ALT Linux

infobox OS
name = ALT Linux
logo =


caption =
developer = ALT Linux LLC [http://en.altlinux.org/ALT_Linux_Ltd] and ALT Linux Team [http://en.altlinux.org/ALT_Linux_Team]
family = Linux
source_model = Free and open source software
released = initial release|2001|03|25 [ [http://www.altlinux.org/Releases/History?uselang=en Releases/History - ALT Linux Wiki] ru icon] [ [http://lists.altlinux.org/pipermail/community/2001-March/203374.html [mdk-re] I: Linux-Mandrake RE Spring 2001] ru icon]
latest_release_version = [http://en.altlinux.org/Stable_branches 4.1 branch]
latest_release_date =
* Desktop 4.1.0: release date|2008|10|08 [CD images for the current 4.1 "Desktop" release: [ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.1/Desktop/current/iso/ ftp] , [http://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.1/Desktop/current/iso/ http] .] ;
* Server 4.0.1: release date|2007|06|05 [Installation CD images for the current 4.0 "Server" release: [ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/Server/current/iso/ ftp] , [http://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/Server/current/iso/ http] .] ;
* OfficeServer 4.0.0: release date|2008|05|19 [Installation CD images for the current 4.0 "OfficeServer" release: [ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/OfficeServer/current/iso/ ftp] , [http://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/OfficeServer/current/iso/ http] .] [ [http://altlinux.ru/company_news/alt_linux_4.0_office_server_announce.html OfficeServer 4.0.0 announcement] ru icon] .
latest_test_version = [http://en.altlinux.org/Sisyphus Sisyphus]
latest_test_date = released daily [ [http://sisyphus.ru/ sisyphus.ru] ru icon tracks the daily development.]
language = Multilingual (but installation process only in English, Russian, Ukrainian [ [ftp://ftp.altlinux.ru/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/Desktop/4.0.3/iso/ Desktop 4.0.3 installation CD images] in 3 languages.] )
kernel_type = Monolithic (Linux)
ui = bash; KDE (in "Desktop"), Xfce (in "Desktop Lite")
working_state = Current
website = http://en.altlinux.org/
supported_platforms = i586, AMD64
updatemodel = APT (apt-rpm)
package_manager = RPM

ALT Linux is a set of Linux distributions based upon its development project, ALT Linux [http://en.altlinux.org/Sisyphus Sisyphus] . There are single-disk desktop versions ( [http://altlinux.org/index.php?module=junior23 Junior] and [http://altlinux.org/index.php?module=compact Compact] ) and "huge" universal product suiting both server, desktop and development uses ( [http://altlinux.org/index.php?module=master Master] ).

History

ALT Linux Team arose from IPLabs Linux Team, a Moscow firm subdivision, in 2001. The latter cooperated with Mandrake Linux and SUSE teams to improve localization (specifically Cyrillic) but at some point enough differences in its "Linux-Mandrake Russian Edition" became in fact distribution-specific and thus the decision was made to create ALT Linux project.

Unstable branch, [http://altlinux.org/?module=sisyphus Sisyphus] , is a repository tailored for being a convenient base for production subsets (practiced since ca. 2002 by 3rd party vendors like [http://applianceware.com/ ApplianceWare] ).

The strong points for the distribution are:
* correct localization
* advanced package management with APT and Synaptic

ALT Linux Sisyphus repository won a prestigious CNews award in 2007 [ [http://awards.cnews.ru/2007/#6 CNews award 2007 results] ] .

Distributions

ALT Linux releases a wide range of distributions, both for beginner and advanced users.

Historically, the first distribution released by ALT project was all-purpose distribution "Linux-Mandrake Spring 2001". It was a heavily modified Mandrake distribution for localization, security hardening, technology innovations, etc. Since then, all-purpose distribution product line was renamed to "ALT Linux Master".

Lite

A small one CD distribution for older / low-memory computers, with Xfce as default desktop. Available in normal and Live CD versions. [ [http://www.altlinux.ru/home_and_office/altlinux40lite.html ALT Linux Lite 4.0] description]

Compact

"Compact" is a series of ALT Linux distributions tailored for beginner users. It's mostly supposed to be used on workstations, home computers and notebooks. It includes additional traits for easy configuration, lots of office and multimedia applications, some games. "Compact" is also popular choice for OEMing, i.e. creating a specific edition for various hardware vendors to bundle with their hardware.

Last version ALT Linux Compact 3.0 was released in December, 2005 in 3 flavors (CD, DVD and Live CD).

Junior

Desktop

Master

Server

"ALT Linux Server" is a hardened server one-disc distribution. It is certified [ [http://www.altlinux.ru/images/stories/docs/certificate_1501_altlinux_server40.pdf A certificate of conformance #1501, November 8, 2007] ] by Federal department of technical and expert control of Russia in the following categories:
* by the level of monitoring for non-declared features — level 4 [ [http://www.fstec.ru/_docs/doc_3_3_010.htm Classification by level of monitoring for non-declared features] ]
* class of protection from unsanctioned information access — class 5 [ [http://www.fstec.ru/_docs/doc_3_3_003.htm Classes of protection from unsanctioned information access] ]

Terminal

"ALT Linux Terminal" is a terminal server distribution based on ALT Linux Desktop and ALTSP5 — a friendly/merging fork of LTSP which is usable on older hardware acting as thin/diskless clients (while stock LTSP5 usually requires 64+Mb RAM). It was also adapted for Russian School Education National Project [ [http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C_%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F School software list] ] free software package.

Last release is [ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/Terminal/ 4.0.0] .

References

External links

* [http://altlinux.org/ Community website] ( [http://en.altlinux.org/ in English] )
* [http://freshmeat.net/projects/alt-linux/ Freshmeat page]
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