 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 107, 4 July 2005 |
Welcome to this year's 27th issue of DistroWatch Weekly and happy Independence Day to all our visitors from the United States! Last week's release of SUSE LINUX 9.3 ISO images provided much excitement during the otherwise dull week and many users are now discovering the joys of computing with one of the oldest and best-known Linux operating systems around. In the meantime, the Debian Project ended up with a tarnished reputation for being unable to provide timely security updates for sarge - will this fiasco bring radical changes to the project's security infrastructure? Also in this issue: comment on the recent merger of Mandriva and Lycoris, and an interesting change in the release policy of Fedora Core. Happy reading!
Content:
SUSE 9.3 released to mirrors
 As the news about the availability of SUSE LINUX 9.3 ISO images spread last week, many users on Linux community forums expressed their excitement about the release. SUSE boxed sets are not readily available for purchase outside of Europe and North America and even where they are, not everybody can afford €100 for an operating system that might or might not be to their liking. In fact, this is the first time ever that SUSE LINUX can be downloaded either as a DVD image or as a set of 5 CD images; SUSE 9.2 was only available as a DVD image and SUSE 9.1 only as a Personal Edition CD image, while all previous versions were provided exclusively as directory trees for remote FTP/HTTP installation. That might explain why we noted a dramatic increase in SUSE page views here on DistroWatch last week which will hopefully translate into increased number of satisfied users of this popular distribution.
We installed SUSE LINUX 9.3 to test it out and see how it compares to previous SUSE releases. Although we didn't have time to perform a thorough test of all the new features and check out the new software packages, our first impression was very good indeed. SUSE 9.3 appears to be a solid product with the usual professional attention to detail, perhaps slightly on the cutting edge of Linux development with less well-tested packages and some alpha software, but this is to be expected for a product that is designed to be a base for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and Novell Linux Desktop. Also, of all the major distributions, it appears that SUSE is now the only one maintaining a 6-month release cycle - Mandriva has moved to a 12-month release cycle, while Fedora is now moving to a 9-month release cycle (see below for details).
If you are one of those users who are just discovering SUSE LINUX, you might be interested in keeping an eye on Novell's Cool Solutions pages. They tend to get filled with useful tips and tricks to make your life with SUSE more pleasant and they even provide a Wiki page for user-contributed hacks and solutions. Currently, Novell is building a database of "cool tools", and if you are a developer, or have come up with an interesting way to enhance your SUSE installation, you will get a free T-shirt and might even win an iPod Shuffle. Another helpful web site to bookmark and visit frequently is suselinuxinfo.org - a well-maintained and regularly updated site with good information about everything SUSE.
If you have downloaded and installed SUSE LINUX 9.3, how do you like it? Any pleasant surprises or disappointments? Please discuss below.
SUSE LINUX 9.3 is now available for free download
(full image size: 446kB)
Sarge update issues
 If you have installed the recently released Debian sarge, how many security advisories have you received during the past four weeks? Up until late last week the number of sarge-related security advisories issued by the Debian Security Team was exactly zero. Contrast that to Fedora Core 4, which, although released one week later than sarge, has already issued 8 security advisories! So where is the problem? Is the Debian Security Team on strike?
Well, it turns out that the Debian sarge security infrastructure is broken and has been broken since the release of sarge. This was first reported by Heise.de (in German) and later spread to Da Linux French (in French) before a long discussion erupted on the debian-security mailing list. Joey Schultze explains in his blog: "At the time of the release, security.debian.org broke, since the suites stable/testing on the security host did not match the ones on the main archive. In fact, trying to release a security update before the sarge release resulted in a crashed katie program and a half-baked archive. ... So, it looks like we'll be without security updates for quite a while."
This is bad news for those users who have entrusted their servers to the much awaited new Debian release and are now possibly running several applications with known vulnerabilities. The good news is that the above-mentioned instances of "bad publicity" have stirred some action among the Debian Security Team and, by last weekend, the first two Debian security advisories were issued. But the problem is complex and still far from being under control. Martin Krafft explains: "In general, my experience has been that security at debian.org is a black hole, and that offers to help are ignored. Of course, the Debian meritocracy calls for us to just do something to rise the ladder according to our accomplishments, but as with the other obscure domains of the Debian project, which are not open to anyone to just peek at and learn, it's really difficult to do this when it means working as a blind person with a couple of mutes."
It looks like a major upheaval in the security infrastructure of Debian is needed to ensure that the current situation does not happen again. But can it be done? Can a rather boring and thankless task of applying patches are releasing advisories be made more attractive and rewarding? Not easily. But it must be done - before Debian's reputation is further tarnished by more sloppy security work.
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| Lycoris: Looking forward, looking back (by Robert Norton) |
Lycoris: Looking forward, looking back
A good software company is built around its people, not its technology. With a volatile mix of control freaks, egomaniacs and poorly trained volunteers masquerading as employees, it was clear as early as 2003 that Lycoris was almost certain to fail. After a time of destructive indecision, the company's acquisition by Mandriva represents quite an achievement, although given Mandriva's history of botched implementations, it is unclear whether the merger will have any real benefits for either company's users.
There's a lot that could be said about Lycoris' failure to capitalise on its innovations, but I won't dwell too much on this because I think it's improper to air too much dirty laundry in public. While our innovations were real and revolutionary, the problems that plagued us from mid-2002 onwards were as old as time. Although it's true that we failed to acquire any significant venture capital investment and this weighted the odds heavily against us, our other problems - particularly with regards to personnel - would eventually have brought us low anyway.
Joseph Cheek, the CEO and Founder, is a true visionary. In a time when geeks dominated open source and desktop Linux had not even registered on the radar, Joe expanded on the bland Caldera OpenLinux distribution to create a feature-rich, user-friendly, and, yes, Windows-esque Linux desktop that ordinary people could actually use.
When Redmond Linux was released in December 2001, Red Hat Linux 7.2 was the staple distribution of choice. Comparing the two distributions is a bit like comparing Windows 2000 with Windows NT 3.1. Redmond Linux was the first distribution to include centralised access to devices, the first distribution to provide a Windows network browser built on the file manager (rather than a separate application), the first distribution to include a centralised Control Panel that merged system configuration tools with desktop preferences, and the first distribution to slim down the glut of Linux packages to a "best of breed" application set - among other things.
While none of this appears to be revolutionary now, when it often seems that there are more desktop Linux distributions than users, the fact remains that Lycoris was the first to perfect the "desktop Linux" formula. Mandrakesoft, SUSE, Caldera and even please-use-windows Red Hat helped Linux greatly on its journey toward the consumer desktop, but it was Lycoris who perfected the formula for the first time.
Thanks to Mandriva, Joe has the chance to create a fantastic desktop operating system, one that excels in both the technical and usability arenas. Many of Lycoris' technical problems centred around lack of resources, while the last release of Mandrake Discovery Edition was still fairly bloated, in addition to being very ugly, and at times difficult to use. In fact, Mandrake's failure to back up its technical prowess with a highly usable desktop environment was the one of the key factors cited by many new Lycoris users when talking about their decision to switch distributions. Lycoris, in turn, had many technical issues that alienated users, including substandard hardware and application support, an aging installer, and the lack of an automated dependency resolution tool.
The two product offerings, therefore, are highly complementary. Marrying Mandriva's core technology with Lycoris' desktop experience and tools could create one of the best desktop distributions to date. In addition, Joe needs to address three key problems with Mandrake Discovery Edition:
- The poor usability of DrakX, the Mandriva installation tool. DrakX for Discovery Edition has too many steps and remains too complex for new users. With some customisations it could closely resemble the Xandros installation tool in terms of ease of use.
- The ugly and at times unusable default desktop. Joe will need to merge technology such as My Linux System, the Network Browser, the Control Center the btX2 font rendering technology, and the AI2 application integration framework. In addition he will need to add the beautiful Lycoris artwork and desktop theme, as well as cleaning up the awful Mandriva menu structure. (As a side note, finally integrating My Linux System and the Network Browser with KDE, rather than having them as largely separate applications, would add significantly to the functionality of the system.)
- The unintuitive software installation system. Mandriva's RPMDrake still largely revolves around individual packages, rather than the concept of software applications (i.e. hiding the actual packages from users). Lycoris was the first company to include an online software repository with their distribution - the Iris Software Gallery - and Joe will need to merge this highly usable and easily understandable front-end with the technically superior RPMDrake on the backend.
Hopefully Joe will stay with Mandriva long enough to make this vision a reality. Many employees, particularly executives, of newly acquired companies do not stay with their new masters for very long - often less than a year - and it has already been revealed that Joe is only bound to Mandriva by a short-term contract. For all his technical brilliance, Joe's people skills are at times poor, and this may make it difficult for him to work with his new employers in Paris. But by sticking with Mandriva, Joe has the chance he has been longing for: to give his technical innovations the broad audience he has always dreamed about.
For Mandriva's part, it will need to address some of the core problems that have plagued it for years. Timely distribution of retail boxes, the lack of genuine discounts for upgrades, inadequate QA testing and poor consumer channel management have destroyed the company's credibility with many users, although the Mandriva Club has helped to rectify some of these issues in recent times. Mandriva needs to quickly address the problems with its consumer business, or else it risks being relegated to the enterprise space, where it will face steep competition from much larger companies, particularly Novell and Red Hat.
While Lycoris has been relegated to the history books, Mandriva has given its founder a chance to keep on innovating in the desktop Linux space. By merging the desktop know-how of Lycoris with the advanced technology of Mandriva Linux, Mandriva has the opportunity to become of the dominant players in the consumer desktop market after its rough ride over the last few years.
But, as always, a good software company is built around its people, not its technology. Let's hope that both parties will stay the course and adapt to their changed circumstances.
Robert B. Norton worked for Lycoris in a volunteer capacity between 2002 and 2004. He now works for the Sage Group plc, and currently lives in Sydney, Australia.
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| Released Last Week |
Distribution Release: Thinstation 2.1.1
Thinstation is a new distribution on our list - a modern thin client that does work on its own for basic operations like web browsing, managing removable media and printers, but rely on servers for major applications as well as administration of the clients. A new version was released over the weekend: "The Thinstation project is proud to announce that version 2.1 is released and is ready to download from the download page. Expect the TS-O-Matic servers to hold it within a few days too. Among the goodies: IceWM window manager, xtdesk desktop icons, PCMCIA support, wireless network, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, integration with ICA 9 client, NX client, rdesktop 1.4.1 with native disk, sound, port redirection and a lot of bugs fixed. (EDIT: A missing file has bumped the version to 2.1.1.)" Read the release announcement on the project's home page.
Distribution Release: Knoppel 0.6
Knoppel is a Knoppix-based live CD designed for Greek speakers. The newly released version 0.6 comes with a number of updates and improvements, including the following: synchronised with the latest Debian "testing" branch; upgraded kernel to 2.6.11.11, KDE to 3.4.1, ALSA to 1.0.9, OpenOffice.org to 1.1.4; UnionFS with read/write access while running from live CD; included several enhancements from the KANOTIX project, such as improved hardware auto-detection and hard disk installation program; introduction of Synaptic for package management; support for wireless network cards (ipw2100 and ipw2200); updated FreeNX. Read the full release announcement (in Greek) for further details.
INSERT 1.3.5a
An updated version of Inside Security Rescue Toolkit (INSERT) has been released: "This update fixes a few bugs in different places. Firmware for some wireless adapters was added. The browser was switched to Dillo to reduce size and the graphical FTP client was switched to gFTP for more features. A few packages have been updated. A proxy can be set at boot time or via the menu. usb-install should work again." See the complete changelog for more details about this version.
Parsix GNU/Linux 0.60
Parsix GNU/Linux is a Debian-based live CD with support for Persian (Farsi). Version 0.60 was released today: "We are happy to announce that a new version of Parsix GNU/Linux - a live and installation CD with Persian language support - is available now. Parsix GNU/Linux 0.60 uses latest Debian Sid packages (29-06-2005). A short list of most important improvements: new look and feel thanks to ClearLooks 0.6 GTK style/theme, new installer based on the KANOTIX installer, added Parsix launcher panel, added Parsix icon set, updated Parsix-DOC, GNOME 2.10.1, OpenOffice.org 1.1.4, GIMP 2.2.8, Firefox 1.0.4...." The release announcement, changelog, screenshots.
Parsix GNU/Linux - a Debian-based live CD with support for input in Persian
(full image size: 1,994kB)
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Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Fedora Core 5
We mentioned the existence of a document entitled Proposed Development Areas for Fedora Core 5 and Fedora Project in last week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, but now we also have a preliminary release plan for Fedora's next release. Interestingly, the previously maintained 6-month release cycle is about to be changed as the final release of Fedora Core 5 is now scheduled for 13 February 2006, nearly 9 months after the release of Fedora Core 4. The first test version is expected in early November. For more details please see the Preliminary Fedora Core 5 Schedule.
UserLinux
Is UserLinux still alive? Several people have been wondering about this on the project's mailing list. The original idea was to release the first version of UserLinux, a commercially supported variant of Debian, as soon as Debian Sarge becomes stable. Surprisingly, there has been no sign of activity on the project's web site and mailing lists even though Sarge has now been stable for several weeks. But maybe things will start moving again - that' according to this message by the project leader Bruce Perens: "I'm catching up after getting a new job. I have all of the pieces and have recently been working on the artwork installer, which was the most broken remaining piece. I hope to have something to show late next week. We would then test the installer and produce CD and DVD masters, and test them." As always, we'll keep you updated with the development.
X/OS Linux 4
X/OS Linux, one of the many distributions rebuilt from source RPM packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, is working on version 4, expected later this month: "After several delays, the release of X/OS Linux 4 is now firmly set for the first half of July. Development of the new build system has been frozen and the final builds have been started. Further improvements in the automated build system were finalized, most of the effort spent on additional checking of the build output. With X/OS Linux being a self-hosted distribution, whereby the sources are built upon the binaries generated from the same source, the entire generation process spans several days. Once the final images have been created, additional tests are run to ensure the quality of the final release. With no further difficulties expected at this stage, the first half of July should definitely see the release of X/OS Linux 4." Here is the announcement.
* * * * *
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Web Site News |
June donation: Debian Project receives US$420
We promised it shortly after launching the monthly DistroWatch donations programme: the Debian Project will receive our monthly donation as soon as it declares "sarge" stable. This happened early last month, so the June donation now goes to the largest Linux distribution project - Debian GNU/Linux.
Of course, Debian is not just a distribution. By creating a large organisation with a strict social structure and painstakingly thorough quality control, it also developed into a base on which dozens of other Linux distributions are built. This was Debian's stated goal right from the beginning, but the current reality has probably exceeded the expectations of the early project leaders. Some of the Debian-based projects, such as KNOPPIX, Ubuntu, MEPIS, Xandros or Damn Small Linux are now recognised brand names and truly valuable distributions in their own rights. This is probably the main reason why Debian deserves our donation - without Debian, our Linux distribution scene would be a lot less exciting than it is today!
The donation will be made to the Software in the Public Interest, Inc (SPI), which is Debian's legal umbrella. Because SPI only accepts US dollar cheques and money orders originating in the United States, we enlisted the help of our friends at MadPenguin.org who will mail a postal order to SPI to be donated to the Debian Project later this week.
As always, our donations programme is a joint initiative between DistroWatch and LinuxCD.org, which contributes US$50 every month. LinuxCD.org is an online store selling low-cost Linux/BSD CDs - they have the largest selection, inclusive of all the latest releases, and they offer the lowest prices. Next time you need to order your favourite Linux or BSD CDs, get them from LinuxCD.org.
Here is the list of projects that received a DistroWatch donation since the launch of the programme:
New distribution additions
- Thinstation. Thinstation is a modern thin client that does work on its own for basic operations like web browsing, managing removable media and printers, but rely on servers for major applications as well as administration of the clients. The clients may be diskless or boot from local media. Thinstation works as a client using X, ICA, RDP, SSH, NX, telnet, tn5250 and other protocols and works on standard PC hardware.
- Voltalinux. Voltalinux is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Slackware Linux and the pkgsrc package system from NetBSD. The project offers a pre-built distribution where the user can enjoy the clean design of Slackware Linux with the availability of over 5,000 NetBSD ports ready to be installed.
New on the waiting list
- pQui Linux. pQui Linux is a new Brazilian distribution based on Slackware Linux. It is designed as a desktop distribution, especially for users who have never used Linux before.
Discontinued distributions
- Sun Java Desktop System. As widely reported in the Linux media, it appears that the Sun Java Desktop System distribution has been put on the back burner by the company's executives: "The Java Desktop System will continue to exist as a product, but now chiefly as software based on Sun's Solaris operating system and directed at programmers, John Loiacono, executive vice president of software, said at a meeting with reporters here at the JavaOne trade show. 'You're going to see less of an emphasis on JDS on Linux,' Loiacono said. 'The strategy has changed slightly.'" This is hardly a big surprise given Sun's half-baked effort to promote the distribution and the lack of any success stories of large-scale deployments in the enterprise. More information is available in this story at News.com.
DistroWatch database summary
That's all for today. We hope that you enjoyed this week's DistroWatch Weekly!
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1169 (2026-04-20): Lakka 6.1, free software and source-based distributions, FreeBSD Foundation publishes compatible laptop list, Debian holds Project Leader election, Haiku progresses ARM64 port, Mint to extend development cycle, Linux 7.0 released |
| • Issue 1168 (2026-04-13): pearOS 2026.03, EndeavourOS 2026.03.06, which distros are adopting age verification, Arch adjusts its firewall packages, Linux dropping i486 support, Red Hat extends its release cycle, Debian's APT introduces rollbacks, Redox improves its scheduler |
| • Issue 1167 (2026-04-06): Origami Linux 2026.03, answering questions for Linux newcomers, Ubuntu MATE seeking new contributors, Ubuntu software centre is expanding Deb support, FreeBSD fixes forum exploit, openSUSE 15 Leap nears its end of life |
| • Issue 1166 (2026-03-30): NetBSD jails, publishing software for Linux, Ubuntu joins Rust Foundation, Canonical plans to trim GRUB features, Peppermint works on new utilities, PINE64 shows off open hardware capabilities |
| • Issue 1165 (2026-03-23): Argent Linux 1.5.3, disk space required by Linux, Manjaro team goes on strike, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA driver support and builds RISC-V packages, systemd introduces age tracking |
| • Issue 1164 (2026-03-16): d77void, age verification laws and Linux, SUSE may be for sale, TrueNAS takes its build system private, Debian publishes updated Trixie media, MidnightBSD and System76 respond to age verification laws |
| • Issue 1163 (2026-03-09): KaOS 2026.02, TinyCore 17.0, NuTyX 26.02.2, Would one big collection of packages help?, Guix offers 64-bit Hurd options, Linux communities discuss age delcaration laws, Mint unveils new screensaver for Cinnamon, Redox ports new COSMIC features |
| • Issue 1162 (2026-03-02): AerynOS 2026.01, anti-virus and firewall tools, Manjaro fixes website certificate, Ubuntu splits firmware package, jails for NetBSD, extended support for some Linux kernel releases, Murena creating a map app |
| • Issue 1161 (2026-02-23): The Guix package manager, quick Q&As, Gentoo migrating its mirrors, Fedora considers more informative kernel panic screens, GhostBSD testing alternative X11 implementation, Asahi makes progress with Apple M3, NetBSD userland ported, FreeBSD improves web-based system management |
| • Issue 1160 (2026-02-16): Noid and AgarimOS, command line tips, KDE Linux introduces delta updates, Redox OS hits development milestone, Linux Mint develops a desktop-neutral account manager, sudo developer seeks sponsorship |
| • Issue 1159 (2026-02-09): Sharing files on a network, isolating processes on Linux, LFS to focus on systemd, openSUSE polishes atomic updates, NetBSD not likely to adopt Rust code, COSMIC roadmap |
| • Issue 1158 (2026-02-02): Manjaro 26.0, fastest filesystem, postmarketOS progress report, Xfce begins developing its own Wayland window manager, Bazzite founder interviewed |
| • Issue 1157 (2026-01-26): Setting up a home server, what happened to convergence, malicious software entering the Snap store, postmarketOS automates hardware tests, KDE's login manager works with systemd only |
| • Issue 1156 (2026-01-19): Chimera Linux's new installer, using the DistroWatch Torrent Corner, new package tools for Arch, Haiku improves EFI support, Redcore streamlines branches, Synex introduces install-time ZFS options |
| • Issue 1155 (2026-01-12): MenuetOS, CDE on Sparky, iDeal OS 2025.12.07, recommended flavour of BSD, Debian seeks new Data Protection Team, Ubuntu 25.04 nears its end of life, Google limits Android source code releases, Fedora plans to replace SDDM, Budgie migrates to Wayland |
| • Issue 1154 (2026-01-05): postmarketOS 25.06/25.12, switching to Linux and educational resources, FreeBSD improving laptop support, Unix v4 available for download, new X11 server in development, CachyOS team plans server edtion |
| • Issue 1153 (2025-12-22): Best projects of 2025, is software ever truly finished?, Firefox to adopt AI components, Asahi works on improving the install experience, Mageia presents plans for version 10 |
| • Issue 1152 (2025-12-15): OpenBSD 7.8, filtering websites, Jolla working on a Linux phone, Germany saves money with Linux, Ubuntu to package AMD tools, Fedora demonstrates AI troubleshooting, Haiku packages Go language |
| • Issue 1151 (2025-12-08): FreeBSD 15.0, fun command line tricks, Canonical presents plans for Ubutnu 26.04, SparkyLinux updates CDE packages, Redox OS gets modesetting driver |
| • Issue 1150 (2025-12-01): Gnoppix 25_10, exploring if distributions matter, openSUSE updates tumbleweed's boot loader, Fedora plans better handling of broken packages, Plasma to become Wayland-only, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1149 (2025-11-24): MX Linux 25, why are video drivers special, systemd experiments with musl, Debian Libre Live publishes new media, Xubuntu reviews website hack |
| • Issue 1148 (2025-11-17): Zorin OS 18, deleting a file with an unusual name, NetBSD experiments with sandboxing, postmarketOS unifies its documentation, OpenBSD refines upgrades, Canonical offers 15 years of support for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1147 (2025-11-10): Fedora 43, the size and stability of the Linux kernel, Debian introducing Rust to APT, Redox ports web engine, Kubuntu website off-line, Mint creates new troubleshooting tools, FreeBSD improves reproducible builds, Flatpak development resumes |
| • Issue 1146 (2025-11-03): StartOS 0.4.0, testing piped commands, Ubuntu Unity seeks help, Canonical offers Ubuntu credentials, Red Hat partners with NVIDIA, SUSE to bundle AI agent with SLE 16 |
| • Issue 1145 (2025-10-27): Linux Mint 7 "LMDE", advice for new Linux users, AlmaLinux to offer Btrfs, KDE launches Plasma 6.5, Fedora accepts contributions written by AI, Ubuntu 25.10 fails to install automatic updates |
| • Issue 1144 (2025-10-20): Kubuntu 25.10, creating and restoring encrypted backups, Fedora team debates AI, FSF plans free software for phones, ReactOS addresses newer drivers, Xubuntu reacts to website attack |
| • Issue 1143 (2025-10-13): openSUSE 16.0 Leap, safest source for new applications, Redox introduces performance improvements, TrueNAS Connect available for testing, Flatpaks do not work on Ubuntu 25.10, Kamarada plans to switch its base, Solus enters new epoch, Frugalware discontinued |
| • Issue 1142 (2025-10-06): Linux Kamarada 15.6, managing ZIP files with SQLite, F-Droid warns of impact of Android lockdown, Alpine moves ahead with merged /usr, Cinnamon gets a redesigned application menu |
| • Issue 1141 (2025-09-29): KDE Linux and GNOME OS, finding mobile flavours of Linux, Murena to offer phones with kill switches, Redox OS running on a smartphone, Artix drops GNOME |
| • Issue 1140 (2025-09-22): NetBSD 10.1, avoiding AI services, AlmaLinux enables CRB repository, Haiku improves disk access performance, Mageia addresses service outage, GNOME 49 released, Linux introduces multikernel support |
| • Issue 1139 (2025-09-15): EasyOS 7.0, Linux and central authority, FreeBSD running Plasma 6 on Wayland, GNOME restores X11 support temporarily, openSUSE dropping BCacheFS in new kernels |
| • Issue 1138 (2025-09-08): Shebang 25.8, LibreELEC 12.2.0, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, the importance of software updates, AerynOS introduces package sets, postmarketOS encourages patching upstream, openSUSE extends Leap support, Debian refreshes Trixie media |
| • Issue 1137 (2025-09-01): Tribblix 0m37, malware scanners flagging Linux ISO files, KDE introduces first-run setup wizard, CalyxOS plans update prior to infrastructure overhaul, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1136 (2025-08-25): CalyxOS 6.8.20, distros for running containers, Arch Linux website under attack,illumos Cafe launched, CachyOS creates web dashboard for repositories |
| • Issue 1135 (2025-08-18): Debian 13, Proton, WINE, Wayland, and Wayback, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, KDE gets advanced Liquid Glass, Haiku improves authentication tools |
| • Issue 1134 (2025-08-11): Rhino Linux 2025.3, thoughts on malware in the AUR, Fedora brings hammered websites back on-line, NetBSD reveals features for version 11, Ubuntu swaps some command line tools for 25.10, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA support |
| • Issue 1133 (2025-08-04): Expirion Linux 6.0, running Plasma on Linux Mint, finding distros which support X11, Debian addresses 22 year old bug, FreeBSD discusses potential issues with pkgbase, CDE ported to OpenBSD, Btrfs corruption bug hitting Fedora users, more malware found in Arch User Repository |
| • Issue 1132 (2025-07-28): deepin 25, wars in the open source community, proposal to have Fedora enable Flathub repository, FreeBSD plans desktop install option, Wayback gets its first release |
| • Issue 1131 (2025-07-21): HeliumOS 10.0, settling on one distro, Mint plans new releases, Arch discovers malware in AUR, Plasma Bigscreen returns, Clear Linux discontinued |
| • Issue 1130 (2025-07-14): openSUSE MicroOS and RefreshOS, sharing aliases between computers, Bazzite makes Bazaar its default Flatpak store, Alpine plans Wayback release, Wayland and X11 benchmarked, Red Hat offers additional developer licenses, openSUSE seeks feedback from ARM users, Ubuntu 24.10 reaches the end of its life |
| • Issue 1129 (2025-07-07): GLF OS Omnislash, the worst Linux distro, Alpine introduces Wayback, Fedora drops plans to stop i686 support, AlmaLinux builds EPEL repository for older CPUs, Ubuntu dropping existing RISC-V device support, Rhino partners with UBports, PCLinuxOS recovering from website outage |
| • Issue 1128 (2025-06-30): AxOS 25.06, AlmaLinux OS 10.0, transferring Flaptak bundles to off-line computers, Ubuntu to boost Intel graphics performance, Fedora considers dropping i686 packages, SDesk switches from SELinux to AppArmor |
| • Issue 1127 (2025-06-23): LastOSLinux 2025-05-25, most unique Linux distro, Haiku stabilises, KDE publishes Plasma 6.4, Arch splits Plasma packages, Slackware infrastructure migrating |
| • Issue 1126 (2025-06-16): SDesk 2025.05.06, renewed interest in Ubuntu Touch, a BASIC device running NetBSD, Ubuntu dropping X11 GNOME session, GNOME increases dependency on systemd, Google holding back Pixel source code, Nitrux changing its desktop, EFF turns 35 |
| • Issue 1125 (2025-06-09): RHEL 10, distributions likely to survive a decade, Murena partners with more hardware makers, GNOME tests its own distro on real hardware, Redox ports GTK and X11, Mint provides fingerprint authentication |
| • Issue 1124 (2025-06-02): Picking up a Pico, tips for protecting privacy, Rhino tests Plasma desktop, Arch installer supports snapshots, new features from UBports, Ubuntu tests monthly snapshots |
| • Issue 1123 (2025-05-26): CRUX 3.8, preventing a laptop from sleeping, FreeBSD improves laptop support, Fedora confirms GNOME X11 session being dropped, HardenedBSD introduces Rust in userland build, KDE developing a virtual machine manager |
| • Issue 1122 (2025-05-19): GoboLinux 017.01, RHEL 10.0 and Debian 12 updates, openSUSE retires YaST, running X11 apps on Wayland |
| • Issue 1121 (2025-05-12): Bluefin 41, custom file manager actions, openSUSE joins End of 10 while dropping Deepin desktop, Fedora offers tips for building atomic distros, Ubuntu considers replacing sudo with sudo-rs |
| • Issue 1120 (2025-05-05): CachyOS 250330, what it means when a distro breaks, Kali updates repository key, Trinity receives an update, UBports tests directory encryption, Gentoo faces losing key infrastructure |
| • Issue 1119 (2025-04-28): Ubuntu MATE 25.04, what is missing from Linux, CachyOS ships OCCT, Debian enters soft freeze, Fedora discusses removing X11 session from GNOME, Murena plans business services, NetBSD on a Wii |
| • Issue 1118 (2025-04-21): Fedora 42, strange characters in Vim, Nitrux introduces new package tools, Fedora extends reproducibility efforts, PINE64 updates multiple devices running Debian |
| • 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 | 
SLAMPP Live
SLAMPP was a Linux distribution which can boot and run directly from a DVD, with possibility to be installed onto hard disk. It was designed to be used as an instant home server. Just like other Linux live DVDs, SLAMPP makes it possible to test Linux without messing up the user's existing system. What makes SLAMPP different was the fact that it comes with pre-configured tools and applications that turn a personal computer into a home server. SLAMPP was built using Zenwalk Linux as its base and Slackware Linux for packages.
Status: Discontinued
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| Tips, Tricks, Q&As | | Tips and tricks: Keep terminal programs running, using the at command, reverse OpenSSH connections |
| Tips and tricks: Reverting to older kernel under Ubuntu |
| Questions and answers: Setting quotas on specific folders |
| Questions and answers: Disk space required by Linux |
| Tips and tricks: Basename, for loop, dirname, aliases, bash history, xsel clipboard |
| Myths and misunderstandings: Can Netflix run on a Raspberry Pi? |
| Questions and answers: Tracking local changes |
| Tips and tricks: Improved package stability coming to FreeBSD/PC-BSD |
| Questions and answers: Using ownCloud at home without dedicated hardware |
| Tips and tricks: Find common words in text, find high memory processes, cd short-cuts, pushd & popd, record desktop |
| More Tips & Tricks and Questions & Answers |
| 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.
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