Sidux

Infobox OS
name = sidux

website = http://sidux.com
developer = sidux-team around Stefan Lippers-Hollmann (slh); [http://sidux-ev.de sidux e.V.]
family = Debian
latest_release_version = sidux 2008-03 ourea "Ωυρεα"
latest_release_date = 2008-09-22
kernel_type = Monolithic kernel
supported_platforms = i686, x86_64
ui = KDE / Xfce
updatemodel = APT
source_model = Open source
license = Various
working_state = Current

sidux [Ipa| [ziːdʊks] is a desktop-oriented operating system based on the "unstable" branch of Debian, which uses the codename Sid. The distribution consists of a Live CD (bootable CD-ROM) for i686 or amd64 architecture and can be installed to a hard drive through a graphical installer.

sidux is maintained by a team of developers including former Kanotix developer Stefan Lippers-Hollmann (slh). Initial administration was managed by The sidux Foundation, Inc. located in the United States. Now the Berlin, Germany based [http://sidux-ev.de sidux e.V.] is administering and supporting the project.

Features

sidux puts Debian Sid packages together and adds its own programs. sidux' own repository avoids packages which are currently defective in Debian Sid. The sidux system management program "smxi" also holds sidux fixed packages until a repaired version from Debian appears in Debian Sid.

Live CD - DVD - USB

Each sidux release comes as a Live CD or Live DVD, booting to a graphical desktop without installation. On the Live CD a USB installer is provided to create a Live USB system.

Installer

The graphical installation can be started directly from live mode, without rebooting. sidux can be installed to USB-connected hard disks and USB flash drives, as well as to internal hard disks.

Updates

Once sidux is installed, it can be kept up-to-date with updates from the Debian Sid and sidux repositories. Due to the fact that these "unstable" software packages could cause an unstable system, a special tool - smxi [cite web | url=http://techpatterns.com/forums/about736.html | title=Sidux smxi dist-upgrade/ maintenance script] - has been developed to prevent sidux from getting damaged during updates. The special part of this tool is not only updating parts of the system or all of it, but selectively upgrading on a daily list of upgradable packages.Clarifyme|date=April 2008 This applies especially to so called dist-upgrades, which not only update the installed programs, but the whole system.Clarifyme|date=April 2008This way it is not necessary to do a reinstallation to have the newest, most up-to-date release.

upport

• The [http://sidux.com/module-PNphpBB2.html forum] is also a good place for questions and talks, however the reaction time is longer, but it is a good source for searches.
Fact|date=May 2008

Multilingual

The default language of sidux releases is English, however German, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, English (GB), French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (BR and PT), Romanian, Russian and Spanish localisations (i18n support) are also provided within the DVD, selectable at boot prompt.

Currently 2008-09-14 the manual [cite web | url=http://manual.sidux.com | title=sidux-manual] is available in 14 languages: DE Deutsch, DA Dansk, EL Greek, EN English, ES Espanol, FR Français, HR Hrvatski, NL Nederlands, PL Polski, PT-br Portuguese-br, RO Român, RU Русский, JA Japanese / Nihongo, IT Italiano.

Packages

sidux comes with a selection of programs, covering system rescue and web surfing.To mention a few: KDE / Xfce desktop, openoffice, iceweasel, amarok, digikam, gparted, gwenview, k3b, kaffeine, koffice, krita, krusader, sane, vdr, virtualbox, wireless-tools, xawtv, yakuake, ...

The complete package list [cite web |url=http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/sidux/release/sidux-2007-04.5-200712260124-eros_xmas-kde-full-i386-amd64.iso.i386.manifest| title=package list of 2007-04.5 kde-full] is available for each release in the download directory, named .manifest.

Releases

The releases were usually available in 4 CD versions, however since release 2007-04.5 a fully equipped DVD and two light CDs will be offered [ftp://debian.tu-bs.de/project/sidux/release here] .Since 2008-02 also an ~420 MB large Xfce variant is available.

Ports

As like many other Linux-distributions, sidux has spinoffs, mainly versions of different languages.Some to be named here:

• celtux [cite web | url=http://celtux.signal2noise.ie | title=celtux - sidux in Irish language] - Irish, Irish/Gaeilge localisation
• Deb-on-Air [cite web | url=http://clampin.free.fr/sidux/manuel/fr/ | title=Deb-on-Air french version of sidux] - French localisation
• myrinix [cite web | url=http://www.myrinix.com/www/ | title=myrinix - Digital Home Edition] - Digital Home Edition
• sid-icewm-edu [cite web | url=http://captagon.freehost.ag/ | title=sid-icewm-edu] - educational version

Name

The name of the distibution sidux is derived from Debian Sid (Sid Phillips character in Toy Story - usually destroys and tortures his sister Hannah’s toys.) and the common use of -ux for Unix derivatives. The names of the releases are taken from the Greek mythology.
Writing: sidux is always written in small letters. As well the sidux e.V. is written in small letters, however e.V. is a German abbreviation for "eingetragener Verein" (incorporated society) and must therefore be written with a capital "V".

History

Due to incompatible opinions [cite web | url=http://www.kanotix.com/Article209.html | title=slh leaving Kanotix] , a group of former Kanotix developers, accompanied by many users, divided from the Kanotix-project to continue the former goal of Kanotix in a new project with a defined declaration [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/index.php?module=pnWikka&tag=siduxDeklaration | title=sidux declaration] .

The sidux project appeared on 2006-11-24, [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/Article2.html | title=initial-sidux-announcement] with the goal of providing a hard disk installable Debian Sid-based Live CD distribution.

The first sidux preview appeared on the 2007-01-24 [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/Article73.html | title=sidux-pre1-announce] with the finished release appearing on 2007-02-22, [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/Article116.html | title=2007-01-announcement] codenamed 2007-01 “Χάος"(chaos).

In February 2007 sidux was awarded by DistroWatch with the donation of US$350 [cite web | url=http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20070305#donation | title=distrowatch donation] .

The second sidux Live CD was released on the 2007-05-28, [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/Article237.html | title=sidux-2007-02_release] codenamed sidux-2007-02 "Τάρταρος"(tartaros).

During the [http://www.linuxtag.org/2007/ linuxtag 2007] (an open source fair in Berlin) a special linuxtag-edition was distributed at the shared booth of KDE e.V. and sidux.

On the 2007-05-31 sidux e.V. [cite web | url=http://sidux-ev.org | title=sidux_e.V.] (foundation) has been officially registered with the German authorities.

On 2007-11-15 [http://sidux-ev.org sidux e.V.] was accepted as Non-profit organization by German law [cite web | url=http://sidux-ev.de/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=26 | title=sidux e.V. accepted as non-profit organisation] , retroactively as of 2007-04-01.

Software

sidux releases contain only free software as defined by the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG). To aid proof of compliance, a monolithic tarball containing the source for all packages used in the release is provided alongside the Live CD ISOs. [cite web | url=http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/sidux/release/ | title=release-source-repository] Access to non-free software such as codecs, plugins and wlan firmware can be enabled by configuring contrib and non-free Debian and sidux repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list

In keeping with the evolutionary nature of the "unstable" Debian branch, sidux releases do not provide an upgrade path from previous release versions. Rather, once sidux is installed, incremental updates are performed via regular "dist-upgrades". The idea of a sidux "release" is instead to improve Live CD hardware support, performance, flexibility and reliability, built from the current debian unstable repository.Fact|date=May 2008

sidux also provides a "meta-package installer" [cite web | url=http://sidux.com/index.php?module=pnWikka&tag=zadminMetaPakete | title=meta-packages] for installation of related packages for common requirements via a graphical install process. Existing meta-packages include security, graphics, games, educational software and to provide support for older computers.

ystem recommendations

sidux is officially supported for the i686 computer architecture.

AMD K6 and VIA C3 Samuel and Ezra [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIA_C3#Samuel_2_and_Ezra_cores] cannot be supportedFact|date=May 2008 because those don't support the full i686 instruction set (missing CMOV support).

idux e.V.

For permanent support and financing - on 2007-04-01 the non-profit association "sidux e.V." [ [http://verein.sidux.com/Downloads-req-viewdownload-cid-3.html sidux e.V. - constitution / Satzung] ] , seated in Berlin, Germany, was founded. Whose constitution, and goals however supersedes the aims of the support and spreading of sidux.

See also

* Debian
* List of LiveDistros
* Live CD
* Live USB

References

External links

* [http://sidux.com/ Official sidux website]
* [http://distrowatch.com/sidux sidux on distrowatch]
* [http://lwn.net/Articles/212845/ Article on lwn.net]
* [http://www.linux.com/articles/60526 Review on linux.com]
* [http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/19352 3rd review on tuxmachines.org]
* [http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20080324#feature Distrowatch: Interview with Chris Hildebrandt, the sidux project]
* [http://www.heise.de/software/download/dwl51092 heise]