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 Sections: Main page Security Kernel Distributions On the Desktop Development Commerce Linux in the news Announcements Linux History Letters All in one big page See also: last week's Distributions page.
Lists of Distributions |
DistributionsPlease note that security updates from the various distributions are covered in the security section. News and EditorialsSlackware 8.0. The latest edition of Slackware, Slackware 8.0, has been officially released. This is a major upgrade, affecting almost all the packages in the distribution. It includes KDE 2.1.2 (with Qt 2.3.1), GNOME 1.4, ReiserFS, kernel support for XFree86 4.1.0 DRI, Linux kernels 2.2.19 and 2.4.5, glibc 2.2.3, and all the usual utilities. Additions include ProFTPD, OpenSSH and OpenSSL, mod_ssl and mod_php, and full support for the 2.4 kernel series. The Slackware team also opened a new online store. Playstation 2 Linux kit based on Kondara MNU/Linux. As reported in last week's Distributions page, the PS2 Linux Kit is being based on Kondara MNU/Linux. We now have word that a web site has gone up for this kit, but the site is in Japanese currently. The only English text says that the kit is targeted for the Japanese market only with no plans for overseas distribution at this time. For the hardcore types, a dump of dmesg from a boot of this system is also available. (Thanks to t-nakata) New DistributionsNew secure distribution in planning stages: Blue Linux. A call for participation in a new secure Linux distribution was sent to LWN.net this week. The new distribution appears to be called Blue Linux. Linux Esware. A distribution coming out of Spain, Linux Esware arrived on the Linux scene this past week. Offerings include both server and workstation versions, a 2.4.3 kernel, and an option for XFree86 4.0.2 (3.3.6 comes standard). Mindi Linux. A Mindi Linux update to version 0.26 showed up on Freshmeat this past week. Mindi Linux is a utility to build a distribution from your existing system. New to this release are the ability to generate 2.88MB El Torito bootable floppy images and CD-R(W) images, as well as the usual 1.72MB floppy disk sets. Distribution specific name and kernel versions are also now included in Mindi's boot-up message. MSC.Linux May 2001. The initial release of MSC.Linux was made to Freshmeat this past week. This new distribution appears targeted at high performance desktops. According to the announcement, MSC.Linux is "a lean distribution delivering all the required pieces to support extreme performance computing. This delivery includes Linux kernel and extensions, office productivity tools, engineering tools, Beowulf tools, and engineering desktop. These components will support the common desktop environments, based on the open source desktops, such as KDE or GNOME. Technical support is also available. Distribution NewsSuSE Linux. SuSE Linux announced a their new SuSE Linux Firewall on CD. "Instead of being installed on the hard disk, SuSE Linux Firewall is so-called a live system that enables the operating system to be booted directly from a read-only CD-ROM. Since it is impossible to manipulate the firewall software on CD-ROM, the live system constitutes a security gain. The configuration files for the firewall, such as the ipchains packet filter settings, are placed on a write-protected configuration floppy." At about the same time, the company posted their 7.2 distribution to their FTP and mirror sites for download. Linux Online interviewed SuSE Vice President for Marketing Heiner Maasjost. "Home and small business users will find everything they'd expect in a desktop system - without having to pay the big license fees. You get software such as Netscape Navigator for Web-browsing; Acrobat Reader for reading and printing .pdf files; StarOffice for word processing and other familiar office tasks; the sophisticated computer graphics program GIMP; and e-mail and organizer tools." Debian. The Debian project announced this week that the official freeze on the Woody branch has begun. The freeze will be comprised of a four part process, starting with a freeze to policy, followed by freezes to the base system, standard installs, and finally the remainder of the Debian packages. The upcoming week will also be a busy one for the Debian Project, with four exhibitions and conferences taking place in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Mexico. Look for the Debian Project at Debian One (France), UK Linux Expo 2001, LinuxTag 2001 (Germany) and CompuVenta 2001 Mexico. In their Weekly News summary the Debian project noted discussion on a Debian-BSD project has picked up yet again. This project has never gotten past the chat stage in the past, however. A pointer to using GCC3.0 with Debian was also provided. Mandrake. The latest issue of Mandrake Cooker Weekly News was posted on Monday. Discussions included a new tool for Mandrake Control Center called logdrake, the new XFCE 3.8.3, and a look at NetHack, one of the oldest games available for Linux. Also in the news this week for Mandrake was the announcement that the new Mozilla 0.9.2 release was available in RPM format from the Cooker mirrors. Trustix Secure Linux 1.5 release candidate. Trustix has posted news of the first release candidate for the Trustix Secure Linux 1.5 distribution. Minor Distribution updatesROCK Linux. The ROCK Linux team announced that they will be at the upcoming LinuxTag conference, July 5-8, 2001 in Stuttgart, Germany. The team will be demonstrating ROCK Linux running on a Compaq AlphaServer DS20, thanks to the assistance of Compaq Germany. Redmond Linux build 35. A new build of Redmond Linux was released this past week. Updates include a new Linux kernel (2.4.5-ac13), Mozilla 0.9.1, XFree86 4.1.0 and updated Glide libraries. Vine Linux. Version 2.0 for the PowerPC of the Vine Linux distribution was announced this past week. The Japanese site provides more detailed information. Distribution ReviewsReview: Trustix XSentry Firewall 1.5 (Duke of URL). The Duke of URL reviewed the Trustix XSentry Firewall distribution this past week. "I have to give kudos to Trustix for including excellent documentation. They have gone to great lengths to make sure you can easily configure your system and have everything you need at your finger tips. The documentation resides on the CD in a PDF file, which I had open in Acrobat Reader on the client system." Section Editor: Liz Coolbaugh |
July 4, 2001
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