Adonis Linux

After toying around with some cinnamon packages I came across that were compiled in Debian, I figured I would give it a go. After a bit of dependency fixes and a quick theme change, I ended up with this:

Which I’m pretty happy with. It’s obviously far from being close to being release ready, but it’s a good start. Best part about it is that all of the packages for cinnamon are going to migrated into the Adonis Linux repository. This is great because the packages from Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) tend to break things. A lot. They claim to be 100% compatible with Debian, but i’ve had there various libraries break my system multiple times.

So, I can rest easy now and know that cinnamon will be stable and easily maintained in the new distro. I’ll post more screenshots as I continue to make progress.

As of September first, the base image for the x86 version of Adonis Linux has been built and made into a iso. This iso includes all the basic and essential tools/programs/firmware/etc that are needed on all the versions of Adonis Linux. As such, I will be using it to build the images of each of the various environments I plan on using. The next step is to build the x64 version of the same image and then start installing and configuring each desktop environment.  With this said, the various RC’s of each version should be ready to go well before the December release date, allowing for plenty of time to test each one. As I configure each one, I will begin posting screenshots and change logs of what has been done. Expect the first one (most likely xfce) before the end of the month.

For a while it has been known that a new installer has been in the works. I would like to go ahead and announce that it will be available on the next RC for all versions, including  the server. As it will be the first public release, the old installer will be included in case of serious bugs with the new one, if they do indeed happen. The installer will be logging everything it does, so should it crash or work incorrectly, all of that information can be retrieved and fixed.

Now, I’m not a graphic artist, but here’s a work in progress shot of one of the installer steps:

When all of the actual UI work is done, it will be handed off to the Adonis Linux graphic artist to make it look as good as possible. What you can’t see is the back end, which is still undergoing a lot of work. There was a decision made and that was to allow users to customize packages during the install. For the regular versions, this means being able to install dropbox, netbeans, etc before even booting into the system. As this project continues, I’ll change what is included based on what users desire. This decision means two things:
1. The iso is going to be larger because of the extra packages. A minimal iso without these is being considered.
2. The base system without these packages will be smaller, as result of some things not being installed by default. I’m trying to find the balance between what to install and what to leave out.

This leads me to the server version of Adonis Linux. It too will feature the same installer, however it will obviously focus on various tools for maintaining the system, such as web,email,dns, etc. Installing the desktop environment will also be optional, allowing you to use less resources at idle. To help maintain Adonis Server, a very thorough web UI is being worked on. It will allow you to monitor and manage your server from any computer with internet access. A phone friendly app is also being considered as well, so you can always know what is going on no matter where you are. This project is still in the planning stages, but it will begin being worked on shortly.

The installer should see it’s finishing touches done by the end of August, at which point it will being seeing a variety of testing on various hardware setups and configurations. Lastly, there is one more thing that should be mentioned, of some importance. The end of this month the 30th, to be exact, is the 1 year anniversary of when I first started this project. The goals have changed; windows compatibility is no longer my goal. To provide a complete system that is both beautiful and easy to use is my goal. It is my passion. Someone once told me that “You are windowizing linux.”. At first, I didn’t know how to take that. They then went on to say “The UI of Windows and the freedom of Linux….that is perfection.”. I know I have my heart in the right place now; this project has already become so much more then I could have ever asked. To anyone who has ever tried it, tested it, given advice, reviewed it, even mentioned it, I thank you all. It’s been a wonderful ride so far.

Adonis Linux Aurora Edition was an attempt to make a easy to use OS that was pre-customized. Ubuntu was chosen because in my opinion at the time of testing it, gnome3 and cinnamon were not suitable for day to day use in Debian, and I was very set on using those two desktop environments.  Regardless, some stable cinnamon packages have been built and will soon be put into the Adonis Linux repository. As far as gnome3,  I am not sure of what to make of it. It’s nice change to the traditional environment, but I find it quite hard to be productive with it. As such, I’ll be switching Aurora out and instead just going 3 builds of Adonis Linux, with 3 different desktop environments, in both 32 and 64 bit editions. All will be Debian based, so that everything will work easily across all versions.  I plan on using XFCE and Cinnamon for 2 of the 3, and am still working out what to use for the 3rd though LXDE is looking promising as I continue to use it. I’m aware KDE is fairly popular, but I myself find it a bit overbearing. However, if there is a significant want for it, I would consider doing a build with it. Overall, this should allow Adonis to have a more uniform looking and functions lineup of distros.

Merchandise featuring Adonis Linux is now available!
http://www.cafepress.com/adonislinux
For instance, check out this nice polo:

Feel free to browse all the products, and I welcome your suggestions on what to add/change. It’s a great way to give back to the project, while rocking some sweet clothes and gear!

The following is a basic diagram for a (tentative) schedule for each release of Adonis Linux.

Nyx and Aurora will be following a Tick/Tock cycle. (1 year = Tick & Tock)
-Ticks will be the release candidate (RC). It will mainly be basic bug fixes, UI improvements, and the beginning of migration to newer software.
-Tocks will be the final release of the newly added software, as well as significant changes to UI and other components of the system, as needed.

The server edition (Chronos) will be following a yearly release schedule. Chronos will always be on the same repository, so package migration will be almost nill. These editions will be supported for several years; the yearly release simply allows the newest updates to be included so there is less downloading to do when you first install it.

The experimental build (Aporia) will see it’s first release in January, and after that will feature a new testing version(most likely a VM) every other month. These will not be stable, and progress will be slow. It’s main goal is to aid in research for cross platform support, and as such may never see a real release. Only experienced users should try it, and it should be known it is not the focus of Adonis Linux; merely a research tool and a possible long term project.

This blog hasn’t been touched since it was first created almost a year ago. With three solid releases out and new found users, this blog will serve a purpose again. All general announcements, problems, developments will all be documented on here from now on. I’ll be performing patience/styling on this as well as twitter, facebook and google+ the upcoming week. If the layout of the blog isn’t very user friendly, be aware I am currently working on it.

Here’s to being active again!

Tomorrow, 1/15, the “experimental/unstable” build will be release. It will be based off the current 0.2.0 build. It will feature more software then the current minimal build, with software such as gimp, LibreOffice, and more. It will also make use of the 3.1 Linux Kernel. As such, it’s only advised that experienced users try it. It is very possible the graphics drivers will not work with your computer, as the 3.1 kernel has some bugs with a couple Xorg generic drivers. If so, I’d suggest waiting to try it until bug fixes are found and applied.

-Bobby

Change log & Notes

Adonis Linux Alpha 0.2.0

#Current release is installable, preferred to be installed within a VM.#
#Use at your own risk, not responsible or liable for data loss#

Added from 0.1.1:
Wifi and wire connections should now work and be managed easily/automatically.
Install via the icon on the desktop. Simply delete it when Installation is done
At this point, it’s a fully setup and stable OS, though it’s minimal in design.
As such after the next major release(s) the project will begin to branch into multiple paths.

Known bugs:
trackpad movement is buggy

Next major release:
Possible kernel upgrade.
Packages will be replaced/removed as needed.
Possible installer change.

##Versioning System##
#a.b.c-Release
#a: Denotes major release
#b: Denotes significant update. Ranges from 1-9
#c: Denotes bugfix. Number will increase as much as needed until next
#update. Ie (2.4.25,3.4.66, etc)
#Release: Denotes specific build type. Wont be added until after release#1.0.0. Build type will vary.
#Possible types include main, prog, game, media, nov, pen, serv, etc. #
#Names will be finalized later.

01/13/2012

-Bobby

This blog for the most part is going to be used to notify of updates to the distro, wiki, etc. Bare with me while I continue on working on the site.