GoboLinux

GoboLinux is an open source, freely distributed and modular Linux-based operating system that works a little bit different than other similar products, as it organizes its packages in a new, logical way. It’s an independent project designed from the ground up to provide users with a Linux-based operating system targeted at people who prefer a non-UNIX-like file system layout for their machines.

Logically groups programs and files in directories

The system logically groups programs and files in directories (e.g. /System/Links/Executable) that contain only symbolic links to the actual executable files. For example, instead of having packages installed on different parts of the system, they will receive their own directory tree. This way, the user will always be able to see what exactly has been installed on the operating system, not to mention that the programs will be kept separated inside the distribution, so you can see at all times which files belong to which application.

Distributed as a hybrid Live DVD

It is distributed as a hybrid Live DVD ISO image that can be written to a blank DVD disc using any CD/DVD burning software, or deployed to a USB flash drive using the UNetbootin application. There’s only a single option on the boot menu of the DVD image, to run or install the operating system without testing it. First of all, you will be asked to choose a language (English, Brazilian Portuguese, Hungarian, Spanish and German), as well as to select a keyboard layout.

Powered by KDE

After that, you will be dropped to a shell prompt, where you need to type the startx command in order to enter the graphical environment powered by KDE and comprised of a single taskbar located at the bottom edge of the screen. Default applications include the Konqueror web browser, GIMP image editor, Gwenview image viewer, VLC Media Player, Okular document viewer, KMix sound mixer, GParted disk partitioning utility, Htop process viewer, Dolphin file manager, Konsole terminal emulator, Kate text editor, and Ark archive manager.

What is new in this release:

• Runner: container-free filesystem virtualization:
• Runner is a brand new filesystem virtualization tool, specifically designed for GoboLinux. It dynamically changes a process' view of /System/Index based on the program's Dependencies file.
• From day one, GoboLinux has always supported keeping multiple versions of a program installed on disk at the same time, but when two versions had conflicts, you had to choose which one would be activated in the system as the default.
• With Runner, you don't need to worry about which version of a given dependency is currently linked (or activated) in /System/Index: Runner gives the process its own virtual /System/Index with all the right dependencies.
• Avoiding conflicts without containers:
• Instead of using full-fledged containers (which carry an entire distro inside them!) just to avoid library conflicts when running an executable, in GoboLinux you can launch a program with Runner to make sure the filesystem view of the process will match its dependencies. Runner builds a custom mount table for the process, like container tools do, but without all the file duplication: it dynamically picks the correct parts of your /Programs tree. This approach is only feasible because in GoboLinux programs are logically organized in the filesystem.
• A transparent multi-arch setup:
• Unlike mainstream distributions, GoboLinux doesn't need a particular "multi-arch" setup for supporting 32 and 64-bit binaries. Using Runner, we can simply give 32-bit processes their own view of the standard Unix directories so that, for example, /lib/libc.so.6 is a 32-bit library for a 32-bit process and a 64-bit library for a 64-bit process. This screenshot shows an example session.
• GoboNet: daemon-free wireless network management:
• This release includes GoboNet, our own daemon-free network manager. Feature-heavy network managers like Wicd and NetworkManager are great at handling numerous complex scenarios, but the vast majority of the time something much simpler would do. And when the network manager does not suit your needs, it is important that it does not get in the way.
• GoboNet is a simple wireless networking tool that "just works" in the common case and doesn't get in the way when you need to tweak things yourself. It does not use DBus or any daemon of its own: it only launches dhcpcd to handle DHCP, manages Wi-Fi passwords and provides a command-line API for ease of use and scripting.
• An Awesome desktop:
• GoboLinux 016 features a minimalistic yet comfortable desktop based on the Awesome window manager. Awesome is well-known as an excellent tiling WM, but its Lua scripting capabilities makes it extremely customizable. In Gobo, we tuned it so it ships with a setup based on floating windows which should be familiar to all users, while keeping all the power features of Awesome at hand.
• Custom widgets:
• We also developed custom Awesome widgets that integrate nicely with the no-frills philosophy of Gobo...
• The Wi-Fi widget uses GoboNet
• The battery widget checks the sysfs filesystem
• Our custom audio widget launches a transient frameless terminal running an instance of AlsaMixer that can be controlled via keyboard or mouse
• And just like the background of this website, the wallpaper is procedurally-generated - you get a new one on every boot.

What is new in version 016:

• Runner: container-free filesystem virtualization:
• Runner is a brand new filesystem virtualization tool, specifically designed for GoboLinux. It dynamically changes a process' view of /System/Index based on the program's Dependencies file.
• From day one, GoboLinux has always supported keeping multiple versions of a program installed on disk at the same time, but when two versions had conflicts, you had to choose which one would be activated in the system as the default.
• With Runner, you don't need to worry about which version of a given dependency is currently linked (or activated) in /System/Index: Runner gives the process its own virtual /System/Index with all the right dependencies.
• Avoiding conflicts without containers:
• Instead of using full-fledged containers (which carry an entire distro inside them!) just to avoid library conflicts when running an executable, in GoboLinux you can launch a program with Runner to make sure the filesystem view of the process will match its dependencies. Runner builds a custom mount table for the process, like container tools do, but without all the file duplication: it dynamically picks the correct parts of your /Programs tree. This approach is only feasible because in GoboLinux programs are logically organized in the filesystem.
• A transparent multi-arch setup:
• Unlike mainstream distributions, GoboLinux doesn't need a particular "multi-arch" setup for supporting 32 and 64-bit binaries. Using Runner, we can simply give 32-bit processes their own view of the standard Unix directories so that, for example, /lib/libc.so.6 is a 32-bit library for a 32-bit process and a 64-bit library for a 64-bit process. This screenshot shows an example session.
• GoboNet: daemon-free wireless network management:
• This release includes GoboNet, our own daemon-free network manager. Feature-heavy network managers like Wicd and NetworkManager are great at handling numerous complex scenarios, but the vast majority of the time something much simpler would do. And when the network manager does not suit your needs, it is important that it does not get in the way.
• GoboNet is a simple wireless networking tool that "just works" in the common case and doesn't get in the way when you need to tweak things yourself. It does not use DBus or any daemon of its own: it only launches dhcpcd to handle DHCP, manages Wi-Fi passwords and provides a command-line API for ease of use and scripting.
• An Awesome desktop:
• GoboLinux 016 features a minimalistic yet comfortable desktop based on the Awesome window manager. Awesome is well-known as an excellent tiling WM, but its Lua scripting capabilities makes it extremely customizable. In Gobo, we tuned it so it ships with a setup based on floating windows which should be familiar to all users, while keeping all the power features of Awesome at hand.
• Custom widgets:
• We also developed custom Awesome widgets that integrate nicely with the no-frills philosophy of Gobo...
• The Wi-Fi widget uses GoboNet
• The battery widget checks the sysfs filesystem
• Our custom audio widget launches a transient frameless terminal running an instance of AlsaMixer that can be controlled via keyboard or mouse
• And just like the background of this website, the wallpaper is procedurally-generated - you get a new one on every boot.

What is new in version 015 / 016 Alpha:

• Runner, our filesystem virtualization tool that dynamically changes the processes' view of /System/Index based on the program's Dependencies file. With that tool, one does not need to worry about which version of a given dependency is currently linked (or activated) on /System/Index;
• A minimalistic desktop based on the Awesome window manager;
• A focus on the exploration of novel ideas. You may find this snapshot less packed with packages, but it should be more fun to run!

What is new in version 015:

• Migration from the /System/Links hierarchy to /System/Index
• Embracing "root" as super user name -- that should make recipes more simple to write and soften the task of preparing new releases
• Live USB support off the shelf
• Adoption of Enlightenment as the desktop environment for the first time

What is new in version 015 Beta 3:

• I am pleased to announce the release of GoboLinux 015 beta3. We have had several updates on this snapshot that include changes to the desktop environment (we have opted to ship the ISO with Enlightenment 18) and to the file system hierarchy (removal of /System/Links).
• Starting with this snapshot, we will no longer have support for a configurable superuser name, too. Borrowing Hisham's words: it was an interesting experiment, often fun, often annoying, often tiring. We stretched the boundaries of what's hardcoded and what's not in a Linux system, but as of 2014 it just takes too much effort to swim against the stream on that, for little to no practical gain.
• This snapshot also introduces a number of new packages that should enrich the desktop experience. We have fixed all issues that have been reported since beta2 and worked hard to make this release as polished and close to final as possible.

What is new in version 015 Beta 2:

• Introduction of /System/Index hierarchy
• GRUB2 works and can be installed on a disk or partition
• SYSLINUX update fixes the LiveCD boot on a number of machines
• Deprecation of GoboLinux BootScripts' network settings in favor of NetworkManager
• Improved versions of Compile and Scripts tools
• Various updates to Installer in both text and graphics modes

What is new in version 015 Alpha:

• The Installer (especially its Qt based GUI) has not been tested yet
• KDE warnings related to MIME types
• udisksd and upowerd are not automatically started by dbus. As a workaround, they are being launched by ~/.xinitrc
• polkitd is not automatically started by dbus either, and launching it from the command line fails with permission-related problems
• There are some debug print messages in the kernel coming from AUFS (the unionfs implementation adopted used in the LiveCD) that will be removed in the final version
• Some machines with b43 wireless cards simply hanged at boot because of missing firmware. As a workaround I have added the Linux-Firmware package to this snapshot, but licensing terms would probably forbid us from doing so in the final image. Hopefully a kernel upgrade will get that fixed.
• Firefox has been packed from the binary available at mozilla.org, but no special permissions have been arranged on /Programs to let automatic updates work