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Lunar Linux 1.0 Released
Ivan writes "Lunar Linux 1.0 was released today. It's a source based distribution, with gcc 3.2 and the latest versions of packages such as Mozilla 1.1, OpenOffice.org 1.0.1 and GNOME 2 and KDE 3. From the about page on their website: 'In the beginning Lunar was a fork of Sorcerer GNU Linux (SGL). The fork occurred in late January to early February of 2002 and was originally made up of a small group of people who wanted to collaboratively develop and extend the Sorcerer technology.' Download the ISOs here."
Does this mean that the guy from last week will now have 38 Operating Systems on 1 PC?
Since the lunar-linux site is probably bogged down at the moment, you can probably grab an ISO from:
DistroWatch
or
LinuxISO.org
We Apprentice Developers and Designers
Mainly because Lunar Linux and Sorcerer GNU/Linux aren't quite as difficult as Gentoo. More of the installation chores are automated. For example, while Gentoo expects the user to manually chroot and copy the system over from the CD to the root partition, Lunar and Sorcerer do this automatically. Also, optimisation is broken down into a series of easy-to-grasp choices (the optimisation setting for really fucking fast code is labelled clearly) rather than expecting the user to muck around with CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS.
Best of all, IMHO, it's feasible (though almost time-consuming as installing software through FreeBSD's ports system) to install Lunar on a machine using a dialup. As far as difficulty is concerned, I'd class Lunar between Slackware and Gentoo. Hope this helps a bit.
--
St. Matthew, Patron Saint of Cheeky Programmers
The reason is how easy it is to add software that your distro hasn't thought of. In most cases with Sorcerer and forks thereof, it's just a matter of making a small file that tells where the source tarball is located, and the defaults do the rest. You don't even have to figure out what files it installs because a daemon watches the installation and records the files it installs.
Updating software is a matter of changing the version number in a small file(the source location usually includes $VERSION). Changing from stable to unstable development versions is quite easy--modify the version number. Keeping the source available uncompressed or keeping the object files in case you update frequently are command line options.
If you know how to code, problems are easier to fix in a source distro than a binary(if not, though, they are more difficult).
Then there are optional dependencies. You don't need to download different RPMs if you can do without PHP's ability to create image on the fly.
In many cases, a source is a smaller download than a binary(exceptions being the linux kernel and Mozilla).
For me it's not about the 2% speedup (well in some cases it's a lot better for certain apps, but I digress...), it's about the ease of source modification.
You see, if I have a RedHat isntallation that uses an RPM of apache, and I decide I need to tweak the apache source a bit, it's a pain in the ass. I suppose if you get really used to using SRPMs it's manageable, sorta.
With Gentoo, it's real easy for me to add a patch to an ebuild and re-install - or to unpack an ebuild, edit the soruce in
And well, a bunch of other things, but I guess the overall point is that for the draw is the power over the system, not the speed of the binaries.
11*43+456^2
It really amazing when looking at Distro Watch
How many distro's for Linux there are around. Some spouting optimised for 686 or desktop or server env. If you really are into Linux for the long haul, most of us usually do end up either rebuilding our packages or upgrading to a newer version before the actual vendor does. Be it because the package was fsck-up or because or some vendor favors a package verses another and doesn't look at the big picture of the software overall extending the software to it's fullest capabilities. my current dist is Arch Linux. Shameless plug I know, but this dist for the most part meets my current needs.
// what do you mean that was the only copy...
LUnix is a UNIX clone for Commodore 64 computers, unrelated to GNU/Linux.
Will I retire or break 10K?
On the contrary, under gentoo you can have the latest and greatest software without waiting for the next version. Everything just works and handled by package management. The only time you need to compile things without emerge is when the software you want is not yet available in gentoo portage.
I would just like to add that in my experience if you must install something that is not handled by portage, the best way to do it is to write an ebuild for the software in question. After the first time you do it it only takes 10 minutes to produce an ebuild for most standard (ie. uses AutoConf/Make) compile processes.
The advantage of doing this is that your package will then be maintained by portage for you, and provided you specify it's dependencies correctly portage will prevent them from being removed and killing your custom installed software.
Cheers,
Andy
reasons for the existence of Lunar Linux
There were reasons for the fork of Sorcerer. See this page on the Source Mage site. But no, last I looked Lunar Linux wasn't very clear about these reasons. People should be required to have a good reason for making a new Linux distribution.
If people were required to have a good reason to start OSS projects, we would never have got Linux in the first place. I won't even bother responding to the rest of your argument.
Funny you mention that comment, I wrote it. We offer an easier installation than Gentoo. Rather than providing users the choice of how to begin the installation (tough for a new linux user), we simply say, use the CD. Is that necessarily better? For a new user yes. However, past the installation, users are confronted with configuration of things such as X without much help. Now, there are a few scripts provided to ease the setup of network interfaces (lnet) and to setup your mouse for GPM (lmouse), but most of the configuration is left up to you.
I personally see the future of Lunar linux going towards an easy to install, easy to configure source distribution (the built from source at install kind). I do not know how all the developers view the future of Lunar however.
But, as far as getting a base system up and running, Lunar is much easier for newer linux users than Gentoo.
kc8apf
To synchronize your portage tree with the official Gentoo one:
/etc, does not by default overwrite any config files--so you'll never lose your favorite config file in /etc again. Instead, it write the file to the same directory, with the prefix like ._cfg0000_ for instance.
;-)
# emerge rsync
To install GNOME:
# emerge gnome
To update all of your packages to new versions:
# emerge -u world
To remove all of the *old* versions of the packages updated by the last command, since they are protected until "cleaned" out:
# emerge -c world
To forcibly remove a package:
# emerge -C $PACKAGE_NAME
To "pretend" you're running a given command:
# emerge -p$ADDITIONAL_FLAGS $PACKAGE_NAME
**
There are far too many conveniences to list them all so far as emerge goes, but those are just a few. Other conveniences:
The portage system (emerge, ebuild, etc.), when installing files to
Updating your default runlevel is amazingly easy:
# rc-update del telnetd default
# rc-update add sshd default
Each rc-script has a "dependency" function which relates it to other rc-scripts (for instance, "checkroot" must run *before* all other rc-scripts; or the mail server courier must run *after* all its components).
The default Gentoo kernel is based off the Alan Cox tree, and thus includes support for things like xfs, jfs, grsecurity, etc. Very convenient, and I have to say that xfs rocks.
The list of cool features like these just goes on and on...if you go to the Gentoo website there'll be plenty of info there.
I'm still a fan of FreeBSD, but I have to say that Gentoo's
I recommend Gentoo for people who want to be closer to the internals of their systems but don't want the "gasoline poured into gaping head wound" pain of Linux From Scratch. LFS is great for doing once for the experience, but since it pretty much lacks a packaging system (back when I tried it), it's not for me. I'm willing to do some babysitting of my system, but not at the level that LFS requires.
Gentoo promises a close working relationship with your system, access to the very latest packages, and a growing and generally helpful community.
Try it out: Gentoo home
See my other post in this thread for why I had problems with it initially.
Curmudgeon Gamer: Not happy
In case this wasn't posted yet, there are two major forks from Sorceror: Lunar (which I believe kept the main contributor of Sorceror), and SourceMage. SourceMage (who keep the nerdy witchcraft shtick happening) is approaching 1.0, which I believe is due for a Halloween release.
Link: http://www.sourcemage.org/
Sorceror was a cult-hit when it first hit the attention of Slashdot (late last year?). Many people raved about it, so I'm happy to see that both prongs on the fork are following the same tradition.
This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it. - Dorothy Parker
If you are coming from Win2k without much prior Linux or Unix experience I was seriously suggest installing RedHat or Mandrake. Give it a whirl for a month or so to get familiar, then when you think you are 'leet enough (i.e. your pain threshold has risen enough), try out a source distro.
I haven't tried out a source distro yet (it seems the only occasions I have to install Linux happen to be pretty bizarre network installs...so I usually just opt for RedHat because this is the *only* distro I've been able to get to install easily in these circumstances).
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
Actually I think more distros dont require an ISO then those that do. Gentoo doesn't, nor does Debian. Gentoo always need a nice net connection becuase u download everything in the package managemnt system. Also last I checked Redhat was installable by booting and downloading the rest. Gentoo and debian are really are really the best for this becase in the install you only set up the system and nothing else. I'd presume Socceror and Lunar are like that, but have no experience with either.