Familiar Linux

Infobox_OS
name = Familiar Linux

website = http://familiar.handhelds.org/
family = Linux
source_model = Open source, Free Software
latest_release_version = v0.8.4
latest_release_date = August, 2006
kernel_type = Monolithic kernel, Linux
ui = OPIE, GPE
license =
supported_platforms =
package_manager =

Familiar Linux is a Linux distribution for iPAQ machines and other personal digital assistants (PDAs), intended as a replacement for Windows CE on these machines. It can use OPIE or GPE Palmtop Environment as graphical user interface. Familiar Linux is a complete operating system with many applications.

Origin

In May of 2000, Alexander Guy took a kernel that had been worked on by Compaq programmers, built a complete Linux distribution around it, and released the first version of Familiar (v0.1). The distribution was a lightweight package with Python and XFree86 with anti-aliased fonts, used the Blackbox window manager, and included a new packaging system created by Carl Worth called "ipkg", similar to Debian's dpkg, allowing user applications to be installed and removed.

This next release was so far beyond what the Compaq team had built, that they decided to drop their own distribution and adopt Familiar as the new reference.

Recent releases

See also

* OPIE user interface

References

External links

* [http://familiar.handhelds.org/ Familiar homepage at handhelds.org website]
* [http://handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/FamiliarDistribution Familiar wiki page at handhelds.org wiki]
* [http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/SupportedHandheldSummary Supported device table] : note that only devices marked "Ready for users" are usable.
* [http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/HandheldsDistros Handhelds.org's list of PDA Linux distributions] - lists Familiar and other distributions