DistroWatch Weekly |
Tip Jar |
If you've enjoyed this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, please consider sending us a tip. (Tips this week: 1, value: US$10.19) |
|
|
|
bc1qxes3k2wq3uqzr074tkwwjmwfe63z70gwzfu4lx lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7ampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7tnhv4kxctttdehhwm30d3h82unvwqhhxarpw3jkc7tzw4ex6cfexyfua2nr 86fA3qPTeQtNb2k1vLwEQaAp3XxkvvvXt69gSG5LGunXXikK9koPWZaRQgfFPBPWhMgXjPjccy9LA9xRFchPWQAnPvxh5Le paypal.me/distrowatchweekly • patreon.com/distrowatch |
|
Extended Lifecycle Support by TuxCare |
|
Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Firewall (by Jason on 2023-09-04 03:10:00 GMT from Australia)
Really you cant be serious, you don't think in 2023 we need a firewall for home computers. Wow this is the first step in any type on computer setup that anyone should do, please Enable your Firewall. Anyone that thinks that Linux is that secure it doesn't need a firewall is kidding themselves and are at serious risk of being hacked.
Hell even windows has one turned on by default, at least blocking incoming connections. You say most computers are safe as there sitting behind a router, home routers are notoriously one of the most un-secure devices on any given network.
2 • Don't need a firewall umm Really (by artytux on 2023-09-04 03:57:41 GMT from Australia)
If firewalls cause problems and are not needed why then do some Linux distros supply the firewall enabled when the distro is installed , a second line of defence in these times is not a wasted effort. If firewalls cause problems and are not needed why then do they maintain and upgrade them.
3 • Firewall (by M.Z. on 2023-09-04 04:25:42 GMT from United States)
Sometime in the past few years I remember feeling much more secure with my firewalls always enabled, because one of the few major bugs to hit Linux only hit users in a default config that didn't have a firewall enabled. I think it may have been Shellshock? Regardless I still turn on firewalls & recommend others do as well, whether they are just a desktop user like me or otherwise.
4 • Firewall (by Michael on 2023-09-04 05:20:03 GMT from Australia)
For a Linux machine sitting behind a properly configured home router, I think not running a firewall is a reasonable approach. However, the corporate world has long since given up the fantasy that a corporate firewall will protect their corporate network, since people will freely connect personal devices to the corporate network, or take their corporate device and connect it to other networks, then bring it back to the corporate network.
Many people now use laptops, and take them out of their (somewhat protected) home environment to other environments with Internet connectivity (mobile wireless, mobile hotspot, free Wi-Fi etc), and you're running a much greater risk without a firewall on the laptop.
For laptops running Windows, the risk is greater still.
5 • Agree host based firewall is uneeded (by JustawOpinion on 2023-09-04 05:47:18 GMT from Australia)
A firewall is only as useful is its configured to be. A better solution is to shut down externally open services that are unnecessary. NAT on your router will block traffic from the internet -> local unless you are port forwarding to allow it through.
In many cases firewall + AV can create a false sense of security for users
6 • PCLINUX (by Mike Sonic on 2023-09-04 06:10:33 GMT from United States)
PCLINUX is my RPM distro of choice; it just works well, it was a very easy and very fast install in my 9 year old i3 laptop. I have been using PCLINUX on and off since 2007, less the times I where I tried Mageia, Fedora, Gecko and openSuse; PCLINUX has worked the best in my equipment.
PCLINUX is a KDE distro first and XFCE second. MATE was a community DE incorporated into the distro. The distro has all the packages I need/use.
If I want to try out a DEB only package, currently I have .DEB in an i7 with MX and in an i5 running Mint LMDE and dual boot with Sparky. A close tie between MX and Mint. It all depends which DE one prefers; Cinnamon, Mate, Xforce or KDE plasma.
PCLINUX works very well with Dell minus the time I received equipment with a Xeon processor, it took long to load and slow to react.
My only real negative observation is with the description of the packages in Synaptic. Sometimes it is so poor that I question if I should install it.
7 • Firewall (by Dr.J on 2023-09-04 06:51:07 GMT from Germany)
a wrong question cannot get a right answer. The question about a firewall definitely falls short. A firewall is ultimately just one of many tools you can use to control what happens when you connect to the Internet. And that's what it's all about: control. Of course I don't want anyone to access my computer directly, but I also don't want anyone to do hardware fingerprinting, read IP and MAC addresses, profile my web searches, start phone-home attempts. I don't want programs to send release notes, crash logs or whatever to their home server without my consent, etc. In this respect... Should home users just turn on their Linux PC and go online? Definitely not. To that extent: I like my Whonix gateway - with firewall.
8 • ...a firewall? Yes. And some additional networks too. (by Udo Burghardt on 2023-09-04 06:51:30 GMT from Germany)
Several of the large service providers infiltrate a LAN as intense as they can. And having a multitude of IoT (Internet of Targets) "things" inside my one and only network at home is really a no-go. Such services often "need" to talk to the mothership. Often this mothership is in far Asia, but for me being in a European country the same is true for the US - I am looking at you, Google/Amazon/and-so-on.
A "firewall" on a local computer does not help improving this situation.
Personally I am able to segregate my networks at home into several of the same: I have a LAN for computers/laptops; I have a media-Network for streaming from e.g. Amazon Prime and using a so called "smart" TV; I have a DMZ for some services I want to reach from the outside. All in all there are nearly 10 networks in my house. They are isolated first, but of course I want to actually use the services living in them ;-) So to glue them together again I had to learn implementing routing and packet filtering.
What I hate as much as I can are CDNs (content delivery networks). It is simply impossible to allow the media-LAN to access only a few servers per service. There is no single Amazon-Prime streaming server. There is no single Microsoft-Update server. All are replaced by CDNs.
I've tried to build a whitelist for external service provider's servers, multiple times. Last time I gave up when I reached 16 MILLION(!) addresses in ~ 20 networks (in CIDR-notation) in approximately two hours of analyzing the outgoing connection requests. And that would be only the beginning. (And only the IPv4 setting, IPv6 doesn't make it easier.)
This approach (a whitelist) is just not feasible. I can not successfully limit connectivity of my "smart" TV and getting updates and streams. The result is that my large TV from LG is just physically disconnected from Ethernet - which is also a non-acceptable approach for most people.
9 • Problems with PCLINUX?!? (by Ennio on 2023-09-04 06:59:38 GMT from Netherlands)
Times change and here it is the very novel news that PCLINUX gives some grinding during the install process, whereas PCLINUXOS has always been - *for me* - a distribution "install and forget". It was the distro I used to check for alternatives to Elive in the usecase of the Enlightenment WM; in fact, there is a vibrant community offering many possibilities about WM in in the Community section. Jesse, it is true that PCLINUX starts conservative but you can see from their frontpage that you can install the heck out of the latest packages.
Kudos to the devs of discontinued Connectiva to give - maaany years ago - the APT solution for the then infamous RPM-hell.
Out of Topic - Last week I missed to point that Tiny Core Linux is THE small thingy to be portably installed on a 64MB penstick (if are there any left) to amaze your friends. In March they released version 14. And... Enter the Void is movie worth downloading, Void Linux was conceived in 2008, the film was released in 2009 and there might be that the devs didn't miss the chance. There is a thing I cannot find: one day I found a serie of pages where Void Linux was educating to the usage of command line tools, something like "a low-level command line program a day". Anyone knows?
10 • Properly configured firewall? (by Ennio on 2023-09-04 07:10:29 GMT from Netherlands)
@4 Householods connetc to the Internet via the modem/switch coming with the provider's box. Is not difficult to find news of compromised devices spreading spam or DDOS because of the blatant lack of security updates, while the provider and the manifacturer points finger at each other - if any, given that ignoring the whole issue is the norm. Life in a electronic gadgetry waste...
And, the heavens forbid, better not to know what kernel is used.
11 • PCLinuxOS (by TBS on 2023-09-04 09:02:12 GMT from Germany)
After adventures with SuSE 5.1, Gentoo, and Ubuntu, I've been using PCLinuxOS since 2007, beginning with KDE 1.9, and now looking forward to Plasma 6.0.
Sure, there were a few hiccups along the way, but solutions were quickly provided. And the efforts put into each stable rolling release were admirable. Many came to PCLinuxOS, mentioning easy installation, great hardware detection, and a very helpful community.
Under the guidance of Texstar, this has never changed. Thus, my commitment to this distro has never wavered.
12 • Firewalls (by MrPotatoHead on 2023-09-04 09:55:34 GMT from Australia)
>Firewalls, while an essential security tool on servers, rarely provide benefits (and often cause frustrations) for desktop users at home.
Dropping the ball on this one Jessie. tsk tsk tsk
Even if the firewall does not do that on a users home network, we always leave our home networks. So if you have a phone or laptop and taken outside, having a firewall running already on the deice WILL provide protection.
But you know what, people don't care about privacy or security. So it is a null question anyway.
13 • pclinuxos (by Rebecca on 2023-09-04 10:18:54 GMT from New Zealand)
I had been looking for an alternative to windows and stumbled across PCLinuxOS which seemed to work great. I tried various other distros but nothing came anywhere close to the ease of use and the great forum community that can solve any problems i came across.
14 • Firewall (by Tux Raider on 2023-09-04 11:16:31 GMT from United States)
yes, since Linux already has IPTables preinstalled i just add a rc.firewall script to /etc/rc.d/ (slackware) and add a stanza entry to rc.local to activate it every time the system boots up,
15 • Firewalls (by Jesse on 2023-09-04 11:39:13 GMT from Canada)
@1, @12:
"Anyone that thinks that Linux is that secure it doesn't need a firewall is kidding themselves and are at serious risk of being hacked"
This is true only if you are running network services which accept connections from any IP address. If you don't have any active network ports listening for connection, then a firewall won't do anything to help you.
I don't need a firewall on my phone or laptop for example because there are no open network ports to defend.
16 • PClinuxOS (by kc1di on 2023-09-04 11:44:36 GMT from United States)
I have a fond spot in my memory of PCLinuxOS and still keep a usb drive with it burn on it. I use other Distros and enjoy them but for some reason PClinusOS has always been a go to Distro when I need a quick and easy install. It's never failed to produce a good result. Though sudo is not installed by default it can be install and set up. The community around this distro is great and it will be used here whenever I feel the need to have a quick install that just works. Enjoy the reviewed.
17 • firewall needs (by MikeOh Shark on 2023-09-04 12:03:31 GMT from United States)
Several posters have mentioned the possibility that you will connect your portable device to someone elses's network so you need a firewall.
I try to make my firewall as tight as possible because I also don't trust my router manufacturer. They haven't had an update in awhile and all consumer companies disclaim all liability and tell you there is only a limited support before they expect you to buy a new one.
My goal is to have the firewall so tight that I can connect my cable modem directly to the laptop if I need to bypass the router temporarily for test purposes.
18 • PCLinuxOS (by ChrisR on 2023-09-04 12:48:45 GMT from United States)
I have been using this distro for years. Extremely dependable and the community support is the best. It is one of the few distros remaining that does not use systemd. I appreciate it so much that I make a voluntary monthly contribution to try to help keep it going.
As to the poster with the issues about the firewall, PCLinuxOS has the ability to run one very easily. Jesse above has it correct. If you are competent enough to open ports then you should be able to easily accomplish any firewall protection you need in PCLinuxOS.
I would recommend anyone use this distro in general. Many choices as to desktop environment and there are quite a few ISOs created by the community. Take a look and I think you will like it.
19 • PCLinuxOS (by K J Petrie on 2023-09-04 13:02:29 GMT from United Kingdom)
I moved to this distro from Mandriva in early 2007 after a contact pointed out it was rolling release and does not need regular reinstalling. I have had to reinstall from a standard ISO just twice - once in 2009 before Texstar learned how to build the toolchain from scratch to make it a standard upgrade, and a second time in 2012 to migrate from 32-bit to 64. Since then I have kept the same installation going except when messing something up required a reinstall from my own remaster, which restores the system to the last time I upgraded my USB backup, so is still derived from that 2012 install.
PCLinuxOS is stable, reasonably up-to-date, and stays that way if upgraded via Synaptic on a regular basis.
Unless you need an exotic piece of software not in the repository and can't find a way to install it yourself, PCLInuxOS is a good choice for a typical desktop user.
20 • PCLinuxOS (by dragonmouth on 2023-09-04 13:15:40 GMT from United States)
PCLinuxOS has been my daily driver for at least 10 years. Never had problems installing it or running it that I did not cause myself. I have used pretty much all the desktop versions (official and community) available. I did automatic installs, manual installs and installs to preconfigured partitions. One install I never did is in a Virtual Box.
"...modern package manager..." In comparison to Synaptic's capabilities/features, I find "modern package managers" woefully limited. Yes, they look pretty and provide useless features such as User Ratings but will not do everything in one execution. Form rather than function.
If you are so enamored with Flatpaks, you can always install FlatHub using Synaptic. :-) I have never used Flatpaks and do not plan to. They, like systemd, is something that Red Hat (IBM) is pushing to gain control of Linux.
21 • PCLinuxOS (by newmikey on 2023-09-04 13:46:03 GMT from Germany)
I ran PCLInuxOS as my daily driver for over 12 years and still have no hesitation in recommending it to first-time or more advanced Linux users. Even though I have long since moved to Manjaro (because of reasons...) I still keep a live version on a Ventoy USB stick to run now and then. I also keep following the PCLinuxOS forum which is one of the nicest and most helpful communities I know.
22 • PCLinuxOS (by Alie on 2023-09-04 14:03:04 GMT from United Kingdom)
I love this distro, It just works for me, no issues personally, the new installer is a great step forward. I like it so much that I've been building community respins featuring Trinity and Openbox since 2016. There isn't anything that could make me swap. The forum is informal and friendly where any questions asked will get an answer.
23 • Exploits Without Firewall? (by Cackle Dan on 2023-09-04 14:23:39 GMT from Canada)
Honest questions:
Are there any current or past exploits of a desktop Linux machine that is not running any network services that would allow a bad actor to infiltrate or take control of the machine?
Can a firewall prevent browser fingerprinting?
How does a firewall protect your privacy while surfing the web?
24 • Exploits without firewall (by Jesse on 2023-09-04 14:31:32 GMT from Canada)
@23: "Are there any current or past exploits of a desktop Linux machine that is not running any network services that would allow a bad actor to infiltrate or take control of the machine?"
Probably not take control of a machine, but some remote attacks can still be disruptive. In the past some operating systems have been vulnerable to network attacks which didn't involve network services (ie the machine had no open ports), but those attacks would also usually work through normal firewall rules too. Things like ping attacks, for example. Those usually won't take over a machine, but might disrupt network activity or knock the machine off-line. Since pings often aren't filtered by normal firewall rules some of these will work, regardless of whether a default firewall is enabled or not. Windows 95, for example, would crash if sent a "ping of death".
However, apart form some very specific cases where pings could disrupt a kernel, there usually aren't any attacks that will remotely crash or take over a remote OS unless it is running a network service. In other words, if there is nothing running which can be attacked, then it doesn't matter if a firewall is in the way, because there is nothing to exploit.
"Can a firewall prevent browser fingerprinting?"
No, not at all.
"How does a firewall protect your privacy while surfing the web?"
It doesn't. A firewall filters out network traffic, usually from coming into your computer from remote, untrusted sources. When you're surfing the web you're opening a connection to the outside world and voluntarily sending data. A firewall doesn't come into play.
25 • PCLinuxOS (by Otis on 2023-09-04 14:32:24 GMT from United States)
I hung that up years ago even as an experimental ("distro hopping") choice several years ago when I saw what was going in in the forums at their site. There was a core of folks who got along fine with each other, it appeared, but newbies or people who asked questions some thought were dumb or otherwise unworthy of attention were not treated so nicely.
I have no need for such a "community." I've since seen users post here and there that the forums at PCLinuxOS helped them and were user friendly, so perhaps there's been a shift in attitude or moderators, etc. The one response to me that really pushed me over the cliff was "google is your friend" when I asked about having an audio issue with the distro.
The distro itself seemed okay, but something "heavy" about it, maybe clunky is a better word, as compared to others of the day (and as compared to MX Linux and many others now days I'm sure, but I don't know as I've moved on).
26 • PCLinux OS (by exploder on 2023-09-04 14:48:25 GMT from United States)
I have always liked Texstar's work and the community surrounding it. PCLinux OS is the only rolling release I would ever use. It is built exactly the way the community expects it to be and their are user's that have installs that have been running for years without issue. Texstar participates in the forum and I like his sense of humor! It's a solid rolling release with a terrific community!
27 • No firewall? Are you nuts? (by tom joad on 2023-09-04 14:56:47 GMT from Germany)
About the first thing I setup on a new install is setup a firewall. And like @17 I crank it down as much as I dare. If there are issues I walk it back some. I do the same think with my NAT.
To me it seems like good old common sense.
As for Hurd, I ain't never heard of no Hurd so I guess I don't need it.
28 • PCLinuxOS (by cdquarles on 2023-09-04 14:57:34 GMT from United States)
I love this distro. I didn't do much distro hopping a couple of decades ago. Most didn't work well for me. When I started looking at Linux again a couple of years ago, I ran across PCLinuxOS. It just worked. I subsequently rebuilt my computer and switched from legacy BIOS to EFI. The distro just worked. In my opinion, if you are ditching Windows to get into Linux, I highly recommend PCLinuxOS.
29 • firewalls (by Mark E on 2023-09-04 15:02:14 GMT from United Kingdom)
I'm pretty sure Jesse is correct in what he says about firewalls. I used to block incoming traffic with UFW, but as my desktop doesn't run network-accessible services, I don't bother anymore. No open TCP ports = no attack surface, unless I'm mistaken?
30 • PCLinuxOS (by COGwatcher on 2023-09-04 16:19:44 GMT from United States)
I have several Lenovo Thinkpads and have personally used the Thinkpad T-series and L-series exclusively since 2007. The Thinkpad series has traditionally been a very Linux friendly line of laptops. I was able to install PCLinuxOS from a DVD on almost all of them except for my current Thinkpad T490 and my test Thinkpad L430. I even tried 5 PCL releases going back to 2019. Only the 2019 edition installed on the T490 from a DVD but I could not change the display resolution which was stuck at 1020X1920, way too small for my old eyes.
So unless I want to go with UEFI, which I don't, I will pass on using PCLinuxOS for the foreseeable future. It was really good in its heyday but no more. Through the years I have always had problems with installing or using PCL. Most other distros installed just fine from a DVD on my T490, including Fedora 38/37, LMDE5, Debian, Sparky, MX Linux, etc. It seems that more and more distros are going with installs using USB Flash Drive/EFI mode only.
31 • PCLinuxOS (by David on 2023-09-04 16:41:55 GMT from United Kingdom)
Yet another satisfied user! I'm not one of the long-term users, but a refugee from CentOS. The rolling release model means that I don't have the regular upheavals that one gets from distros like Debian, whilst it's conservatism mean that I don't need the repair skills that I'd need for Arch.
As for Snap and Flatpack, many consider them a mindless imitation of Windows. Snap is difficult to use without systemd and it is blocked by Linux Mint for being too much controlled by Canoncal.
Incidentally, the combination of apt and rpm is not unique to PCLinuxOS: it's also found in two enterprise-class distros which most English speakers won't know — the Russian ALT and the Japanese Vine.
32 • PCLinuxOS (by kalwisti on 2023-09-04 17:06:29 GMT from United States)
PCLinuxOS has been my primary distro since 2007. Although I've distro-hopped some, PCLinuxOS has never been wiped from my hard drive/SSD. As an "average" desktop user, this distro has all the packages I need for my daily work. IMHO its advantages are: stability; the friendly, helpful community (including Texstar's regular presence in the user forum to assist with problem solving); its independence (freedom from Systemd, not being "based on" any other distro); and its semi-rolling release model without succumbing to the "bright and shiny" syndrome.
Although some think of PCLinuxOS as being KDE-centric, its other DE releases are also of high quality. I've tried all of them at some point: MATE, Xfce, LXQt, Trinity DE and even Openbox. (I've mainly been using the LXQt Community Release since 2021).
I would disagree with Jesse's impression that PCLinuxOS is somehow 'stagnant' or reluctant to adopt new ways of doing things. The "mylive-install" GUI installer is brand new as of July 2023. (It still has some glitches to work out with regard to automated partitioning, as Jesse experienced. Manual partitioning works perfectly). Texstar is revamping the PCLinuxOS Control Center; he shared a proof-of-concept video in the user forum showing how he might adjust the tool's functionality. Updated kernels are provided regularly for users who wish to upgrade.
There is a list of custom GUI utilities specifically written for PCLinuxOS, that is available at:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,143298.0.html
I think that PCLinuxOS is not as well-known as some larger distros because it is community-driven and has no wealthy corporate sponsors. Due to its rolling model, there are no 'major releases' to garner publicity in the Linux press. However, I am very grateful that it exists. New users willing to search and discover PCLinuxOS will experience that it provides a comfortable and safe Linux home.
33 • The Linux Shop (by Otis on 2023-09-04 17:26:14 GMT from United States)
Congratulations on setting up a relationship with https://thelinuxshop.co.uk/ as a way to allow easier access to Linux install media. The blurb about it in the Website News area here was a pleasant surprise to see.
34 • PCLinuxOS (by Pablo on 2023-09-04 18:06:53 GMT from United States)
I've been using PCLinuxOS since 2007, after "distro hopping" for a while. I started with Ubuntu, then moved to Kubuntu, tried Lubuntu, OpenSuse, and countless other distros who's memory is lost to time. PCLinuxOS. Just. Works. It has always recognized my hardware when the "other" distros would not. It has always been extremely stable, while maintaining a good amount of "leading edge" packages in its repository. There are exceptionally few Linux distros out there where you have total access to its founder, and in this case, it's Texstar. He will jump into an issue and offer up his wisdom on how to fix the problem at hand. I have stuck with PCLinuxOS ever since stumbling upon it. The PCLinuxOS community is second to none, with helpful and cheerful friends willing to do whatever they can to help you with whatever issue you may be having. PCLinuxOS is a rolling distro, so users can keep their installation going as long as they keep it updated regularly. PCLinuxOS is also systemd free ... THANK GAWD! Systemd was a good idea when it was "just" a replacement for the Linux init system, but then, like Hydra from Greek mythology, it just kept growing new heads and invading non-init portions of Linux. Thank you very much, but I'll take my Hydra-free version of Linux any day of the week, by sticking with PCLinuxOS.
35 • PCLinuxOS (by K J Petrie on 2023-09-04 19:03:52 GMT from United Kingdom)
Before anyone tries to point out the obvious in a disparaging way, anyone who compares the code will see that mylive-install is a much-adapted fork of Debian's live-install. It's new to PCLinuxOS, replacing the older Mandrake-derived draklive-install, Yes, it still needs a few tweaks, especially for reinstalls of existing systems, but is good for installing new systems already, which is its main purpose.
As for the forum, it is helpful and friendly. When problems arise with newcomers they usually have one of two causes:
1. Someone with an "entitled" attitude forgetting Linux is a self-help system and treating it as if it were a consumer product, or
2. Forum members (including moderators sometimes) forgetting a newcomer on a first post might not be familiar with their sense of humour or a running joke from other areas of the forum.
The second one is sad when it happens, but no harm is intended by those who slip up.
36 • BSD Server Uptime (by PhantomTramp on 2023-09-04 19:22:22 GMT from United States)
Here's a nickel, now go buy yourself a real operating system.
The Tramp
37 • Firewall (by John on 2023-09-04 19:50:04 GMT from Canada)
If the Desktop is the only system connected to the ISP Router, then yes I agree. This assumes your ISP patches your router for you. Where I am, you are lucky the ISP even knows what the default settings are in the router they supplied you. So I have a firewall up and running on my desktop.
38 • PCLinuxOS (by Andreas on 2023-09-04 19:54:01 GMT from Germany)
I've been using PCLinuxOS on all my family's computers since 2010 and I really love the rolling release politics.
The system has always been stable on my 'business' labeled, usually refurbished ThinkPads, Dell, or HP machines.
The forum has always been helpful and friendly and it seems that few people have ever left the forum (and thus the distro) since I have joined 13 years ago. It's a nice bunch of people and one gets a feeling of "home" on the forum.
The new installer that will install the system in your chosen language right away instead of having to run a localization tool after the install. This will make it a bit easier for non-english speakers. Generally, speaking English is a plus, but not a must for using PCLinuxOS.
So, if you're looking for a straightforward, easy to use, maybe easy-to-switch-to-from-Windows distro, PCLinuxOS is the #1 choice.
39 • HURD (by Hurd on 2023-09-04 19:54:21 GMT from Canada)
It is one of those things, like the BSDs, were would we be now if HURD was ready before Linux was started.
It would be a very different world I believe, by now HURD would probably be under some kind of GPL3. Makes you wonder if Companies would have gotten behind HURD like they did with Linux.
40 • PCLinuxOS 64 (by Bobbie Sellers on 2023-09-04 21:36:53 GMT from United States)
Well I started by using Mandriva in about 2006. For several years I supported this distribution and then in 2011 the paid for iso file could not be usuably installed on the machines I had then. I had the advantage that as a librarian for a LUG I tried lots of distros as they came out. I liked Mageia but trying to run in a dual-boot situation came up with problems as Windows does not tell you when they are doing kernel updates which mess up the Linux startup coding. So I had tried PCLinuxOS earlier and when they had mastered uefi and GTP I came back to it in 2016 and have been using it since. The Forum is terrific reminding both of the old Usenet groups where I learned to use an Amiga and the BBSes of the day which I frequented.. KDE has been very flexible allowing to roughly imitate the old Amiga Workbench.
Recently got a Used(very lightly), Refurbished Dell Precision 7730 6 cores advanced graphics for <$500. Installing PCLinuxOS was not as easy because we have a brand new tool for assigning partitions. For various reasons I tried to keep the Windows install but It proved incompatible with my intentions and as soon as I gave the machine the whole disk PCLinuxOS went right on with few problems since.
bliss - Dell Precision E7730- PCLinuxOS 64- Linux 6.4.14- KDE Plasma 5.27.7
41 • PCLinuxOS (by bluebird on 2023-09-04 22:06:32 GMT from United States)
Been using PCLOS with XFCE4 for over a year, for remote work and leisure, it's been awesome on my HP laptop from 2012. No issues with drivers, no issues with OpenVPN/Wireguard, and most of all the forum is a jewel. Have any problems? Something to share or celebrate? Go and make a new topic!
42 • PCLinuxOS (by Keltonix on 2023-09-05 05:06:45 GMT from United States)
In my opinion, PCLinuxOS is a "newbie's paradise" Linux distribution because:
(01) PCLinuxOS Forum denizens are generally treated well by the PCLinuxOS maintainers (and other forum members)
(02) Are given lots of tips about acquiring, installing, configuring, and personlizing PCLinuxOS.
For instance . . . We've been told how to set aside some RAM (for those of us who have loads of RAM) to use as "/tmp" to help reduce the amount of R/W cycles to/from our SSDs.
How to properly use "su -" (rather than "su" or "sudo").
(03) Forewarned about important changes and events that are about to happen to PCLinuxOS.
(04) Our esteemed distro-leader and friends work hard to keep the PCLinuxOS kernel up-to-date.
(05) Our esteemed distro-leader and friends work hard to incorporate all the most recent KDE Plasma and other Desktop Environment elements into the various spins of PCLinuxOS.
43 • PCL & fw (by grindstone on 2023-09-05 07:10:22 GMT from United States)
PCLOS has always filled an important space to aid users considering moving to linux because it fosters the feeling that the user is in control and because it just works (tm).
And +1 on the firewall comments--I think you're missing one, Jesse. Yes, it's always convenience tradeoffs, but...layers.
44 • Hurd is a toy (by Aqua on 2023-09-05 11:09:03 GMT from United States)
A few years ago I installed Hurd in a virtual machine. after I run the "apt update" command, the kernel panic and reboots, and even causes filesystem corruption. Hurd has been in development for decades, but so far there are many problems. Without Linus, BSD would have replaced Linux as it is now, because GNU could not develop a working OS kernel.
45 • PCLinuxOS, APT-RPM and Synaptic (by linux_kde on 2023-09-05 11:30:35 GMT from Brazil)
It is unusual to see "apt" and Synaptic in an RPM-distro, but note that we are talking on "APT-RPM", developed by Conectiva Linux, before it joined Mandrake and become "Mandriva" - and Synaptic was a Conectiva GUI frontend to its "APT-RPM".
Now, I use to manage packages mainly with CLI commands, in most of my distros, but I still prefer Synaptic in DEB-distros and in PCLinuxOS, because it is the best GUI tool I have ever found for this. Synaptic is just powerful and fully reliable. - Yes, I (still) don't use Flatpak, Snapd or AppImage.
Unhappily, I got late to Linux and lost the chance to try Mandrake, which was the most user-friendly distro back in early 2000's. So, I have PCLinuxOS and Mageia in my hardware.
PCLinuxOS' Control Center (PCC) and Mageia's Control Center (MCC) really deal with the "system" (as YasT2 in openSUSE), while "KDE System Settings" deals with DE's options. - Indeed, this name "system settings" is not the best name that KDE could find.
As people said here, PCLinuxOS Forum is the best thing that every user could find. The distro's team takes care of the distro's users. I could compare it with MX Linux' Forum and Mint Forum - each one, for a different users' profile.
46 • Debian Hurd in Gnome Boxes (by Tim on 2023-09-05 12:01:35 GMT from United Kingdom)
Every setup is different but on my laptop with MX LinuxEebian Hurd ran in a couple of clicks in Gnome Boxes, logged in with root and no password and goes to some sort of desktop with startx. Doesn't seem very useable for me though and I'm not brainy enough to play with it.
47 • Stable, rock solid PCLinuxOS (by Cat on 2023-09-05 13:22:44 GMT from Switzerland)
If you wanna break your machine, lose your work, or have a bloated system, just follow the author's advice and install a distro that "moves with the latest trends"! I did that and broke my system... that's what the big corporations want you to do, to become a lab rat to test new "trends" and, once they become stable, they'll release them through their *paid* Linux distros. Mine - PCLinuxOS - is as stable and rock solid as an enterprise Linux system, it's constantly updated, has a fantastic support through its forum, and all for free. But if you want, go ahead and install one of those distros that "adopt new ways of doing things." But when your system breaks (and it will), it's too late, and then you'll understand why large organizations and experienced Linux users prefer stable and "conservative" distros!
48 • Stable, rock solid PCLinuxOS (by Cat on 2023-09-05 13:22:44 GMT from Switzerland)
If you wanna break your machine, lose your work, or have a bloated system, just follow the author's advice and install a distro that "moves with the latest trends"! I did that and broke my system... that's what the big corporations want you to do, to become a lab rat to test new "trends" and, once they become stable, they'll release them through their *paid* Linux distros.
Mine - PCLinuxOS - is as stable and rock solid as an enterprise Linux system, it's constantly updated, has a fantastic support through its forum, and all for free.
But if you want, go ahead and install one of those distros that "adopt new ways of doing things." But when your system breaks (and it will), it's too late, and then you'll understand why large organizations and experienced Linux users prefer stable and "conservative" distros! ;-)
49 • @44 GNU developers (by Andy Prough on 2023-09-05 15:48:46 GMT from United States)
>"Without Linus, BSD would have replaced Linux as it is now, because GNU could not develop a working OS kernel."
The GNU developers jumped in and contributed a lot of the early development work in and around the Linux kernel. Within the first 2-3 months Linus changed the license to the GPL in order to conform to the needs of the GNU project, as you can see from his kernel 0.12 release notes.
GNU Hurd was still an infant project when the Linux kernel was released, having begun initial attempts at development just a few months before initial development of Linus's kernel. So it was natural for the GNU developers to choose one kernel to prioritize for support (Linux), and for the other kernel to then languish for lack of development (Hurd).
50 • Linux for Newbies (by why-oh-why on 2023-09-05 16:06:35 GMT from Netherlands)
Newbies should avoid PCLOS and XFCE4 at any price. PCLOS could be compared to MX Linux—if someone can somehow make some wrong preset, there's where you'll find it. As for XFCE4, there is only 1 (one) single good reason why XFCE4 shouldn't be deleted for good—Azenis.
https://postimg.cc/qg5QXMgr https://postimg.cc/v1ht1GCp https://postimg.cc/67MCWYvK
I've been using Fedora with Gnome for basically a decade for remote work and leisure, and it's been awesome on my Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13s Ultrabook 360° touchscreen laptop from 2012. There are no issues with drivers, no issues with upgrades, and most of all, one doesn't even need to look for help in some forums. It just works. Have any problems? Something to share or celebrate? Go and make a new topic!
51 • Still there (by Friar Tux on 2023-09-05 17:55:16 GMT from Canada)
@50 (why-oh-why) In case you're interested you can get "Azenis" for GTK3 on GitHub by Aravisian. It will also be good with XFCE4. Aravisian has a bunch of really good themes there. Hope it's OK to mention this here.
52 • home routers (by sweethome on 2023-09-05 19:32:42 GMT from Germany)
@17 "...I also don't trust my router manufacturer. They haven't had an update in awhile and all consumer companies disclaim all liability and tell you there is only a limited support before they expect you to buy a new one."
Do you already know openwrt? (openwrt.org) It is a free firmware that can be used for many home routers.
I don't know about other countries, but in Germany you don't have to use the home router provided by the isp. Everyone can decide for themselves which device should be used, full compatibility must of course be available.
53 • PCLinuxOS (by John Cate on 2023-09-06 08:02:11 GMT from United States)
"if something isn't broke, then they don't fix it"
That's completely accurate. And that is a virtue, not a cause for criticism. Anything I want to run PCLOS on, I can install it and it WILL work, first time, every time. You're not the first person to report it not playing nice with VMs, but it always works with real hardware, and I've probably installed it on about 20 different chipsets over the years.
I rely heavily on my PCs for both work and for entertainment, and at work I have tight deadlines and can't be bothered with a computer running some new "feature" messing up. No, just give me old reliable PCLinuxOS instead. Never failed me once!
54 • Home Firewalls (by Woodstock69 on 2023-09-06 08:10:55 GMT from Australia)
For those doubting Jesse, check your system / firewall with "Shield's Up!" from Steve Gibson Research - grc.com
Satisfy yourself with the results. Turn your firewall off then check again.
I've got SSH and network shares setup for my home network. All connections to the internet are "Stealth" according to Shields Up.
I do however use PortMaster. Not because I'm worried about incoming connections, but because I don't want outgoing leaks. The above results are with PortMaster off by the way.
It's not the incoming connections you need to worry about per se. It's the reverse shells you might allow due to suspect emails, attachments, or software you run.
55 • Firewalls (by picamanic on 2023-09-06 13:49:25 GMT from United Kingdom)
I am sure you are right in what you say. Still, I remember the first time I used the internet with Redhat 6.0 in [I think] 1999/2000, connecting with a slow dialup modem. I don't think I was even using a web browser at the time. And yet, I watched as my computer was taken over by a route kit, which was replacing the commands that would ultimately allow it to be seen. Then I unplugged the computer!
I later discovered that the rootkit was famous for attacking corporate servers, but in those days they were the computers running Unix/Linux.
At the time, I had not heard about Firewalls. Since then, I always the best firewall I can find. Since then zero malware. 23 years wasting my time installing firewalls. Silly me!
56 • GNU Hurd (by Klaus Schilling on 2023-09-08 00:02:03 GMT from Germany)
I would use GNU Hurd if there was a documented way to install it with Suckeless or OpenBSD-like userland on top.
57 • PCLinuxOS and Wicd (by Matheus on 2023-09-08 21:51:00 GMT from Brazil)
Recently, in my work environment, I had to use a laptop with PCLinuxOS preinstalled. This computer was located outdoor and receiving such a weak RF signal, that I lost the Wi-Fi connection dozens of times within just a couple of hours... So I got crazy about it and immediately replaced the buggy NetworkManager with the reliable Wicd. Since then, NO MORE Wi-Fi CONNECTION FAILURES.
And now, this is my suggestion to TexStar: Forget the stupid newbie-friendliness. Bring Wicd back (in lieu of NetworkManager), for the sake of MY sanity!
Number of Comments: 57
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 1095 (2024-11-04): Fedora 41 Kinoite, transferring applications between computers, openSUSE Tumbleweed receives multiple upgrades, Ubuntu testing compiler optimizations, Mint partners with Framework |
• Issue 1094 (2024-10-28): DebLight OS 1, backing up crontab, AlmaLinux introduces Litten branch, openSUSE unveils refreshed look, Ubuntu turns 20 |
• 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 |
• 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 |
• 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 |
Penguin Sleuth Bootable CD
Containing many useful tools, Penguin Sleuth was an adapted version of the Knoppix Linux Live CD. It includes tools that are useful when performing a forensic computer analysis.
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.
|
|