There’s a live version of NixOS you can download if you want
this fancy KDE Plasma desktop.Xubuntu 19.10
e’d dearly love to provide 32-bit users
with a flavour of the latest Ubuntu, but
alas we cannot: Canonical only
provides 64-bit install media these days. But if
you have an old 64-bit machine it will love this
release. Usually we recommend Lubuntu for old
hardware but, what with the change to the LXQt
desktop, that wouldn’t have fitted – and is64-bit
W
Xfce is a lightweight traditional desktop, but one that is highly
customisable through plug-ins and such.actually slightly more resource-hungry than
Xubuntu. Furthermore, since Xfce 4.14 was
finally released back in August, this is a nice
distro with which to showcase this light desktop
environment, which after four and a half years is
now finally bereft of all GTK2 dependencies.
Xfce 4.14 has much-improved display
support, with controls for Vsync and better
handling of HiDPI screens. The panel and
desktop now support RandR’s primary monitor
feature, and perhaps most importantly multi-
monitor configurations can be saved and
automatically restored.
Xfce can now do window scaling, but for now
this is only by integer multiples, so probably only
helps on 4K screens. The desktop also sports a
new default window manager theme. Beyond
that, there are some improvements to the
excellent Thunar file manager, including an
improved location/path bar.LIGHTWEIGHT ERMINE
MIN SPECS: 64-BIT CPU, 512MB, 7.5GB HDDNixOS 19.09
here may be no 32-bit Ubuntu, but we
have at least something for the antique
hardware posse. NixOS is probably as
far from Ubuntu as you can get, being a source-
based distro that started as a research project –
although binary packages can be used.
At the heart of NixOS is the Nix package
manager. Nix uses its own functional language
to build everything, and as a consequence
configuration changes and package updates are
all carried out atomically. So changes can be
rolled back, and even if your machine powers off
before completing such a change, it will happily
boot to the old configuration.
It will require some work though, because
just prior to the Ubuntu release the ISOs jumped
in size by a couple of hundred megabytes. Thus
we had to compress the NixOS ISO to shave off
50MB so it would fit on the DVD. The easiest
way to uncompress it is from a working Linux32-bit
T
install, although extracting XZ archives is
possible on Windows and Mac too. Copy the
.iso.xz file from the DVD, then run
$ xz -d nixos-minimal*.iso.xz
to decompress it in place. You can now write the
resultant ISO to a DVD or USB stick and boot
from there.AND MORE!
THE LXF LIBRARY
Advanced Bash
Scripting Guide
Go further with shell scripting.Bash Guide for Beginners
Get to grips with the basics
of Bash scripting.
Bourne Shell Scripting
First steps in shell scripting.
The Cathedral and
the Bazaar
Eric S. Raymond’s classic text
explains the advantages of
open development.The Debian Book
Essential guide for sysadmins.
Dive Into Python
Everything you need to know.
Introduction to Linux
A handy guide full of pointers
for new Linux users.
Linux Dictionary
The A-Z of everything to do
with Linux.
Linux Kernel in a Nutshell
An introduction to the kernel
written by master hacker
Greg Kroah-Hartman.The Linux System
Administrator’s Guide
Take control of your system.
Tools Summary
Overview of GNU tools.
GNU Emacs Manual
Six hundred pages of
essential information!
Producing Open
Source Software
Everything you need to know.
Programming from
the Ground Up
Take your first steps.NEW TO LINUX? START HERE...
Never used a Linux before? Here are some handy resources:
Read our quick-install guide http://bit.ly/LXFinstall Looking for an answer?
https://askubuntu.com Want to delve more deeply? https://linuxjourney.comRESEARCH LEAD
http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux December 2019 LXF257 97There’sa liveversionofNixOSyoucandownloadif youwant
thisfancyKDEPlasmadesktop.Xubuntu 19.10
e’ddearlylovetoprovide32-bitusers
witha flavourofthelatestUbuntu,but
alaswecannot:Canonicalonly
provides64-bitinstallmediathesedays.Butif
youhaveanold64-bitmachineit willlovethis
release.UsuallywerecommendLubuntuforold
hardwarebut,whatwiththechangetotheLXQt
desktop,thatwouldn’thavefitted– andis
64-bit
W
Xfce is a lightweight traditional desktop, but one that is highly
customisable through plug-ins and such.actually slightly more resource-hungry than
Xubuntu. Furthermore, since Xfce 4.14 was
finally released back in August, this is a nice
distro with which to showcase this light desktop
environment, which after four and a half years is
now finally bereft of all GTK2 dependencies.
Xfce 4.14 has much-improved display
support, with controls for Vsync and better
handling of HiDPI screens. The panel and
desktop now support RandR’s primary monitor
feature, and perhaps most importantly multi-
monitor configurations can be saved and
automatically restored.
Xfce can now do window scaling, but for now
this is only by integer multiples, so probably only
helps on 4K screens. The desktop also sports a
new default window manager theme. Beyond
that, there are some improvements to the
excellent Thunar file manager, including an
improved location/path bar.LIGHTWEIGHTERMINE
MIN SPECS: 64-BIT CPU, 512MB, 7.5GB HDDNixOS 19.09
heremaybeno32-bitUbuntu,butwe
haveatleastsomethingfortheantique
hardwareposse.NixOSisprobablyas
farfromUbuntuasyoucanget,beinga source-
baseddistrothatstartedasa researchproject–
althoughbinarypackagescanbeused.
AttheheartofNixOSistheNixpackage
manager.Nixusesitsownfunctionallanguage
tobuildeverything,andasa consequence
configurationchangesandpackageupdatesare
allcarriedoutatomically.Sochangescanbe
rolledback,andevenif yourmachinepowersoff
beforecompletingsucha change,it willhappily
boottotheoldconfiguration.
It willrequiresomeworkthough,because
justpriortotheUbuntureleasetheISOsjumped
insizebya coupleofhundredmegabytes.Thus
wehadtocompresstheNixOSISOtoshaveoff
50MBsoit wouldfitontheDVD.Theeasiest
waytouncompressit isfroma workingLinux
32-bit
T
install,althoughextractingXZarchivesis
possibleonWindowsandMactoo.Copythe
.iso.xzfilefromtheDVD,thenrun
$ xz-dnixos-minimal*.iso.xz
todecompressit inplace.Youcannowwritethe
resultantISOtoa DVDorUSBstickandboot
fromthere.AND MORE!
THELXFLIBRARY
Advanced Bash
Scripting Guide
Gofurtherwithshellscripting.Bash Guide for Beginners
Get to grips with the basics
ofBashscripting.
Bourne Shell Scripting
Firststepsinshellscripting.
The Cathedral and
the Bazaar
Eric S. Raymond’s classic text
explains the advantages of
opendevelopment.The Debian Book
Essentialguideforsysadmins.
Dive Into Python
Everythingyouneedtoknow.
Introduction to Linux
A handy guide full of pointers
fornewLinuxusers.
Linux Dictionary
The A-Z of everything to do
withLinux.
Linux Kernel in a Nutshell
An introduction to the kernel
writtenbymasterhacker
GregKroah-Hartman.TheLinuxSystem
Administrator’sGuide
Takecontrolofyoursystem.
ToolsSummary
OverviewofGNUtools.
GNUEmacsManual
Sixhundredpagesof
essentialinformation!
ProducingOpen
SourceSoftware
Everythingyouneedtoknow.
Programmingfrom
theGroundUp
Takeyourfirststeps.NEWTOLINUX?STARTHERE...
Neveruseda Linuxbefore?Herearesomehandyresources:
Readourquick-installguidehttp://bit.ly/LXFinstall Lookingforananswer?
https://askubuntu.com Want to delve more deeply? https://linuxjourney.comRESEARCH LEAD
http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux December 2019 LXF257 97