FaunOS Shadow (version 0.5.4-stable) Release Notes
Overview
Based on Arch Linux, FaunOS is optimized for the i686 architecture, and is specifically designed to run from a 1GB or larger portable USB flash drive. A live DVD version is also available. The USB version allows saving changes back to the USB flash drive.
FaunOS includes PacTrac which allows easy installation and upgrade of over 4200 binary packages from the combined FaunOS and Arch Linux software repositories.
Once installed on a USB, you can make additional copies (together with your customizations) to another USB from within FaunOS. FaunOS can also be permanently installed to a hard drive.
This release is based on the 2.6.24 version of the Linux kernel (with patches specific to fbsplash, aufs, and usb suspend persistence). Besides package updates, we increased the number of pre-installed packages to 637, while managing to keep the total size small. (See the package list for details.) We also targeted incremental improvements in 3 general areas:
- Usability. Graphical interfaces for package management and session saving, new network manager, 3D desktop, power management, etc.
- Performance. Bug fixes. Faster boot, shutdown, and session saving. Use of simpler ext2 file system should provide (not benchmarked, yet) performance boost.
- Infrastructure. Exposing FaunOS repo for our source changes, Arch binary packages and related meta data.
New Features and Changes
- PacTrac. A graphical package management tool.
- Save session dialog on shutdown.
- Faster session saving.
- Faster shutdown.
- Better power management with kpowersave.
- Additional driver support. e.g. adm211, realtech, ATI graphics.
- Availability of nvidia drivers specific to the FaunOS kernel. Legacy and current versions available through the FaunOS package repository.
- Better automatic screen resolution detection.
- compiz-git for OpenGL desktop
- wicd network manager in addition to wlassistant. wicd patches specific to this distro. See infrastructure changes below.
- Infrastructure Changes.
- Subversion Repository.
Our modifications are available in both source and binary form at our svn repo.
Related Links svn: http://svn.faunos.com/ viewvc (svn browsing): http://www.faunos.com/svn - Better Package Management.
The FaunOS repository takes precedence in the /etc/pacman.conf file, thus allowing greater flexibility in both pinning down packages to specific versions (through pacman or its graphical front end PacTrac), and introducing new packages.
- Subversion Repository.
- Ability to run under some virtualization environments. E.g. VirtualBox, VMWare, Qemu.
- ext2. Smaller, faster, no journaling, less memory overhead.
Features & Package Highlights
The following table highlights features and installed software packages that ship with the latest version of FaunOS.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Session save | FaunOS employs an in-memory file system: when you make changes to files these changes are stored in volatile memory. On shutdown, you're asked whether you'd like the changes to be saved permanently. If you answer "yes", the system saves the changes on the USB during the shutdown process. If you answer "no", the system takes a shortcut and, depending on how the shutdown was specified, either powers down or reboots. |
| File system support | FaunOS recognizes many types of file systems, including Windows. When booted from a USB, in order to access files on the hard drive (or any other device), use the "Storage Devices" shortcut on the desktop. |
| FaunOS Installer | Use the FaunOS Installer to make additional copies of your customized environment on another USB, or onto a hard drive. |
| Advanced USB suspend | Once your computer (e.g. laptop) is in "suspend mode" (e.g. after you've closed the laptop's lid in the middle of work without shutting down), you can detach the USB; to resume work where you left off, stick the USB back into the same port, and then wake up the system (e.g. open the laptop's lid and/or hit the power button). |
| PacTrac | Use this graphical front-end to the pacman package manager, in order to find, locate, update, or install software packages. PacTrac's search dialog narrows down the more than 4200 packages available in the combined FaunOS and standard Arch repositories by matching package names and descriptions to your keyboard input in real time. |
| Graphics drivers | Graphics driver with 3D acceleration for Intel based cards, as well as numerous other drivers. |
| Linux kernel 2.6.24 | Based on vanilla kernel with the fbsplash patch, aufs required patches, and usb suspend persistence patch. |
| Networking | |
| iwl driver | Intel 3945 A/B/G wireless driver. |
| ndiswrapper | Wrapper for Windows network drivers. |
| wcid | Graphical network manager. |
| wlassistant 0.5.7 | Another graphical network manager for wireless devices. You can also use wcid and "Wireless Assistant" (wlassistant) interchangeably. |
| Web, internet, multimedia | |
| Firefox 2.0.0.12 | Web browser with plug-in support (see below). |
| JRE 1.5 | Java runtime environment and integrated Firefox plug-in. |
| flashplugin 9.0.115 | Plays flash in Firefox from sites like YouTube. |
| mplayer 1.0rc2 | Multimedia/video Player. Includes codecs. |
| mplayer-plugin 3.50 | Firefox multimedia plugin. |
| Kopete | IM/IRC/ICQ client. |
| ktorrent 2.2.5 | KDE BitTorrent application. |
| Amarok 1.4.8 | Multimedia player. Includes full visualization package. |
| Codeine | Mutlimedia player capable of playing DVD menus. |
| Audacity | Music file editor. |
| Gimp | Image manipulation program. |
| ThunderBird 2.0.0.12 | Standalone mail/news reader. |
| GoogleEarth 4.2.205.5730 | 3D Earth Map. |
| K3B | CD/DVD creation and burning software. |
| StreamRipper | Save internet radio streams to MP3s. |
| Frostwire 4.13.4 | P2P Gnutella/Bittorrent client based on LimeWire. |
| Productivity apps | |
| Openoffice 2.3.1 | Office productivity suite. |
| kmobiletools | Access mobile phone address books and more. |
| SuperKaramba | Desktop widgets. |
| Utilities | |
| k9copy | Backup DVDs. |
| kdebluetooth | KDE bluetooth utilities. |
| ntp | Synchronize host machine's clock with public time servers (using Network Time Protocol). |
| ntfs-3g | Read/write mount NTFS drives. |
| For fun.. | |
| Comiz-fusion | OpenGL 3D Desktop |
| Stellarium | Astronomy Software. |
| Tuxracer 0.61 | Arcade Game. |
The complete package list is available here.