Componentized Linux by Progeny is a new kind of Linux distribution, built as a set of interchangeable parts. The core component is an LSB 1.3 certified Linux runtime. LinuxCompatible takes a look at an earlier developer snapshot of Progeny Debian 2.0, the first Linux distro based on Componentized Linux.
A first look at Progeny Debian 2.0
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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It looks pretty good! So this is basically Debian Woody + Anaconoda installer?
Is that similar to Morphix base + Lite GUI or +GNOME GUI or + KDE GUI?
GNOME GUI stripped…based on the screen shots.
No, it’s based on Debian Sarge with lot’s of things from sid… And, well, it seems awsome.
It has nothing to do with Morphix… Morphix is based on Knoppix, which is intended to be a Live-CD. Progeny Debian is intended to be the first Componentized Linux Distro, and even for those who don’t care about it, it’s a mix of Sarge and Sid distro with better installation, configuration and stuff like that.
I used progeny 1.0 a few years ago when it came out and I have to say that it was pretty good. It was based on debian woody (unstable at the time). This new componentized linux looks very promising.
From progeny’s web site: “Progeny Componentized Linux is based on Debian sarge. We plan to make components based on Fedora available in the coming months.”
Components based on FEDORA! This is gonna be interesting.
We purchased it at work and I used it on a server and my desktop for about a year. It was great – we had professional support with timely updates. I was really sad to see Progeny go.
Basically what Progeny did was port the Anaconda Installer (the one RedHat and Fedora use) and slapped it over Debian. Granted, Fedora/Redhat now have apt4rpm, but the apt repositories just aren’t as full. That’s why I stick with debian. But after trying the newest Debian-installer (beta 4) I think Debian’s Base installer is better… It’s more compenentized than Progeny’s Componentized linux is. BUT, and this is the big BUT… this Distro that is being reviewed here is NOT Progeny’s componentized linux.. They actually changed the name… the componentized linux is actually a set up so that you can put what sarge/sid packages into your own repository and in essence create your own ISO’s with the programs that you NEED and nothing more.. You can create a server only ISO that doesn’t have any GUI, or a desktop ISO that doesn’t have all the unneccesary servers….
Hope that clarifies some of the coolness of it though. I like it, I’m using it on my Server right now…
…is there much of a need for this since the new debian installer can do what anaconda can do? As soon as the new install comes out of beta, it won’t be long until someone slaps a GUI on it.
I suppose it may convince alot of redhat/fedora users to switch to debian but these people shouldn’t really be afraid of the new installer, or is it not as cool as people have been saying?
nothing to say, just that i do hate non html-links to images.
i tried an early release of progeny
it was nice & all, but the installer choked & died if you changed anything (asked for reiserfs, asked for lilo, etc)
Could someone please explain to me what they mean by “Componentized Linux.” It sounds as though it’s just apt with more emphasis on meta/virtual packages…
In essence, you can build a custom linux distro, just with using the sarge mirrors. There is tasksel which you can select something like the meta/virtual packages, but then it just burns those packages to a CD, and has the Anaconda installer.
The reason they slapped the anaconda installer on it, is because Progeny provides support for RedHat and Debian, and they wanted a common installer between the two. Simple as that.
Actually I tend to think the new Debian-Installer is better NOW.. Though it’s not yet graphical, that beta4 just detected everything nicely. The only problem I really had was that I think Udev decided that my device names for my CD-ROMS were /dev/sr0 and /dev/sr1 but everything else was looking for /dev/scd0 and /dev/scd1 so I had to change some things in fstab. But now everything is working great
The point of progeny’s anaconda installer is to use apt to install the system. Once done with the debian port of anaconda, they’re going to port it back to red hat so both installers will be pretty much the same, just one is rpm base and one is deb based but both using apt. Componentized Linux is also trying to be well ahead of the LSB. I’m surprised that the author got the installer to work considering that progeny FINALLY got it to work. Quote from mailing list “By ‘works’ I mean ‘I have completed an install without crashing’, so be wary.” I’m guessing the project is progressing well and hope the best for them. A developer for Linex (spanish debian) is working on the project too.
For Progeny, this makes sense because they have a red-hat – debain community and I’m guessing hopefully to merge them, the CLS (Componentized Linux) had a debtakeover script so I’m guessing that later on Progeny’s Anaconda will update from a red-hat distro while keeping the red hat feel.
Yes I hate that as well, and these ones wouldn’t come up in Firefox in linux. I have javascript enabled and all options checked in advanced for javascript. But I didn’t notice an option for allowing a new window. I’m pretty sure javascript windows work on other sites.
Anybody else read the headline and think they were reviewing “potato”. haha
“Anybody else read the headline and think they were reviewing “potato”. haha”
not really. we learned to read long back. unfortunately it seems to be a lost art nowadays
“I’m surprised that the author got the installer to work considering that progeny FINALLY got it to work. Quote from mailing list ‘By “works” I mean “I have completed an install without crashing”, so be wary.'”
This was actually a reference to our update to the Fedora Core 2 Anaconda codebase. The RHL 9 version currently used in Progeny Debian is quite solid.