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| author | Christophe Lincoln <pankso@slitaz.org> |
|---|---|
| date | Tue Apr 10 14:39:34 2012 +0200 (2012-04-10) |
| parents | c2f9d5d0f314 |
| children | b51acee4b546 |
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19 <h1>SliTaz 2.0 Release Notes</h1>
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24 <div class="content-right"></div>
26 <h2><font color="#df8f06">Releases notes</font></h2>
28 <ul>
29 <li><a href="#overview">Overview.</a></li>
30 <li><a href="#hardware">Supported Hardware.</a></li>
31 <li><a href="#livecd">LiveCD Flavors.</a></li>
32 <li><a href="#gpxe">Network startup (gPXE).</a></li>
33 <li><a href="#install">Installation.</a></li>
34 <li><a href="#kernel">Linux Kernel.</a></li>
35 <li><a href="#packages">Software Packages.</a></li>
36 <li><a href="#desktop">Graphical Desktops.</a></li>
37 <li><a href="#support">Support and Documentation.</a></li>
38 <li><a href="#security">Security.</a></li>
39 <li><a href="#upgrade">From 1.0 to 2.0.</a></li>
40 <li><a href="#people">People of the Project.</a></li>
41 </ul>
43 <a name="overview"></a>
44 <h3><font color="#6c0023"></font>Overview</h3>
45 <p>
46 SliTaz GNU/Linux Version 2.0 was released on April 16 2009 after a year
47 of hard work. Based on Version 1.0 (published 22 March 2008), SliTaz comprises
48 of 1400 (up 900) software packages easily installable via the "Tazpkg"
49 package manager. The LiveCD can be fully configured to taste, to easily
50 create a custom distribution specifically for tasks such as multimedia,
51 graphics or development. Some of the new features in this release include:
52 </p>
53 <ul>
54 <li>Better hardware support for wifi, windows drivers, NTFS and low
55 memory systems (through flavors)</li>
56 <li>Easier customization to roll your own distro</li>
57 <li>Web Boot support</li>
58 <li>Openbox replaces JWM as the window manager</li>
59 <li>More tiny graphical utilities for administration, setting preferences,
60 system upgrade, etc</li>
61 </ul>
62 <p>
63 Technical support is provided to users via the mailing list and the official
64 forum. The "SliTaz Handbook" is an instructive manual on how to use and finely
65 configure the system. SliTaz can be updated easily via the graphic installer or
66 by using the simple and fast text installer.
67 SliTaz can also be installed to your hard drive, or used with USB media
68 - with "TazUSB" or the GUI "TazUSBbox" you are only a few simple commands
69 away from a fully formatted and configured USB device, ready to boot.
70 </p>
71 <p>
72 The system is now configurable via a graphical control center and
73 packages can be managed with the "Tazpkgbox" GUI package manager. The
74 project has also created several different GUIs to command line tools to
75 facilitate the use of the system.
76 </p>
77 <p>
78 The distribution is available in English, German, French and Portuguese -
79 in all 26 keymappings are available. The project website and documentation
80 are also available in different languages and other language packs (locale)
81 can be installed via the package manager.
82 </p>
83 <p>
84 SliTaz is published as a LiveCD or bootable cdrom, all software packages
85 are available via a direct download or DVD image. SliTaz 2.0 offers a fast,
86 simple, elegant desktop respecting the standards of Freedesktop.org. The
87 system was built from the GNU toolchain: glibc-2.7, gcc-4.2.3,
88 binutils-2.17.50 and offers the Linux 2.6.25.5 kernel. The core
89 of the LiveCD proposes replacing PHP with Perl as the programming
90 language. Hardinfo system tools and LXTask provide knowledge and
91 monitoring equipment. NTFS support is also included on the cdrom and Windows
92 drives can be easily browsed through the file manager.
93 </p>
95 <a name="hardware"></a>
96 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Supported Hardware</font></h3>
97 <p>
98 SliTaz GNU/Linux supports all machines based on i486 or x86 Intel compatible
99 processors. A minimum 256MB of memory is recommended to use the main LiveCD.
100 64MB is needed for the "slitaz-loram" flavor and 16MB for the
101 "slitaz-loram-cdrom" flavor.
102 </p>
103 <p>
104 With the slitaz-loram flavor, the system is less responsive, but allows you to
105 graphically install SliTaz on very old machines. Once installed, SliTaz works
106 well with a minimum of 16MB memory, but forget about using Firefox to surf the
107 web - you'll have to use the text based 'links' for example.
108 </p>
109 <p>
110 SliTaz 2.0 provides partial support for wireless network cards (WiFi), some
111 cards work directly with a kernel module and others need non-free firmware
112 and additional drivers. These can easily be automatically
113 installed using a GUI created for the distribution.
114 </p>
115 <p>
116 Most network and sound card drivers are supported in the Kernel. Presently,
117 power management is enabled by default with ACPI and support for laptops is
118 enabled with the "ac" and "battery" modules ("thermal", "processor" and "dock"
119 are built into the kernel; "fan" and "button" are also available as modules).
120 </p>
122 <a name="livecd"></a>
123 <h3><font color="#6c0023">LiveCD Flavors</font></h3>
124 <p>
125 SliTaz GNU/Linux is distributed as a bootable LiveCD allowing you to
126 graphically install to the hard drive and retain the use of your previous
127 system including all settings, applications, documents, etc.
128 </p>
129 <p>
130 The project distributes an ISO image called "core", which is the body of the
131 system, providing a selection of multi-use packages for surfing the web,
132 listening to music, audio editing, image manipulation, developing (including
133 PHP/SQL), editing ISOs or burning to optical media. It's just one click in the
134 application menu to find software installed by category.
135 </p>
136 <p>
137 The official flavors of SliTaz can be directly downloaded from the mirrors
138 of the project. The base flavor (~6MB) provides a minimal system in text mode
139 and the JustX flavor (~14 MB) offers a minimal graphical desktop respecting
140 standard drag and drop with GTK2 libraries and tools for installing additional
141 applications with a few clicks of the mouse.
142 </p>
143 <p>
144 The "core" LiveCD can also be customised and rebuilt both graphically or from
145 the command line. Install your own custom set of packages, or simply use one
146 of the preset flavors on the mirror. Then simply generate your distribution
147 with the "Tazlito" tool.
148 </p>
150 <a name="gpxe"></a>
151 <h3>Network startup (gPXE)</h3>
152 <p>
153 SliTaz is able to boot from the internet, launching the system into RAM during
154 system startup. This feature allows you to boot computers with no hard drive
155 as a thin client. Full instructions for using this service are available at:
156 <a href="http://boot.slitaz.org">http://boot.slitaz.org</a>
157 </p>
159 <a name="install"></a>
160 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Installation</font></h3>
161 <p>
162 The installation is fully automated and can be done graphically or in text
163 mode. The prerequisite material and other useful information can be found in the
164 Manual and Handbook.
165 </p>
166 <p>
167 If you want to partition a disk before installation, you can quickly use
168 Gparted in LiveCD mode or use a flavor containing the partitioning tool. At
169 the end of the installation it is possible to setup the "GRUB" bootloader which
170 is capable of starting almost all operating systems. This allows SliTaz to
171 co-exist with a previously installed operating system, such as Windows.
172 </p>
174 <a name="kernel"></a>
175 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Linux Kernel</font></h3>
176 <p>
177 SliTaz GNU/Linux 2.0 is distributed with the Linux Kernel 2.6.25.5, patched for
178 LZMA compression support and display correction for the virtual console. The
179 support for IDE and SCSI is integrated, as are the filesystems ext2 and ext3.
180 The kernel in SliTaz 2.0 is split into several different packages, this allows
181 you to install only the specific modules required for the machine on which
182 SliTaz operates. All packages can be installed via the package manager and
183 dependancies are handled automatically.
184 </p>
185 <p>
186 Most network cards are supported either directly or as loadable modules with
187 'modprobe'. Video capture, if needed, requires the ieee1394, raw1394 and
188 ohci1394 modules installed. The management of the sound card drivers is obtained
189 with 'soundconf'.
190 </p>
191 <p>
192 The configuration of startup modules is located in /etc/rcS.conf. In
193 LiveCD/LiveUSB mode you can use 'modprobe=mod1, mod2' to load various modules
194 at boot time.
195 </p>
196 <p>
197 The Linux Kernel configuration of SliTaz is available in the compressed file
198 /proc/config.gz and also in the Mercurial repositories.
199 </p>
201 <a name="packages"></a>
202 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Software Packages</font></h3>
203 <p>
204 The management of software packages is done with the custom package manager
205 "Tazpkg". It's simple, fast, stable and offers an interactive mode. Among the
206 1400 packages available you will find anything you need to transform your
207 machine to a complete graphical desktop (e17), a graphics studio with The Gimp
208 or Inkscape, or to a video editor with Kino. You can experience the world wide
209 web with instant messaging, VOIP, email and of course through a web browser.
210 </p>
211 <p>
212 SliTaz is also designed to function as a powerful web server, using the stable
213 LightTPD/PHP package (not installed by default), supporting CGI, Perl and Python.
214 Apache and Squid are also available.
215 </p>
216 <p>
217 Rsync is used for incremental backup and iptables functions as the firewall.
218 SliTaz can of course also provide a complete development environment with the
219 GCC 4.2.3 compiler, Geany IDE, Mercurial Repostitories and all development
220 libraries. Packages can be found through the search function of Tazpkg or via
221 the website: <a href="http://www.slitaz.org/en/packages/">http://www.slitaz.org/en/packages/</a>
222 </p>
223 <p>
224 The binary packages on the mirror can all be compiled by using the "wok" or
225 "Tazwok" to cook. All of the developer documentation is contained in the
226 "SliTaz Cookbook" and is available online.
227 </p>
229 <a name="desktop"></a>
230 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Graphical Desktops</font></h3>
231 <p>
232 By default, the SliTaz LiveCD uses the very light and stable Openbox window manager.
233 Openbox is widely themeable and configurable using the ObConf utility.
234 The integration of the taskbar "LXpanel" makes it possible to dynamically
235 provide a menu based on the Freedesktop standards. The principle is to have a
236 small menu accessible via a screen click with the favorites, windows effects,
237 LiveCD and LiveUSB tools, Openbox configuration and system actions made available.
238 Applications can also be accessed through the menu supplied by LXpanel. The
239 managment of the Desktop and icons are entrusted to the file manager PCmanFM.
240 </p>
241 <p>
242 Through the support of a LiveCD flavor or an installed system you can install
243 the Enlightenment (e17) desktop environment or the window managers JWM and DWM .
244 The different sessions can be selected via the F1 key when using the "Slim"
245 login window. To change the default session you can use 'tazx' or manually edit
246 the ~/.Xinitrc file.
247 </p>
249 <a name="support"></a>
250 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Support and Documentation</font></h3>
251 <p>
252 The SliTaz project offers various means of help and support to users of the
253 system, using the mailing list, forum or IRC channel. User documentation
254 is contained in the SliTaz Handbook, making it possible to configure SliTaz
255 to some degree. The Handbook is also available on the web site. The manuals
256 of the standard tools are installed on the system and are available through the
257 documentation menu - they describe all the various commands made possible by
258 the tools. The development of the operating system and the use of the wok and
259 receipts are described in the "SliTaz Cookbook". The books, manuals and release notes
260 are all available online:
261 <a href="http://www.slitaz.org/en/doc/">http://www.slitaz.org/en/doc/</a>
262 </p>
264 <a name="security"></a>
265 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Security</font></h3>
266 <p>
267 The stable versions enjoy security updates,
268 for the benefit of a safe and secure system it's important to recharge and
269 update packages regularly. The Firewall is provided by iptables, and the
270 LightTPD and Apache servers support authentication by encrypted passwords and Dropbear
271 provides a secure SSH client and server. The passwords for the users of the
272 system are encrypted and only the root administrator can modify system files.
273 For information about how to configure the firewall, you can refer to the
274 Handbook. The packages related to security are all classified under the topic:
275 Security.
276 </p>
278 <a name="upgrade"></a>
279 <h3><font color="#6c0023">From 1.0 to 2.0</font></h3>
280 <p>
281 The SliTaz GNU/linux installer offers an update function allowing you to
282 upgrade from a '1.0' to '2.0' version. To upgrade the system you first
283 need to boot the 'Stable' LiveCD, launch the installer, select upgrade and then
284 specify the partition containing the system that you want to update. The
285 installer will then clean out the system and reinstall all the packages not
286 present on the CD from the mirror. When this has finished you can reboot
287 with your new version of SliTaz. Note that this method can also be used to
288 rebuild an already installed system, while retaining the selection of packages
289 already installed.
290 </p>
291 <p>
292 Note that the installer will keep a copy of the list of packages and a complete
293 archive of the /etc directory (etc.tar.gz) in /var/lib/slitaz-install.
294 </p>
295 <p>
296 To upgrade a 1.0 to 2.0 it is also possible to use the package manager "Tazpkg"
297 via the 'set-release' function, but beware this is not yet proven and may require some
298 manual intervention.
299 </p>
301 <a name="people"></a>
302 <h3><font color="#6c0023">People of the Project</font></h3>
303 <p>
304 SliTaz is proud to be an international community project. The people of the
305 project are the ones who develop the distribution, correct the website,
306 develop the HG repositories and write the official documentation. Passing
307 through Switzerland, France, Brazil, Quebec, China, Russia, England,
308 and the U.S.
309 </p>
310 <ul>
311 <li>Christophe Lincoln</li>
312 <li>Pascal Bellard</li>
313 <li>Eric Joseph-Alexandre</li>
314 <li>Paul Issott</li>
315 <li>Julien Rabier</li>
316 <li>Pierre-Jean Fichet</li>
317 <li>Dominique Corbex</li>
318 <li>Mallory Mollo</li>
319 <li>Mike D. Smith</li>
320 <li>Claudinei Pereira</li>
321 <li>Allan Pinto</li>
322 <li>Alice Ayanami</li>
323 <li>F. Steiner</li>
324 <li>Chen Yufei</li>
325 <li>Bill Nagel</li>
326 <li>Michael Dupont</li>
327 <li>Franco Azzano</li>
328 <li>Fabrice Thiroux</li>
329 <li>Eduardo Suarez-Santana</li>
330 <li>Tom Frankland</li>
331 <li>Sandeep Srinivasa</li>
332 <li>David Ozura</li>
333 <li>Pierre Romillon</li>
334 <li>Rohit Joshi </li>
335 </ul>
336 <p>
337 The project also wishes to thank all the reviewers, testers, hackers and users
338 who have taken the time to help advance the distribution.
339 </p>
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