 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 129, 5 December 2005 |
Welcome to this year's 49th issue of DistroWatch Weekly. New major releases of KDE, Firefox and Apache have prompted us to take a closer look at the major distribution's handling of package updates, the availability of backports and other related issues. Does your distribution provide backports for popular new software? Or do you have to wait for the next version bump to enjoy recently released packages? Also in this issue: an introduction to a GNOME-based Windows XP clone from Russia and a quick look at the excellent Archie Live CD. Finally, our November 2005 donation goes to the often-nominated KANOTIX project. Happy reading!
 Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in ogg (5.17MB) or mp3 (5.44MB) format (courtesy of Shawn Milo).
 Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch
Content:
Backporting major software packages
One of the perceived qualities of a distribution is the willingness of its developers (or contributors) to provide "backports" of popular new applications for existing stable versions of their products. After all, many of us love to run the latest software - even if the only reason is to satisfy our curiosity about what's new and what has been improved. Last week's release of KDE 3.5 was one of those must-have versions for all fans of the popular desktop.
Of course, upgrading such a major piece of software is no small task. A universal method for installing new applications on Linux (and UNIX) is to compile them directly from source code. The advantage of this approach is that you can install a new version as soon as the source code is released, without having to wait for your distribution to provide pre-compiled binary packages. The disadvantage, besides the fact that compiling a large application suite might kill a whole day, is that the newly compiled application will by-pass the distribution's package management structures and might even introduce subtle bugs. Also, unless you are using a dedicated source-based distribution, such as Gentoo Linux, it is often difficult to uninstall a locally-compiled application.
If you are not a seasoned Linux user or if you don't run a source-based distribution, your best option is to wait for your distro's developers to release binary packages specifically compiled for your distribution. This is not always guaranteed, however. If you look through the KDE 3.5 FTP directory, you will notice that only three distributions have so far provided KDE 3.5 binary packages; these are Kubuntu, Slackware and SUSE. Of these, Kubuntu packages are only available for the most recent release (version 5.10), Slackware provides them for the two most recent releases (versions 10.1 and 10.2), and SUSE has built binary packages of KDE 3.5 for their four most recent releases (versions 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 and 10.0).
Although some would consider the above a very simplistic way to rate a Linux distribution, it does give an indication about the level of commitment a company or a project exerts to satisfy their users. Ironically, with all the recent rumours about Novell abandoning KDE in favour of GNOME, the reality is that SUSE remains one of the most KDE-centric distributions, with unmatched service of delivering the freshest KDE packages for as many as four most recent SUSE releases!
Of course, some distributions might provide alternative upgrade paths - Mandriva could use its Club structures to allow priority access to Club members, while Fedora contributors will probably make the new KDE 3.5 packages available from third-party repositories. Gentoo users can, of course, upgrade immediately by "emerging" KDE and users of Arch Linux can invoke "pacman" to get the latest KDE binaries. But if your distribution doesn't provide timely package upgrades, do you mind? Does this fact influence your distro choice? Or are you happy to just wait for your distribution's next release, perhaps with a better tested and bug-fixed KDE 3.5.1? Please discuss below.
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Miscellaneous news: Interview with Branden Robinson, Linux XP
 TuxJournal has published a 3-page interview with Branden Robinson, the current Debian GNU/Linux Project Leader: "When I finally got a computer capable of running the Linux kernel (read: an 80386-compatible or better processor), I immediately installed Slackware Linux on it from a cigar box full of 3.5-inch floppies that my dad had made for me. This was January of 1996. By February I had switched to Debian GNU/Linux, because I knew there were multiple distributions out there, and I wanted to exercise my freedom of choice. Debian appealed to me from the outset because of its affirmative commitment not just to producing a great operating system, but to assurance that that system would remain Free, so that people like me could learn how it worked and customize it to suit their needs." And while on the subject of Debian, here is a good article about the correct usage of the root account and sudo while administering a Debian system.
 Ever since Linux has become a viable option to use on desktop computers, all sorts of attempts have been made to emulate the look and feel of the ubiquitous Windows desktop. One of the more recent efforts in this respect comes from a Russian project called Linux XP. This distribution has been around for a couple of years, but it appeared discontinued with no new releases and no site updates for a long time. However, its latest version is probably one of the best efforts to clone Microsoft Windows XP and emulate its look and feel (see screenshot below). Based on Fedora Core and complete with a heavily modified GNOME desktop and custom icon set, a single-CD release of Linux XP should be formally announced later this week (an older ISO image is available for download from this server). Warning: this is a Russian-only distribution.
Linux XP 2005 - if familiarity is essential
(full image size: 620kB)
A new user forum for Linux users was unveiled today. Called TuxForums.org, the new online arena hopes to attract a large community of Linux users to discuss current issues and solve support problems on all major distributions. TuxForums.org provides discussion platforms for Debian, Gentoo, Fedora, Knoppix, Mandriva, Slackware, SUSE and Ubuntu, as well as more general hardware, software, installation, networking and programming topics. Whether you are looking to join a new Linux community or just wish to read through current discussions, TuxForums.org might be the perfect site to visit.
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| Featured distribution of the week: Archie Live CD |
Archie Live CD
 If you suspect that Archie Live CD has something to do with Arch Linux then you are not far from the truth. Formerly known as AL-AMLUG, the project has changed name in order to make the parent-child relationship more obvious and perhaps to attract users and developers who have been enlightened by the simplicity and purity of Arch Linux.
Archie is unique in the sense that it is not based on any of the big "top-level" distributions with their live CD offshoots, such as Debian/Knoppix, Slackware/SLAX or Mandriva/PCLinuxOS, which currently dominate the live CD scene. Also, since Arch is optimised for the i686 architecture, so is Archie, as its developers use the same binary packages that make up the current Arch Linux package tree. And like its parent, Archie also uses the simple, but fast and efficient "pacman" package manager, a good compromise between the complexity of Debian's APT and Slackware's bare-bones "pkgtool".
The most recent version of Archie Linux is 0.6rc2. It is based on the current pre-release of Arch Linux 0.7.1, so the package set making up the distribution is very up-to-date. The only available edition at the time of writing is a light-weight one with XFce and a relatively small collection of general-purpose desktop applications with a slight bias towards graphics manipulation (GIMP, Inkscape). There is no office suite or universal media player, although users can write documents in AbiWord and listen to music in Beep or XMMS. Firefox, Sylpheed, Gaim and XChat provide all the Internet tools most users will ever need and the distribution also ships with a good collection of wireless network drivers and ndiswrapper. The latest NVIDIA graphics driver is also included.
We found Archie 0.6 an impressive and versatile live CD with good hardware detection and a solid collection of essential applications. The developers chose an interesting theme with extra toolbar icons for pinning and shading windows (see screenshot below) - a nice, user-friendly touch. The live CD also includes a graphical hard disk installer, similar to the ones that ship with the most recent versions of MEPIS or PCLinuxOS, while power users will enjoy the availability of Archie-scripts designed to create a customised Arch-based live CD.
For more information about Archie Live CD please visit the project's home page at archie.dotsrc.org.
Archie - an intriguing live CD based on Arch Linux
(full image size: 150kB)
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| Released Last Week |
Turbolinux 11
Turbolinux 11, code name "Fuji", has been formally released in Japan. The new version is based on kernel 2.6.13 with KDE 3.4.2 as its default desktop. It features improved compatibility with Windows for seamless integration into mixed-OS environments, better support for Japanese input and fonts, StarOffice 8, and real-time virus protection against Windows viruses. Turbolinux FUJI retails for ¥16,800, although a "Basic" edition (without StarOffice, ATOK Japanese input and anti-virus software) is also available for ¥5,800. An international edition of Turbolinux 11 is expected to be launched shortly. More information is available in an earlier product announcement, while the Turbolinux web site provides more comprehensive product pages (in Japanese) about the new release.
RR4 Linux 2.65.1
A new bug-fix release of the Gentoo-based RR4 Linux live DVD is out: "Ladies and gentlemen, geeks and hackers, Greeks and Romans, RR4 Linux 2.65.1 is spreading on the net! RR4 Linux is a powerful and installable Gentoo GNU/Linux live DVD based on kernel 2.6.14, KDE 3.4.3, GNOME 2.12.1, XFce 4.2.2 and Fluxbox 0.9.13, with extraordinary features like Internet Kiosk capabilities (using FreeNX), state of the art hardware detection, fast boot time, multimedia cutting edge support, 'Klik' unofficial support, and DVD to hard disk installation." The release announcement includes a complete list of changes since the earlier version 2.65.
Tao Live 4.03
A new version of Tao Live 4, a live CD based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, has been released: "A new version of the Tao Live CD is available. Version 4.03 features: documentation for beginners (French and English); support for English (Canada and USA), French (Canada) and Spanish (Mexico) locales; kernel 2.6.9-22.0.1.SquashFS1; support for USB storage of userspace (still experimental). Tao Live uses a Squash filesystem to fit 2 GB of programs into a standard bootable CD. OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Gaim, XMMS, K3B and many other programs are included. A few boot options are currently available." Here is the full release announcement.
Wolvix 1.0.4
The Wolvix live CD has been updated to version 1.0.4: "Wolvix Desktop Edition 1.0.4 released. Release highlights: XFce 4.2.3.2, OpenOffice.org 2.0.0, Evolution Groupware Suite 2.4, Mozilla Firefox 1.5, Azureus 2.3.0.6, GnomeBaker 0.5.0, GnomeMeeting 1.2.2, lots of packages have been added from the Freerock GNOME project giving the release a more unison GTK look; better mime handling in Firefox and Xfe; many upgraded applications and libraries. I hope you all like this release, I've been working on it nonstop the last few weeks. The base is still SLAX 5.0.6 with the 2.6.12.2 kernel...." See the full release announcement for more information.
Linux From Scratch 6.1.1
Linux From Scratch 6.1.1 has been released: "The Linux From Scratch community is pleased to announce the release of LFS 6.1.1. This release includes fixes for all known errata since LFS-6.1 was released 4 months ago. You can read the book online, or download to read locally." Besides the usual book, the project also released a new Automated LFS (ALFS) profile, as well as an LFS 6.1.1 LiveCD: "The LFS LiveCD team is proud to announce the release of the x86-6.1.1-1 version of the LFS LiveCD. This version is built using LFS 6.1.1 and BLFS packages from the svn branch. Other new features include: XFce Terminal with helpful menus, including copy and paste; jhalfs 0.2 included; nALFS LFS 6.1.1 Profile; more new packages: rsync, sudo, wireless_tools."
Scientific Linux 4.2
Scientific Linux 4.2 for i386 and x86_64 processors is out: "Scientific Linux 4.2 was officially released. We want to thank all those tested, re-tested, and worked with the developers. This release might have taken longer than usual to be released, but it hopefully is one of the more stable. Scientific Linux release 4.2 is based on the rebuilding of RPMs out of SRPMs from [Red Hat] Enterprise 4 AS, including Update 2. Its biggest improvement over 4.1 would be the new yum 2.4, Yumex (a graphical front end for yum), and the various yum plugins." Find more details and links to release notes in the official announcements for i386 and x86_64 architectures.
Zenwalk Linux 2.0.1
Zenwalk Linux 2.0.1 has been released: "This release is based on the 2.6.14.2 kernel, with Reiser4 filesystem support and many enhancements and updates. Zenwalk 2.0.1 is the biggest jump in Zenwalk evolution since the beginning of the project. Main software updates are XFce 4.2.3.2, xine 1.1.1, Firefox 1.5, KDE 3.5 available from 'netpkg'. GTK has been updated to version 2.8.7, based on the Cairo library designed for a better use of display hardware acceleration. All GTK applications that can take advantage of Cairo were rebuilt or upgraded. Zenwalk 2.0.1 includes full OpenOffice.org 2.0...." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details.
ParallelKnoppix 2005-12-02
A new, security enhanced version of ParallelKnoppix was released over the weekend. From the changelog: "Passwords are reset for 'root' and 'knoppix'; RSA keys are regenerated; the 'knoppix' user is removed from /etc/sudoers. The cluster is secure for connection to the internet using a second network interface on the master node, and can be reached by ssh, scp, etc. The cluster is not secure from damage by malicious / incompetent users with physical access to the nodes, since they can still easily get root access (or hit the nodes with a hammer!) The security enhancements are new and only lightly tested. Please report means of gaining root access from hosts outside the cluster." Visit the project's home page for further details about the new release.
Nonux 2.1
The development of Nonux, a Slackware-based distribution designed for office use and optimised for Dutch speakers, continues at a rapid pace. The new version 2.1 comes with an updated kernel 2.6.14.3 and the latest Firefox browser 1.5. Several bug fixes and additional display options for NVIDIA graphics drivers have been implemented. Users who experience problems starting up the graphical part of the system can now try new boot parameters as documented on the distribution's web site. For more information please consult the release announcement on the project's news page (in Dutch).
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Development and unannounced releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Frugalware Linux 0.4 and Haansoft Linux 2006
Frugalware and Haansoft have published roadmaps leading towards their respective stable releases. Frugalware Linux 0.4, code name "Wanda" is scheduled for release at the end of March 2006, with the first preview release expected later this week. Similarly, Haansoft is also aiming (page in Korean) for a late March release of its Workstation edition of Haansoft Linux 2006. The product's first beta was formally released last week; this will be followed by two more betas and two release candidates.
* * * * *
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Web Site News |
November 2005 donation: the KANOTIX project receives €210
We are pleased to announce that, based on the reader feedback during the past month, the recipient of our November 2005 donation is the KANOTIX project.
Although KANOTIX is primarily a Linux distribution and live CD, its unique features, superior hardware support and usability enhancements have turned it into one of the best-loved Knoppix-based derivatives available today. Indeed, KANOTIX is now used as a base for other distributions (e.g. Auditor Security Linux, Linux-EduCD, Tilix) while several other open source projects now use the heavily-patched KANOTIX kernel to power their own distributions (e.g. Kurumin Linux and its derivatives). Even the Knoppix developers have backported some KANOTIX innovations, such as the hard disk installer, into their own product. As such KANOTIX has proven itself to be a valuable distribution and live CD not only to those who use it, but also to the wider Linux community.
As always, our monthly donations programme is a joint initiative between DistroWatch and two online shops selling low-cost CDs and DVDs with Linux, BSD and other open source software - LinuxISO.co.uk and LinuxCD.org, each of which contributed US$50 towards this month's donation. Both stores have an excellent selection and latest releases at very reasonable prices. Next time you need to order your favourite Linux or BSD CDs, get them from LinuxCD.org or, if you are in the United Kingdom, from LinuxISO.co.uk.
This is the PayPal receipt for the donation to KANOTIX:
Dear DistroWatch.com,
This email confirms that you have paid donate -at- kanotix.com 210.00 EUR using PayPal. The exchange rate for this purchase is 1 USD = 0.832260EUR.
------------------------------
Payment Details:
------------------------------
Transaction ID: 7GX84073YA9309016
Sales Tax: 0.00 EUR
Total: €210.00 EUR
Item/Product Name: KANOTIX
Buyer: DistroWatch.com
Here is the list of projects that received a DistroWatch donation since the launch of the donations programme:
Since the launch of the DistroWatch Donations Programme in March 2004, we have donated a total of US$5,855 to various open source software projects.
* * * * *
New on the waiting list
- Bentux Linux. Bentux Linux is a new Brazilian distribution for desktop and server computers. Based on Knoppix.
- Movitos USB Linux. Movitos is a new USB and CD live Linux distribution for desktop users. Focusing on desktop usage, and making it easy for Windows users to try Linux, Movitos includes all the tools you need daily for checking your email, browsing the web, writing documents, doing calculations, and planning your time, as well as listening to music, watching movies and playing games. Movitos is multi-lingual (English, French, German).
- OCSID. OCSID (Open Community Slackware Installation DVD) is a DVD with all the official Slackware packages untouched, with Freerock GNOME and some other packages that usually people want but aren't included in Slackware (amaroK, Postfix, etc). OCSID uses kernel 2.6 by default.
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DistroWatch database summary
And with this we'll say good-bye until next Monday. We hope you've enjoyed this issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
Ladislav Bodnar
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| Archives |
| • 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 |
| • Issue 1117 (2025-04-14): Shebang 25.0, EndeavourOS 2025.03.19, running applications from other distros on the desktop, Debian gets APT upgrade, Mint introduces OEM options for LMDE, postmarketOS packages GNOME 48 and COSMIC, Redox testing USB support |
| • Issue 1116 (2025-04-07): The Sense HAT, Android and mobile operating systems, FreeBSD improves on laptops, openSUSE publishes many new updates, Fedora appoints new Project Leader, UBports testing VoLTE |
| • Issue 1115 (2025-03-31): GrapheneOS 2025, the rise of portable package formats, MidnightBSD and openSUSE experiment with new package management features, Plank dock reborn, key infrastructure projects lose funding, postmarketOS to focus on reliability |
| • Issue 1114 (2025-03-24): Bazzite 41, checking which processes are writing to disk, Rocky unveils new Hardened branch, GNOME 48 released, generating images for the Raspberry Pi |
| • Issue 1113 (2025-03-17): MocaccinoOS 1.8.1, how to contribute to open source, Murena extends on-line installer, Garuda tests COSMIC edition, Ubuntu to replace coreutils with Rust alternatives, Chimera Linux drops RISC-V builds |
| • Issue 1112 (2025-03-10): Solus 4.7, distros which work with Secure Boot, UBports publishes bug fix, postmarketOS considers a new name, Debian running on Android |
| • Issue 1111 (2025-03-03): Orbitiny 0.01, the effect of Ubuntu Core Desktop, Gentoo offers disk images, elementary OS invites feature ideas, FreeBSD starts PinePhone Pro port, Mint warns of upcoming Firefox issue |
| • Issue 1110 (2025-02-24): iodeOS 6.0, learning to program, Arch retiring old repositories, openSUSE makes progress on reproducible builds, Fedora is getting more serious about open hardware, Tails changes its install instructions to offer better privacy, Murena's de-Googled tablet goes on sale |
| • Issue 1109 (2025-02-17): Rhino Linux 2025.1, MX Linux 23.5 with Xfce 4.20, replacing X.Org tools with Wayland tools, GhostBSD moving its base to FreeBSD -RELEASE, Redox stabilizes its ABI, UBports testing 24.04, Asahi changing its leadership, OBS in dispute with Fedora |
| • Issue 1108 (2025-02-10): Serpent OS 0.24.6, Aurora, sharing swap between distros, Peppermint tries Void base, GTK removinglegacy technologies, Red Hat plans more AI tools for Fedora, TrueNAS merges its editions |
| • Issue 1107 (2025-02-03): siduction 2024.1.0, timing tasks, Lomiri ported to postmarketOS, Alpine joins Open Collective, a new desktop for Linux called Orbitiny |
| • Issue 1106 (2025-01-27): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta 6, Pop!_OS 24.04 Alpha 5, detecting whether a process is inside a virtual machine, drawing graphics to NetBSD terminal, Nix ported to FreeBSD, GhostBSD hosting desktop conference |
| • Issue 1105 (2025-01-20): CentOS 10 Stream, old Flatpak bundles in software centres, Haiku ports Iceweasel, Oracle shows off debugging tools, rsync vulnerability patched |
| • Issue 1104 (2025-01-13): DAT Linux 2.0, Silly things to do with a minimal computer, Budgie prepares Wayland only releases, SteamOS coming to third-party devices, Murena upgrades its base |
| • 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 | 
HardenedBSD
Founded in 2014 by Oliver Pinter and Shawn Webb, HardenedBSD is a security-enhanced fork of FreeBSD. The HardenedBSD Project is implementing many exploit mitigation and security technologies on top of FreeBSD. The project started with Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) as an initial focal point and is now implementing further exploit mitigation techniques.
Status: Active
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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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