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100% Libre, Trisquel 4.5 STS 'Slaine' Released

Posted by timothy on from the good-enough-for-rms dept.

Aldenissin writes "Trisquel 4.5 Slaine comes with a new boot manager for the live images, an improved installer which showcases the project highlights, and new programs like the Remmina remote desktop client, the social network client Gwibber or the backup tool Deja-dup. The web browser received several changes to improve attributes like speed by enabling http pipelining and other methods, privacy with blocking third party cookies and moving to Duck Duck Go search engine — both as default, and usability with the preinstalled FlashVideoReplacer plugin that allows watching videos from YouTube, Vimeo and many others. The main packages include: Linux-libre 2.6.35, Xorg 7.5, GNOME 2.32, Mozilla based web browser 3.6.15 and OpenOffice.org 3.2. Slaine is based on Ubuntu 10.10, and as always with Trisquel, it contains just free software. Available are 32 and 64 bit flavors, and being an STS release it will be supported for a year. This release will be the "live" operating system included in the Free Software Foundation member cards from now on, in replacement of Trisquel 4.0."

23 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. what the fuck? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I didn't understand half the nouns in that article.

    1. Re:what the fuck? by Aldenissin · · Score: 3, Funny

      The author wrote it, and then I butchered it for Slashdot consumption. Resistance is futile.

      --
      Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
  2. Um... by MrEricSir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So on Slashdot we have to tell people who Alan Turing was, but we can just randomly spout off the names of (what I'm assuming to be) little known software packages?

    Come on, guys.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
    1. Re:Um... by denshao2 · · Score: 2

      I have been using Linux for years and never heard of this distro. It's not even in the top 100 according to Distrowatch.

    2. Re:Um... by Aldenissin · · Score: 3, Informative

      OK, how is this for anecdotal evidence. I have tried or looked at all of the 100$ libre versions, and if they seem to offered an English version, then I tried them. Only 2 stand out, Trisquel and gNewSense. gNewSense has not been updated in awhile, and is based on an older version of Ubuntu than Trisquel. Trisquel seems from experience to have a lot more thought put into it other than just removing proprietary blobs from the kernel and software and repos. The layout is well done, and is not just a new wallpaper and color scheme. In fact, I don't hardly notice it since it just seems to work so well. Unlike with even Ubuntu 10.10, which I have honestly had issues with about once a week. Not so with Trisquel 4.5, and that was while it was in Beta. The only real issue I remember having was with Youtube videos, and that was quickly corrected.

      As far as wifi adapters, there are those that it will work with and are likely easily replaceable. This is not a libre issue only, as Linux has been dealing with this for years... As far as the GPU acceleration, I wanted to keep the summary size down. But as mentioned on the release page: "One of the exciting improvements for this release is the availability of an experimental Nouveau driver for NVIDIA cards which allows for 3D acceleration using fully free software."

      --
      Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
    3. Re:Um... by DrXym · · Score: 2

      If it's user friendly it's because it's ubuntu with minimal changes. And those changes are retrograde - removing branding & drivers which means the dist works on less hardware. Perhaps that increases the dist's appeal to masochists who don't want their graphics card to work very well. To pragmatists, not so much.

    4. Re:Um... by timbo234 · · Score: 2

      As far as wifi adapters, there are those that it will work with and are likely easily replaceable. This is not a libre issue only, as Linux has been dealing with this for years...

      This statement makes no sense. I can tell you from bitter experience that if a wifi driver in Linux requires a binary blob it's for a bloody good reason - it simply won't work otherwise. And wifi cards are not easily, and usually not at all, replaceable in laptops and netbooks.

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      Pre-canned Evolution Links for all those Slashdot holy wars.
  3. Gonna be totally honest here... by Yosho · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The only word in the summary that I recognise is "Release", but I can guess what "Libre" means. I don't know why you can't just use "free."

    Otherwise, could you please give some indication of what the hell this is? I even tried searching Slashdot's archives for other articles with "Trisquel" in them, and this is the only one. Should we have any idea what this is?

    --
    Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
    1. Re:Gonna be totally honest here... by agrif · · Score: 5, Informative

      The only word in the summary that I recognise is "Release", but I can guess what "Libre" means. I don't know why you can't just use "free."?

      In the open source community (and most of the larger computer nerd metacommunity) the term free software has a very specific meaning. Unfortunately, the english word free has two different meanings: free as in freedom, and free as in beer, as it's usually put. To anyone not in the know, free software is just software that can be obtained at no cost.

      Using the words libre and gratis clarifies what you're talking about, and though it may not be a particularly useful distinction on slashdot, it's often used elsewhere. Most people can guess what they mean even if they've never heard them used in this context, because gratis is often used to say "this costs nothing", while libre sounds a lot like liberty.

    2. Re:Gonna be totally honest here... by larry+bagina · · Score: 2

      You know what else sounds a lot like liberty? Liberty.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    3. Re:Gonna be totally honest here... by Aldenissin · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Mod parent up! That is exactly why libre is used. When you have big companies using the word free, but not in the context normally used or even free as in gratis, then you have to use a different word.

      --
      Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
    4. Re:Gonna be totally honest here... by Aldenissin · · Score: 2

      No, we do it to troll you. Thanks for feeding us.

      But seriously, I think libre has been around since before France. When you say "freedom" you want to just shorten it to free, as it has been done until libre started to be used. Trisquel is from the Celtics who used to live where the project lead and founder is from. Very beautiful scenery there, and some of the houses are a couple thousand years old. And not, he does almost it all, design, compiling, website. Darn good job in that context. Many of the names are used because they are fun and silly in free software. You don't often forget them, and that is marketing gold there.

      --
      Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
  4. It's a linux distro. by Seumas · · Score: 5, Informative

    Since we apparently couldn't be bothered with adding one more sentence to the blurb so we know what the hell 'Trisquel' actually is, it's apparently a linux distribution and Slaine seems to be the code name of the new release version (ie, Hammy, Sid, Hoary Hedgehog).

    https://trisquel.info/en

    1. Re:It's a linux distro. by larry+bagina · · Score: 4, Insightful

      One of 8 approved GNU/Linux distributions. None of which matter in the real world.

      Apparently, in order to be an approved FREE software OS, you need to prevent users from using non-free software. FREE from choice. The ultimate FREEdom.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    2. Re:It's a linux distro. by timbo234 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's not true. They require the distros to not include non-free software (including not having official 'non-free' repositories), but the user can be allowed to install non-free software.

      Except that having a 'non-free' repo is the means by which users install non-free software. So according to the FSF it's all right if users install non-free software from a repo run by a 3rd party, but it's not all right if the non-free repo is hosted by the Linux distro maker/project itself? Even if the non-free repo is optional. What a pointless, splitting-hairs argument from the FSF.

      --
      Pre-canned Evolution Links for all those Slashdot holy wars.
  5. noun noun libre release noun by mjeffers · · Score: 5, Funny

    Trisquel Slaine with Gwibber is cool and all but all the cool kids have already moved on to Aljaeguhn Tyabha with Florn.

    Now with 75% more Styhanb.

    1. Re:noun noun libre release noun by Zan+Lynx · · Score: 2

      You are awesome and I wish I had mod points.

      It's always great to see more Styhanb.

  6. at least it serves as a lesson to others... by mjeffers · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The next time someone tells me the only reason why [productx] is so popular is due to marketing I'm sending them a link to this summary as an example of why that really really does matter.

    1. Re:at least it serves as a lesson to others... by Aldenissin · · Score: 2

      Yes, I learned some lessons... but I got it accepted with 9th grade and GED education. I don't think I did that bad either for something like 3 AM this morning. :D I will let him know what you said and will probably get him to let me clean up the announcement some next time, or maybe even tomorrow for this release. My grammar isn't that bad and English is my primary language.

      --
      Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
  7. scraping the barrel by zaphirplane · · Score: 4, Insightful

    a whole os, distro and the highlights include enabling http pipelining and including a couple of browser add-ons, switching default search engine
    Really ? really ?
    That's the problem that needs solving, thru a new disto

  8. Re:why though by Aldenissin · · Score: 2

    Ever think of how much work that is to remove all the proprietary software and .blobs? Now, all you have to do is download it and use it, saving you time. It is based on Ubuntu, so you have a ton of support there. And if you can't get your answer there, then you can always find help on the forums or IRC.

    --
    Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
  9. Re:why though by Aldenissin · · Score: 2

    "the developer of the software controls the users of the software"

    what a crock that is. what % of users of software do you think are capable of doing anything remotely useful (or even plain silly) with the source code? 10%? 1%? And of those, what % are interested enough in making a change? The developer(s) will always control the users of the software unless the developers are the only people using the software.

    Negative, without the source code, updates can be forced, for example. Just by having the source code, once can easily enough, compile the old version again. Even give someone a few bucks to take out the update mechanism or neutralize it. That is just one example.

    --
    Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
  10. Re:why though by aloniv · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here are some examples of developers of the software controlling the users of the software using proprietary software:

    1. Free software, unlike proprietary software, can be ported to other operating systems (and to different architectures). Proprietary software will usually only be ported if the developer wishes to do so (e.g. if enough people use the operating system), which is why for example Adobe did not release a version of Flash for FreeBSD or for the Openmoko GNU/Linux distributions.

    2. Nvidia is unwilling to add VDPAU support to the GNU/Linux drivers of their old graphic cards even though the Windows drivers support the equivalent technology. So if you want VDPAU on GNU/Linux you need to buy a new graphics card, even though your card should be able to use VDPAU if Nvidia decides to support it.

    3. The VIA Unichrome Pro graphics card does not support a 16:9 resolution when using the proprietary graphics card driver on Windows XP, so if you want to connect a Windows XP computer with this graphics card to a 16:9 monitor without seeing a distorted image, you need to buy a new graphics card. The reason for this is that VIA stopped supporting the driver in 2007. The free driver on GNU/Linux called openChrome on the other hand supports 16:9 resolutions such as 720p. If someone didn't know about GNU/Linux, they would probably just buy a new graphics card, even though their card might actually support a 16:9 resolution if the graphics card driver developers decide to support it.