Installer framework Calamares at a glance
Modular Kit
© Lead Image © ChriSes, photocase
Calamares helps you create simplified routines for installing a distribution, but there are some pitfalls, as we explain.
Installing Linux today is quite straightforward compared to, say, 15 years ago when the process could be quite time-consuming. That said, installers still confront newcomers with issues such as partitioning, which is similar to open heart surgery and can easily go wrong. Installing Arch Linux is the exception in this case, because there is no official installer for the system. But, if you look at Debian, Fedora (Figure 1), or openSUSE, their setups offer an abundance of possibilities, even including LVM/RAID on encrypted systems.
Figure 1: The Fedora installer Anaconda offers so many options that identifying the switches and key settings can overwhelm beginners.
This diversity can easily be confusing for beginners. Additionally, these users may be accustomed from Windows or Mac OS X to always having the same installer, which you get to know better over time. Users who often switch distros on Linux, however, are repeatedly confronted with different interfaces.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.