connecting to remote servers. It allows us to hand over the check of the remote server's fingerprint to our OpenSSH client, which will handle it automatically, rather than having us visually examining the two keys. This should make the check faster and less error prone.
If you are the person running a server who might be asked for its official OpenSSH fingerprint, you can use the ssh-keygen command line utility to find it. Your server's fingerprint information is typically stored in the /etc/ssh directory, usually in a file called ssh_host_rsa_key.pub or ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub. I can confirm my computer's OpenSSH fingerprint by running the following command:
ssh-keygen -l -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub
The above command shows the algorithm used to create the fingerprint, followed by the fingerprint itself. This information can then be shared with people to whom you wish to grant remote access.
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Additional answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
OpenMediaVault 5.3.9
OpenMediaVault is a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) solution based on Debian GNU/Linux. The project's latest release is version 5.3.9 which the project refers to simply as version 5. "After a long development phase i am happy to announce the release of openmediavault 5 (Usul). A big thank you goes to all translators, forum moderators and bug reporters for their contributions and support. The main features at a glance: Using Debian 10 (Buster). Use SaltStack to deploy configuration settings. Using 'omv-salt stage run all' will deploy the whole system according to the configuration database. The omv-salt CLI command superseds omv-mkconf. Note, the command will not only create the configuration files, it will also take care about to start/stop/restart the services. The omv-initsystem command has been replaced by "omv-confdbadm populate". This command discovers the current system settings and synchronizes them into the database. Add Time Machine support to SMB/CIFS shares. Use systemd-logind to handle power button action. Use systemd to reboot/shutdown/standby the system. Use chrony instead of ntpd." Further details cans be found in the project's release announcement.
MakuluLinux 2020 "Flash"
Jacque Montague Raymer has announced the release of MakuluLinux 2020 "Flash" edition, an Ubuntu-based desktop Linux distribution featuring a 5.3 Linux kernel and a highly customised Xfce desktop: "Built on the new 2020 MakuluLinux base and our second release this year, MakuluLinux 2020 'Flash' will not disappoint. It is lightning-fast, it sports a dual-menu setup, yet keeps a very traditional, retro-style desktop layout. At first glance, it looks very modern, offering plenty of transparency, a beautiful wallpaper and some great menu options. It also sports a very nice variety of icon sets and theme selection that you just won't find anywhere else. Finding a good variety of themes since the GTK 3.20 release is nearly impossible as most prior themes are now broken, leaving users with only a handful of good theme choices, most of which look the same. You want a nice pink or purple theme? There aren't any. Want a nice brown or yellow theme? Sorry, they are all broken now. This led us to make the choice of designing our own themes." Read the full release announcement for further details.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.8
Red Hat has announced the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.8, the latest update from the enterprise-class Linux distribution provider. This is Red Hat's legacy branch which is currently in "maintenance phase" of its support cycle: "Today, we're pleased to announce the latest update to the world's leading enterprise Linux platform with the general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.8. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 has entered its maintenance phase as defined in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10-year life cycle. Minor releases continue to deliver stability and reliability rather than adding new features. During this maintenance phase, customers should begin to plan their upgrade strategy. The Red Hat subscription allows users to deploy the release that suits their business needs. To facilitate moving to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat offers tools, including in-place upgrades, which streamline and simplify the migration. When general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 is announced, there will be an upgrade path from 7.8." See the release announcement and the release notes for further details.
Rescatux 0.73
Rescatux 0.73, the new stable release of the project's Debian-based live distribution featuring a graphical wizard for rescuing broken Linux and Windows installations and boot loaders, has been released: "Rescatux 0.73 released. The last stable Rescatux version was released in October 2012 - that's about eight years ago. Many changes have happened to Rescatux since then. UEFI options, which became mainstream in 2015, have been added. Secure Boot support has been added. Rescapp is now its own program. Rescapp had some serious usability flaws that have been fixed. When you run an option you never knew if it was working OK. Now you have a status for the option. Finally, the complete nightmare of pop-ups that were shown when an option was run have been replaced by nice colour scrolling messages. One of the best improvements has been done recently. Rescapp has been improved so that every option is properly documented. Rescatux 0.73 supports booting from UEFI Secure Boot and traditional BIOS. Both amd64 and i686 systems are supported. What's new in Rescatux since Rescatux 0.72-beta8: GRUB menu recovers Auto entry; GRUB menu boots into Auto entry in 60 seconds; built source code now includes rescapp and chntpw packages." Read the detailed release announcement for further information, screenshots and known issues.
NetBSD 8.2
The NetBSD team have announced a new release of the project's highly portable operating system. The new version, NetBSD 8.2, provides minor updates and fixes to the project's 8.x series. "The third release in the NetBSD-8 is now available. This release includes all the security fixes in NetBSD-8 up until this point, and other fixes deemed important for stability. Some highlights include: x86: fixed regression in booting old CPUs. x86: Hyper-V Gen.2 VM framebuffer support. httpd(8): fixed various security issues. ixg(4): various fixes / improvements. x86 efiboot: add tftp support, fix issues on machines with many memory segments, improve graphics mode logic to work on more machines. Various kernel memory info leaks fixes. Update expat to 2.2.8. Fix ryzen USB issues and support xHCI version 3.10. Accept root device specification as NAME=label...." Further details can be found in the project's release announcement. A more detailed list of changes can be found in the NetBSD changes file.
ExTiX 20.4
ExTiX is a desktop distribution based on Ubuntu. The project's latest version is ExTiX 20.4 which ships with the LXQt desktop and is based on the current development branch of Ubuntu, version 20.04. "I've made a new 'mini' version of ExTiX - The Ultimate Linux System. It is based on (upcoming) Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa. The ISO file is now of 1050MB, which is good if you want to run the system super fast from RAM. When the boot process is ready you can eject the DVD or USB stick. Use Boot Alternative 2 or Advanced options -> load to RAM. The best thing with ExTiX 20.4 is that while running the system live (from DVD/USB) or from hard drive you can use Refracta Snapshot (pre-installed) to create your own live installable Ubuntu 20.04 system. So easy that a ten year child can do it! ExTiX 20.4 uses the latest kernel - 5.6.2. Released by Kernel.org today." Further details on ExTiX 20.4 can be found in the distribution's release announcement.
ExTiX 20.4 -- Running the LXQt desktop
(full image size: 949kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
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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. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 1,915
- Total data uploaded: 31.2TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Using the OpenSSH fingerprint option
In our Questions and Answers column we talked about how recent versions of OpenSSH provide a method to check a server's digital fingerprint when connecting to the remote computer for the first time. We would like to know whether you make use of this new "fingerprint" option.
You can see the results of our previous poll on distributed computing projects like Folding@home in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Using the OpenSSH fingerprint option
| I use the new fingerprint option: | 51 (7%) |
| I have the option but do not use it: | 152 (21%) |
| My version of OpenSSH does not have this option: | 127 (18%) |
| I do not use OpenSSH: | 388 (54%) |
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| Website News (by Jesse Smith) |
DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 13 April 2020. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, donations, comments)
- Bruce Patterson (podcast)
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • LMDE 4 (by Guido on 2020-04-06 01:04:43 GMT from Philippines)
This edition makes sense, if you have only 32 bit hardware. You could remove Cinnamon and install the Xfce desktop for example.
2 • The reason why Linux Mint develops LMDE (by eco2geek on 2020-04-06 02:46:09 GMT from United States)
Here's the reason Linux Mint develops LMDE:
"LMDE is a Linux Mint project which stands for “Linux Mint Debian Edition”. Its goal is to ensure Linux Mint would be able to continue to deliver the same user experience, and how much work would be involved, if Ubuntu was ever to disappear. LMDE is also one of our development targets, to guarantee the software we develop is compatible outside of Ubuntu."
https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3867
More succinctly, it's their "Plan B".
3 • LMDE (by Gary W on 2020-04-06 03:19:37 GMT from Australia)
Sounds interesting. I quite liked Mint (and LMDE) in the good old days. I will download this and try some of the recipes for alternative inits.
4 • 32 bit Ubuntu (by Nobuntu on 2020-04-06 04:37:02 GMT from Singapore)
@2 This scenario has already happened.
5 • Bye Ubuntu, hi Debian (by Nobuntu on 2020-04-06 04:42:29 GMT from Singapore)
@2 I reckon that the shift to Debian base is inevitable.
6 • @2 The reason why Linux Mint develops LMDE (by OstroL on 2020-04-06 06:53:26 GMT from Poland)
I suppose, you are right. Ubuntu as a desktop might stop in the near future. It is not easy to keep a Debian Unstable Sid based distro going, not knowing which package would be stable enough. The idea of using the same Debian developers to make the packages -- more or less change the name from Debian to Ubuntu -- had its pluses a in 2004 and a decade later, but not any more.
Those distro that were there to make money -- at the beginning it was fun to create -- such as Mint, Zorin stopped releasing any intermediate releases, other than the LTS around 16.04, and that too few months after the release of a Ubuntu LTS. Usually, an Ubuntu LTS doesn't get stable, at least try to become stable, before the first point release.
It is much easier to maintain few packages for Internet of Things, rather than a massive repos for of unstable packages.
7 • LMDE (by not_cool on 2020-04-06 08:34:45 GMT from United States)
I have run LMDE2 with mate desktop and I liked LMDE for the combination of MATE and its user friendliness.
I do not like cinnamon, will not use it, so I abandoned LMDE.
Anyway, its Debian with extra features and if you have been running linux for sometime you dont need the hand-holding - use Debain instead.
8 • Debian Testing + Cinnamon (by James H on 2020-04-06 09:07:22 GMT from New Zealand)
I've been using Debian Testing + Cinnamon desktop for 1 year on home file servers and my main TV. The ISO is easy to setup and install as long as you use an unofficial "nonfree" ISO. All media codecs work out of the box.
I agree when Mint first came out I jumped on Mint "Elyssa" and was very happy - but these days the differences are a lot slimmer between a "vanilla" Debian and a Mint version.
http://cdimage.debian.org/images/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/10.3.0+nonfree/amd64/
9 • LMDE (by Toran on 2020-04-06 10:35:35 GMT from Belgium)
LMDE did not start at all on my UEFI laptop Asus
10 • LMDE installation (by Morton.F on 2020-04-06 12:27:01 GMT from Germany)
"... installer which did not fit on my desktop when running the distribution in a VirtualBox environment. The navigation buttons at the bottom of the window were hidden behind the desktop panel. The installer window cannot be made smaller. Moving the Cinnamon panel to the side of the screen worked around this issue. "
Thank you for another review! It was a nice trick with vertical panel position. Another way is described in the Release Notes for LMDE 4:
If your screen resolution is too low, some windows might not fit in the screen.
While pressing the ALT key, you can grab any part of a window with the mouse and move it across the screen.
11 • OpenSSH - Survey (by Linux Revolution on 2020-04-06 14:03:48 GMT from United States)
Wow! Poll is 60% of users don't use SSH? Considering Linux users, I find this incredible.
12 • @2 - Matter of When (by Linux Revolution on 2020-04-06 14:22:38 GMT from United States)
Count me among those who feel a deal with Microsoft is in our near future. Not speaking for others, but I still don't trust Microsoft's motives. This same sort of embrace happened with Java.
In the late 90's early 2k, Java was the rave, C++ developers were shifting to Java. MS Visual C++ was starting to take a hit. MS then brought Java to Windows, however it wasn't the same Java. It was MS's version of Java that only played nice on Windows. It wasn't long until Sun sued Microsoft over changing the specifications of the language.
I do apologize if this feels like a thread hijack. But when it comes to Ubuntu and Microsoft, this is all too familiar. Only difference, Ubuntu would be a willing party.
13 • SSH (by John on 2020-04-06 16:24:15 GMT from Canada)
@ 11 - I'm guessing there are more and more Linux users like me - use Linux on their personal desktop and laptop, but have no need to remote into other machines. They just use Linux to get their work and play done and realized it's so much better than Windows or Mac
14 • OpenSSh, oh, and Microsoft (by Friar Tux on 2020-04-06 16:25:30 GMT from Canada)
I don't actually use remote accessing. I prefer to have any computer I'm working on physically present. It saves a whole bunch of hands on problems. Especially if the user/owner has no clue about operating systems and such. (I've even been denied access because the user thought I was a hacker - and they called me, which made the whole thing rather funny.)
@12 (Linux Rev) You're absolutely correct. (And this is from a former Windows fanboy.) While it's nice that Microsoft is getting sweet and cozy, I would still be wary of their intent. There are plenty of examples, yours (Java) being just one of them. Though I don't think MS will ever be able to completely 'embrace and extinguish' Linux. Especially since there ARE those among us that feel the need to keep their systems 'MS-free'. Still, be wary.
15 • LMDE 4 Installer Problem (by Elder Wand on 2020-04-06 17:17:05 GMT from United States)
I ran into a problem trying to install LMDE 4 onto my laptop. It is currently setup as a dual boot with Windows 10 on an MBR drive. The installer insisted the hard drive was GPT and mis-identified the NTFS partition containing Windows as the EFI System Partition. Needless to say, grub would not work correctly.
16 • This weeks poll (by CS on 2020-04-06 19:22:17 GMT from United States)
"I do not use OpenSSH": ... 58%
Excuse me while I retrieve my jaw from the floor.
17 • LMDE (by Rop75 on 2020-04-06 20:05:32 GMT from Spain)
I have always found Linux Mint as a great option for those who want to make their lives easier. The Ubuntu edition (the one I am currently using) is really stable and works fine, besides cinnamon desktop is both beautiful and functional (it is maybe a bit heavy, but most PCs sold in the last last ten years can run that desktop without any issues).
Regarding LMDE I used it for a year, and I always had the feeling that, as someone has said above, LMDE is the plan B. In general it worked OK to me, but it was always clear that LMDE was not the main edition (It takes longer to enjoy the new features, and tits maintenance is not as strict and continious as it is in the Ubuntu edition) , so I prefer the Ubuntu edition . Having said that, LMDE is a great and easy way to start in "the Debian world" , specially for newbies.
18 • Secure Boot (by Justin on 2020-04-06 20:16:38 GMT from United States)
Both LMDE4 and Rescatux mention secure boot support. Has anyone used that? How does it work? I remember avoiding UEFI, fast boot, and secure boot in 2014 like the plague, but have things changed enough that I should be using that? I boot Arch UEFI because the laptop won't accept anything else, but I wonder if secure boot is something I should look into.
19 • The Trick to LMDE on BTRFS & OpenSSH Thoughts (by M.Z. on 2020-04-06 22:50:21 GMT from United States)
I have a copy of LMDE 3 running flawlessly with Timeshift using BTRFS snapshots that was setup on install - the trick is to do everything from the Calamares installer. If you set up/format your BTRFS partition from inside Calamares everything gets set up & snapshots are easy to make in Timeshift, though I haven't had to use them due to the stability of the Debian base. I know Calamares was included in the live edition of LMDE 3 so you could set up BTRFS & get Timshift into a working state & I'm definitely going to look for it in the menu of LMDE 4 when I upgrade.
It's certainly worth looking for if you want to try LMDE on BTRFS.
@11 & #16
So you two are saying what exactly, that like 40% of Linux users use OpenSSH & that's surprising why? I'd guess that was about ten or twenty times the number of overall PC users who actually use OpenSSH. Linux users tend to be a bit more technical, so a large minority using any mildly obscure technical tool like OpenSSH is to be expected. That being said a majority are probably both technically competent, but not looking to try every power user tool there is. That's where I like to think I am; however, if something like BTRFS + Timeshift comes along & looks cool enough I look into why it didn't work right, then go back & reinstall the whole OS using Calamares to format the /root partition. I like to think that is a very 'typical Linux user' thing to do, even if most of us can't find an excuse to play with OpenSSH :)
20 • What Secure Boot support means for Rescatux (by adrian15 on 2020-04-06 23:00:27 GMT from Spain)
@18 : Rescatux Secure Boot support means that you can boot from its iso (either from cdrom or usb) in a UEFI machine which it's locked down to only accept Microsoft-CA blessed Secure Boot.
So it makes it easier for you to use in your apparently locked down machine.
Rescatux is not meant to be installed as a daily distribution. You would use Debian or Ubuntu instead (or many other distros that support Secure Boot).
Secure Boot distributions as listed per distrowatch: https://distrowatch.com/search.php?pkg=shim&relation=lessequal&pkgver=1&distrorange=InAny
(Finally somebody had some doubts about Rescatux :). )
21 • LMDE4 (by Will on 2020-04-07 00:17:35 GMT from United States)
I tried LMDE4, but couldn't get ZFS utils to install. Posting in the LMDE4 forum got crickets, so I blew it all away and tried Project Trident - pretty much painless. As a longtime Mint user, I was disappointed.
22 • @11 @16 openssh (by greenpossum on 2020-04-07 01:07:42 GMT from Australia)
Like @13 says, maybe they have no need to connect to other machines. Or maybe they don't recognise the name openssh but use it indirectly in other ways, like sshfs.
23 • Could Ubuntu really disappear? (by Jason Hsu on 2020-04-07 01:46:43 GMT from United States)
As we know, LMDE is a hedge against the risk that Ubuntu will disappear. If that happens, LMDE would take over as the main edition of Linux Mint.
Could that really happen? Given that Ubuntu has more than enough critical mass, I'm sure that if Canonical decided to drop it, a team would step in and take it over.
I've used LMDE in the past and liked it. However, I didn't like its delays in providing new releases. (To be fair, the Ubuntu-based editions are the main editions and have a FAR bigger following than LMDE. The Linux Mint team is also responsible for MATE and Cinnamon. Given that only a few people use LMDE but so many rely on the Ubuntu-based editions, MATE, and Cinnamon, those main projects must take precedence.)
My favorite distro is MX Linux, which I regard as the unofficial LMDE. The MX/antiX Linux team has the unfair advantage of not being responsible for a Ubuntu Edition, MATE, and Cinnamon. They use that unfair advantage extremely well. MX Linux is the distro against which I compare everything else.
24 • MX again (by Gary W on 2020-04-07 03:51:26 GMT from Australia)
@23 I have to agree. I still experiment with other distros (DebianDog, Arya, and Obarun most recently), but MX is so good that I have given up distro-hopping and put it on all my working machines. Even given them money! It doesn't hurt that it comes with my favourite DE XFCE, and, err, init...
25 • @23 Could Ubuntu really disappear? (by OstroL on 2020-04-07 07:46:47 GMT from Poland)
It could. Its been really hard to keep a distro going with Debian's unstable packages. Debian itself never released a distro with its unstable Sid packages. In 2004, it was a challenge to do so, and with renamed packages to Ubuntu and running massive repos, paying the Debian developers to maintain them. Ubuntu never became a stable distro, except the LTS, which became slowly older and more or less like Debian stable in the 2nd or 3rd year.
The whole thing was a company enterprise, and when the bottom line is not at all great, or non-existent, Canonical is pulling the plug, or already had done that. Practically all, who had based their distro on Ubuntu base are moving to, had moved to Debian.
26 • Ubuntu @25 (by John on 2020-04-07 12:43:20 GMT from Switzerland)
Any data about how stable Ubuntu really is?
Linux Mint, Peppermint, KDE Neon, Linux Lite and some other seem still to be based on Ubuntu.
Canonical is pulling the plug? Well, yes, they are working on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Btw. every distro could and someday will for sure disappear.
27 • @ 26 (by OstroL on 2020-04-07 18:19:13 GMT from Poland)
Linux Mint, Peppermint, KDE Neon, Linux Lite? They all are based on the last LTS release and they usually are released few months after the Ubuntu LTS is released. Ask why? Because Ubuntu is not stable. It cannot be stable, because it is based on Debian Unstable packages that no one tests.
"As with all Debian release names, Sid takes its name from a ToyStory character. In the movie, Sid is the kid next door who breaks his toys and makes nasty creatures of them."
"There are no "unstable" full CD or DVD images. Due to the fact that the packages in "unstable" change so quickly, "
28 • @27 (by John on 2020-04-07 19:23:36 GMT from Switzerland)
So, yes, wait for few months, if you want, after Ubuntu LTS is released, install it and you have a perfect stable distro, run by millions of people around the world.
Packages in Sid change so quickly? Sure! Sid is the rolling branch of Debian. Packages in Arch change even more quickly, but there are Linux users who swear by Arch.
Anyway I think you are confused about different meanings of the word "unstable". A rolling distro like Arch may be considered as "unstable" because "packages change quickly", but this does not mean rolling distros are bad and unstable or crash every single day. Ubuntu is definitely not a rolling distro and is perfectly stable for millions of users. Right now I am testing Xubuntu 20,04. beta and by Good it is very stable. Not a single problem.
It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not to deserve them. (Mark Twain)
29 • Could Ubuntu really disappear (by systemd enemy #1 on 2020-04-07 19:40:49 GMT from Brazil)
NOTHING that uses systemd should exist. Both Ubuntu and Debian must die.
Long live Devuan, antiX, MX, PCLinuxOS, Slackware, and everything else systemd-free!
And I will never boot any Linux distro with "Secure Boot" enabled. Microsoft must die, also.
As for openssh, many people don't use it simply because they don't need it, like me. So difficult to understand?
30 • LMDE 4 (by penguinx64 on 2020-04-07 19:52:08 GMT from United States)
I really wanted to install LMDE 4 on my laptop with an SSD to replace the old slow Windows 5400 RPM spinning HDD. But when I booted from a bootable flash drive, there was no driver support for my Intel AC 7260 wifi adapter. Linux distros with no wifi support are a pet peeve of mine! So I installed LMDE 4 as a virtual machine with Oracle Virtualbox. It runs great as a virtual machine. I really wish it worked natively though. I ordered a replacement wifi adapter, but new adapter was a different size and wouldn't fit the connector on the motherboard. So now I'm stuck with Windows on an old slow HDD instead of Linux on a fast new SSD.
31 • WiFi adapter with no Linux driver (by systemd enemy #1 on 2020-04-07 20:30:59 GMT from Brazil)
@30 (penguinx64):
I only use hardware VERY WELL supported under FreeBSD.
Have you ever considered using a "Linux compatible" WiFi adapter with USB interface?
I suggest the USB dongle "TP-LINK model TL-WN722N version 1.10", which is FULLY compatible with Linux using the "htc_ath9k" driver. Pay attention: Version 1.10 is based on the Atheros AR9271 chipset. Posterior versions (2.x and 3.x) are NOT, and they are inferior.
Do your homework. As the BSD people always say: RTFM. (I did it. :)
32 • LMDE 4 (by Dan on 2020-04-07 21:22:09 GMT from United States)
@21: I'm glad to know it wasn't only me with ZFS issues. I'm unsure why this should be so, since ZFS installs fine on regular Mint (so it's not the Mint parts of LMDE that are the problem) and on MX (also a Debian base (so it's not the Debian parts either). Maybe with time it'll get worked out. Until then, though, LMDE is a non-starter for me.
33 • Poll (by Ted on 2020-04-07 21:52:42 GMT from United States)
I voted "I do not use OpenSSH" as I do not need to remotely control another computer. And as of right now I do not if my version of OpenSSH has or does not have that option.
34 • How many distro's do we need? (by technsandiego on 2020-04-08 01:24:38 GMT from United States)
I cut my teeth on Ubuntu 13, then moved to Debian and then Arch. I haven't looked back since.
35 • How many distro's do we need? (by Jim on 2020-04-08 10:23:47 GMT from United States)
I need one distro.
I use two (dual boot)
There are maybe three or four others I would consider using if mine disappeared.
As many as possible so mine remain, and I can find a good replacement if mine ever goes away.
My requirements are simple. Apt based, synaptic included, Mate as first DE and Cinnamon as the second choice if Mate ever goes away.
36 • @27 Debian Unstable is tested by many people! (by DaveT on 2020-04-08 11:43:04 GMT from United Kingdom)
Debian Unstable is in daily use by many people. Problems are found, reported, and fixed.
The turn-around time for the fixes varies from a day to a week and sometimes longer.
If a package you are using has a major problem - you don't update it until it is fixed! Easy.
You shouldn't use it on a server, but I used it as my only distro for more than a decade.
Now, for obvious reasons, I use Devuan Beowulf and OpenBSD 6.6.
37 • OpenSSH fingerprints (by Francesco Turco on 2020-04-08 12:01:38 GMT from Italy)
I have been using OpenSSH for years, but I still didn't know how to retrieve and compare fingerprints! I learned something new today!
38 • @ 36 (by OstroL on 2020-04-08 13:51:53 GMT from Poland)
Arch and Debian, of course, have enough developers to keep their packages going, whereas Ubuntu doesn't. Both Arch and Debian are community projects, while Ubuntu is a product of a business. The bottom line decides. When was the last time you heard from Mark S. in his blog? 3 years ago?
39 • LMDE (by Rick on 2020-04-08 17:50:41 GMT from United States)
I tried installing the beta version as a second OS on my laptop and as mentioned in the review I had problems with the installer. After hours of trying to overcome the problems I finally admitted defeat. At that moment I decided to wait for the final release but after reading this review I'm not sure I want to waste anymore time on it. Like a previous comment I too dislike Cinnamon and would rather have Mate.
40 • LMDE and 7260 wifi card (by Jeff on 2020-04-08 20:18:33 GMT from United States)
@30
MX Linux has drivers for the Intel 7260 card, it is my favorite replacement for old slow cards.
Clearly there is some problem if LMDE does not have it.
Linux Mint usually is not fanatical about only free open source software, so them not having some Intel firmware/drivers is surprising.
41 • LMDE and 7260 wifi card (by Greenpalmer on 2020-04-08 22:28:11 GMT from United Kingdom)
I have the Intel 7260 wifi card and LMDE 4 connects to wifi out of the box - no drivers needed.
This is true of both the live USB environment and when installed to the hard drive.
42 • Ubuntu going away?!? (by randomly generated entity on 2020-04-09 18:04:18 GMT from United States)
I find the thought that LMDE exists largely because of the possibility that Ubuntu might one day disappear bizarre. I just can't envision a future (in the short term at the very least) in which Ubuntu ceases to exist. It's the de facto standard for consumer level Linux, isn't it? Ask anyone on the street (once it's safe to do so again of course) to name one Linux distro and they'll say Ubuntu. Granted, most folks will glaze over in utter bewilderment, but Ubuntu is pretty much number one for name recognition, not to mention being the "base" for dozens if not hundreds of other distros of varying degrees of importance.
Which brings me to an off-ramp/rant... If the goal of consumer level Linux is to grab market share from the big boys (debatable perhaps, but we all want Linux to be more popular, don't we?), Ubuntu's decision to stay with Gnome after the Unity debacle has to rank as a mistake of epic proportions. Take any Windows user and plop 'em in front of a Gnome machine and they'll be utterly lost. On the other hand, plop 'em in front of a well configured Plasma desktop and they'll feel right at home. The major distros' dogged insistence on Gnome constitutes an opportunity squandered if you ask me.
43 • Ubuntu Popularity (by random entity on 2020-04-09 19:44:30 GMT from United States)
@42 "Ask anyone on the street to name one Linux distro and they'll say":
- What is Linux?
"Take any Windows user and plop 'em in front of a... well configured Plasma desktop and they'll feel":
- As lost as in front of a Gnome DE, just like me. I occasionally use Linux, but only with Xfce.
I couldn't boot the latest LMDE either, nor the latest MX actually (maybe because of my lack of knowledge, though.)
44 • Ubuntu's switch from Unity to GNOME 3 (by Jason Hsu on 2020-04-09 20:22:39 GMT from United States)
@42, Ubuntu's decision to switch to GNOME 3 instead of KDE/Plasma wasn't a mistake. Unity was based on GNOME, so the development team knew it better than KDE. Ubuntu did what it needed to do - make the new GNOME 3 interface look and feel similar to Unity. The Ubuntu users who didn't like Unity had long since moved on to something else, and those who remained were the ones who liked Unity. Replacing Unity with KDE or Xfce would have alienated too many of the existing users without bringing back those who switched to Linux Mint, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Fedora, etc.
I say this even though I thought that Unity was user-unfriendly garbage, and I don't like GNOME 3. Ubuntu has zero need to appeal to me, because I'm not one of its users. Similarly, my opinions are irrelevant to Cadillac, because I have no intention of ever buying one.
45 • The Life & Death of Distros & DE Thoughts (by M.Z. on 2020-04-09 23:02:54 GMT from United States)
#29
You can say what you will about Ubuntu, & I certainly had some problems with their old Unity DE, but only Mark Shuttleworth & his corporate accountants at Canonical will decide if Ubuntu 'must die'. As others have stated Ubuntu is the Distro with the biggest name recognition & has done a lot for desktop Linux, even if the Amazon shopping Unity Lens was creepy trash.
On the Debian front, I think Debian is almost certainly the single most important community Linux Distro & has been a massive runaway success by almost any reasonable measure. Everything I've seen suggests that a big majority of Linux desktop systems are from the Debian family & regardless of the urge of some to pick up pitchforks & torches over some bit of code used by Debian, the project is important for the whole Linux community.
Given where I am & the rest of the world seems to be going I plan I giving to Debian & Libreoffice via the Software in the Public Interest website as soon as I get hired full time at my current job. I can't think of a much better cause in the free & open software world.
@42
I agree with most of your sentiments, but I really do enjoy LMDE & I know it also gives the Mint devs an excuse to do some cross distro development and increase the support of Cinnamon on straight Debian & other non-ubuntu distros.
@43
I've put some lower skilled PC users in front of KDE & it went quite swimmingly & I can say the same for Cinnamon. The reaction to some details about Gnome 3 on the other hand was as negative as mine & I tried not to bias them at all.
@44
Given where Ubuntu has gone with the desktop I think you've got a solid argument. On the other hand, my feelings toward the fool that decided 'Let's take the top of the line performance Caddy V-Series models & cut the performance' are quite strong regardless of my intention of buying a 200 MPH CTS-V. If you had half a brain you would build on the reputation earned by making widely praised 640 Hp sports sedans, not blow up the V brand by diluting it.
In that sense I see Linux Mint following their best path/brand & constantly improving on 'Linux for normal PC users'. As for Ubuntu, well it seems like a bit of an odd duck to me because they target average users, but make a UI that meets Windows & Mac at a weird middle ground. If they want the same users they should keep it similar as you said, but if they want more users I'm not sure that they are on the best path forward. To me Gnome 3 + has always looked very odd for a desktop UI & I can't see the advantage in switching to it if you want to appeal to the most potential users.
46 • responses... (by randomly generated entity on 2020-04-09 23:36:22 GMT from United States)
@43
Well, sure... the average dolt on the street has nary a clue as to what Linux is, but probably has used a Windows PC at some point in his/her life. Making Linux things easier for these casual users should be (IMHO) a goal of the most mainstream distros (Ubuntu) at least. Instead, these same distros insist on Gnome almost universally. It's the proverbial shooting of one's self in the foot...
I don't mind Xfce either, but it does take some doing to make the look/feel into something the non-geek can deal with. It's downright ugly if installed vanilla on, say, Arch or Slackware. Xubuntu does it well, as does MX, though that vertical panel really bothers me for some reason. I tend to make it KDE/Windows 7-like by putting one panel at the bottom and prettying it up with Numix circle icons. Thunar's nowhere near as nice as dolphin though, and several other KDE apps are superior to their Xfce or even Gnome equivalents.
@44
Yeah... but Kubuntu was also a thing, with a fair amount of even paid folks contributing. I get your point, but I still think that doing something closer to KDE would have been smarter. To me Ubuntu's role as the one distro that a non-geek might take the giant leap to actually try demands that it not be so flat-out alien-feeling to Windows refugees. Ubuntu/Gnome repels Windows users.
@45
I agree that Mint's middle ground approach is viable. Cinnamon is decidedly OK, in that it resembles a traditional desktop in most respects. I personally find the configuration (font sizes especially) to be a whole lot more arcane than Plasma, but that's probably just my decade-plus long devotion to KDE at work. First thing I do every point bump is play spot the changes in systemsettings5...
47 • Cinnamon vs KDE (by chavellas on 2020-04-10 13:57:57 GMT from Greece)
@46
"I personally find the configuration (font sizes especially) to be a whole lot more arcane than Plasma."
To me, KDE is more arcane than Cinnamon. Once, I made a mistake when I installed KDE on a friend's laptop, who wanted to abandon Windows. Icons on the desktop was a habit, which he couldn't escape from. This is the most natural thing for a Windows user, yet it was a nightmare to place shortcut icons on a KDE desktop. In the end, he got so frustrated that he went back to Windows.
In my opinion, Linux Mint's Cinnamon is Linux's attraction for ex-Windows users.
48 • @47: (by dragonmouth on 2020-04-10 14:40:52 GMT from United States)
It all depends on what you are used to. I, too, came from a Windows environment. However, I prefer not having icons on the desktop. Once you have more than 5 or 6 icons, things get confusing. At that point, I find it easier to use the Start menu.
49 • @47 (by randomly generated entity on 2020-04-10 17:45:29 GMT from United States)
As @48 says, it all depends on what you're used to or are able to discover from basic curiosity. Granted, knowing the difference between "Folder View" and "Desktop View" is less than intuitive, but once you know that the former lets you put all kinds of junk all over your desktop... Me? I'd rather put icons on the taskbar (icons-only variety) for all commonly used apps/projects and keep things neat.
Now, can somebody tell me an easy way to get the same size font in Cinnamon across the board? The menu is the one that always gets me. Cinnamon is a fine desktop though, and far less buggy than its initial release(s). I do think Mint could theme it up more attractively but to each their own. Nobody themes KDE to my liking either, it's just easier for me to gussy up quickly after so many years of doing so.
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| | • Issue 1093 (2024-10-21): Kubuntu 24.10, atomic vs immutable distributions, Debian upgrading Perl packages, UBports adding VoLTE support, Android to gain native GNU/Linux application support |
| • Issue 1092 (2024-10-14): FunOS 24.04.1, a home directory inside a file, work starts of openSUSE Leap 16.0, improvements in Haiku, KDE neon upgrades its base |
| • Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
| • Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
| • Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
| • Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
| • Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
| • Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
| • Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
| • Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
| • Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
| • Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
| • Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
| • Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
| • Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
| • Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
| • Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
| • Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
| • Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
| • Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
| • Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
| • Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
| • Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
| • Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
| • Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
| • Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
| • Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
| • Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
| • Issue 1065 (2024-04-08): Dr.Parted Live 24.03, answering questions about the xz exploit, Linux Mint to ship HWE kernel, AlmaLinux patches flaw ahead of upstream Red Hat, Calculate changes release model |
| • Issue 1064 (2024-04-01): NixOS 23.11, the status of Hurd, liblzma compromised upstream, FreeBSD Foundation focuses on improving wireless networking, Ubuntu Pro offers 12 years of support |
| • Issue 1063 (2024-03-25): Redcore Linux 2401, how slowly can a rolling release update, Debian starts new Project Leader election, Red Hat creating new NVIDIA driver, Snap store hit with more malware |
| • Issue 1062 (2024-03-18): KDE neon 20240304, changing file permissions, Canonical turns 20, Pop!_OS creates new software centre, openSUSE packages Plasma 6 |
| • Issue 1061 (2024-03-11): Using a PinePhone as a workstation, restarting background services on a schedule, NixBSD ports Nix to FreeBSD, Fedora packaging COSMIC, postmarketOS to adopt systemd, Linux Mint replacing HexChat |
| • Issue 1060 (2024-03-04): AV Linux MX-23.1, bootstrapping a network connection, key OpenBSD features, Qubes certifies new hardware, LXQt and Plasma migrate to Qt 6 |
| • Issue 1059 (2024-02-26): Warp Terminal, navigating manual pages, malware found in the Snap store, Red Hat considering CPU requirement update, UBports organizes ongoing work |
| • Issue 1058 (2024-02-19): Drauger OS 7.6, how much disk space to allocate, System76 prepares to launch COSMIC desktop, UBports changes its version scheme, TrueNAS to offer faster deduplication |
| • Issue 1057 (2024-02-12): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta, rolling release vs fixed for a smoother experience, Debian working on 2038 bug, elementary OS to split applications from base system updates, Fedora announces Atomic Desktops |
| • Issue 1056 (2024-02-05): wattOS R13, the various write speeds of ISO writing tools, DSL returns, Mint faces Wayland challenges, HardenedBSD blocks foreign USB devices, Gentoo publishes new repository, Linux distros patch glibc flaw |
| • Issue 1055 (2024-01-29): CNIX OS 231204, distributions patching packages the most, Gentoo team presents ongoing work, UBports introduces connectivity and battery improvements, interview with Haiku developer |
| • Issue 1054 (2024-01-22): Solus 4.5, comparing dd and cp when writing ISO files, openSUSE plans new major Leap version, XeroLinux shutting down, HardenedBSD changes its build schedule |
| • Issue 1053 (2024-01-15): Linux AI voice assistants, some distributions running hotter than others, UBports talks about coming changes, Qubes certifies StarBook laptops, Asahi Linux improves energy savings |
| • Issue 1052 (2024-01-08): OpenMandriva Lx 5.0, keeping shell commands running when theterminal closes, Mint upgrades Edge kernel, Vanilla OS plans big changes, Canonical working to make Snap more cross-platform |
| • Issue 1051 (2024-01-01): Favourite distros of 2023, reloading shell settings, Asahi Linux releases Fedora remix, Gentoo offers binary packages, openSUSE provides full disk encryption |
| • Issue 1050 (2023-12-18): rlxos 2023.11, renaming files and opening terminal windows in specific directories, TrueNAS publishes ZFS fixes, Debian publishes delayed install media, Haiku polishes desktop experience |
| • Issue 1049 (2023-12-11): Lernstick 12, alternatives to WINE, openSUSE updates its branding, Mint unveils new features, Lubuntu team plans for 24.04 |
| • Issue 1048 (2023-12-04): openSUSE MicroOS, the transition from X11 to Wayland, Red Hat phasing out X11 packages, UBports making mobile development easier |
| • Issue 1047 (2023-11-27): GhostBSD 23.10.1, Why Linux uses swap when memory is free, Ubuntu Budgie may benefit from Wayland work in Xfce, early issues with FreeBSD 14.0 |
| • Issue 1046 (2023-11-20): Slackel 7.7 "Openbox", restricting CPU usage, Haiku improves font handling and software centre performance, Canonical launches MicroCloud |
| • Issue 1045 (2023-11-13): Fedora 39, how to trust software packages, ReactOS booting with UEFI, elementary OS plans to default to Wayland, Mir gaining ability to split work across video cards |
| • Full list of all issues |
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| Random Distribution | 
Honeywall CDROM
Honeywall CDROM was a CentOS-based distribution with the goal of capturing the activities of cyber threats and analysing the captured data. It has a GUI-based interface for system configuration, administration, and data analysis, and supports the new 3.x branch of Sebek. The CD, release under the General Public License, was a product of the Honeynet Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the security of the Internet by providing cutting-edge research for free.
Status: Discontinued
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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!
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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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