 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 1037, 18 September 2023 |
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Welcome to this year's 38th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
There is a sea of Linux distributions in the world, a vast collection of closely related operating systems which offer different approaches, interfaces, release cycles, and package management tools. In this haystack of distributions it can be difficult to find the right needle for your needs. This week, in our Questions and Answers column, we talk about locating distributions with specific characteristics and how to unify software management. First though, we explore the Bodhi Linux distribution, a lightweight Ubuntu-based project featuring the Enlightenment window manager. Joshua Allen Holm talks about Bodhi and his impressions of this high performance distribution in our Feature Story. Then, in our News section, we talk about Fedora upgrading its version of KDE Plasma as the developers consider switching Plasma to offering Wayland sessions only. We also talk about the Zevenet distribution being discontinued in favour of two new project forks while openSUSE introduces a new, slowly rolling branch of its distribution. In our Opinion Poll this week we would like to hear how many of our readers actively engage in beta testing new versions before their final release. Let us know about which distributions, if any, you beta test. 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!
This week's DistroWatch Weekly is presented by TUXEDO Computers.
Content:
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| Feature Story (By Joshua Allen Holm) |
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0
Bodhi Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution that is based on Ubuntu. The latest release, version 7.0.0, is built on top of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Bodhi features the Moksha desktop environment, which is a fork of the Enlightenment 17 window manager.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 currently has three images available for download. Each of the three ISOs is approximately 1.3GB and comes with almost identical software, except for the version of the Linux kernel. The Standard image comes with Linux 5.15, the HWE (Hardware Enablement) version comes with Linux 6.2, and the s76 version comes with Linux 6.4.6. I briefly tried out all three versions as live desktops and the only issue I had was that the s76 image required turning off Secure Boot, which the other two images did not require. A fourth image, called AppPack, is forthcoming; this image will come with more software preinstalled.
Because the kernel in the Standard image was modern enough to work well with my hardware, I opted to use that version as the basis for this review. Everything covered in this review with be applicable to any of the three versions, but the two versions not tested have the additional benefit of having the kernel version updated whenever there is a new Ubuntu HWE kernel or, in the case of the s76 version, for every new kernel version.
Installing Bodhi Linux 7.0.0
Booting from the flash drive to which I copied the Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 Standard image brought up a live desktop environment. The first things that appeared were screens asking me to select the language and keyboard layouts. They both had English preselected, but only the first screen had the selection English visible on screen. One the second screen, I had to scroll to see that English was preselected. Minor issue aside, after making selections on both screens, the live desktop loaded and everything was ready to go.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The live desktop
(full image size: 1.1MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
The installer for Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is Ubiquity, which is the same installer used by Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Aside from superficial colour changes because of theming, the only difference between Ubuntu 22.04's and Bodhi 7.0.0's installation process is the info screens that describe Bodhi instead of Ubuntu. The installation process is the same standard prompts found in almost all Linux installers.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Ubiquity installer
(full image size: 755kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Despite the installer being the standard Ubiquity installation experience, I did experience one odd issue that I have never experienced before when installing Ubuntu or any of the other Ubuntu-based distributions. Bodhi's installer really did not seem to like it when the background process for updating the APT repository package information was taking too long. If I connected to Wi-Fi before running the installer, the installer would not launch or eventually fail with a not very useful error message. If I waited until I was sure that the APT cache was fully updated, or if I did not connect to Wi-Fi until the installer prompted me to do so, I had a much smoother experience.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Installer error
(full image size: 881kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
The Moksha Desktop
Moksha is what sets Bodhi apart from other Linux distributions. While Moksha can be installed on other distributions (though the instructions for doing so often involve compiling from source), Bodhi is Moksha's "home" distribution. Moksha is developed for Bodhi and is what makes Bodhi what it is.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Moksha desktop
(full image size: 1.3MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Moksha's goal is to be light and customizable. According to Bodhi Linux's Moksha Guide, Moksha "straddles the line between a window manager and a desktop environment." Moksha is lighter than GNOME, KDE Plasma, and the like, while providing more options than a simple window manager.
When using Debian 12's default GNOME desktop on this same hardware, the memory usage with no applications running is about 1,400MB. Moksha on Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, uses about 400MB total. On this particular hardware the saving of a gigabyte of RAM is not super important for general computing tasks, but it is still welcome.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Activate Presentation Mode prompt
(full image size: 1.1MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Being light does not mean that Moksha is lacking in features. In fact, there is one feature I wish I had when running other desktop environments. When I was waiting for the installer to complete its task, the screen had started fading out, so I woke up the screen by moving the mouse. Because I did this within seconds of it fading to black, I was asked if I wanted to turn on presentation mode to stop the system from sleeping.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Moksha Settings panel
(full image size: 542kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Moksha, like most software projects, has the occasion rough edge, but nothing was completely lacking. The basic layout of the Moksha desktop is familiar enough for anyone who has used a standard taskbar at the bottom of the screen with an application menu on the left and sundry utilities on the right of the graphical user interface. The number of customization options might overwhelm some, but those options can just be ignored. Overall, Moksha is a functional desktop with enough features to make it usable, but not necessary enough to place it ahead of other desktop environments.
Default software selection
Minimalist by design, Bodhi Linux 7.0 does not come with a lot of software. The notable preinstalled software includes the Chromium web browser, Ephoto image viewer, Leafpad text editor, Terminology terminal emulator, and Thunar file manager. Aside from various control panels or programs for installing software packages, that is an almost exhaustive list of the graphical applications preinstalled with Bodhi Linux 7.0.0.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Terminology with visual bell
(full image size: 800kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
There is not a lot there, but what is included is nice. I rather liked Terminology, especially the visual terminal bell. Everything that is there is functional and (at least for the most part) light. It would have been nice to have a lighter PDF viewer installed by default instead of relying on the one built into Chromium, but it is easy enough to install a PDF viewer.
Installing additional software
Because Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, there is plenty of software in the repositories. Additional packages can be installed using the apt command in the terminal, or using a few graphical options. The first graphical option is the curated Bodhi AppCenter, which is actually part of the Bodhi Linux website and opens in the web browser. Selecting an application from the AppCenter opens an apturl window asking to install the program. A more robust graphical option is to use the Synaptic package manger, which lists all the available packages. Lastly, there is a specialized installer for installing (or removing) one of ten web browsers (Brave, Chrome, Chromium, Falkon, Firefox, Opera, Palemoon, Slimjet, Vivaldi, and Waterfox).
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The AppCenter
(full image size: 159kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
While most packages do come from the Ubuntu 22.04 repositories, Bodhi does add its own repository with some packages and a couple of personal package archives (PPAs) for NVIDIA legacy drivers and Firefox. That means that Firefox is a standard Deb package, not a Snap, and both Firefox's standard and ESR versions are available.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Web Browser Manager
(full image size: 649kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Final thoughts
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is a nice, light Linux distribution. By design, there is not a lot of preinstalled software, but the Bodhi AppCenter does provide a nice curated selection of recommended software. While my own personal preference for a desktop Linux ISO is for it to come bundled with a complete selection of preinstalled applications, and there is a forthcoming version of Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 that will do just that (the AppPack image), I can appreciate the minimalist approach taken by the currently available Bodhi images. Lightness and minimalism are Bodhi's defining features and it does what it sets out to do and does it well. Having to install all the applications post-install is not for everyone, but for those who wish to go that route, Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is a solid choice for a starting point from which to customize the application selection.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a System76 Meerkat with the following specifications:
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Core i5-10210U @ 1.60GHz
- Storage: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 250GB
- Memory: 16GB of RAM
- Networking: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (10) I219-V, Intel Corporation Comet Lake PCH-LP CNVi WiFi
- Display: Intel Corporation CometLake-U GT2
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Visitor supplied rating
Bodhi Linux has a visitor supplied average rating of: 9.2/10 from 81 review(s).
Have you used Bodhi Linux? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Zevenet replaced by two new projects, openSUSE introduces new rolling release branch, Fedora plans for Plasma upgrade
The Zevenet project has announced through its Twitter/X page that the distribution is being discontinued under its current name. In its place, two new projects are being developed: Relianoid and Skudonet. Both projects currently maintain the same mission of providing a dedicated load balancing operating system. The announcement reads: "Dear customers and users, Zevenet project and brand are in the process of extinction in favor of the two new awesome projects called SKUDONET and RELIANOID which will ensure the continuity of the Zevenet products and services to all our customers and users."
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The openSUSE project has introduced a new, experimental branch of its distribution. The new branch, called Slowroll, will act as a middle ground between the rapid, rolling Tumbleweed branch and the fixed Leap branch. "Slowroll is a new distribution from 2023 based on Tumbleweed, but rolling slower. With updates every one or two months with bug fixes and CVE fixes as they come in." Details and download links can be found on the new Slowroll website.
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The Fedora team is considering a proposal which could see two significant changes made to the KDE Plasma packages. Fedora 40 may see the inclusion of Plasma 6 (the next major release of KDE's desktop environment) and the removal of an X11 session option. "KDE Plasma 6 is successor to KDE Plasma 5 created by the KDE Community. It is based on Qt 6 and KDE Frameworks 6 and brings many changes and improvements over previous versions. For Fedora Linux, the transition to KDE Plasma 6 will also include dropping support for the X11 session entirely, leaving only Plasma Wayland as the sole offered desktop mode." Details of the proposal can be found on Fedora's wiki.
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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) |
Finding stable distributions without systemd, looking for lightweight distributions, and seeking unified package management
Looking-to-settle-down asks: Can you recommend a stable (non-rolling) distro without systemd? I tried Artix and Void, but they are both updated constantly.
DistroWatch answers: If you visit our Search page you can find a list of a few dozen projects which offer a fixed release without systemd. It's a fairly long list and covers a wide range of types of distributions - some of them are geared towards firewalls, servers, or network storage. Since you mentioned trying Artix in the past, I'm guessing you're looking specifically for a desktop distribution. In which case there is a shorter list of desktop Linux distributions without systemd and fixed releases. I recommend starting at the top of the list of search results and working your way down.
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Keeping-things-minimal asks: Which distributions can you recommend that will run on an i7 CPU with only 4GB of RAM?
DistroWatch answers: The good news is almost any Linux distribution will run comfortably on a 64-bit i7 CPU with 4GB of RAM. Most days, even with ten applications open (including at least one web browser) I don't use more than 3GB of RAM.
However, if you're worried about running out of memory you can try lighter desktop environments, which is usually where the bulk of a distribution's memory consumption occurs before you launch a large application. You might want to look at distributions featuring the Xfce or LXQt desktops. Both are lighter while still offering a nice interface with most of the key modern features.
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Streamlining-the-process asks: Why don't distributions have a unified way to handle packages, like that'll manage native packages and Flatpak/Snap?
DistroWatch answers: Some distributions do ship with a form of unified package management. Those which do not can usually add a unified package manager from their main package repositories. Both the GNOME Software and the KDE Discover software centres offer support for multiple package formats. This usually means working with whatever the native package format is (typically RPM or Deb) and Flatpak. Ubuntu's software centre works with Snap and Deb packages. The Linux Mint software centre can work with multiple package types too.
More recently we've seen some efforts to unify package management on the Rhino Linux distribution. This project's meta package manager attempts to work with Deb packages, Flatpak, and the Pacstall repository.
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Additional answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
SysLinuxOS 12.1
Franco Conidi has announced the release of SysLinuxOS 12.1, an updated build of the project's Debian-based distribution designed for system administrators and system integrators, offering a choice of MATE and GNOME desktops. This release updates the Linux kernel to version 6.4: "SysLinuxOS 12.1 brings some improvements and bug fixes. By default, it includes the latest kernel 6.4 directly from the backports repository, replacing the removed 6.3.8 version. Additionally, VMware Player 17 has been added. Other changes relate to some system icons and further adjustments have been made in preparation for the upcoming integration of new custom repositories for SysLinuxOS. The changes apply to both editions, GNOME and Mate. Features: USB bootable; Mate and GNOME desktops; Calamares installer; Linux kernel 6.4 amd64; Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Edge and Tor Browser; Teamviewer, Anydesk, Remmina, Zoom, Skype; Wireshark, Packet Tracer 8.2.1, GNS3, Nmap, Lssid, Etherape, Ettercap, PackETH; Packetsender, Angry Ip Scanner, Sparrow Wifi, Fast-cli, Speedtest-cli, ipcalc, iperf3...." See the release announcement, the release notes and the changelog for more details.
SysLinuxOS 12.1 -- Exploring the MATE desktop
(full image size: 605kB, resolution: 1920x1440 pixels)
Fatdog64 900
Fatdog64 Linux is a small, desktop, 64-bit Linux distribution which has its origins in the Puppy Linux family. The project has published version 900 which is based on Linux From Scratch 11.3. The release notes share highlights from Fatdog64 900: "The Fatdog64 team is pleased to announce the first release of Fatdog64 GNU/Linux 900 series. Release 900 is based on LFS (Linux From Scratch) 11.3, replacing the LFS 8.2 used in the 800 series, with packages updated to BLFS (Beyond LFS) of the same version (11.3) or newer. At the time of release there are more than 2400 packages and more will be added as time permits. Changes from Fatodg64 814: new base, updates are too numerous to list; rudimentary HiDPI support; Basesfs/savefile on 9p filesystem (mainly on QEMU); xscreenshot now supports copying to clipboard - press Ctrl-Print to activate; dconf gsettings backend to enable application settings persistence in Evince; touchegg - convert multi-touch gesture to actions; numerous bug fixes and fine tunings. Known issues: suspend/resume does not always work with certain machines; certain Radeon-based machines may require the 'radeon' module to be pre-loaded using 'loadmodules' boot parameter, otherwise the kernel might stall during the boot process, causing unnecessary delays."
Univention Corporate Server 5.0-5
Univention Corporate Server is an enterprise-class distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. The distribution has received a minor update, Univention Corporate Server (UCS) 5.0-5 which introduces new functionality to the management console along with a number of bug fixes. "Univention Corporate Server 5.0-5 is the fifth point release for Univention Corporate Server (UCS) 5.0. It contains all errata released since version 5.0-4 for bug fixes, performance improvements and security updates for Samba, Linux, OpenSSH, Bind and Python, among others. UCS 5.0-5 is available in the 'Software Update' module and can be found in our download area. In total, the new point release includes 28 security updates that we have provided since the last UCS point release, such as those for Samba, Linux, OpenSSH, Bind, and Python. We have also implemented various bug fixes in the Univention Management Console (UMC) environment and upgraded some UMC modules to the new capabilities that have been available with the UMC server since the fundamental change from UCS 5.0-4. In the future, we will be able to significantly reduce the memory consumption of UMC during operation in certain cases. Also worth mentioning is the new option of explicitly setting an empty value or deleting the value in the UMC module for the Univention Config Registry (UCR)." Additonal information is provided in the release announcement and in the release notes.
Peropesis 2.2
Peropesis (personal operating system) is a small-scale, minimalist, command-line-based Linux operating system. The project has published a minor update to its 2.x series. Peropesis 2.2 features five new additions to its default package along with several updates. The release announcement states: "Peropesis 2.2 Linux OS is released. In the new edition part of the old software was updated and a few new packages was installed. The newly installed tools are mainly intended for software development purposes. New software installed: 1. bison 3.8.2. GNU bison, is a parser generator, that generates LALR parsers. It can also generate canonical LR, IELR and GLR parsers. 2. gettext 0.22. GNU gettext is a software package, that containing tools, that commonly used for writing multilingual programs. 3. gperf 3.1. GNU gperf is a program that generates perfect hash functions for sets of key words. 4. texinfo 7.0.3. The GNU texinfo software package contains programs for writing, reading and converting info pages. Note. In the Peropesis 2.2 filesystem there is not distributed the GNU software documentation, available as info pages (/usr/share/info). 5. linux GPU drivers (drivers/gpu). These drivers are designed to serve for graphics processing units."
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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: 2,906
- Total data uploaded: 43.6TB
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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) |
Do you beta test upcoming distribution versions?
We are entering beta season for several key open source operating systems, such as Fedora, Ubuntu, and FreeBSD. These projects, combined, have millions of users who depend on their operating systems being reliable. To help achieve this reliability, each project publishes beta releases for the community to test. We'd like to hear if you participate in beta testing and bug reporting before new stable releases are published.
You can see the results of our previous poll on choosing a distribution based on its package manager in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Do you engage in beta testing?
| Yes - I run beta releases and report bugs: | 127 (10%) |
| Yes - I run beta releases but do not report issues: | 231 (18%) |
| No - I do not run beta versions: | 674 (52%) |
| Other - I run a rolling release distro: | 266 (20%) |
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| Website News |
New distributions added to waiting list
- Skudonet. Skudonet is a fork of the Zevenet distribution which provides a dedicated load balancing operating system.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 25 September 2023. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Weekly Archive and Article Search pages. 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)
- Joshua Allen Holm (feature review)
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| Extended Lifecycle Support by TuxCare |
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Beta releases (by DaveW on 2023-09-18 00:37:02 GMT from United States)
I run a beta release occasionally, but never as a daily driver.
2 • Fedora going Wayland only (by mnrv-ovrf-year-c on 2023-09-18 00:38:31 GMT from Puerto Rico)
It ensures I will never again go with something inside IBM/Red-Hat orbit. It's bad enough Fedora 38 ISO fails to install bootloader anyhow. Sorry, cannot have Wayland on my ageing computer. Since the "scandal" on GNOME unable to dragon drop from File Roller to non-GNOME file manager, under Wayland, I lost hope with that so-called compositor.
I was going to use Fedora Labs "Jam" but chickened out. Now I'm checking out ROSA with KDE which I think is superior. Although I'm beginning to think that distro isn't good for gamers. I don't play games but I do use another (free) Windows application for developing music. I have to watch out for CPU-intensive plug-ins. It could overload easily on RPM-based distro. While on Debian I have a bit more room. (shrugs)
IN OTHER NEWS: Keep being teased by Plop OS. It should get better attention.
I'm starting to like MX Linux after all. What a shame it has to be "Wildflower" with Fluxbox, not their "flagship" XFCE.
3 • openSUSE Slowroll (by Aqua on 2023-09-18 00:44:44 GMT from France)
I read an article on It's FOSS a few days ago about openSUSE, and I personally prefer Slowroll.
A Derivative of Tumbleweed Likely to Replace Leap
As per the replacement proposal, we have two options:
Linarite: A regular old-fashioned release desktop distribution, likely with a narrower package selection than we're used to with Leap unless we find significantly more contributors to be able to support everything
Slowroll: A derivative of Tumbleweed, built automatically as much as possible, using automation and metrics to copy packages from Tumbleweed only after certain conditions (max age, X weeks without change, etc). Basically an attempt to provide something less scary than full speed Tumbleweed.
However, the survey results show a mixed bag of opinions.
Most users choose "Slowroll" as a viable replacement going forward, which they would like to contribute to.
In contrast, contributors voted not to replace openSUSE Leap or use Tumbleweed instead.
But, when choosing one option, the contributors chose "Linarite".
So, the users and existing contributors have different choices.
OpenSUSE decides to go with the users' preference as Slowroll, a rolling release distro. It would need more contributors than what the survey highlights as interested.
4 • (beta) testing distros (by Otis on 2023-09-18 01:11:41 GMT from United States)
I used to do that, perhaps should again, but grew weary of the different headspace it required as I attempted to use a pre-release project as a day-to-day distro. That was years ago when I was in possession of only one computer and was still learning. Indeed, doing bug reports and other reportage and troubleshooting accelerated my Linux learning.
5 • super heavy weight distribution (by Richard Strange on 2023-09-18 01:25:49 GMT from United States)
Sure would love to see a few Super Heavy Weight Distros,... and it wouldn't matter which style
Solaris Related, BSD Related,. Linux Related. I have 2 Two laptops that have 32GB RAM and 2 TB M.2's . Let's Rock the Casbah, and 1 one laptop that has 64GB RAM, and 2 TB M.2's.
All 3 three have 270 GB of Swap Space,..... YES, I know that will abuse the M.2's quite heavily.
Actually, I've introduced Spin Drives at 1 TB each and put the swap space on them, so the M.2's won't be abused. I have 12 - port Gigabit Switch attached that gives me a minimum of 935 Megabits/Second. I use the 3 three in tandem for grading my people in their 3 R studies.
That's Reading, (W)Riting, aRithmetic. Yes, I have other Laptops that have 16GB's of RAM but they have the Exams on them.
It's really too bad that Open-Solaris gave up the ghost,..I kinda liked it, Open-Indiana doesn't even come close to the power of it's Father. SmartOS,... well,.it chugs, but can't keep up with the likes of Open-Solaris,,,,,... and Redhat,..what the hell is IRQ'ing them to make their Linux System seem "touchable"? That they have to shutdown other Linux'es from copying their System. If you ask me, I think DISTROWATCH needs to put a special button on its site that coincides with GREED. Same thing happened with CentOS. My Mainstays are Ubuntu and Manjaro, but I'd be lying if i told you i wasn't searching for a more Mohammed ALI type of OS.
Other than these, I'm thrilled TA-DA-MAX with the Non-Microsoft Community.
XXXOOO
Rich
6 • Beta Testing (by Bobbie Sellers on 2023-09-18 01:49:17 GMT from United States)
I used to try everything I could find and download but after finding PCLinuxOS 64 I slowed down a lot and with Covid restrictions we gave up in person LUG meetings and demoing
the latest from the big outfits and some of the smaller distros was no longer necessity.
bliss - Dell Precision E7730- PCLinuxOS 64- Linux 6.5.3- KDE Plasma 5.27.8
7 • opensuse slowroll (by PenguinCroatia on 2023-09-18 02:14:26 GMT from Croatia)
so, suse will employ similar model to redhat.
Slowroll will be something like centos stream, leap goes to history like original centos and if you want stable server version, buy subscription.
Of course, it's likely that suse will avoid some stupid moves based on backlash towards redhat, but they will silently adopt similar model.
8 • Stable non-systemd desktop (by Adam on 2023-09-18 02:15:47 GMT from Canada)
I'd reocmmend Looking-to-settle-down take a look at the glowing user reviews of Void Linux before discounting it out-of-hand because it's a rolling release. It seems like half the reviews are all about how it's a paradox having a stable rolling distro.
If for whatever reason non-rolling is absolutely necessary, they should probably just use Devuan (the second-highest rated distro on here, after Void)
9 • suse, part 2 (by PenguinCroatia on 2023-09-18 02:22:31 GMT from Croatia)
perhaps suse is betting on this OpenELA thing to have another redhat clone like oracle.
long ago there was a unix war. Looks like we have enterprise linux war
10 • Beta testing (by nsp0323 on 2023-09-18 04:58:28 GMT from Sweden)
Rolling with Void musl for the last 6 years, install once and forget.
11 • Beta Releases (by UZ64 on 2023-09-18 05:46:16 GMT from United States)
For the most part, I haven't toyed around with beta versions of distributions since I first started experimenting with Linux... and that has been about 15-20 years now.
Sure, exceptions exist, but these days they are rare, and reserved for only the most exciting, intriguing, unique distros. These days I am more likely to stick with release candidates if I decide to try out a pre-release version of a Linux distribution.
12 • openSUSE Slowroll (by UZ64 on 2023-09-18 06:07:21 GMT from United States)
So in openSUSE's future, we will only have the option between rolling... and rolling... editions. Now, while I see how a faster vs. slower moving rolling branch can be beneficial, it is still not a proper replacement for a truly stable point-release branch. I guess in this case, openSUSE will clearly lose out to distributions like Debian in the future for those use cases. And it will deserve every bit of it.
13 • Unifying RPM and DEB (by Alexandru on 2023-09-18 07:13:40 GMT from Romania)
There is one more tool to unify package formats: alien. This one tries to convert rpm package to deb format so it can be installed with dpkg / apt / aptitude / Synaptic / Gnome Software / KDE Discover / etc.
14 • Fedora and Plasma 6 (by Jeff on 2023-09-18 07:51:47 GMT from New Zealand)
Well I guess someone has to pioneer the way, collect all the cuts and bruises that will eventually smooth out as Plasma 6 becomes more adopted into the future across many distros. I don't personally run Fedora, but hats off to them for making a formal plan on this and diving into it.
15 • Do you engage in beta testing? (by James on 2023-09-18 10:33:01 GMT from United States)
No, I want performance and stability, so prefer LTS of stable semi-rolling releases.
Yet I greatly appreciate those that want cutting edge and hunt for and deal with the bugs, so I don't have too.
16 • Stable version of a distro w/o system or "stable" distro w/o systemd? (by Ennio on 2023-09-18 12:50:10 GMT from Netherlands)
In the first case Slackware and MX, in the second I'd say PCLinuxOS, as in "rolling without drama".
@13 Alien was a `last try` before compiling from source in the times when some packages had not corrispondent between two of the "loudest" linux distributions - because people dealing with .tgz and .pkg where more inclined to cook the sources directly - but even then it was cake for simple programs only, with ample caveats plastered all over the sites. It seems that the Debian reference page got updated last in 2020, the Sourceforge repo in 2016 (?!?!?!), the last .deb version is from more than a year ago, and in the bug list of Bugzilla (Red Hat) the last post is from when I was still able to climb a tree. It might be that, given all these years, alien is not so needed anymore.
17 • beta testing (by grindstone on 2023-09-18 13:05:16 GMT from United States)
When computers are part hobby, one can hop around betas and take time for tracing bugs etc. Once time filled with other hobbies and computers became only tool, the hopping and testing subsided. Glad that others are posting results so it's partially possible to keep an eye on happenings vicariously.
18 • Alien (by Ennio on 2023-09-18 13:07:25 GMT from Netherlands)
Ahem... correction: http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds/?C=M;O=A
19 • openSUSE (by vw72 on 2023-09-18 14:07:48 GMT from United States)
It's interesting how many people chime in on what the openSUSE community should be doing. I wonder how many use openSUSE and/or responded to the survey?
Regardless, SUSE is not killing off Leap. It is a community driven project and always has been. The problem is that Leap doesn't have enough developers to keep it going. Realizing this, the community looked to alternative ways to deliver a fully tested project.
The challenge for slowroll will be the same as Leap, can they attract enough developers to make it a reality? The survey of developers seems to indicated that more developers are willing to work on slowroll than Leap or the other alternatives (with the exception of tumbleweed), so slowroll is the direction the community chose.
In my mind, that's how a community is supposed to work.
20 • No SystemD (by Random on 2023-09-18 08:22:19 GMT from Germany)
Consider trying Redcore Linux, a distribution based on Gentoo but enhanced for an even more powerful experience. Redcore Linux comes with its own package manager wrapper called Sysyphus. One of its notable features is its ability to prioritize binary package installation. If binaries are unavailable for a particular package, it will seamlessly switch to installing from source, using the package name with the -e flag. You can access the command-line help for Sysyphus by typing "sysyphus --help."
Redcore Linux is designed primarily for use with the KDE Plasma desktop environment, and it supports both Wayland and Xorg display servers at login. It is known for its exceptional stability as a rolling release distribution.
A key piece of advice when using Redcore Linux is to avoid using the "emerge" command for package management, as this can lead to packages becoming incompatible and potentially destabilizing the operating system. Sysyphus simplifies package manageme!
nt significantly and eliminates the need for a thesaurus to navigate its commands.
Furthermore, Redcore Linux uses the OpenRC init system, known for its simplicity, speed, and stability. This minimalistic approach ensures a fast and reliable boot process, without the wait times associated with other, more resource-intensive init systems like systemd. In essence, Redcore Linux follows the principle of "Keep it simple, stupid" (KISS), prioritizing simplicity and efficiency over unnecessary complexity.
Say goodbye to extended boot times with bloated init systems and experience the robust and streamlined Redcore Linux with Sysyphus for a smoother and more user-friendly Gentoo-based Linux experience.
21 • Nope (by Friar Tux on 2023-09-18 17:20:15 GMT from Canada)
I voted "No." I'm with @15 (James) on this one. I DO, however, play with the occasional distro IF it's stable and reputed to run well. My fidgeting days are over. I much prefer something that just works and stays out of my way. Rolling release distros don't do it for me as, so far, I haven't met one that doesn't break after the second of third update/upgrade. The one I'm using, presently, has been running smoothly for the last seven years. By smoothly, I mean absolutely no glitches or issues.
22 • Lightweight, Fixed Release, No systemd (by JaredSteen on 2023-09-18 18:24:41 GMT from United States)
I have evaluated many releases for this exact same criteria, and I would recommend Devuan, or its deriviative 'Star.'
Devuan - Very debian like, minus sysDisease. Stable, lightweight. The installer can be slightly primitive vs, mainstream debian
Star - Even lighter, Calamares installer. Minimal packages installed (up to you if that is a pro or con, but you can always add more from Devuan's package base)
Responding to Distrowatch's recommendation. I am not sure is I still consider MX Linux to be systemd-free. Maybe the init system is not systemd, But in each subsequent release, a little more of the rest of systemd (e.g. - elogind, etc.) seems to creep in. -- Check installed packages and 'ps-ef' output to see what I mean. Most of my objection to systemd are not as a init system, but to the bloat and mission-creep it became while trying to inject itself into everything else.
23 • Wayland without X11 Fallback (by Anna on 2023-09-18 20:00:33 GMT from United Kingdom)
Have the longstanding bugs been fixed in Plasma 6, then? Specifically the issues around Wayland sessions failing to save or "remember" your customisations properly, like the user-session (open applications and window placements) choices between logins, and application-launcher Favourites? KDE lover, Plasma 5 user. But that's why I stay with X11, these unresolved bugs.
24 • Testing betas makes better software for all... (by tom joad on 2023-09-18 19:56:57 GMT from Germany)
I voted no. I rarely ever play around with betas. I have in the distant past. And no I didn't send along any issues that I found. I should have though. Why test if one is not going to or doesn't send along feed back? There is no point. One is wasting their time testing if the results are not reported to the developers.
Yet, everyone, myself included, want rock solid performance from the software we use. Or at least the performance we expect. So maybe we should all do more beta testing? And if we do test we must make a commitment before testing to send feedback to the developers.
It is kind of smug to demand good products yet not get involved with making those products better or trouble free. Then loudly belly ache when the software is buggy.
Be part of the solution or hush...
25 • Distro Answers for Two of You (by Hopper on 2023-09-18 22:00:55 GMT from United States)
@Looking-to-settle-down: antiX runit edition. But remember, nobody forces you to update Void or Artix. You can install either one and then leave as-is, or only update what individual packages you want. Both distros are very stable, maybe Void more than Artix. Do not be nervous without a rationale. Mere rolling is not a rationale, except in Debian marketing.
@super heavy weight distribution: see if you can find PCLinuxOS Full Monty edition.
26 • @super heavy weight distribution (by Friar Tux on 2023-09-19 01:39:03 GMT from Canada)
@25 (Hopper) and @super heavy weight distribution: I sort of have the same longing. I'm waiting for that distro that will be built on top of an AI. Not with an AI virtual assistant, but the actual OS working on top of the AI. I actually don't think we're too far off. Oh, and I don't want one that NEEDS to be constantly connected to the Internet which means all the files, drivers, and such, will need to be offline in my machine, so the distro may be something to the tune of 5 or more Gigabytes. (Super heavy weight.)
27 • systemd-free (by dolphin oracle on 2023-09-19 13:58:58 GMT from United States)
@22 its a common misconception, but MX has never claimed to be systemd-free. We in fact go out of our way to include both. to maintain compatibility with the debian repos is tricky business, as many common applications as packaged by debian are decidedly NOT init-agnostic.
however, even devuan (and gentoo?) utilizes elogind, eudev, and the like to satisfy modern requirements. its a similar situation, but without systemd actually installed, just the stripped-out helper apps.
28 • Fedora Ditching X11 (by CorpSouth on 2023-09-19 14:47:54 GMT from United States)
Yeah this is going to also be the case with Workstation and Silverblue, their GNOME desktops will simply stop using X11 at some point which leads me to question the fate of the extensions bundled in that I never used (the classic gnome 2/MATE style additions). Either way, ditching Xorg in these is going to send a precedence to other distributions pursuing Wayland to ditch X11. I assume the Solus Project will be next in this endeavor? 2024 has an interesting roadmap for desktop Linux, for sure.
29 • systend-free (by Klaus Schilling on 2023-09-19 15:58:21 GMT from Germany)
I switched to NetBSD which is devoid of perversities like elogind and calamares.
30 • Offline Strategy and Leaving Linux (by Hopper on 2023-09-19 19:06:16 GMT from United States)
@26 Friar Tux, Looking-to-settle-down: No distro needs an Internet connection per se. I boot live distros with Ventoy. These fixed images change every 6 or 12 months if that. I can use them or installed Linux offline. Rolling has nothing to do with it. A proper rolling distro like Void can wait a full year and then update en masse without a hiccup. Users have reported such success.
What Friar may want is a personal repo mirror for his distro of choice. Sync it with upstream every 6 or 12 months. Presto, it's an offline world of your own. You just need a really big disk, but no Internet. All the drivers you want sit at your command, awaiting install. I would rather be in charge than some AI. Lots of Windows users gripe about sudden, unwanted update cycles interrupting work.
Mr. Looking might consider a FreeBSD derivative like helloSystem. Linux lives is in turmoil compared to FreeBSD: udev is not even old yet, SystemD displaced OpenRC, Wayland now displaces Xorg, Pipewire displaces Pulse, and tomorrow some fresh, shiny asteroid will shatter all Linux distros, not just rolling ones. Rolling risk is a trope in the face of such nonstop upheavals. So FreeBSD forms an alterntive solution for Mr. Looking.
31 • BSD as possible halt to looking (by Otis on 2023-09-19 23:19:37 GMT from United States)
@30 I'd suggest GhostBSD version of FreeBSD and refined. Assistance is via IRC and GitHub (where the GhostBSD code is provided) in addition to their website forums.
Alternative solution indeed.
32 • @30 (by me on 2023-09-20 11:02:31 GMT from Australia)
GhostBSD and HelloSystem do not have an option for drive encryption during the installation process, for some reason, even though they are based on FreeBSD which does have drive encryption available.
If you don't care about it, then it's fine. But really, who has an unencrypted installation these days?
33 • #32 (by Essexson on 2023-09-20 11:28:15 GMT from United Kingdom)
"But really, who has an unencrypted installation these days?"
Quite a few users i would wager, myself included. I am talking desktop here and not laptop.
That would make for an interesting poll.
34 • Encryption (by Jesse on 2023-09-20 13:35:06 GMT from Canada)
@32 and @33:
" But really, who has an unencrypted installation these days?"
"That would make for an interesting poll."
We did run this poll. A full 69% of readers responded that they do not use any encryption on their OS or home directories: https://distrowatch.com/polls.php?poll=262
When you consider DistroWatch readership tends to be on the more technical side of the population, you can be fairly certain the vast majority of computer users do not use encryption.
35 • Encrypted Hardware for Cheesy Installers (by Hopper on 2023-09-20 18:49:07 GMT from United States)
@32 The answer is a hardware-encrypted external SSD. Many on the market cost under $100 for 1TB.
Linux installers all stink for encryption. Myself, I partition, encrypt, and format by hand before running them.
36 • Devuan & elogind (by Head_on_a_Stick on 2023-09-21 14:53:25 GMT from United Kingdom)
@27: Devuan's daedalus release now supports sway with seatd, no elogind required.
https://files.devuan.org/devuan_daedalus/Release_notes.txt
Can MX do that? :-)
37 • devuan & elogind (by Dolphin Oracle on 2023-09-21 19:56:50 GMT from United States)
@36 given the number of generally useful packages that require either systemd-logind/elogind or (really) libpam-systemd/libpam-elogind. I don't think I want to. I mean, its a fairly narrow use case.
But a motivated user could probably figure something out, seatd is available. but it wouldn't be a project goal.
38 • @34 and @35 (by me on 2023-09-21 23:59:02 GMT from Australia)
That's interesting, to see people still don't see the need for encryption, even if it is just your home directory. I guess, the majority 69% think they have nothing to hide so why bother.
Whether using a desktop or laptop though, personally, the need to encrypt at least your Home directory is essential as that is the place where you normally store all of your documents, financial date etc, ... but to each their own I guess.
So for any BSD except FreeBSD the solution is to use an external drive and encrypt it manually and use that as a data store proxy for your Home. It's not elegant but it works.
GhostBSD is a really user friendly BSD distro, it is a shame that GELI encryption has not been implemented. Perhaps in the next release?
39 • devuan, elogind, encryption (by Klaus Schilling on 2023-09-22 06:40:30 GMT from Germany)
No, I will not do any encryption except for individual files or strings, notwithstanding the propaganda of mainliners.
Also, no reasonable software has ever needed systemd or logind, only useless warez simulating windows or macos functionality.
Number of Comments: 39
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