Linvo 2009.1rc6 - Slackware-based LiveCD with GNOME
 

Hello,

I'm happy to announce Linvo 2009.1 rc6.

It's a full-featured Linux distribution with a lot of applications by default, including an office suite (OpenOffice.org extended with plugins), a good internet browser (Firefox extended with plugins), a music player that supports music collection and a lot more - Exaile, a video player, and all the available codecs. It can open all types of file formats.
It's a LiveCD, which means that you can test it without installing and after this optionally install it - it has a nice easy graphical installer.

It's the first Slackware-based LiveCD distribution with GNOME by default.
It includes NetworkManager and initng in place of sysvinit.

It also features accessibility tools.

It is also the first release with the innovative portable applications system. This allows you to download application from the site (modules section), place it where you like, and use it. It's just a single file, no directories. You can also use this application without installing it, directly from the internet. However, after this, the speed of the application is limited by the speed of your connection, of course.
Check out the "Applications" section on the website.

Besides this, you can install software with the apt-get-like system "slapt-get" and it's graphical front-end: GSlapt.
It also contains src2pkg and sbopkg in case you want to compile something from source or existing SlackBuild :)
Depfinder is included to find dependencies of packages.

Click here for a guide on how to use those.

I also managed to put development tools in there, like GCC, G++, svn, cvs, so on...

This is a release candidate, and despite that it's OK for using. It has a bit more things to do until the release (like language selection on the boot menu), but I decided that it's important to put it here for testing.

Website: http://linvo.org
Direct download: http://linvo.org/download.php?version=2009.1-rc6

I will enjoy feedback and constructive criticism.

What are you referring to here: "portable applications system"

i think he means portable apps as in windows portable apps. they don't need installation, just download and run. something like that.
seen this portable application system in superOS too; i think they call it Runz...

i think he is referring to slax-like lzm modules, that you can activate/use also by http (without a local copy).

Thanks a lot for the feedback.

It's most similar to Slax, but it can be used in an installed system. Not frugal install :)

And it includes some front-ends which allow the module to contain some meta-information like execute command, so when the user clicks the module/activates it from the website, he is prompted "Do you want to run that application?".
If the module is already activated, it asks for deactivation.

If the module is already activated and it's ran with the "run" parameter, it gets automatically ran.
That will allow for example to make the entry "Firefox" in the menu to automatically activate/run firefox from a module instead of simply running "firefox".

I tried it on a virtual machine and it looks fine :D

things I noticed:
- shutdown/restart within session doesn't work: you find yourself on gdm login (but there shutdown/restart work).
- I'm not allowed to configure anything from system->administration but the upgrade.
beside that gnome slacky works ok ;)

I'll have a deeper look (for curiosity) at the init system: I tried openrc in the past and I liked it.

So, the 'portable applications system' is something you came up with yourself. Interesting that they are single-files -does that mean they are like slax modules?

ponce, have you used openrc on a non-gentoo, non-BSD system? openrc looks very interesting since it uses the normal init program.

I tested OpenRC, it looks fine if I want compatibility with the old stuff.
However, initng is much easier to add. Also, OpenRC requires more work to integrate.

And I don't see any advantages except the compatibility.

Thanks for the feedback, yet again.

I am aware of those issues, both come from PolicyKit. I got it running on my installed system, but I don't quite remember how it happened. The packages are the same as on the Live CD. I'll fix it soon, don't be worried.
I may also add gfxboot to make the distribution more user-friendly.

Any proposals/more spotted issues are welcome :) :) :)

Gnashley: "portable application system" refers to the front-ends that I created myself.
Besides from this, Linux-Live is modified to be able to use a partition specified by UUID for a "changes" directory, which means that it starts with a system that is really installed.
This creates the possibility to use Slax-like modules on an installed system as the main method for installing software.

sorry, I don't understand well, some questions to clarify:
- are you using Tomas's scripts to activate/deactivate modules?
- you wrote a graphical frontend to those scripts?

@gnashley: I used openrc in funtoo.

It's a very simple script that uses zenity and replaces kactivate, which can:
1) activate a module
2) ask for deactivation if activated
3) read the metadata in the module (which doesn't exist in Slax) and ask the user to run it
4) "run" option which runs it without asking and doesn't ask for deactivation if activated. Useful for *.desktop files modified in order to start portable applications

I wanted to use the original activate and deactivate, but unfortunately, I had to modify them.

I see you are interested in details, so I also want to mention that liblinuxlive is modified to use UUID.

The installer is written in python and it's based on the Wolvix one. However, the installation process is changed. Unlike Wolvix, which is copying / to the newly-created partition, Linvo uses a cleaner method: it unpacks all the modules into the newly-created partition. It will allow you to select which modules to install, so you will be able to install only certain applications, or even don't install GNOME if you want. Or even install just a basic system without X.org.
Linvo also features an option to add an additional user and auto-login option. Oh, and it automatically adds all the found operating systems into GRUB.

I also made the Wolvix tool for modules handling compatible with Slax/Linvo. I wouldn't probably use it, but... http://linvo.org/devel/lnvutils/portableapps.py

Haven't tried it, just want to give my compliments for the original and refreshing web site design!

gargamel

Thanks. However, a lot of people complained that it was not looking serious, so there will be alternative designs if someone agrees to make one.

Anyway, I added gfxboot so it now has language selection. I also added a option to boot with no proprietary software. Expect those changes, as well as bug fixes, in the release :)