 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 531, 28 October 2013 |
Welcome to this year's 43rd issue of DistroWatch Weekly! Open source software comes in many different forms, representing various styles and ideals. This week we aim to celebrate the diversity of the open-source ecosystem by looking at projects and technologies that have a wide range of goals and varying target audiences. First up is a review of the PC-BSD operating system. The PC-BSD project is one of the few BSDs to specifically target desktop users and Jesse Smith took the latest release for a spin to find out how it performs. In this issue of DistroWatch Weekly we will also weigh the pros and cons of upgrading an existing installation to a new version of our operating system and talk about a new firewall technology coming to the Linux kernel. The openSUSE project has some exciting new features coming up in their 13.1 release and is looking for beta testers, read on to find out what the community project is preparing to launch and how you can help test it! In addition, we link to an article which discusses the availability of computers that ship with Linux pre-installed. If you want to avoid the hassle of working around Secure Boot or wish to skip the installation process, this article will help you find the best ready-made solution. As usual, we cover distribution releases from the past week and look forward to exciting new developments. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (21MB) and MP3 (37MB) formats
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| Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) |
PC-BSD 9.2: The daemon is in the details
 The PC-BSD project carries the interesting task of taking the FreeBSD operating system and fashioning it into a desktop-oriented experience. The latest release of PC-BSD, version 9.2, is based on FreeBSD 9.2 and comes with a number of promising new features, many of which will appeal to system administrators. The new release of PC-BSD comes with a backup utility which not only allows users to create archives of their files on a remote server or NAS, it also integrates with the ZFS advanced file system. This means users should be able to create snapshots of their home directories and restore files from within the Life Preserver backup tool.
The PC-BSD operating system now uses the GRUB 2 boot loader and this also integrates with ZFS, allowing the administrator to create boot environment snapshots. This essentially means that, prior to an upgrade or system change, a snapshot can be created of the existing operating system. Once the change has been made the administrator can revert back to the old snapshot (the version of the operating system known to be good) simply by rebooting the machine. This version of PC-BSD also comes with a working PKG-NG repository. This is a collection of binary packages which work similarly to RPM and Deb package repositories in the Linux community. In addition to the PKG-NG repository, PC-BSD comes with a PBI package manager. A PBI package is a stand-alone software bundle that can be easily transferred between computers, but we can come back to talk about software management later. One further behind-the-scenes feature of PC-BSD 9.2 is the project's new mirror system, hosted by ScaleEngine. This lets users download files quickly without manually hunting for a fast/close server.
The PC-BSD operating system comes in a few flavours, including a DVD build which is 3.6 GB in size, a compressed live USB image and a large installation-only USB image. There is no live-DVD nor CD-sized option. Each of the download options is for the 64-bit x86 architecture, there are no 32-bit options. I opted to download the DVD edition of the operating system. When I first starting working with PC-BSD I wanted to try it in a virtual machine prior to setting it loose on my hard drive. I found the operating system did not work well with VirtualBox's default settings and I had to try a few different combinations of settings before PC-BSD would boot in the virtual environment. In addition I tried running PC-BSD in a QEMU virtual machine and, here, the operating system ran, though it was extremely slow. In the end I focused my time on running PC-BSD in VirtualBox (where things eventually worked passably after some trial and error) and on my desktop computer (dual-core 2.8 GHz CPU, 6 GB of RAM, Radeon video card, Realtek network card). I found PC-BSD worked smoothly on the physical machine, properly detecting my display's resolution and running fairly quickly. As I'll discuss later, PC-BSD comes with many possible desktop environments which can be selected at install time, so measuring memory usage will vary a lot from one machine to the next. I installed two desktop environments, LXDE and KDE. When running KDE the operating system used approximately 420 MB of RAM and, when logged into LXDE, PC-BSD actively used about 150 MB of RAM.
Installation and first impressions
Booting from the PC-BSD installation disc brings up a graphical system installer. The first screen asks us to select our preferred language. Icons appear in the lower-left corner of the screen and give us access to tools which are available throughout the installation process. One icon brings up a window which shows us what hardware the operating system has detected and which devices can be utilized. Another allows us to configure a network connection. Other icons enable an on-screen keyboard, allow us to change our keyboard's layout and display tips on how to use the system installer. The second screen of the installer asks if we would like to install PC-BSD's desktop edition, the PC-BSD server edition (called TrueOS) or we can opt to restore our operating system from an existing backup. We are shown a Customize button which allows us to mark optional packages for installation on top of the base we select. Some of these software bundles are desktop environments (KDE, GNOME, Xfce, LXDE), some are development tools, there are some third-party drivers (such as the NVIDIA proprietary video driver) and there are unsupported user interfaces (such as Ratpoison and Openbox).
The following screen covers disk partitioning and there are three basic options to be had. We can hand our hard drive over to the installer and basically let it take over the disk; we can walk through a guided disk partitioning wizard where we can set up ZFS RAID and mirroring, name our ZFS data pool and adjust our swap partition's size; and the final option is to open a command line partition manager and set up everything manually on our own. New administrators should be aware it is recommended that we give the desktop edition of PC-BSD 50GB of hard drive space and the server edition 20GB of free space. I found installing the desktop edition with the default desktop (KDE) required approximately 7GB of drive space.
PC-BSD 9.2 - documentation and package management
(full image size: 551kB, screen resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
The first time we boot PC-BSD the operating system presents a graphical interface with a window asking us to select an appropriate video driver for our computer. We can also set our display's resolution in this window. PC-BSD does try to guess which driver it should use and we can override its choice if we think it appropriate. Following this screen we are shown an animation and then a series of windows appear asking for further information. We are asked to confirm our preferred language, our time zone and we are asked to provide a hostname for our computer. We then enter a password for the root account and create a regular user account for ourselves. We have the option at this point of encrypting the user's home directory. With this done we are brought to a graphical login screen.
The first time we login a series of screens appear, offering us tips on how to make use of some of PC-BSD's key features. These help screens briefly talk about connecting to networks, installing new applications, where to find system settings, how to install security updates and how to create backups of our files. On the desktop we find icons for accessing the AppCafe (a package manager), the PC-BSD Control Panel and the project's Handbook. I tried running the KDE and LXDE desktops and found they both had a traditional layout with the application menu, task switcher and system tray sitting at the bottom of the screen. One of the first things I attempted was to open the project's Handbook which contains a great deal of documentation and this led me on a journey of sorts. When I attempted to open the Handbook the Okular document viewer opened and said it could not open the file. I checked and confirmed the file did, in fact, exist and so decided to install an alternative document viewer to see if that would make a difference.
Applications and software management
The first stop in finding new applications is the AppCafe, a modern, user-friendly package manager. AppCafe allows us to search for software by name or by category. Clicking on a specific application will bring up detailed information on the selected software, including the application's size and a description. The AppCafe will also show us related items, so for example looking at the Firefox web browser will show us other available web browsers. Applications can be installed with the click of a button. The AppCafe actually has two tabs, one for browsing available software and another which shows items that have been (or are being) installed. Clicking on an installed item will show us information on the installed software. Users can remove installed applications or mark them to be automatically updated as newer versions become available. Once an application has been installed its icon is added to our desktop.
During my time with PC-BSD I installed several applications such as Firefox, the VLC multimedia player and a couple of PDF viewers, including Xpdf. Most of the applications installed and ran without any complications, the exception being Xpdf. When Xpdf installed I clicked on its desktop item and a text editor opened, showing the contents of the application's launcher. I found Xpdf had been installed, even if its launcher didn't work, and I was able to manually launch the program from the command line. At this point I tried opening the project's Handbook in Xpdf and learned the document file was corrupted. My quest for a way to view the documentation continued...
I feel it is worth mentioning that software installed through the AppCafe is provided in PBI format. PBIs are self-contained software bundles, meaning they contain an application and all the application's dependencies. This is very convenient when transferring software between computers which may have different libraries (or different versions of libraries) installed. However, the trade-off is PBIs are large and can be around ten times bigger than dynamically linked packages available in most Linux distributions.
PC-BSD 9.2 - Control Panel and AppCafe
(full image size: 618kB, screen resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
For people wanting packages handled in a more Linux-like fashion there is PKG-NG. This command line package manager has a syntax similar to YUM or APT in Linux distributions. The concept is also similar in that PKG-NG connects to remote repositories and downloads binary packages (and their dependencies) to install or upgrade. PKG-NG might be thought of as an extension of sorts to the FreeBSD Ports collection in that the same software is available, but packaged in a different format. PKG-NG is a handy way to search for and install software from the command line and the binary packages are much smaller than the equivalent PBI bundles. PC-BSD comes with one more package manager, a graphical utility which gives us the ability to add or remove big-picture items. For example, with a couple of clicks we can install third-party drivers, alternative window managers or entire desktop environments. This secondary graphical package manager also gives us the ability to download and install all available software updates. There does not appear to be a way to selectively upgrade only desired packages using this utility.
Speaking of upgrades, when software updates are available for the system, a notification appears in the system tray letting us know. Clicking on this notification launches an update manager application. On my system this update manager always locked up, apparently waiting for information to load concerning the new updates. Closing the update manager and manually upgrading PBIs (through the AppCafe) or system packages (using PKG-NG) worked for me and kept the operating system up to date. I noticed upon applying all available package upgrades I was able to open and view the project's very useful Handbook. The Handbook is extensive, detailed and the documentation it contained was very much worth the wait.
System configuration
One of the nicer elements of PC-BSD is the system's Control Panel. This panel, which closely resembles the KDE System Settings panel, gives us a one-stop location for dealing with system settings. From this panel we can launch the various package managers, activate Active Directory integration, tweak the login manager and check the operating system's compatibility with our hardware. We can manage background services, add and delete user accounts, change our display settings and set up printers and scanners. There is a firewall module that was easy to use, the Life Preserver backup utility and the Warden.
I feel the Warden deserves a special mention. On FreeBSD (and PC-BSD) there is the concept of a jail, a sort of very lightweight virtual machine. These jails are useful for testing software which may misbehave or for running network services that should be kept isolated for security reasons. The Warden is a utility which makes managing jails an easy point-n-click process. PC-BSD supports three kinds of jails, one for running FreeBSD style environments, one for working with software ports and one for running Linux containers. Using the Warden's interface we can quickly create new jails, take snapshots of existing jails and roll back to previous points in the jail's time-line. The Warden can also open a command line interface that exists inside the jail for system administration of the isolated container. I tried running a FreeBSD jail, which worked well, and a Linux jail, which could not be successfully created.
It's hard to talk about what software PC-BSD comes with by default as we have the option of customizing the installation right from the start. Some applications will be consistent across all installs such as the Control Panel and the Warden, backup utilities and ZFS support. Others will vary depending on which desktop environment we install. Taking the default environment (KDE) installs the Konqueror web browser, the Kopete instant messaging client, the KMail e-mail software and the Okular document reader. It also gives us the KTorrent bittorrent software, the GNU Image Manipulation Program, the k3b disc burning software, MPlayer and the Amarok music player. PC-BSD multimedia programs are supported by popular media codecs and we can enjoy most media formats right out of the box. I found that Adobe's Flash player was installed, but disabled by default. This could be confusing to new users, but to enable the Flash player the user must first run, from the command line, "flashpluginctl on". Underneath the hood PC-BSD runs atop FreeBSD 9.2 and makes use of FreeBSD's kernel and userland programs.
Special features
Another feature which I feel deserves special mention is the Life Preserver utility. This program can be accessed either from the Control Panel or from the desktop's system tray. Life Preserver makes it very easy for users to schedule ZFS snapshots of their home directories and to copy data to remote servers or NAS boxes via a secure shell connection. The latest version of Life Preserver allows users to browse existing snapshots and to restore either entire snapshots or individual files. At least that is the idea. I found Life Preserver created ZFS snapshots just fine and I could browse old snapshots, but when I tried to restore files I ran into an "undefined" error. This prevented file restores using the GUI tool, but I was able to drop to the command line and manually restore files from existing snapshots.
PC-BSD 9.2 - Warden and Life Preserver
(full image size: 588kB, screen resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
The ZFS technology in PC-BSD isn't just useful for desktop users, it is also helpful when it comes to restoring the operating system. Administrators can create boot environment snapshots prior to performing an upgrade or altering the base operating system. Snapshots can be created using a simple graphical application available through the Control Panel. Once one of these snapshots has been created it is available from the system's boot menu. This means if the underlying operating system is corrupted in some way the administrator can put things right by simply rebooting the computer and selecting the older snapshot from the GRUB boot menu.
Before getting into my conclusions with regards to PC-BSD, I want to tackle the issue of this operating system being 64-bit only. This has been a thorny issue with some people who prefer to run 32-bit operating systems for one reason or another. Personally, I was sorry to see live CDs and 32-bit both being dropped as I like having smaller images to download and test, but being a reviewer is a very niche market and I do not expect projects to cater just to me. In the big picture I think moving to 64-bit only makes sense for PC-BSD. The operating system is designed for modern machines with 64-bit processors, the memory footprint isn't much larger than one would get from the 32-bit build, and this move will let the developers focus on features rather than bug fixes for 32-bit. This focus is apparently important where ZFS technology is concerned. Anyone who really needs to run a 32-bit operating system probably will not be interested in PC-BSD due to the operating system's size. Alternatively, people can install FreeBSD and then install the PC-BSD software on top of the FreeBSD base using the Ports Collection.
Conclusions
As to running PC-BSD, my experience had me constantly swinging back and forth between two thoughts: "Wow, this is a great feature, I wish more projects did this!" and "Drat, another bug, this is frustrating!" There was not a lot of middle ground between these two thoughts while running PC-BSD. It seems as though the developers tried to supply several new features for this release, all of them good ideas, but some of the implementations still have problems. Let's start with the system installer. This is a fine piece of software. I really like that the installer can detect our hardware and warn us if some hardware support is missing. I also like the various guided disk partitioning options and the optional package selection screen. Both of these features were well implemented and I had no issues at all with the installer.
Moving on to package management, this was a case of great features mixing with problems. The new PBI manager, AppCafe, is one of the better software managers I've used to date. It's fast, lets us browse packages while it is working and I really like the related software list which helps users find competing applications. The auto-update feature is welcome too as it will help keep items like the Firefox web browser updated without manual interaction. The flip side to AppCafe was the software update manager which always seemed to be busy and never worked for me. The graphical package manager worked passably, but it was frustrating not having a way to pick and choose which items I wanted to upgrade. The command line package manager, PKG-NG, worked very well for me. I really like this package manager, which works in a similar fashion to APT or YUM and features a simple syntax. I think PKG-NG will make software management on FreeBSD and PC-BSD much easier for people coming from a Linux background.
The Warden was another area where I was really impressed. The level of control over jails is excellent and I like that the Warden can integrate with ZFS, giving us instant snapshots of our virtual containers. The interface is easy to navigate and the ability to create and destroy jails in this way is great. On the flip side, Linux jails (which worked in PC-BSD 9.1) no longer worked for me with PC-BSD 9.2. The control centre which comes with PC-BSD was welcome. It is nice to have a central place to handle settings which is not tied to a particular desktop. I don't have any complaints here.
I really like the direction the Life Preserver backup utility is taking. The ability to manage home directory snapshots, send copies of files to a remote server and restore snapshots or entire files -- all from one location -- is excellent. Unfortunately I found I was unable to restore files from local snapshots using Life Preserver. The files were there and I could manually retrieve them using the command line, but there seems to be a problem with the graphical utility when it comes to restoring files. Luckily the backup and archive browsing functionality worked very well.
There were a few other minor bugs, things which will probably get fixed during the life of the release. For example, the Xpdf application launcher opening its short-cut information instead of the application itself or the PC-BSD Handbook not opening. Prior to downloading system updates my wallpaper would not display when I logged into KDE. These are minor, if annoying, problems that can be fixed in short order.
For the most part I think PC-BSD 9.2 is a step in the right direction. There are some great system administration tools included in this release and the design of some applications (such as the AppCafe and Life Preserver) are very promising. However, I found there were some bumps on the Road of Progress and there were problems which would likely cause newcomers to turn away. If you are feeling experimental or would like to play with exciting new ZFS features then I think PC-BSD is a great choice. This release did have its problems, but PC-BSD remains, in my opinion, the best desktop solution in the BSD community.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith and Ladislav Bodnar) |
openSUSE looks for more testers, finding computers with Linux pre-installed, SolusOS closes shop, Linux gains new firewall technology
 The openSUSE project is nearing the launch of the distribution's 13.1 release. The new release will feature improvements to the distribution's Btrfs implementation, an overhaul of YaST and various other new features. The project has put out a call for people to test the new openSUSE release candidate and they are particularly interested in how the distribution works on the hardware of real users. "The automated testing has limitations: it only works in a virtualized environment, precluding testing of hardware and technologies like UEFI/Secure boot. And our Factory users have a limited amount of hardware available and they're usually only updating, not doing new installations. So it is extremely valuable if you grab an old (or new!) laptop or desktop and do a full installation on it instead of using a virtual machine." The release of openSUSE 13.1 is scheduled to take place on November 19, 2013.
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 Most people reading this will be aware that Linux distributions can make for good desktop/laptop operating systems. Many Linux distributions are user-friendly, come with a great deal of quality software and are consistently stable -- all ideal features for a desktop OS. The hurdle for many people is getting the free operating system installed. For new users it can be intimidating to download an ISO, burn it to a disc and try to figure out what partitioning a hard disk is, let alone doing it. For this reason, computers which come with Linux distributions pre-installed are valuable and Computer World has a useful guide to finding computers bundled with GNU/Linux. "People may joke about `the year of the Linux desktop' always being some five years into the future. But for a whole clutch of PC vendors who sell Linux as a standard pre-loaded OS on their systems, that year came a long time ago." The article lists some big name vendors with Linux offerings, such as Dell, and some lesser known entities such as ThinkPenguin.
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 SolusOS, a beginner-friendly Linux distribution based on Debian's stable branch, closed shop last week. Citing "lack of manpower" to continue with development in an efficient manner, lead developer Ikey Doherty announced the sad news after nine alpha releases of what would have been the project's second stable release. The distribution's website was no longer accessible at the time of writing, but IT World's Jon Gold summarised the point from the announcement in Beginner-friendly Linux distro SolusOS to shut down: "Developer Ikey Doherty announced this week that work on SolusOS, a Debian-based distro aimed at beginning Linux users, would come to a halt. The solo nature of the project eventually became too much for Doherty, he wrote in an official blog post. He is employed full-time as a software engineer at Intel. 'Simply put, there is no longer enough manpower to fulfill the vision,' he said. 'What began as a Debian derivative evolved into an independent distribution, without the large development team required to back such an effort.'" SolusOS thus joins the list of discontinued distributions the number of which currently stands at 413.
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 Technology is constantly changing and in fewer places is that more apparent than in the Linux community. The Linux kernel is soon due to receive a new way of filtering network packets with nftables. In the past Linux has used a number of approaches to filtering packets, including IPChains and IPTables. The new nftables approach to network filtering should simplify the in-kernel code and reduce complexity. The new code has been in development for over four years and is just now getting ready for inclusion in the 3.13 version of the Linux kernel. Jonathan Corbet has a nice write-up of what nftables is and how it will work, a good read for network administrators eager to test out the new technology.
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| Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Considering upgrade pros and cons
Not-eager-to-upgrade asks: I'd like to know is what are the benefits of upgrading my operating system, if any, if I run PPA's / Backports? I currently run Kubuntu 12.04 LTS and have various "Precise" PPAs enabled, including the Backports PPA. I'm running KDE SC 4.12 for the majority of my system with a little 4.11 scattered throughout and whatever else is updated from time to time through those Kubuntu PPAs.
Since Kubuntu 13.10 is now released, my question is: why would (or why should) I erase all that and install Kubuntu 13.10? Is there an advantage to doing so, or is it unnecessary? Should I just stick with my long term support operating system and PPAs?
On a side note, why should I only use a distro specific PPA? For example, "Precise" as opposed to "Raring" or "Saucy" for my LTS distro? Is the reason that a later release may have a different tool chain in use? Why is that better (or is it)?
DistroWatch answers: When other people ask me whether or not they should upgrade their operating system my response typically boils down to asking three questions of them:
- Does your current operating system do everything you need it to and is it still receiving security updates?
- Do you know of any new features the new version of your operating system offers that you need and do not already have?
- How much spare time do you have for when something breaks during the upgrade process?
Now, from the sounds of things, you already have a working operating system (Kubuntu 12.04) and it is running up-to-date desktop software and applications. The Kubuntu 12.04 release is supported through to about 2017. Assuming the existing operating system is running smoothly and you can perform all the tasks you need to do with your computer, there seems to be little incentive to move away from Kubuntu 12.04. Looking at Kubuntu 13.10 we see that it comes with similar versions of software you already run, it only receives security updates for approximately nine months and looks (to me) to be a fairly tame version with regards to features. In other words, Kubuntu 13.10 doesn't seem to have exciting new features which would draw people to it. Now, Kubuntu 13.10 may have some low-level improvements that would make your computer faster, hardware drivers are often improved from one release to the next, but otherwise it sounds to me like Kubuntu 12.04 is probably the better solution unless you are feeling experimental.
As to why there are separate PPA packages for each version of the Ubuntu family, the reason is that different versions of the distribution will supply different versions of libraries or perhaps put components in different places. There is no guarantee a program built to work with "Raring" will run on "Precise", for example. As a result, each package needs to be rebuilt for each supported version of the operating system. It is best not to try to mix packages built for different versions of your operating system.
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| Released Last Week |
Ultimate Edition 3.6
"TheeMahn" has announced the release of Ultimate Edition 3.6, a desktop-oriented distribution and live CD with MATE as the default desktop, based on Ubuntu 12.10: "Ultimate Edition 3.6 was built from the ground up bootstrapped from the Ubuntu 12.10 tree. This was the first time I have done this. I have discovered in doing so that it makes for a tighter release as can be seen in the Lite edition. The release boots in under 6 seconds on my PC. Many repositories have been added to increase software availability. The kernel was pulled from the X.Org 'Crack Pushers PPA', version 3.7. Ultimate Edition 3.6 Lite has the very basics and a good ground to build your operating system forward, adding only what you need. Ultamatix has been resurrected from the dead to assist in this matter. Ultamatix's dependancies on older libraries have been stripped and replaced with WebKit (still not fully functional so use at your own risk)." Continue to the release announcement for more information and screenshots.
Kwheezy 1.3
Euan Thoms has announced the release of Kwheezy 1.3, the latest update of the Debian-based distribution centred around the KDE desktop: "Version 1.3 is now available from the download page. This release focuses on improving the installation and post-install process. Also there is quite a bit of tidying up and polishing. Changes in version 1.3: Updated to Debian 7.2; added GPT partitioning support to the installer (requires BIOS/Legacy boot); a new post-installation wizard adds polish, hopefully the need to add a regular user account will be clearer; a few redundant (duplicate functionality) applications have been removed; the administrator account has UID/GID changed to 999, so the first real user will be 1000; the menu has been tidied up, so it should be easier to browse; Kwheezy Keyboard Selector now has a text box for testing the new configuration; some other minor tweaks and polish. Version 1.2 installations can be upgraded to 1.3 via Apper or apt-get." Here is the brief release announcement.
MakuluLinux 4.0
Jacque Raymer has announced the release of MakuluLinux 4.0, a desktop-oriented distribution with Xfce, based on Debian's "testing" branch: "Unlike our previous releases, this is a solo Xfce build, focusing on bringing Xfce visually on par with modern desktop environments while at the same time keeping stability and speed a top priority. This is our 4th release and a major stepping stone as we have moved away from Ubuntu and moved completely to Debian as a base for this and future versions. This version is built from scratch and has undergone extensive testing while using it on a daily basis. Major changes since 3.0: rolling release; upgraded kernel to 3.10.3; extremely stable and fast; single desktop environment (Xfce upgraded to 4.10); easy to use traditional style environment; complete new look (themes, icons, decorations, wallpaper, lots of customisations); focus on transparency; featuring complete out-of-the-box pre-installed software, codecs, Flash player and games...." Read the rest of the release announcement for more information.
SuperX 2.1
Wrishiraj Kaushik has announced the release of SuperX 2.1, an Ubuntu-based distribution with a tweaked KDE desktop, aimed at beginners and casual Linux users: "This is SuperX 2.1, code name 'Ada'. SuperX 2.1 is a minor update to 'Darwin' and contains mostly performance tweaks and updated software stack. If you have installed Darwin and have constantly updated it, you are probably running 'Ada' at the moment as we updated the packages a few weeks ago but no ISO images were available then. As an effort to enhance user experiences in Ada we've decided to remove certain software from the default selection that doesn't play well with SuperX: Firefox - yes it is a great browser, but Chromium plays better with SuperX, especially when it comes to global menu integration; Blender - a very specialized application, showcases the power of open-source development, we removed it because the real use of this great software is limited to 3D designers and animators only. Apart from this, we've updated KDE to 4.10.5." Here is the full release announcement with a screenshot.
Voyager Live 13.10
Voyager Live 13.10 has been released. Voyager Live is a Xubuntu-based distribution with a highly customised Xfce desktop and a large number of usability improvements. These include retractable dynamic panels, the Skippy "exposé" plugin, and the Slingscold launcher for starting applications. Also presented on the desktop are Plank, a configurable and responsive dock for launching programs, a much-improved "Box Wall" for changing themes on the four virtual desktops, an excellent backup utility called "Box Backup", a new Conky control tool, and Startpages that allow to append applications and websites to any of the virtual desktops. There is much more - the comprehensive release announcement which includes plenty of screenshots to illustrate the ergonomic and usability enhancements to the Xfce desktop is in French only, but the distribution actually defaults to English and it also supports a number of other languages.
Voyager Live 13.10 - a Xubuntu-based distribution with a highly customised Xfce desktop
(full image size: 239kB, screen resolution 1280x1024 pixels)
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| DistroWatch.com News |
New distributions added to database
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New distributions added to waiting list
- Centrych. Centrych is based on Ubuntu and presents a unified look and feel, as well as support for both KDE/Qt and GNOME/GTK+ applications.
- Metamorphose Linux. Metamorphose Linux is a Brazilian distribution which tries to be complete and beginner-friendly while providing a great deal of power and hardware support.
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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, 4 November 2013. To contact the authors please send email to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, suggestions and corrections: news, donations, distribution submissions, comments)
- Bruce Patterson (feedback and suggestions: podcast edition)
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1100 (2024-12-09): Oreon 9.3, differences in speed, IPFire's new appliance, Fedora Asahi Remix gets new video drivers, openSUSE Leap Micro updated, Redox OS running Redox OS |
| • Issue 1099 (2024-12-02): AnduinOS 1.0.1, measuring RAM usage, SUSE continues rebranding efforts, UBports prepares for next major version, Murena offering non-NFC phone |
| • Issue 1098 (2024-11-25): Linux Lite 7.2, backing up specific folders, Murena and Fairphone partner in fair trade deal, Arch installer gets new text interface, Ubuntu security tool patched |
| • Issue 1097 (2024-11-18): Chimera Linux vs Chimera OS, choosing between AlmaLinux and Debian, Fedora elevates KDE spin to an edition, Fedora previews new installer, KDE testing its own distro, Qubes-style isolation coming to FreeBSD |
| • Issue 1096 (2024-11-11): Bazzite 40, Playtron OS Alpha 1, Tucana Linux 3.1, detecting Screen sessions, Redox imports COSMIC software centre, FreeBSD booting on the PinePhone Pro, LXQt supports Wayland window managers |
| • 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 |
| • 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 | 
GnackTrack
GnackTrack was an Ubuntu-based distribution and live CD featuring a collection of utilities for penetration testing.
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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