On the DVD
On the DVD

AlmaLinux Minimal 8.4 and SystemRescueCD 8.03
AlmaLinux Minimal 8.4 (64-bit)
After three decades of Linux, you might think there are no reasons for a new distribution. In the case of AlmaLinux, however, you would be wrong. First released on March 30, 2021, AlmaLinux is intended as a replacement for CentOS, the popular Fedora derivative.
Why a replacement for CentOS was necessary is a complicated story. Essentially, it dates to Red Hat's acquisition of CentOS in 2014. Since the acquisition, the relationship between CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux has been uncertain. The uncertainty reached a climax in January 2021 when Red Hat announced without discussion that development of CentOS would be discontinued by the end of 2021, except for the upstream CentOS Stream. Reactions were partisan, but some concerns were also practical: CentOS is most often installed as a server, and sys admins were abruptly left without an upgrade path. The solution was two forks of CentOS – Rocky Mountain Linux and AlmaLinux.
AlmaLinux quickly formed the AlmaLinux Foundation to ensure ongoing support for its project. A major partner in the foundation is CloudLinux, which is likely to have a major influence on the future development of AlmaLinux. Meanwhile, AlmaLinux has promised to support the newly released AlmaLinux 8.x releases until at least 2029 (the numbering continues on from the CentOS numbering).
If you are curious about how AlmaLinux continues CentOS in other ways, this month's DVD gives you a chance to explore AlmaLinux Minimal 8.4.
SystemRescueCD 8.03 (64-bit)
As the name implies, SystemRescueCD is not a distribution for daily use. Rather, it is a bootable disk that you can install on a DVD or flash drive for use when troubleshooting or repairing a system. It includes an impressive array of command-line tools, including standard editors, the Midnight Commander file manager, the GParted filesystem, network filesystems such as Samba and NFS, and many more too numerous to list. In addition, its kernel supports numerous filesystems, including ext4, XFS, Btrfs, VFAT, and NTFS.
You will not need SystemRescueCD every day, but you should consider keeping a current copy nearby and checking periodically that it still works. If you run into trouble, you'll be glad you took the time. And one more thing: Because it is a Live system, SystemRescueCD can help you manage Windows machines as well.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
News
-
An All-Snap Version of Ubuntu is In The Works
Along with the standard deb version of the open-source operating system, Canonical will release an-all snap version.
-
Mageia 9 Beta 2 Ready for Testing
The latest beta of the popular Mageia distribution now includes the latest kernel and plenty of updated applications.
-
KDE Plasma 6 Looks to Bring Basic HDR Support
The KWin piece of KDE Plasma now has HDR support and color management geared for the 6.0 release.
-
Bodhi Linux 7.0 Beta Ready for Testing
The latest iteration of the Bohdi Linux distribution is now available for those who want to experience what's in store and for testing purposes.
-
Changes Coming to Ubuntu PPA Usage
The way you manage Personal Package Archives will be changing with the release of Ubuntu 23.10.
-
AlmaLinux 9.2 Now Available for Download
AlmaLinux has been released and provides a free alternative to upstream Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
-
An Immutable Version of Fedora Is Under Consideration
For anyone who's a fan of using immutable versions of Linux, the Fedora team is currently considering adding a new spin called Fedora Onyx.
-
New Release of Br OS Includes ChatGPT Integration
Br OS 23.04 is now available and is geared specifically toward web content creation.
-
Command-Line Only Peropesis 2.1 Available Now
The latest iteration of Peropesis has been released with plenty of updates and introduces new software development tools.
-
TUXEDO Computers Announces InfinityBook Pro 14
With the new generation of their popular InfinityBook Pro 14, TUXEDO upgrades its ultra-mobile, powerful business laptop with some impressive specs.