01.25.14

^{Gemini version available ♊︎}

Links 25/01/2014: GNU/Linux Distributions Roundup

Posted in GNU/Linux at 4:03 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Various bits of recent news about lesser-known distributions of GNU/Linux

Choices

Which version of Linux do you use?

A lot of you may use many different versions of Linux on a regular basis. Or, maybe you don’t see your choice here. Vote for the one you use the most or the one from this list that is your favorite.
Four Linux distros for kids
Best Linux distributions for 2014?

Bodhi is definitely a fine looking distro, and Xubuntu would also go at the top of my list for desktop distros. Be sure to click through and read the full article for details on why Carla picked each distribution. Then fire up VirtualBox and check out the ones that interest you. There’s definitely some fun distrohopping to be had in her list.
The Top 7 Best Linux Distros for 2014

The Linux avalanche is rolling and gathering mass and momentum. Linux won, so what’s next? Amazing growth is what’s next: we’re at the bare beginning of the Linux juggernaut rolling into existing markets and blazing into new ones. All this growth and progress is the result of years of hard work by tens of thousands of people and billions of dollars of investment. It has reached critical mass and there is no stopping it.
What is with all these Linux distributions?

Doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous that there are so many Linux distributions? I had recently read an article where some guy was lamenting about five Linux distributions which they believe need some TLC (Note: I did not say THC ). That is five extra Linux distributions, on top of the five main Linux distributions which just about everybody knows about and from which every other Linux distribution is based off of. Not only that, they all claim pretty much the same thing. Everything just works out of the box, blah, blah, blah. I would consider that a standard for today’s Linux operating systems, not something to use as a selling point.
5 Linux Distributions that Deserve more Love

As I wrote in my previous post, Linux is Everywhere and there are hundreds if not thousands of different distributions. Some are very famous, some boasts of their 10 million user base and then there are others who live in the shadow of famous distributions. Some distributions struggle to even gain a fraction of what big distributions enjoy and a few handful of distributions die every year. But today we are here to discuss about few distributions that being awesome still don’t get the love they deserve. It doesn’t matter if the distribution is original or forked or based on some other distribution, if it does the job, is stable enough for daily use and is not getting the love it deserves, it will be on the list.
6 More Great Linux Operating Systems For Netbooks

The key to a good netbook operating system is that it needs to fully utilise its resources. Memory usage has to be kept to a minimum when running idle. The screen is smaller so you need to have a very intuitive navigation system that doesn’t clutter the screen.

Quirky

Quirky Linux Gets More Pep Out of Puppy

The Quirky Linux distro has a lightweight design with a powerful delivery system. That, plus a leading-edge test bed of new ideas, makes Quirky Linux an ideal OS for netbooks and older computers with limited storage and memory. Run Quirky on a hardware-enhanced modern machine and experience a new definition of fast and dependable. It’s definitely worth a try.

CAINE

CAINE 5 review – Blackhole

The distribution’s name is derived from Computer Aided INvestigative Environment, and it is an Italian GNU/Linux live distribution, whose development is headed by Nanni Bassetti. The goal of this distribution is to provide an interoperable environment and user-friendly tools for digital forensics.

Netrunner

Netrunner 13.12 released

The Netrunner Team is proud to release Netrunner 13.12 – 32bit and 64bit stable.

Black Lab

Qimo Linux

Qimo Linux

Qimo Linux is a kid-friendly distribution designed to make computers simple for children. Parents will appreciate the cartoon theme and the fact that everything is easy to find, even for the youngest users.

Parted Magic

Parted Magic Continues Being Commercial-Only

A new release of the once popular Parted Magic Linux distribution is available that aims to assist in data recovery and disk/partition management, but it continues to be commercial-only.

Last year was when Parted Magic fundamentally shifted its distribution model and went from being freely available for download without charge to then being behind a pay wall but some free download links remained. Now with modern versions of the Linux distribution designed for disk/partition management, the pay wall is being enforced.

Santoku Linux

Santoku Linux

Jolicloud

Jolicloud 2 offers a one-stop shop to your social and Cloud storage accounts

Jolicloud 2 will be the next version of Jolicloud, a Cloud service that aggregates all the popular and not-so popular Cloud services.

It started life as Joli OS, a free operating system optimized for netbooks and other low-resource computers. Since then, it has evolved into a pure online service. Jolicloud, the company behind it, is based in Paris, France.

Microlinux

Microlinux Enterprise Desktop 14.1 Xfce

MLED 14.1 Xfce is a lightweight production desktop based on Slackware 14.1 and the Xfce desktop environment with many enhancements. It sports a complete choice of neatly integrated applications, one per task.
Microlinux Enterprise Desktop 14.1 MATE

MLED 14.1 MATE is another lightweight production desktop, based on Slackware 14.1 and the MATE desktop environment with many enhancements. It sports a complete choice of neatly integrated applications, one per task.

This edition uses the MATE desktop environment provided by Chess Griffin and Willy Sudiarto as a base. MLED adds some eye candy and applications galore.

Misc.

Something new in the land of Linux distros

If you have been following the news and stories on Linux distributions since over ten years like I have been, you tend to have a fairly standard view -yet an educated one- about what’s going on with them, why every year since about 2002 this could have been the year of the Linux desktop, how Mandriva almost made it but was beaten off by Ubuntu, and why Android and likely Ubuntu are triomphing not on the desktop itself but on the phones and tablets.
The “Most Beautiful & Performant” Linux Distro Failed

At the beginning of 2013 I wrote about an ambitious Linux distribution that set out to create what its lead developer called would be the most robust, beautiful, and performant Linux operating system out there and ultimately aspired to take on Ubuntu. Well, that distribution is now a matter of the past.