DistroWatch Weekly |
DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 1075, 17 June 2024 |
Welcome to this year's 25th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
The world is constantly changing, particularly in terms of technology. New designs come along, parallel projects merge, and new concepts are created all the time. This week we begin with a look at the Redox OS project, a Unix-like operating system written in Rust which offers a microkernel, "everything as a URL" resource handling, and elements of the COSMIC desktop. Our Feature Story has details on this young and promising project. Have you tried running Redox OS? Let us know about your experience with this operating system in our Opinion Poll. In our News section we talk about AlmaLinux expanding support to include builds for the Raspberry Pi 5 computer as well as important new changes present in systemd 256. Plus we talk about Ubuntu shipping on a RISC-V powered laptop and Google migrating the base of Chrome OS from GNU/Linux to Android for future releases. This week's Questions and Answers column discusses Wayland replacing X11 in the Linux ecosystem and how that might affect the BSD family of operating systems. 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:
- Review: Redox OS in 2024
- News: AlmaLinux releases Raspberry Pi build, Canonical partners with DeepComputing to launch RISC-V laptop running Ubuntu, key new changes in systemd 256, Chromium OS to shift to Android foundation
- Questions and answers: The BSDs, X11, and Wayland
- Released last week: openSUSE 15.6, SELKS 10, postmarketOS 24.06
- Torrent corner: Endless OS, KDE neon, openSUSE, SparkyLinux
- Opinion poll: Have you tried Redox OS?
- New distributions: ATZ Linux, FunOS, UBLinux
- Reader comments
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Feature Story (By Jesse Smith) |
Redox OS in 2024
It's been a while since I last tried Redox OS, an open source operating system with a Unix-like design. Redox OS has a number of distinctive characteristics. The operating system is written in the Rust programming language, rather than C or C++, which should prevent many memory-related flaws and exploits. Redox also strives to improve upon some Unix/Linux concepts. For example, while Linux can treat any element of the filesystem and any device as though it were a file, Redox treats every element like a URL. This offers some flexibility in terms of providing access to resources over the network or while using specific protocols. Redox is a microkernel, meaning hardware drivers and system services can run in a less privileged state, improving stability and security.
Additional information on Redox OS, its design, and why it exists can be found in the project's Frequently Asked Questions document and in the Redox Book.
Redox is built to run on i686 and x86_64 processors and, currently, there are three editions available: Desktop, Server, and Demo. These editions are provided in two formats: IMG disk image files and ISO optical media files. These files are compressed and vary in size. The Server edition is the smallest at 80MB, the Desktop edition is 122MB, and the Demo edition is 346MB. These expand quite a bit when unpacked with the Desktop edition expanding to 576MB and the Demo edition weighing in at 1.5GB.
The Redox project is unusual in that it uses the zst compression format on its download media which often isn't supported by default on many Linux distributions. Users may need to download a zst compatible utility to get started.
While Redox does offer support for a range of hardware, one very important missing component is USB. According to Redox's documentation, there is no support for any USB devices yet, meaning most keyboards, mice, and wireless USB devices will not work with the operating system. While real hardware support may be limited, the Redox FAQ document says running the operating system in VirtualBox or QEMU is supported so I decided to start with a test in a virtual machine.
Redox OS in VirtualBox
I originally started by trying to run the Desktop edition of Redox OS in VirtualBox. When booting from the ISO file a text console appeared and asked me to select my screen resolution from a menu. I was then shown a series of kernel status messages, the last of which indicated the kernel had finished initializing devices. The system them stopped and nothing happened. This occurred regardless of which screen resolution I selected. When I tried booting from the Desktop IMG file I was shown a screen which indicated the kernel was in "Stage 1" and then the system locked up and nothing more happened.
Browsing through the Redox documentation for running the operating system in a virtual machine revealed a potential problem. The Demo edition is recommended for virtual machines. The documentation does say that all editions should work in virtual machines, but the Demo edition is recommended. (Note: the documentation lists an extra edition which no longer exists called Desktop-Minimal, so it appears to be out of date.)
I tried both flavours of the Demo edition (the IMG and ISO). In VirtualBox these editions performed exactly like the Desktop edition. The IMG file crashed after showing the "Stage 1" message while the ISO format locked up after the kernel finished initializing devices.
Physical hardware
I next tried Redox on my laptop. According to the project's documentation, it's important to use the "Live Disk" ISO file when trying to boot the operating system on a physical computer: "You need to use the *livedisk.iso image variant for real hardware."
I tried booting from the Desktop edition of the live disk ISO and got further on my laptop than I had with any edition in the virtual machine. The system finished its initialization process and displayed a graphical environment. A desktop was quickly loaded, displaying a mouse pointer, Redox-branded wallpaper, and a panel was placed across the bottom of the screen. This panel held what appeared to be an application menu, quick-launch buttons, and a clock.
I found that by pressing and holding the Super key (also known as the Meta key), a window would appear in the middle of the display and list keyboard shortcuts for managing application windows. These included moving and maximizing windows. There were no shortcuts listed for launching applications or opening the application menu. This is where I ran into the limitations of Redox's hardware support.
The operating system did not work with my laptop's touchpad and Redox doesn't recognise USB devices, meaning we can't plug in an external mouse to use. Redox did recognise the laptop's keyboard, which allowed me to see the shortcut cheat sheet when I pressed the Super met, but I wasn't able to find any shortcuts for launching applications. Commonly used keyboard shortcuts such as Alt+F1, Alt+F2, Ctrl+Alt+Function Keys, Super Key + Function Keys, and so on had no effect. I couldn't find anything in the documentation about navigating the Redox OS desktop using a keyboard, so it seems a working mouse is needed - one that isn't a touchpad or connected via USB.
More thoughts on Redox OS
While Redox didn't work for me in a practical way, I think this project is making some interesting progress and trying out good ideas. The operating system is relatively small, it uses a microkernel which should provide better stability and security in the long run. I also think the concept of "everything is handled as a URL" is a good, modern take on Unix's "everything is handled as a file" idea. Also, the approach of writing the core components in Rust for improved memory safety is a welcome idea; many of the bugs in Linux distributions (and other modern operating systems) have occurred due to the C language's unsafe approach to handling memory.
Redox OS might not have enough hardware support yet to be run practically in most environments, but it is making progress on multiple fronts. For example, key applications from the COSMIC desktop were recently added to Redox and the project seems to be gradually growing. It also seems to be improving compatibility with Linux, which may pave the way for more applications and services to be ported in the future. Redox already has a command line package manager, called pkg, which looks promising.
Conclusions
Redox is one of many projects I have tried in recent years which has some good ideas, a good design, and a lot of promise, but just hasn't reached the critical level of being functional yet. Progress for the young operating system has been steady, but slow. Back in 2016 I wrote:
I tried working with Redox in a VirtualBox virtual machine and on a physical desktop computer. In both instances, the Linux-based installation media booted, but the installed Redox operating system did not. For the time being, it seems Redox is not yet at a point where I can run it in any practical sense, though I have heard from another user who was able to get Redox installed in a virtual machine.
The above quote is still pretty accurate. There are some working pieces, the beginnings of hardware support, and a cool design. There just isn't enough hardware support, even in a virtual machine (that is said to be supported in the documentation) to really do anything yet. I'm holding on to hope that Redox will soon gain USB support and then I'll be able to use a mouse and navigate more of this Rust-based operating system.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was an HP DY2048CA laptop with the following
specifications:
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1135G7 @ 2.40GHz
- Display: Intel integrated video
- Storage: Western Digital 512GB solid state drive
- Memory: 8GB of RAM
- Wireless network device: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT Wireless network card
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Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
AlmaLinux releases Raspberry Pi build, Canonical partners with DeepComputing to launch RISC-V laptop running Ubuntu, key new changes in systemd 256, Chromium OS to shift to Android foundation
The AlmaLinux project has announced there are now builds of AlmaLinux OS available for the Raspberry Pi 5 computer. "Raspberry Pi 5 support has been much anticipated in the AlmaLinux community, and today we are very excited to share great news. AlmaLinux now has support for Raspberry Pi 5!" Builds of version 8.10 and 9.4 the distribution are available from the AlmaLinux download page and documentation is provided through the AlmaLinux wiki.
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In an exciting partnership which may be a first for the Linux community, Canonical is working with DeepComputing to ship a RISC-V powered laptop that includes Linux as the default operating system. Specifically, the new laptop will feature Ubuntu 23.10. "The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II is the world's first RISC-V laptop pre-installed and powered by Ubuntu, which is one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world, providing developers with an outstanding mix of usability and reliability, as well as a rich ecosystem with security and support." Details on the laptop can be found in Canonical's announcement and on DeepComputing's product page. The RISC-V laptop will be available for pre-order on June 18th, 2024.
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The systemd project has released a new version of its suite of system tools. The new release, systemd 256, includes a number of significant changes and new features, as well as the removal of a few rarely used options. One of the key additions is run0, an alternative utility to sudo which runs programs as other users: "systemd-run is now a multi-call binary. When invoked as 'run0', it provides an interface similar to sudo, with all arguments starting at the first non-option parameter being treated the command to invoke as root. Unlike 'sudo' and similar tools, it does not make use of setuid binaries or other privilege escalation methods, but instead runs the specified command as a transient unit, which is started by the system service manager, so privileges are dropped, rather than gained, thus implementing a much more robust and safe security model. As usual, authorization is managed via Polkit.
When systemd was first launched, one of its important features was compatibility with System V (SysV) init service scripts, which systemd sought to replace. Support for SysV style service scripts and selecting an init implementation at boot time are being phased out of systemd: "Support for System V service scripts is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Please make sure to update your software now to include a native systemd unit file instead of a legacy System V script to retain compatibility with future systemd releases....
The systemd binary will no longer chainload SysV init's "telinit" binary when called under the init/telinit name on a system that isn't booted with systemd. This previously has been supported to make sure a distribution that has both init systems installed can reasonably switch from one to the other via a simple reboot. Distributions apparently have lost interest in this, and the functionality has not been supported on the primary distribution this was still intended for a long time, and hence has been removed now." Additional details can be found in the systemd 256 release notes
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Some interesting news was announced on the Chromium blog this week. Google is going to shift development of ChromeOS from using fairly standard GNU/Linux software as a base to building ChromeOS using primarily Android components. "Over the last 13 years, we've evolved ChromeOS to deliver a secure, fast, and feature-rich Chromebook experience for millions of students and teachers, families, gamers, and businesses all over the world. With our recent announcements around new features powered by Google AI and Gemini, Chromebooks now give us the opportunity to put powerful tools in the hands of more people to help with everyday tasks. To continue rolling out new Google AI features to users at a faster and even larger scale, we'll be embracing portions of the Android stack, like the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks, as part of the foundation of ChromeOS."
The move likely reduces the amount of work required to develop two different platforms in parallel and the blog post suggests it will also help Google speed up the development of AI-related technologies: "Bringing the Android-based tech stack into ChromeOS will allow us to accelerate the pace of AI innovation at the core of ChromeOS, simplify engineering efforts, and help different devices like phones and accessories work better together with Chromebooks."
One of the more notable changes users will see is the removal of the BlueZ Bluetooth technology in favour of Android's Fluoride Bluetooth stack.
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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) |
The BSDs, X11, and Wayland
Making-the-migration asks: I understand X11 on Linux is in maintenance mode now and new features will not be added, only bugs will be fixed. The BSDs have their own branch of X11 and I wonder if they will continue to keep it alive or follow Linux by migrating to Wayland eventually?
DistroWatch answers: Something I think worth mentioning is when people talk about X11 they are generally talking about a protocol, the language software can use when drawing windows and images on a screen. There are multiple software implementations which can work with the X11 (or X Window System) protocol. On almost all Linux distributions the implementation is called X.Org. A Red Hat blog post sums up the distinction in the terms nicely:
It's important to note that "Xorg Server" and "X11" are not synonymous, X11 is a protocol that will continue to be supported through Xwayland, while the Xorg Server is one of the implementations of the X11 protocol.
It is this X.Org (or Xorg) implementation which has shifted into maintenance mode and is no longer receiving new features. There are still minor updates and security fixes, but no new work is planned.
The X.Org implementation of the X Window System is also used on FreeBSD and NetBSD. The OpenBSD project uses a somewhat customized branch of X.Org called Xenocara. In other words, the BSDs don't have their own separate branch or implementation, they're still using X.Org (or a modified version of it). So the BSDs are still affected by X.Org being in maintenance mode.
With that said, X.Org receiving only minor updates and fixes isn't really a big deal. X.Org has been around for a long time and it has been pretty much feature complete and stable for a few decades. It doesn't need anything beyond minor fixes to continue working well in its existing role for the next decade. At this point there isn't any reason to worry about X.Org, it will continue to work just fine (on Linux and the BSDs) for years to come.
As for the BSDs adopting Wayland, each project has its own approach. The FreeBSD team has implemented Wayland support and it is working for some desktop environments, such as KDE Plasma. The FreeBSD Handbook has a section on using Wayland sessions.
There has been a little work accomplished toward getting Wayland sessions running on OpenBSD, though it doesn't seem to have taken off. The OpenBSD project tends to be conservative and is unlikely to rush into officially supporting Wayland.
Over in the NetBSD community some initial porting work was done to get a Wayland compositor running on the operating system. However, that was over three years ago and progress appears to have stalled there.
I believe there are two problems with getting Wayland adopted throughout the BSD family of operating systems. One is they have smaller development communities than Linux does. The second issue is Wayland is developed for Linux as the target, and it relies on some technologies which are specific to Linux. This means other operating system need to implement or port those Linux technologies before they can get Wayland to work. Meanwhile the Wayland community doesn't seem interested in accepting patches from non-Linux platforms. As Nia Alarie wrote back in 2020 when discussing Wayland on NetBSD:
The Wayland "reference implementation" is a small set of libraries that can be used to build a compositor or a client application. These libraries currently have hard dependencies on Linux kernel APIs like epoll. In pkgsrc we've patched the libraries to add kqueue support, but the patches haven't been accepted upstream. Wayland is written with the assumption of Linux to the extent that every client application tends to [use] "#include <linux/input.h>" because Wayland's designers didn't see the need to define a OS-neutral way to get mouse button IDs.
So far, all Wayland compositors but swc have a hard dependency on libinput, which only supports Linux's input API (also cloned in FreeBSD). In NetBSD we have an entirely different input API - wscons. wscons is actually fairly simple to write code for, someone just needs to go out there and do it.
In summary, Wayland was written with Linux in mind. The BSD projects can port Wayland, but it requires work, more work than maintaining X.Org packages which already do everything the BSD projects need. Even when the BSD developers do port Wayland to their operating systems, their patches may not get accepted upstream, meaning keeping Wayland working will be an ongoing effort. At this point there isn't much incentive for the BSDs to put in the work to run Wayland sessions when maintaining X.Org gives them a more reliable, tested platform which requires less work.
With that being said, Linux developers are winding down their support for X.Org. Red Hat has stated that it plans to no longer support X.Org by default after Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 reaches its end of life, probably in 2035. After that point it is possible no upstream work will be sponsored on the X.Org project and both conservative Linux distributions and the BSDs will need to look at either adopting Wayland or working together to maintain the aging X.Org code.
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Additional queries and answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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Released Last Week |
openSUSE 15.6
The openSUSE project has published a new update to the distribution's Leap branch. openSUSE 15.6 Leap will be supported through to the end of 2025 and features a number of enhancements to remote administration tools and container management utilities: "The inclusion of the Cockpit package in openSUSE Leap 15.6 represents a significant enhancement in system and container management capabilities for users. This integration into Leap 15.6 improves usability and access as well as providing a link between advanced system administration and user-friendly operations from the web browser. The addition underscores openSUSE's commitment to providing powerful tools that cater to both professionals and hobbyists. Leap does not come with a SELinux policy, so SELinux capabilities for Cockpit are not functioning. Container technologies receive a boost with Podman 4.8, which includes tailored support for Nextcloud through quadlets, alongside the latest releases of Distrobox, Docker, python-podman, Skopeo, containerd, libcontainers-common, ensuring a robust container management system. Virtualization technologies are also enhanced, featuring updates to Xen 4.18, KVM 8.2.2, libvirt 10.0, and virt-manager 4.1." Additional details can be found in the project's release announcement and in the release notes.
SELKS 10
Stamus Networks has announced the release of SELKS 10, a major update of the company's specialist, Debian-based Linux distribution with focus on security and threat detection, and featuring the open-source Suricata threat-detection engine: "Stamus Networks, a global provider of high-performance network-based threat detection and response systems, today announced the general availability of SELKS 10, the latest version of its turnkey Suricata-based network intrusion detection/protection (IDS/IPS), network security monitor (NSM) and threat-hunting system. The new edition, which commemorates SELKS' 10th anniversary, builds on its open-source legacy with powerful new features that enable organizations to enhance network detection and security monitoring. Key enhancements in SELKS 10 include: the SELKS user interface has been updated to incorporate the latest capabilities of SSP, the company's commercial solution; SELKS 10 can now capture packets (PCAP) associated with alerts; SELKS 10 adds the latest capabilities of Arkime bulk search, improved session detail display, unified configurations, unified authentication, JA4 support, additional multi-viewer support and offline PCAP retrieval improvements; SELKS 10 is now using a PostgreSQL database instead of SQLite to fix known issues, augment capabilities, improve scalability and prepare for future evolution." Continue to the press release for more information.
postmarketOS 24.06
postmarketOS is an Alpine-based Linux distribution for mobile devices. The project's latest version is postmarketOS 24.06 which is based on Alpine Linux 3.20. "As always we target the most recent Alpine release. In case of v24.06 it is the excellent Alpine Linux 3.20. User Interfaces (UIs): GNOME Shell on Mobile 46_git20240610 replaces 45_git20230908 from v23.12. This version allows triggering the keyboard with double-tap on the bottom bar, and it has a new scheduling manager that improves UI smoothness. Thanks to @verdre, @azisu and all the GNOME contributors! KDE Plasma Mobile 6.0.5 replaces version 5.27.10 from v23.12. After nearly 10 years since the first release of Plasma 5, the KDE MegaRelease 6 brings a huge number of improvements across the whole stack. Among other things, the homescreen has been rewritten for Plasma Mobile 6 and now allows users to customize pages with apps, folders and widgets, as well as using an app drawer and search. There is also a new welcome screen on first launch for setting up Wi-Fi, timezones, etc. Thanks to @EspiDev and all the KDE contributors! Phosh 0.39 replaces version 0.33 from v23.12. Some of the highlights are folders in the app overview, better handling of devices with notches, selecting Wi-Fi networks via the quick settings and opening the on-screen keyboard via a long press on the bottom bar. Thanks to @agx and all the Phosh contributors!" Additional details and a list of supported devices can be found in the project's release announcement.
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 3,017
- Total data uploaded: 44.6TB
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Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Have you tried Redox OS?
This week we started with an overview of Redox OS, an open source operating system which strives to implement a Unix-like environment with modern technologies and design. We'd like to hear if you have tried Redox and, if so, what did you think of it?
You can see the results of our previous poll on read-only, immutable filesystems versus traditional, writable filesystems in our previous edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Have you tried running Redox OS?
Yes - it worked well for me: | 19 (1%) |
Yes - it worked but poorly: | 27 (2%) |
Yes - it did not work for me: | 38 (2%) |
No - I have not tried Redox: | 1564 (95%) |
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Website News |
New distributions added to waiting list
- ATZ Linux. ATZ Linux is a Chinese distribution based on Debian. The distribution includes additional software such as Baidu disc, WeChat, Easy Cloud Music, and the WPS productivity suite.
- FunOS. FunOS is an Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the JWM window manager and with Snap support removed.
- UBLinux. UBLinux is an Arch based distribution for home and office use which strives to make installation and configuration easy. The distribution is localized for Russian speaking users.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 24 June 2024. 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)
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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.
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Random Distribution |
SuliX
SuliX was a Hungarian, Fedora-based distribution for schools. Its main features are usability, Hungarian language support, "freshness" in terms of software updates and educational purpose. It can be used in schools, for IT education or as a Linux migration tool. The name "SuliX" comes from Hungarian: "suli" means "school" in child's language. SuliX was developed by a small group of teachers in Hungary.
Status: Discontinued
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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.
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Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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