Friday, August 31, 2007

Alpha Release: SimplyMEPIS 6.9.51Prebeta

Excerpts from the release announcement.

SimplyMEPIS 6.9.51prebeta is a preview of upcoming SimplyMEPIS 7. It is available from the MEPIS subscriber site and the MEPIS public mirrors.

MEPIS has discontinued using Ubuntu binary packages in favor of a combination of MEPIS packaged binaries based on Debian and Ubuntu source code which is combined with a Debian Stable OS core and extra packages from Debian package pools.

Warren Woodford of MEPIS explains the change "By using the latest Debian and Ubuntu source code for building user applications, we can provide the best latest versions of the applications users want the most. And by building on top of a Debian Stable core, we can provide a release that has the the stability and long life that users want."

Warren continues "Most Linux users are tired of having to reinstall every 6 months in order to have up-to-date applications. We expect that with this approach MEPIS can offer a superior user experience that will be incrementally upgradeable for 2 years without reinstallation of the OS."

The prebeta includes a 2.6.22 kernel, Debian Etch core, KDE 3.5.7, Firefox 2.0.0.5, Thunderbird 2.0.0.4, and OpenOffice 2.2.1. This is an early release with many rough edges. In particular the splashy boot splash does not run reliably, some extra kernel drivers are not yet compiled for the new kernel, some gui components are not themed for MEPIS, and the prebeta has had very limited testing.

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Alpha Release: openSUSE 10.3 Alpha 7

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Alpha7 is ready, after 5 rebuilds we're happy to say it looks good enough for
the public.

Important Changes Since Alpha6
==============================

* Linux 2.6.22.1
* gcc 4.2.1
* libzypp 3.12.1
* the package set of the CDs are heavily reshuffled and with it the patterns
also affecting the DVD

After Alpha6 was more about testing the first integration of libzypp, Alpha7
is already 10 steps further in regards to libzypp. But we'd like to have your
feedback on the refresh policy of yast/zypper.
See Duncan's explanation about the problem in the opensuse-factory archive:
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-factory/2007-07/msg00169.html

A more detailed list of changes is available via
http://en.opensuse.org/Factory/News
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: Damn Small Linux 4.0 RC2

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The second release candidate of DSL v4.0 is now available for testing.
Change log:
  • * New xtar.lua. A new GUI to view,extract or process as a MyDSL extension various tar files.
  • * New netcardconf.lua. A new GUI to configure netcards, relaces dialog version.
  • * New printing.lua, called from the printer icon, provides "intelligent icon" to handle all printing needs, from setup, start, stop, or print, double-click or drag-n-drop.
  • * New add2filetool.lua, add2Xfiletool.lua, add2bootlocal.lua provides smooth interface for these tasks, double-click or drag-n-drop
  • * New switcher.lua GUI to switch WM, jwm, fluxbox, or swm
  • * Added sudo to myprism2, myndis, myiwconfig so they can be run from home by double clicking.
  • * Updated minirt24.gz waitusb function.
  • * Fixed cloop error on traditional hard drive installations.
  • * Fixed background on several icons.
  • * Updated "Getting Started" with more dfm information.
  • * Fixed missing ext3 support.
  • * Updated pendrive_usbhdd.sh with more warnings of its use of "sda"
  • * New rootMenu.lua sets root menu based on selected WM.
  • * Removed -zoom from .dfmext mplayer associations to better support older hardware.
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: Mandriva Linux 2008 Beta 2

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The second beta of Mandriva Linux 2008, codenamed Galilee, is now available. The release notes are available here. A guide to major new features (some of which are not yet implemented in this beta) is available here, and the detailed technical specifications are available here. This beta is available as a three CD or one DVD Free edition (containing no non-free software or drivers) for the x86-32 and x86-64 architectures, with a traditional installer. Future betas will be available in One live / install CD hybrid editions with proprietary drivers.

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: SimplyMEPIS 7.0 Beta 2

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Warren Woodford of MEPIS has announced Beta2 of SimplyMEPIS 7.0. The isos and beta1-beta2 iso deltas for 32 and 64 bit processors are available from the testing directory at the MEPIS subscriber site and the MEPIS public mirrors.

The kernel in Beta2 is version 2.6.22.4 which is a security update from the Kernel Development Team. All of the MEPIS Assistants and the Installer were updated to fix minor problems reported by testers. Amarok was updated to version 1.4.7. There were minor updates to some KDE 3.5.7 packages. Security updates to a few Debian Etch packages brought the MEPIS Debian Etch core in sync with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0r1, the Debian Etch update which was released last week.

The open source rtl8187 wireless driver was added to the kernel. For ndiswrapper, the Broadcom wireless drivers were updated and rtl8180 and rtl8185 drivers were added. Knetworkmanager was updated which resulted in more reliable automatic network startup for some users.

When asked about the release schedule, Warren said "At this point 7.0 is on schedule. I'll be speaking at the Ohio LinuxFest in Columbus on September 29th about the process used to create a MEPIS release, with an emphasis on the decisions and tradeoffs that have to be made when recompiling and integrating from upstream sources. I'd like to have 7.0 final at that time."

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: Ubuntu 7.10 Alpha 5

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The Ubuntu release team is pleased to announce Tribe 5, the fifth alpha release in the Gutsy cycle.  Images are now available for Ubuntu
Desktop, Ubuntu Server, Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Edubuntu. Tribe releases are for developers and testers only, do not use them if you need a
stable system.

Download the images from

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/gutsy/tribe-5/ (Ubuntu Desktop and Server)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-5/ (Kubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-5/ (Edubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-5/ (Xubuntu)

See http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Mirrors for a list of mirrors.

For details of the new features since Tribe 5 see
http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/tribe5
https://wiki.kubuntu.org/GutsyGibbon/Tribe5/Kubuntu
https://wiki.kubuntu.org/GutsyGibbon/Tribe5/Xubuntu

Read the full release announcement here.

Test Release: openSUSE 10.3 Beta 2

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The openSUSE Team is proud to announce the release of openSUSE 10.3 Beta 2. Though this release should not be used on any production machines, everyone can help shape this release by testing out installations and much more. For more information on the release schedule, take a look at the Roadmap.

Technical Changes

  • Linux 2.6.22.3
  • glibc 2.6.1
  • YaST infrastructure improved to allow writing complete YaST modules without using YCP (e.g. exclusively in Perl, Python or Ruby)
  • Bootloader-related improvements: openSUSE 10.3 will use “chainloader” if it detects additional installations’ bootloader code in other partitions, otherwise “configfile” sections will be used (see Call for Testing below!)
  • Improved package lists of 1-CD GNOME and KDE
  • Countless bug fixes, all over the place

A more detailed list of the changes is available on the Factory/News wiki page.

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: SimplyMEPIS 7.0 Beta 1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

MEPIS has announced the upload of the first official Beta of the upcoming 7.0 release of SimplyMEPIS. Version 6.9.60beta1 for 32 and 64 bit processors is available from the testing directory at the MEPIS subscriber site and the MEPIS public mirrors.

Since the prebeta of 2 weeks ago, there have been several changes which are included in Beta 1, a 2.6.22.3 kernel, kernel drivers for the ralink family of wireless cards, other updated drivers, KDE 3.5.7 updates, better appearance of splashy, and the latest Debian Etch security updates. The LiveCD now offers an option to boot with the aufs rw filesystem but this is not yet well tested.

MEPIS 7.0 is based on a Debian Etch core combined with up-to-date user applications that are recompiled by MEPIS from upstream Debian and Ubuntu common source code. Debian Etch users are welcome to get their updated applications from the MEPIS pools. Warren Woodford says "If you want the stability of Debian Etch and also the latest user applications, 7.0 was made for you. And if you are a Debian Etch user, you don't have to upgrade to MEPIS, in order to use the applications we recompile."

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Final Release: Debian GNU/Linux 4.0r1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The Debian project has updated the stable distribution Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (codename Etch). This update adds security updates to the stable release, together with a few corrections to serious problems. As always, the first point release also corrects a few issues that have been noticed too late in the release process to stop the release, but still should be fixed.

This point release for Etch also includes an updated release of the installer, which includes the following changes:

  • kernels used in the installer have been updated to ABI 2.6.18-5; as a result, some "small" images (for example netboot and floppy images) included with the original Etch release will no longer work (but the new images included with the point release will work, as well as the full CD/DVD images from both the original release as well as from this point release)
  • updated mirror list
  • support added for certain USB CD drives that were not being detected
  • incorrect setup of gksu fixed when user chooses to install with the root account disabled; this prevented the execution of administrative tasks in GNOME
  • important translation fixes in partman for Catalan and Romanian

Please note that this update does not constitute a new version of Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 but only updates some of the packages included. There is no need to throw away 4.0 DVDs/CDs. Instead you only need to update against ftp.debian.org or a mirror after an installation, in order to incorporate those changes. New CD and DVD images will be available within the next week at the regular locations.

Upgrading to this revision online is usually done by pointing the aptitude package tool (see the sources.list(5) manual page) to one of Debian's many FTP or HTTP mirrors. A comprehensive list of mirrors is available at:

http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: Damn Small Linux 4.0 RC1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Change Log for DSL v4.0 Release Candidate 1
  • * New pendrive usbhdd installation script now uses grub with DSL on 2nd small partition.
  • * Removed pendrive usbzip install script, syslinux and mtools.
  • * Changed default root menu from dfm to chosen WM menu.
  • * Updated "Getting Started" to reflect changed defaults.
  • * Changed kernel from 2.4.34.1 to 2.4.31 to gain user contributed modules, e.g., ipw2* and nvidia.
  • * Created new support modules: cloop, unionfs, ndiswrapper, fuse, and madwifi in support of kernel change.
  • * Updated nano-tiny to v2.0.6.
  • * Fixed non-critical bug in dsl-config concerning hard drive installations.
  • * Added dsl 3 runlevel for multiple user dsl consoles.
  • * Fixed bug in iwconfig-setup
  • * Updated functions5.lua
  • * Updated fluxbox menus to use system default (helvetica).
  • * Added vim link
  • * Patched knoppix-autoconfig to correct language issues.
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: MEPIS KDE 4 Beta 1 Live DVD

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Warren Woodford of MEPIS has built KDE4-Beta1 Live DVDs to verify the compatibility of KDE 4 with SimplyMEPIS 7.x. The 32 and 64 bit DVD isos are available from the testing directory of the MEPIS subscriber site and the MEPIS public mirrors.

Warren said "I decided to share my KDE 4 Beta 1 isos, so others could take a first look at KDE 4 and also to demonstrate that I'm serious about the commitment that MEPIS 7.x will be incrementally upgradable. We plan to do another KDE 4 integration every few weeks. We expect that KDE 4 will not be final in time for the MEPIS 7.0 release, but by integrating KDE 4 now, we can insure that 7.0 will be "KDE 4 ready."

Both 32 and 64 bit versions are available. They are about 1 GB each and include all of the KDE 4 applications that are working at this time.

KDE 4 Beta 1 is a very early release and is meant for developers, testers, and reviewers. Warren recommends "The release is sluggish, be patient when clicking to launch something. If you look past the rough edges, you will see the beginnings of a world-class desktop experience. If something doesn't work, you could consider reporting a bug at the KDE project, but I would recommend holding off until the next Beta release before submitting a lot of bug reports." For more information about KDE 4.0 Beta 1 see: http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.0-beta1.php

Jos Poortvliet of the KDE Project said: "The KDE project is happy to see MEPIS Linux leading the way in bringing the next generation desktop technology to their users. This decision of early adoption of KDE 4 by the MEPIS developers will ensure a premier KDE experience for the users. We hope KDE 4 will be appreciated, and we look forward to the constructive comments from the Mepis community."

The Live DVDs were built using a MEPIS 7.0 Etch core and include the usual MEPIS kernel and hardware compatibility features. Since KDE 4 is functionally different than KDE 3 and also in an early Beta state, a minimal KDE 3 installation remains on the disk to facilitate exploration by the user.

The KDE4 packages were compiled from the Deb-untu developer upstream source. Experimental packages from Debian svn and from Ubuntu universe were tested. Both built and ran, but the ubuntu packages were more functional.

Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: openSUSE 10.3 Beta 1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The openSUSE team is proud to announce the first Beta release of openSUSE 10.3. There are many exciting enhancements and features in the new release. Among these are a whole new and greatly improved package management stack (libzypp), significantly faster boot time, parts of KDE 4, a 1-CD KDE Install and a 1-CD GNOME install, beautiful green artwork, a new One-Click Install technology that integrates with the openSUSE Build Service and much more.
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Test Release: Ubuntu 7.10 Alpha 4

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Welcome to Gutsy Gibbon Tribe 4, which will in time become Ubuntu 7.10.

Pre-releases of Gutsy are *not* encouraged for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for Ubuntu developers and those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.

Tribe 4 is the fourth in a series of milestone CD images that will be released throughout the Gutsy development cycle. The Tribe images are known to be reasonably free of show-stopper CD build or installer bugs, while representing a very recent snapshot of Gutsy. You can download it here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/gutsy/tribe-4/ (Ubuntu desktop and Server)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-4/ (Kubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-4/ (Edubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/gutsy/tribe-4/ (Xubuntu)

See http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Mirrors for a list of mirrors.

Some new exciting features have landed which cannot wait to be tried and tested. Please refer to the following web pages for details:

http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/tribe4 (Ubuntu)
https://wiki.kubuntu.org/GutsyGibbon/Tribe4/Kubuntu (Kubuntu)
Read the full release announcement here.

Beta Release : Mandriva Linux 2008 Beta 1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

The first beta of Mandriva Linux 2008, codenamed Cassini, is now available. The release notes are available here. A guide to major new features (some of which are not yet implemented in this beta) is available here, and the detailed technical specifications are available here. This beta is available only as a three CD Free edition (containing no non-free software or drivers) for the x86-32 architecture, with a traditional installer. Future betas will be available in One live / install CD hybrid editions with proprietary drivers, and in x86-64 versions.
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Alpha Release: Fedora 8 Test 1

Excerpts from the release announcement.

Fedora 8 Test one has been loosed upon the world today. Included in this release is a "Fedora" installable 'choose your own adventure' style set of isos and trees for i386, x86_64, and ppc(64). Also included are Live images of both the Fedora Desktop and the Fedora KDE desktop. These are available for both i686 and x86_64 (x86_64 is DVD size only). Remember these can be used on USB media via the livecd-iso-to-disk utility available in the livecd-tools package.

Test 1 is for "alpha" users. This is the time when we would like to have full community participation. Without this participation both hardware and software functionality suffers. We need your help. Join us!
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.

Final Release : Sabayon Linux 3.4e

Excerpts from the release announcement.

    Distribution updates:
  • Introduced a (teaser) pre-alpha release of the Entropy stack (Equo application)
  • Updated Portato to 0.8.0
  • Updated Compiz Fusion to work with XGL and AMD/ATI cards
  • Updated WINE to 0.9.42 and fixed Wine Doors
  • Reintroduced sudo after Install
  • Updated Second Life to 1.18.0.6
  • Fixed Partitioning issues on some system caused by dmraid stack (disabled by default now)
  • Reintroduced old and stable ipw3945 driver (keeping ipw4965 one)
  • Updated pommed to 1.7 (better MacBook support)
  • Reintroduced old bcm43xx wireless driver (disabling mac80211 one)
Read the full release announcement here.
Download here.