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#1 2007-08-27 21:00:47

raymano
Member
Registered: 2006-10-13
Posts: 357
Website

New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

Hello fellow archers,

We have just released the latest version of FaunOS. Since this version of FaunOS is the answer to the most important question in the universe, we have named it "fortytwo."

FaunOS-fortytwo contains many improvements over previous releases and more packages (575 total). Improvements, in no particular order, include:

- Improved wireless support, both wlassistant and knetworkmanager are now included.
- Improved automatic X configuration with 3D acceleration.
- Better boot splash support. We have moved to fbsplash which seems to work pretty consistently and has lead to a faster boot time.
- A new boot option for quickly booting into a console-based system with no X windows.
- A new boot option for machines that hang when booting from DVDs using piix modules.
- Ability to save FaunOS session back to a multi-session DVD-+R or DVD-+RW.
- Permanent Arch Linux Installer using archin.
- Permanent FaunOS Installer for creating additional FaunOS USB drives from within FaunOS and for performing a "frugal" install to hard drive. Frugal install (not to be confused with Frugal Linux) installs the compressed FaunOS files to a hard drive permanently leading to an "unbreakable desktop" meaning the end user can totally ruin everything at runtime. To revert back to the starting point all the user has to do is reboot the machine and everything goes back to normal since all changes happen in ram, unless the FaunOS session is saved at boot time.
- FaunOS is probably the only live distro that can perform two kinds of installations.
- New added packages include: wlassitant, madwifi, firmware packages for ipw2100 and ipw2200, ndiswrapper, lynx for text-based web browsing, and kmobiletools accessing phone books and other information on mobile phones.
- All packages have been upgraded to the latest from the Arch repos as of today, 8/27/2007.
- And, most importantly, a new logo.

We have also decided to stay away from the evil 2.6.22 kernel which seems to have created more bugs and headaches than introducing new features, no flame war intended. The latest 2.6.21-faunos kernel is based on the stock arch kernel with the addition of the fbsplash patch from genpatches.

There are those people that may think FaunOS is bloated, but we like to think that it is a muscular and strong live Linux distribution, thanks to Arch. Of course keeping with Arch's KISS principal, we have tried to make FaunOS simple and easy enough for anyone to use.

You can get the latest version at:

http://www.faunos.com/downloads/faunos-fortytwo

A new wiki has been created at http://wiki.faunos.com. Feel free to contribute and change the wiki as you wish.

Our support and discussion forums can still be found at http://forum.faunos.com

We can definitely use some mirrors for our downloads. We will also be creating a torrent shortly and can use some seeders. Please let us know either here or in the FaunOS forums if you can help in any way.

We'll see ya at the FaunOS forums!

So long and thanks for all the fish,
Raymano


FaunOS: Live USB/DVD Linux Distro: http://www.faunos.com

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#2 2007-09-04 07:21:55

FUBAR
Member
From: Belgium
Registered: 2004-12-08
Posts: 1,029
Website

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

I'm currently using it and it's awesome. The only doubt I have: another "distribution" rather than a USB version of an existing one, e.g. USB Arch or something.

Thanks again.


A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk I have a workstation.

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#3 2007-09-04 13:56:06

raymano
Member
Registered: 2006-10-13
Posts: 357
Website

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

Thanks!

Point well taken. However I have to disagree. Should Ubuntu be called CD Debian? Should Sabayon be called CD/DVD Gentoo? PCLinuxOS something Mandriva? There are a lot of distributions that are based on others.


FaunOS: Live USB/DVD Linux Distro: http://www.faunos.com

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#4 2007-09-30 04:32:40

pedepy
Member
Registered: 2007-02-21
Posts: 198

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

raymano wrote:

Thanks!

Point well taken. However I have to disagree. Should Ubuntu be called CD Debian? Should Sabayon be called CD/DVD Gentoo? PCLinuxOS something Mandriva? There are a lot of distributions that are based on others.

yes, they should.


otherwise its so easy to forget that its all just immense overlap.

Last edited by pedepy (2007-09-30 04:34:11)


chupocabra ... psupsuspsu psu psu

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#5 2007-10-09 16:14:31

CocoAUS
Member
Registered: 2007-09-07
Posts: 60

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

raymano wrote:

Should Ubuntu be called CD Debian? Should Sabayon be called CD/DVD Gentoo? PCLinuxOS something Mandriva? There are a lot of distributions that are based on others.

What has FaunOS done other than simply used larch?  What functionality and tools have you added?  Does it have hardware detection that any other Arch install wouldn't?

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#6 2007-10-09 16:54:36

raymano
Member
Registered: 2006-10-13
Posts: 357
Website

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

We have simply used larch but with some additions and changes:

- FaunOS uses a slightly modified version of larch with the added ability to build a live system from a preinstalled partition on the harddrive.
- Added fbsplash capabilities to the initial initrd images and kernel.
- Applications on FaunOS are preconfigured and integrated to work out of the box.
- Some kernel specific modules/packages have been compiled for the FaunOS kernel, e.g. ndiswrapper.
- All services are pre-configured to execute out of the box.
- All available codecs are included.
- 3D desktop using beryl is preconfigured to run on intel based graphics cards and some ATI cards with a click of a button.
- Network management is simplified with use of knetworkmanager and wlassistant.
- Storage are is included on the FaunOS device to share files with other platforms.
- R/W access Windows parititions by clicking on an icon in KDE.
- Common grub booting on USB and DVD. With multiple boot options for graphical and non-graphical system.
- FaunOS's own mkxorgconf utility was added (using hwd) for better automatic configuration of graphics cards. This includes setting up AIGLX.
- Easily performs frugal install of the live FaunOS system to hard drive, including saved overlays. This was not part of the original larch scripts.
- Use of sudo to allow the user to perform certain system wide configuration tasks.
- Integrated flash java and mplayer plugins for Firefox.
- Ability to put a computer running FaunOS into sleep (suspend-to-ram), remove the FaunOS media, boot and work on other computers with the FaunOS device, return to the original computer, insert the FaunOS device, turn on the computer and continue working where you left off. This in not possible with latest Arch Linux because of the kernel.

- And we believe, most importantly, you can hand a FaunOS DVD to a user with no knowledge of Linux and say go try this out.

Last edited by raymano (2007-10-09 17:38:40)


FaunOS: Live USB/DVD Linux Distro: http://www.faunos.com

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#7 2007-10-09 20:43:01

quarks
Member
From: Netherlands
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 66

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

So, when you install FaunOS from USB on a HD, is it basically just a normal Arch installation or are there noticable differences?

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#8 2007-10-09 21:05:54

raymano
Member
Registered: 2006-10-13
Posts: 357
Website

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

The frugal install is quite different from a regular Arch install. It is basically what's on the USB key put on a partition on the hard drive. So you will see .sqf file that are compressed file system files on an ext3 partition. Grub and the FaunOS boot menu is laid over the boot sector as well.


FaunOS: Live USB/DVD Linux Distro: http://www.faunos.com

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#9 2007-12-18 17:16:29

Claudiu2EE
Member
Registered: 2007-11-23
Posts: 12

Re: New FaunOS Live Arch-Based DVD/USB Distro Now Available

Hi!

I've added FaunOS page in Wikipedia. There is a rule not to copy&paste text from sites, so I leaved it as a stub.

You, raymano, or you, guys can add text to it.

Bye!

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