Foresight Linux

Infobox OS
name = Foresight



caption = The Foresight Linux 1.4 desktop with GNOME 2.20.0
website = [http://www.foresightlinux.org/ www.foresightlinux.org]
developer = Foresight Community
family = GNU/Linux
source_model = Mixed
latest_release_version = 2.0.4
latest_release_date = release date and age|2008|08|06
latest_test_version =
latest_test_date =
marketing_target =
language =
kernel_type = Monolithic (Linux)
ui = GNOME
license =
working_state = Current
supported_platforms = i386, AMD64
updatemodel = [http://www.packagekit.org/ packageKit]
package_manager = Conary

Foresight Linux is an operating system comprising free and non-free software with the stated goal of showcasing the latest in Linux desktop technologies. Foresight is developed by the Foresight community. Foresight's goal is to offer an easy to use desktop featuring the latest desktop technologies. Foresight follows a rolling release cycle, instead of a time based release schedule.

History

Foresight was created by Ken VanDine as a distro to showcase the most current releases of GNOME while working on the GNOME Marketing team. [ cite web |title = Creating the GNOME 2.18 Live Media: An interview with Ken VanDine |url = http://www.gnomejournal.org/article/57/creating-the-gnome-218-live-media-an-interview-with-ken-vandine ]

Since then it has undergone change through generally minor revisions (via rolling release). This is in contrast to the system of major changes with each version number employed by many other linux distributions, such as Ubuntu. However, there have been occasional major changes, most notably the transition from Foresight 1.x to Foresight 2. Along the way several original deficiencies have been cured as well, among them the lack of 64 bit support, which was introduced in Foresight 2, and the lack of a graphical package manager, which was filled by PackageKit.

After the release of Foresight 2, the developers held a packaging contest within the community in order to boost the number of applications available for the new release, either by porting them from Foresight 1, or packaging them afresh. The contest was sponsored by Shuttle Inc., Foresight's OEM partner, in the form of computers (Shuttle's KPC) and peripherals for the winners. [ cite web |title = Foresight Contest Announcement |url = http://www.foresightlinux.org/contest.html ] Though originally planned to last one month, the contest was extended to two near the end of the first so that a greater number of packages could be completed. The process of testing all of the completed packages is currently underway, and no official announcements have been made as to the winner.

While originally a GNOME distribution, two future versions are planned which will include the XFCE and KDE desktops, and are in alpha and pre-alpha stages, respectively.

Vendor Support

Foresight is available pre-installed on the Shuttle's light-weight KPC system. [cite web |url=http://us.shuttle.com/KPC/techspecs.html |title=KPC Specifications |accessdate=2008-05-26 |publisher=Shuttle Inc.]

Features

Foresight focuses on delivering the latest in desktop technologies. It usually has current packages for the GNOME desktop environment, sometimes even within a day of their release. Projects such as GNOME-Do, Banshee and PackageKit are delivered in the default Foresight installation. Beyond the existing GNOME Edition, Xfce and KDE Edition are under development. The Xfce edition has a released alpha and the KDE edition is in pre-alpha development. These two editions will have the same focus of delivering the latest desktop technologies for the respective desktop environments.

Foresight uses the Conary package management system. This system only updates those specific files in packages which need to be updated, in contrast to other formats, such as the RPM and DEB formats, which download whole packages. Conary also has the advantage of very granular dependency resolution, and a relatively easy packaging process, with repositories provided to the community, free of charge, by rPath, Inc.

All packages are updated in a rolling release style, i.e. as updates are released upstream, or packagers get to them. Packages move between three branches of the foresight repositories, originating usually at the development branch or in the personal repositories of packagers, after which they are promoted to the qa (Quality Assurance) branch, and finally to the stable branch, intended for users. Snapshots are taken every few months, and new ISO images are produced.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.foresightlinux.org/ Project home page]
* [http://us.shuttle.com/kpc/index.htm Shuttle KPC home page]