EasyOS Kirkstone-series 5.6.4

EasyOS was created in 2017, derived from Quirky Linux, which in turn was derived from Puppy Linux in 2013. Easy is built in woofQ, which takes as input binary packages from any distribution, and uses them on top of the unique EasyOS infrastructure.

Throughout 2020, the official release for x86_64 PCs was the Buster-series, built with Debian 10.x Buster DEBs.

EasyOS has also been built with packages compiled from source, using a fork of OpenEmbedded (OE). Currently, the Kirkstone release of OE has been used, to compile binary packages for x86_64.

Earlier releases of EasyOS compiled in OE are the Dunfell-series and before that the Pyro-series. They have also been compiled for aarch64 and EasyOS runs on the Raspberry Pi4.

The last release of the x86_64 Dunfell-series was January 10, 2023, version 4.5.5. The announcement and release notes are here:

https://bkhome.org/news/202301/easyos-dunfell-series-version-455-released.html

The version number is for EasyOS itself, independent of the target hardware; that is, the infrastructure, support-glue, system scripts and system management and configuration applications.

The latest version is becoming mature, though Easy is an experimental distribution and some parts are under development and are still considered as beta-quality. However, you will find this distro to be a very pleasant surprise, or so we hope.

4.99 release notes

Version 4.99 is a Release Candidate for 5.0. Here are relevant blog posts:

In a nutshell, packages are compiled in the Kirkstone release of OpenEmbedded, and EasyOS now has international translations builtin, langpack PETs no longer used, nor are there separate per-language builds.

4.101 release notes

Lots of bug fixes.

5.0 release notes

This is it, version 5.0-final, the official start of the Kirkstone-series. More bug fixes, tweaks and some updates:

5.1 release notes

The big news is the "AppImage Installer".

5.1.1 release notes

Some small but important bug fixes. One package bump, AppImage Installer improvements.

5.2 release notes

A complete recompile in OE and more AppImage Installer improvements:

5.2.1 release notes

Significant improvements to Appi, the AppImage Installer, and integration of the three package managers.

5.2.2 release notes

The big news is support for installing Flatpaks.

...wow, as usual a feverish pace of development.

5.2.3 release notes

Fantastic rationalization of the "app" and "setup" desktop icons.

5.2.4 release notes

Version 5.2.4 is identical to 5.2.3, except for script /usr/local/easy_version/easy-update. The reason is explained here:

You do not need to update to 5.2.4. For any earlier release in the Kirkstone-series (5.0+), download the script, remove the ".gz" off the end (it is not really compressed) and replace the script at /usr/local/easy_version/easy-update. The script is here:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2023/5.2.4/easy-update.gz

Then wait for Easy 5.3 to be released, which will have the new fscrypt v2. Then, when you click on the "update" icon, it will run the new script.

If you boot Easy without a password, then this change in fscrypt won't affect you. You won't need the new script, can just update when 5.3 is released.

Or, if you boot without a password, but would like to change to encrypted folders, then install the new script, and you will get the opportunity to enter a password at first bootup after the update to 5.3.

If you are new to EasyOS, recommend that you wait for version 5.3.

5.3 release notes

The first release with fscrypt v2; please read the above to update.

There are many more fixes and improvements not reported above. See github commit history up-to today:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/3775c7c01d9cda9c16ada67f1aa0d4ec769af04a

5.3.1 release notes

Important fixes and improvements.

Plus fr and es translations. And more, see recent commits:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/a723c6b60c6ff2c0d5b10a3702a5692f386c2c1b

5.3.2 release notes

Important updates, fixes and improvements:

Thanks to the guys for es and ru translation updates. And more, see recent commits:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/4075b7786e65faa8657aecbd4d9f925ca8a0784a

5.4 release notes

This is a milestone release. VM support and some little fixes.

Plus more, see recent github commits:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/5d273e69d7cc12e5ca026b3df6dc09180755d0d5

5.4.1 release notes

Released the day after 5.4! Just one change, printing fixed, see this forum discussion:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=8913

Plus some very small changes committed:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/38b9dfa2bb52a677166f3255e66f3ffaf703feec

If running 5.4, just click the "update" icon, the update to 5.4.1 is only 929KB.

5.4.3 release notes

A lot of changes for such a minor version bump:

5.4.5 release notes

Mostly about replacement of sudo with sudo-sh, plus some little fixes:

5.4.6 release notes

Most important, fix for Flapi:

5.4.7 release notes

Improved translation and great new features:

5.4.8 release notes

The menu now has not-yet-installed apps, identified by an orange-ball icon. These include AQEMU and QtEmu GUIs for QEMU.

Note, KeePassXC (in the tray) has a ready-made database file at /files/database/keepassxc/Passwords.kdbx, with password "woofwoof". Of course, the password will need to be changed if you want to use that database file.

5.4.9 release notes

Various improvements...

5.4.10 release notes

Lots of nice improvements...

Flowblade video editor is now builtin!

5.5 release notes

The big news is the change to usr-merge.

The above links show a lot of development for woofQ to support Void Linux .xbps packages, but that will be a later release of EasyOS, nicknamed "easyVoid".

5.5.1 release notes

Fixed some collateral damage due to usr-merge.

5.5.2 release notes

More little bug fixes. One big change is moved from NetworkManager to the traditional Puppy network tools.

5.5.3 release notes

Important bug fixes. Chromium version bump.

5.5.4 release notes

More bugs fixes.

5.5.5 release notes

Kernel, Limine and TV Panel version bump, new process utilities, return to NetworkManager:

5.6.1 release notes

Complete revision-5 recompile in OE, with some package version bumps, and now Firefox compiled. Preliminary support for proprietary NVIDIA drivers.

Firefox is now the builtin browser, replacing Chromium.

5.6.2 release notes

Have changed back to Chromium builtin.

...last item explains why going back to Chromium. See also here.

5.6.3 release notes

New Planner, Blender SFS, kernel bump, NVIDIA SFS bump, and some important fixes...

5.6.4 release notes

Important fixes and improvements...


About EasyOS

Why would you choose EasyOS instead of some other Linux distribution?

For a quick overview of how EasyOS is different from other Linux distributions, read this:

https://easyos.org/about/how-and-why-easyos-is-different.html

You will notice that the download is quite small, yet contains just about every application you would ever need, such as Firefox|Chromium browser, LibreOffice, Gimp, Dia, Inkscape, Planner, Homebank, Osmo, NoteCase, Celluloid and Audacious. There are powerful system managers, such as NetworkManager, EasyContainers, EasyVersionControl and BluePup.

BluePup for example, is a bluetooth manager, unique to EasyOS. Another unique tool is 'easydd', a GUI or CLI tool for writing an image file to SD-card or USB-stick.

Links

Website: https://easyos.org/

News: https://bkhome.org/news

Forum: https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewforum.php?f=63

We are very grateful to Ibiblio for hosting EasyOS, right from the start:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/

EasyOS has one mirror of ibiblio.org, thanks to NLUUG, here:

https://ftp.nluug.nl/os/Linux/distr/easyos/


Legal statement:  https://easyos.org/about/legal-disclaimers-miscellania.html