Linux Junkie

The legacy series of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has been updated to version 5.6: “Red Hat is pleased to announce the availability of the latest update to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, release 5.6 (with kernel 2.6.18-238.el5).” Changes in this release include: “the installer in 5.6 automatically makes several attempts to connect to the repository and downloads the required package when it is available; improved driver support for devices required during the installation process; libvirt has been updated to version 0.8.2, enabling sVirt, a technology included in RHEL 5 that integrates SELinux and virtualization; virtio-serial driver has been added, enabling vmchannel capabilities on RHEL 5.6 guests operating on a RHEL 6 hosts….” See the release announcement and release notes for a detailed list of changes and improvements. Existing Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscribers can upgrade to this release through the usual channels. For those requiring new installation DVD images, they can be obtained from Red Hat Networks.

About Red Hat:

Red Hat is the leader in development, deployment, and management of Linux and open source solutions for Internet infrastructure – ranging from embedded devices to secure Web servers. Red Hat was founded in 1994 by visionary entrepreneurs Bob Young and Marc Ewing. Open source is the foundation of our business model. It represents a fundamental shift in how software is created. The code that makes up the software is available to anyone. Developers who use the software are free to improve the software. The result: rapid innovation. Red Hat solutions combine Red Hat Linux, developer and embedded technologies, training, management services, technical support. We deliver this open source innovation to our customers via an Internet platform called Red Hat Network. Red Hat is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

Alan Baghumian has announced the release of Parsix GNU/Linux 3.6r1, a new revision of the Debian-based distribution for the desktop: “The first updated version of Parsix GNU/Linux 3.6 ‘Vinnie’ is available for immediate download. This version merges all the published updates into the ISO images. Parsix now offers security updates. Vinnie ISO images are compiled using Squashfs 4.0 with LZMA compression and will fit on a blank DVD. We are back to using isolinux as CD/DVD boot loader, as GRUB 2 has issues such as booting from external USB devices. The updated Linux 2.6.32.26 kernel with improved configuration is patched using the latest TuxOnIce suspension and hibernation and Kon Kolivas’s BFS patches. Improved live boot system loads the system faster and this version also ships our experimental USB installer that enables users to run Parsix from USB keys.” Read the rest of the release announcement for more details. Download: parsix_3.6r1-i386.iso (875MB, MD5), parsix_3.6r1-amd64.iso (881MB, MD5).

About Parsix:

Parsix GNU/Linux is a live and installation CD based on KANOTIX and Debian. It uses GNOME as its default desktop environment. Parsix GNU/Linux supports Persian keyboard and user can switch to Persian with Alt+Ctrl or Ctrl+Shift keys. It also includes the xFarDic English-Persian dictionary and several free Persian fonts from FarsiWeb and FPF projects

Ken Smith has announced the availability of the first beta releases of FreeBSD 8.2 and 7.4, new upcoming versions in the production (version and legacy production (version 7) series: “The first of the test builds for the 8.2/7.4 release cycle is now available for amd64, i386, ia64, pc98, and sparc64 architectures. Files suitable for creating installation media or doing FTP-based installs through the network should be on most of the FreeBSD mirror sites. The ISO images for this build do not include packages other than the docs. For amd64 and i386 ‘memstick’ images are available that can be copied to a USB ‘memory stick’ and used for installs on machines that support booting from that type of media.” Read the rest of the release announcement for details on how to upgrade from previous versions and where to report bugs. Quick download links for the i386 and amd64 architectures: FreeBSD-8.2-BETA1-i386-dvd1.iso (861MB, SHA256), FreeBSD-8.2-BETA1-amd64-dvd1.iso (973MB, SHA256), FreeBSD-7.4-BETA1-i386-dvd1.iso (967MB, SHA256), FreeBSD-7.4-BETA1-amd64-dvd1.iso (1,063MB, SHA256).

About FreeBSD:

FreeBSD is a UN*X-like operating system for the i386, IA-64, PC-98, Alpha/AXP, and UltraSPARC platforms based on U.C. Berkeley’s “4.4BSD-Lite” release, with some “4.4BSD-Lite2″ enhancements. It is also based indirectly on William Jolitz’s port of U.C. Berkeley’s “Net/2″ to the i386, known as “386BSD”, though very little of the 386BSD code remains. FreeBSD is used by companies, Internet Service Providers, researchers, computer professionals, students and home users all over the world in their work, education and recreation.

Robert Lange has announced the availability of the fourth alpha release of Vector Linux 7.0, a Slackware-based distribution for the desktop: “VectorLinux Core 7 alpha 4 is up and ready to test. Sorry to do this but I need to try out one more alpha before we start the beta stage. We had multiple problems with the 3.6 release mostly due to an upgrade to the installer’s core system to accommodate the latest kernel releases. Hopefully the install will go without problems this time and I added a few updated packages like XScreenSaver, Grip to rip CDs and DVDs, and a few other core programs. Wicd, the network manager, should work correctly now. I added a few new twists to the overall theme of things, interested to hear any reactions. I know I have thrown a lot of releases at you lately but I would like the final stages to be pretty damn perfect so the betas and release candidates should be quick and painless.” Here is the brief release announcement. Download: VL7.0-CORE-ALPHA-4.iso (685MB, MD5).

About Linux Vector:

Vector Linux is a small, fast, Intel based Linux operating system for PC style computers. The creators of Vector Linux had a single credo: keep it simple, keep it small and let the end user decide what their operating system is going to be. What has evolved from this concept is perhaps the best little Linux operating system available anywhere. For the casual computer user you have a lightening fast desktop with graphical programs to handle your daily activities from web surfing, sending and receiving email, chatting on ICQ or IRC to running an ftp server. The power user will be pleased because all the tools are there to compile their own programs, use the system as a server or perhaps the gateway for their home or office computer network. Administrators will be equally as pleased because the small size and memory requirements of the operating system can be deployed on older machines maybe long forgotten.

Gökçen Eraslan has announced that the second beta release of Pardus Linux 2011 is available for testing: “Live and installation images of Pardus Linux 2011 beta 2 release for 64-bit and 32-bit architectures are ready. More hardware support, bug fixes for our manager family and lots of new packages and updates are included in beta 2. In addition, some of the operations previously achieved in YALI, now have been moved to the first boot of the system and some visual changes applied to YALI interface. Also, one of the most important bugs, USB installation failure is now fixed. Keep in mind that this is a beta release and because of the fast development process, you will get massive number of package updates as more bugs are fixed.” Here is the brief release announcement. Download the installation or live DVD images from here: Pardus-2011-Beta-2-i686.iso (1,071MB, MD5), Pardus-2011-Beta-2-x86_64.iso (1,090MB, MD5), Pardus-2011-Beta-2-Live-i686.iso (1,269MB, MD5), Pardus-2011-Beta-2-Live-x86_64.iso (1,290MB, MD5).

About Pardus:

Pardus is a GNU/Linux distribution funded and developed by the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey. Pardus has a range of unique features, such as Mudur, a start-up framework of Pardus to speed up the boot process, and PiSi, an efficient package management system with a user-friendly graphical interface.