Developer Forum

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Review: Knoppix 6

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| I think with this release Knoppix once again gains a reason for use. Before
| it was more or less the only liveCD. Now every distro has a liveCD. Now it
| loads up extremely quickly and it has useful programs.
`----

http://server.ericsbinaryworld.com/blog/2009/03/13/review-knoppix-6/

Debian Project updates Package Policy

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| Russ Allbery, a member of the Debian Policy team, has announced the release
| of version 3.8.1 of the Debian Policy, which includes the first round of
| Policy changes for the next major version of Debian, code named "squeeze".
`----

http://www.h-online.com/open/Debian-Project-updates-Package-Policy--/news/112835


Recent:

Debian Lenny Now Available and Fully Supported by QNAP Turbo NAS Series

,----[ Quote ]
| Debian Linux on the QNAP NAS can serve as a great alternative to the default
| firmware provided by QNAP. Debian can be easily installed and thousands of
| popular software packages will be instantly available on the energy-saving
| yet powerful 500MHz ARM SoC-based QNAP NAS.
`----

http://www.1888pressrelease.com/debian-lenny-now-available-and-fully-supported-by-qnap-turbo-pr-103491.html


German schools pilot remote virtual Debian/KDE desktops

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| An educational software organization in Germany is pilot testing an
| educational software system based on virtualized Debian/KDE desktops.
| Kreisbildstelle Stade's "Desque" system serves up virtualized desktops
| over "standard" broadband connections, letting students and teachers access
| their desktops from home or school, the organization says.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3946686696.html?kc=rss


Kurt Roeckx is the new Debian Secretary

,----[ Quote ]
| Steve McIntyre, the leader of the Debian Project, has appointed Kurt Roeckx
| as the new Debian secretary. The decision was made in close cooperation with
| Bdale Garbee, the current acting secretary. Neal McGovern was confirmed as an
| assistant, "due to his recent experience as assistant to the previous
| secretary."
`----

http://www.h-online.com/open/Kurt-Roeckx-is-the-new-Debian-Secretary--/news/112704


Debian 5.0 Continues Strong Linux Tradition

,----[ Quote ]
| Version 5 of the Debian GNU/Linux open-source operating system offers the
| same top management tools and processor support that previous versions of the
| Linux operating system have. There also are a host of updates to open-source
| components, and the Linux distribution is still a great fit for servers and a
| solid desktop choice. However, the top reason for upgrading from version 4
| may be the relatively short three-year security fix window, less than the
| coverage time offered with Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux-derived
| CentOS.
`----

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Debian-50-Continues-Strong-Linux-Tradition/


Debian Lenny: Returning Home to the Mothership

,----[ Quote ]
| Lenny looks and works just fine on my system, and it is noticeably peppier.
| Maybe that's from using the nv driver; whatever it is, screen redraws and
| moving windows do not have the lag that Kubuntu and Ubuntu do, and scrolling
| Web pages is smoother and faster.
`----

http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/2009/02/debian-lenny-re.html


Lenny lights up an old laptop

,----[ Quote ]
| With the Debian Linux project off

oy Schestowitz wrote:


Knoppix can be run from USB sticks and SD cards...
generic method enclosed below.

Also instead of using syslinux that it uses like below
with slow FAT32, you can format the USB / SD Card to EXT2 and gain massive
speed increase. Need to use extlinx (part of syslinux for that).
The speed gain is so much, you may be hard pressed to tell
the difference between USB stick and hard disk boot speeds.





Converting distros to boot from SD Cards and USB flash drives
-------------------------------------------------------------

Got me self an EEE but the EEE has no optical drives (no CDROMs).
So I'm having to convert every install CD or liveCD into a
bootable SD card or USB flash drive to boot on the EEE.

Without being able to convert a distro into a bootable USB flash /SD Card,
that distro can't be easily loaded into netbook like EEE
and stand to miss out on users installing it into netbooks.

So I would recommend all distro mainters look at their netbook
boot strategy and offer something to boot their distros
from USB flash and SD cards or miss out on users installing it into
netbooks.

Having done a few conversions, a pattern emerges that works well for
most syslinux / isolinux based distros.

1. Put your SD card or USB flash drive into your desktop Linux PC and
henpenonsolendypemesg
ouhouldeeomeinendicatingourlashrives
eingickedpndllocatedithommentikedcdc1tc..
ememberothamesheirstsdev/sdchichsour
eviceame,ndheecondsdev/sdc1hichsourartitioname.
Don'tetonfusedetweenrivedev/sdcndartitiondev/sdc1
rourriveouldecomecrambledggsatern.lsoemember
tayealleddgrdhtcependinghatoueehenou
lugnevicendypemesg)

2. Install gparted on your machine using synaptic.
ountouanype
udoparted
nonsoleindowndelectnheightideheriveamellocated
ntep.ightlicknhearhatepresentsheartition
ndlicknanagelags.
nableheootlagndlickK.hisakesheDardSB
tickootable.

3. Identify that you have syslinux or isolinux in your liveCD by
peningheISOilenrchiveanagerndheckinghattas
solinuxryslinuxirectoryomewherenheiveCD.

4. Extract all the files in the .ISO file to the
ootirectoryfheDardrSBlashtick.

5. Go to the flash drive and locate the syslinux (or isolinux) directory.
opytsntireontentoheootirectoryfhelashrive.
6. If you have a syslinux.cfg file in the root directory of the
lashrive,henoureKortep.
therwisefouavesolinux.cfgile,henenametoyslinux.cfg

7. Get syslinux - this is a boot loader and menu system for FAT based
ileystems.ownloadheatestersionromere...
ttp://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/
nziptndooheinuxirectory.
unherogramhereyypinghisnotehisommandspdating
heartitiondev/sdc1)

/syslinuxsdev/sdc1
hisutsewilentoourDardSBlashisk

8. from the linux directory change to the mbr directory
d./mbr
ndhenunhisgainotehisimetspdatingheevicey
ritingataoheirstectorspposedoheirstartition.

udoatbr.bindev/sdc

hisakesheardootablendseablennsusEEndanyther
CsithDardrSBlashiskootacility.

Notes
-----
A. You can skip steps 2 and 8 if you don't format your card again
henouantoryutnotheristro.
B. Step 5 is messy but quick. You can figure out and copy just
heileseeded.
C. In step 6, editing the syslinux.cfg files can allow you to put
orehanistronhelashrive.uteware,anyistros
seefaultathsndameshatanonflict.

This method tested and works for

1. Ubuntu
2. Slax
3. Knoppix
4. Puppy
5. DSL
6. GParted
7. gOS
8. Dynabolic

Does not work for DVD distros with files grea