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Debian To Replace Xandros on the Eee PC?
Reading this week’s DistroWatch Weekly, I was surprised to see an interesting news story I had, apparently, completely missed. Normally, I try not to write about stories that are more than a couple of days old. But considering how many Linux news sources I read daily and considering I never saw this story, I have to assume that a large portion of you also missed this story, so I am making an exception.
This message on the Debian Eee PC mailing list reveals that Asus and Debian are working together, or at least planning to, on software for the Eee PC. This, presumably, means that future versions of the Eee PC could run a modified version of Debian, rather than a modified version of Xandros, as they currently do. While the end-user interface might be very similar, it seems highly likely that if the Debian project was involved, it might become much easier to install software and do other more complicated tasks, beyond what the current Eee PC’s software allows.
A change like this would, hopefully, make those who are trying to do anything beyond the most basic tasks with the Eee’s default software much happier, while not making the standard interface too complicated.
If the Eee PC does switch to Debian as it’s default OS, it would be a great step forward in making the Eee PC’s default software more attractive to a wider audience.
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The choice of Xandros for the eee PC was I think unfortunate. The repositories are fairly restricted in content. I have gingerly added some Debian “Etch” for a development environment and so far have no breakages!! Ubuntu rather than Debian would perhaps be the best OS at present with its less restrictive software policies. Currently running CentOS5.2, Debian-etch, Fedora 8, Fedora 9, Knoppix 5.3.1, Mandriva 2008.2, openSUSE 10.3, openSUSE 11.0, PCLinuxOS, Sidux 2008.2, Ubuntu 7.10, and Ubuntu 8.04 on Desktops. Some have better stabilty but the bleeding edge is often required to run some hardware: e.g. USB DVB-T.
IT started off as a 7incher, now we are at 9 and they are already leaking pictures of the 10 inch model.
By next year, the EEE will be the same size as the Macbook.
But I cant wait till they drop Xandros.
Sounds like a good news!
“t would still make me laugh to see how people reacted to seeing a program called “Ice Weasel” on their new UMPC.”
# InTheLoop, people who buy an UMPC with Linux instead of winblows doesn’t afraid by a name changed
“Debian’s security policy, however, requires that they be able to apply their own security patches. ”
Yes, they want to be able to suppress the entropy of SSL handling in Firefox if they want
but Mozilla don’t like that.
“Um, Iceweasel *is* FireFox with a different name.”
I know, but it would still make me laugh to see how people reacted to seeing a program called “Ice Weasel” on their new UMPC.
>so the eeePC will come with Iceweasel instead of Firefox ??
Um, Iceweasel *is* FireFox with a different name. However, the Mozilla team won’t let Debian call it FireFox if it has any modifications whatsoever. All modifications would have to be approved by Mozilla before they can be distributed. Debian’s security policy, however, requires that they be able to apply their own security patches. Hence, FireFox gets called “Iceweasel”, and all the legal obligations are fulfilled, at the cost of potentially confusing newcomers.
btw, Ubuntu handles this by agreeing not to release any modifications without first getting them approved by Mozilla. Being a company with paid developers, Canonical can handle a little more red tape.
>Debian is great, but they will need to fork from it if they don’t >want Debian’s “restrictions” on proprietary stuff…
They can always put their own stuff in as well. Lots of derivative distributions do this, including Ubuntu, which of course is just a Debian derivative, albeit extremely prominent.
“so the eeePC will come with Iceweasel instead of Firefox ??”
Guess so.
“i think if they go with a custom (”Asus-fy”) version of ubuntu remix, it would be best.”
That would be just plain awesome. I have to say, though, Debian + Asus does not sound too bad. I am hoping the ultra-free of Debian and the not-ultra-free of Asus will cancel out.
hmm,
so the eeePC will come with Iceweasel instead of Firefox ??
Debian is great, but they will need to fork from it if they don’t want Debian’s “restrictions” on proprietary stuff…
i think if they go with a custom (“Asus-fy”) version of ubuntu remix, it would be best.
also they would have access to support from the ubuntu community