Sidux, distribution with KDE and Xfce based on the unstable branch of Debian GNU/Linux.

The Sidux distribution is a desktop-oriented operating system and live CD based on the unstable branch of Debian GNU/Linux. Besides full compatibility with its parent, the distribution also offers a custom kernel with support for a wide variety of modern hardware devices, KDE as the default desktop environment, a rolling release cycle, and compliance with Debian's Free Software guidelines.

Sidux is based on Debian's most modern branch, sid. It includes a comprehensive manual and a collection of tools and scripts to make desktop administration easier.

Sidux's own repository avoids packages which are currently defective in Debian Sid by temporarily uploading corrected packages to the sidux repository until a fixed package propagates into sid.

Updates:

sidux 2010-01, a new version of the desktop distribution with KDE or Xfce based on Debian's unstable branch, has been released: "Now that KDE 4.4.4 and kernel 2.6.34 have entered the archive, we have the pleasure to announce the immediate availability of the final sidux 2010-01 'Hypnos' release. While waiting for the availability of KDE 4.4.x, 'Hypnos' development concentrated on overhauling the early boot sequence for live and installed systems with regards to concurrent dependency-based booting and the integration of kernel 2.6.34. sidux now uses CONCURRENCY=makefile and continues to embrace GRUB 2 on the installed system, with isolinux and an improved gfxboot theme on the live system. KDE-based ISO images can now make use of Partition Manager instead of GParted. As usual, a large number of individual functionality enhancements and bug fixes have been applied to the full package line-up."

Read the detailed release notes for further information.

Download (SHA256): sidux-2010-01-kde-i386-amd64.iso (2,179MB), sidux-2010-01-xfce-i386.iso (512MB), sidux-2010-01-xfce-amd64.iso (519MB).

Recent releases:

• 2010-05-28: Development Release: sidux 2010-01 Preview 1
• 2009-12-31: Distribution Release: sidux 2009-04
• 2009-11-11: Distribution Release: sidux 2009-03
• 2009-10-25: Development Release: sidux 2009.3 Preview 1
• 2009-07-15: Distribution Release: sidux 2009-02
• 2009-06-30: Development Release: sidux 2009-02 Preview 1

The sidux distribution is a desktop-oriented operating system and live CD based on the unstable branch of Debian GNU/Linux. Besides full compatibility with its parent, the distribution also offers a custom kernel with support for a wide variety of modern hardware devices, KDE as the default desktop environment, a rolling release cycle, and compliance with Debian's Free Software guidelines.

Sidux is based on Debian's most modern branch, sid. It includes a comprehensive manual and a collection of tools and scripts to make desktop administration easier. sidux's own repository avoids packages which are currently defective in Debian Sid by temporarily uploading corrected packages to the sidux repository until a fixed package propagates into sid.

One of sidux's more notable features, unlike most other Linux distros, sidux utilizes a true 'rolling-release-cycle', and thus continues to remain current. Users can update all of the system's packages via the command 'apt-get dist-upgrade'. Through this model, there should not, in theory, ever be a need to overwrite a sidux system by installing an entirely new version. Other Linux distributions that use the rolling release model include Arch Linux and Gentoo.

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.

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, ecc.

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.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.