Software:LinuxConsole

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LinuxConsole
Screenshot of LinuxConsole Mate Desktop.png
DeveloperYann Le Doaré (Primary)
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateActive
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseApril 2004; 20 years ago (2004-04)[1]
|Final release|Latest release}}LinuxConsole 2022 RC-1 / September 2022; 1 year ago (2022-09)[2]
Marketing targetYouth, and casual users with old computers.
Available inMultilingual
Package manageropkg, APT
Platformsi586, x86, x86-64
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandMate
Default user interfaceGraphical user interface
LicenseGNU GPLv3
Official websitewww.linuxconsole.org

LinuxConsole is a Linux-based operating system independently developed primarily by Yann Le Doaré.[3][4][5][6] The distro is built from scratch by developers from France, and has support for multiple languages.[5][6][7][8][9] It is not based on any other Linux distribution. It primarily focuses on being lightweight for old computers, gaming, and being easily usable for young people.[10] LinuxConsole can function as a Live CD[11] and Live USB.[10] As stated at Distrowatch, it features "...excellent hardware detection"[12] with extensible software options by way of modules.[5] It can also be installed as a complete modern operating system due to it being maintained with recent technologies.[5][13][14][15][12]

History

The earliest known verifiable release was version 0.4 as documented on DistroWatch in 2004, and was based on Mandrake Linux. There was an earlier release that focused only on games, and multimedia, but there is no confirmed release date for that one. Version 0.4 expanded upon the previous release by adding many applications, and tools making it useful for more than just games and multimedia. The list of added software included programs used for working with documents, or even music as well as server utilities, firewall security, and printer/scanner tools.[1]

The first release confirmed to be independently developed was version 1.0.2007 released in 2007. It added full capability to work with partitions using the NTFS file structure via Gparted. This release was thoroughly tested on several old computers using only 16MB of RAM.[16]

Screenshot of LXDE on LinuxConsole OS from the developer website.

Release 1.0.2009 came out in 2009 with four distinctive versions. The first was a 200MB ISO image made for old computers with little free space, and came with a lightweight desktop and file manager. The next was a CD image with a mid-sized desktop that added more features and games. The DVD version was complete with all the features included. Lastly, there was something available called the "Jukebox", where users could custom build their own ISO and transfer the image to USB with support for UNetbootin.[4][17] This release was available via BitTorrent.[18] This release received a generally favorable review from Jesse Smith at DistroWatch;

"At the end of the week, I found myself liking LinuxConsole. It's not perfect, but it has a clean way of doing things. The modular design is well done and the system is very light." [19]

The release of 1.0.2010 in 2010 had the goal of being easy to use as a game console. Module management was completely rewritten to load all modules at once without any cache. It switched from Dash to Bash, and initramfs to initrd, allowing for a very fast boot time of only 4 seconds when starting LXDE with a CD in VirtualBox. The default session was LXDE/PCManFM and IceWM/Rox Filer was an option. Wi-Fi connections could be configured with wicd.[20] This release was not as well liked as the previous one as stated by Jesse Smith at DistroWatch;

"Having played with LinuxConsole for a week, I find that it's an interesting approach, but it probably isn't a good choice for home users. At least not installed locally." [21]

A similar sentiment was shared about LinuxConsole by Michael Reed of Linux Journal;

"In conclusion, I find it hard to recommend Linux Console above other similar distributions such as Puppy Linux or Tiny Core." [3]

The next major release was version 2.0 in 2013 with a fast boot, support for both new, and old video cards, Live CD and Live USB support, and the ability to dual-boot with Windows. The release came with some games including OpenTTD, Tux Paint, BZFlag, Neverball, Frozen Bubble, fooBillard, Freecraft, SuperTuxKart, and Teeworlds to name a few. This release included support for Deb packages as well. Although this release is deprecated, it can still be downloaded via the mirror links on the developer website.[22]

The release of version 2.3 in 2014 saw the advancement of the lightweight opkg package manager. It offered a gui to install and run stable source packages in different categories including games, office, system, and education. The goal of this version was to run on old computers, and turn them into gaming consoles. It could work on systems with as little as 256MB of RAM, and had both PAE, and non-PAE versions available. It included support for multiple languages. This release is deprecated as well. The information page on the developer website still exists, but the download links are no longer active. However, version 2.3 is still available via the mirror site.[13][23][24][25]

There have been several successive releases since these first iterations, making substantial improvements with each release that keep up to date with recent technologies, allowing users to benefit from the use of a modern lightweight operating system that caters to making it simple to use for youth. A more detailed description of each release is available in a list at DistroWatch, and a full changelog is available at Softpedia.[5][13][14][15][26]

Versions

The versions listed in this section are becoming deprecated, but are available for running on old computers. Users choosing the most recent versions can take advantage of the features of a more modern operating system, but users of much older hardware may be restricted to older versions due to hardware limitations. There are three older versions available, and they must be downloaded from the FTP mirror links on the developer website due to deprecation. The LinuxConsole 2.5 release 32bit version is the newest version available that is made specifically for non-PAE hardware.[27]

LinuxConsole 2.4 on a laptop with 180MB RAM & Pentium II processor.[28]

Version 2.4 was released in 2015, and is available via the mirror links on the developer website as either a 677MB CD ISO, or a 3,485MB DVD ISO for x86 architectures. It has a tool for installing third-party software, and it comes with the LXDE lightweight desktop. It is also binary compatible with a selection of Debian packages, and is able to run apt-get. There is an image on the developer website depicting version 2.4 running on a Pentium II laptop with 180MB of RAM. A slightly modified version of the image is pictured to the right shown with the Intel logo cropped out to respect copyright.[28][29][30]

The 2.5 version added new support for UEFI hardware; it was released in 2016, and comes preinstalled with many games. There is a 32bit and 64bit option. The 32bit x86 CD ISO comes with the LXDE desktop, and runs on non-PAE hardware. The 64bit x64 DVD ISO has the Mate desktop. They are both available on the developer website via the mirror links.[14][27][31]

LinuxConsole 2018 was released in December, 2017 with no listing on DistroWatch for this version. Nevertheless, it received attention from multiple sources mentioning the updated ability to manage bluetooth devices, as well as the ease of configuring Wi-Fi networks. The Mate desktop environment, and Firefox 57 Quantum default browser were also mentioned.[15][32][33]

The games list includes a demo for Minecraft. Other games include Armagetron Advanced, TORCS, SuperTux, Extreme Tux Racer, and SuperTuxKart. Additional software included is QupZilla lightweight web browser, FileZilla for FTP, Transmission for BitTorrent, LMMS/Hydrogen for music, VLC media player, Audacity (audio editor), Audacious music player, GIMP image editor, LibreOffice, Scribus publishing, and AbiWord text editor. Users would also have the ability to install optional software including apps such as Firefox, Google Chrome, VirtualBox, and Tux Paint from the distribution repository.[32]

Marius Nestor from Softpedia news reported it to be;

"Designed as a modern, gaming, and educational GNU/Linux distribution that can be easily installed on 32-bit or 64-bit computers and comes pre-installed with ready-to-use software and games..."[32]

Nestor also reports this statement made by Yann Le Doaré, the developer;

"The 32-bit release can make run recent software like Firefox 57 on old computers." [32]

The LinuxConsole 2018 version is still available on the developer website via the [Download mirror] tab for the University of Crete Computer Center FTP site.[34][35]

LinuxConsole 2022 RC1 was released in september, 2022. This released is build on Your Distro From Scractch 2.9 There is no more python2, only Python3 is available. With this release you can play games inside the ISO, but also launch Steam client, then install and run install commercial and free games. Recent kernel are running the system, 5.15.63 for 64 bit ISO, and 5.4.202 for the 32 bits one. Both ISO comes with Mate desktop 1.26, but it will be possible to use other desktop (like lxqt or pantheon), by installing them as modules.

Features

Screenshot of Mate on LinuxConsole 2019 from the developer website.

LinuxConsole 2019 features Live CD/Live USB capabilities that allow users to test and/or use it without installing to the hard disk while requiring a minimal amount of system resources, and is designed for running on old computers. It is also featured as a gaming console. Distrowatch reports that it has "excellent hardware detection", and is suitable for easy installation as a modern desktop, gaming console, or server.[11][12][10]

LinuxConsole 2019 supports installing an extensible set of software via modules, and at least some Windows software with the Wine virtual emulator. Additional software can be installed using the opkg and APT package managers. (APT uses a "wrapper" to install packages from Debian Buster.) The default browser is Chromium, and Libreoffice comes preinstalled. It comes preloaded with games as is customary for LinuxConsole. More games can be installed via Steam, the package managers, and some games with the Wine Windows emulator. It comes with the Mate desktop environment.[5][10][7][36]

It has support for the exFAT file system built in with Linux kernel version 5.4.5. It offers both 32bit and 64bit versions. It has multi-language support, and some dual-boot support as well. It also has a tool to build a customized distribution from scratch. This tool is called "Your Distro From Scratch", and it is the same tool used by the developers to independently develop and build the distro.[5][6][7][8][9][37]

System requirements

  • 32bit or 64bit PC with i586 x86 or x86-64 architecture.
  • PAE compliant CPU. (Version 2.5 may be used for non-PAE CPU.)
  • 500MB RAM
    • 128MB for basic usage on the non-PAE versions.
    • 500MB for normal browser usage.
    • 1GB recommended for graphics intensive programs such as SuperTuxKart
  • Can be installed to hard disk via Live CD, Live USB, Windows install, or net install.[11][12][25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 0.4". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=01543. 
  2. ↑ "LinuxConsole 2022 RC1 - x86". https://linuxtracker.org/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=c4daaee922b864d881892b6c67ef4ee66612b7e0. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Reed, Michael (February 7, 2011). "Linux Distro: Linux Console". Linux Journal. https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/linux-distro-linux-console. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "LinuxConsole 1.0.2009 Is Out". Softpedia News. https://news.softpedia.com/news/LinuxConsole-1-0-2009-Is-Out-124514.shtml. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 "NEW • Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 2019". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=10775. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "LinuxConsole. Les vieux ordinateurs trouvent une seconde vie". https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/quimper/linuxconsole-les-vieux-ordinateurs-trouvent-une-seconde-vie-20-12-2014-10469481.php. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "LinuxConsole 2019 releases, modern Linux distribution". https://meterpreter.org/linuxconsole-2019-releases-modern-linux-distribution/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Your Distro From Scratch : Presentation". LinuxConsole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptUnScqRI08. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "ydfs". https://bitbucket.org/yourdistrofromscratch/ydfs/commits/53456578ce3e740f7ce96e8245349f012c8b4eb5. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "8 Best Linux Gaming Distros You Need To Use In 2019". AIM. https://analyticsindiamag.com/8-best-linux-gaming-distros-you-need-to-use-in-2019/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "LinuxConsole". The LiveCD List. https://livecdlist.com/linuxconsole/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "LinuxConsole Stats". https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=linuxconsole. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Turn Your Old Computer into a Gaming Console with LinuxConsole 2.3 OS The distro is also capable of running regular apps". Softpedia News. https://news.softpedia.com/news/Turn-You-Old-Computer-into-a-Gaming-Console-with-LinuxConsole-2-3-OS-467475.shtml. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "LinuxConsole 2.5 Gaming Distro Released With Tons Of Pre-installed Games". Adarsh Verma. https://fossbytes.com/linuxconsole-2-5-gaming-distro-download-mate-lxde/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "LinuxConsole 2018 Gaming Operating System Released with TORCS and SuperTuxKart". https://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/linuxconsole-2018-gaming-operating-system-released-with-torcs-and-supertuxkart-171230074530.html. 
  16. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 1.0.2007". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=04314. 
  17. ↑ "UNetbootin Supported Distros". https://unetbootin.github.io/. 
  18. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 1.0.2009". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=05719. 
  19. ↑ "A look at LinuxConsole 1.0.2009". https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20091214#feature. 
  20. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 1.0.2010". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=06422. 
  21. ↑ "A look at LinuxConsole 1.0.2010". https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20101220#feature. 
  22. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 2.0". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08224. 
  23. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 2.3". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08735. 
  24. ↑ "LinuxConsole 2.3". https://www.linuxconsole.org/linuxconsole-2-3/. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Linux Console 2.4 Documentation". https://www.linuxconsole.org/francais-documentation/. 
  26. ↑ "LinuxConsole Changelog". https://linux.softpedia.com/progChangelog/LinuxConsole-Changelog-564.html. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "LinuxConsole 2.5 is out". https://www.linuxconsole.org/linuxconsole-2-5-soon-available/. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "LinuxConsole 2.4 : now available !". https://www.linuxconsole.org/welcome-into-linuxconsole-site/. 
  29. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 2.4". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08979. 
  30. ↑ "How to Install LinuxConsole 2.4". Ran. https://www.unixmen.com/install-linuxconsole-2-4/. 
  31. ↑ "Distribution Release: LinuxConsole 2.5". https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=09526. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 "LinuxConsole developer Yann Le Doaré just informed us on Twitter that he released today LinuxConsole 2018, an independently developed operating system for children and kids.". https://news.softpedia.com/news/linuxconsole-2018-gaming-operating-system-released-with-torcs-and-supertuxkart-519170.shtml. 
  33. ↑ "LinuxConsole 2018 Gaming Operating System Released with TORCS and SuperTuxKart". http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/107760. 
  34. ↑ "Download : LinuxConsole 2018". https://www.linuxconsole.org/linuxconsole-2018/. 
  35. ↑ "Index of /mirrors/linux/linuxconsole/". https://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/linuxconsole/. 
  36. ↑ "LinuxConsole 2019 is available for download, for both 64 and 32 bits.". https://web.archive.org/web/20211208225645/https://www.linuxconsole.org/. 
  37. ↑ "LinuxConsole 2019 review". https://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/Operating-Systems/Other/LinuxConsole-564.shtml. 

External links




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