Puppy Linux的姊妹项目，Quirky 6.2 "Unicorn" 发布

Quirky是Puppy Linux的姊妹项目，是用一份叫Woof的定制工具创建的Linux发行。其下层的基础构造，例如启动和关机脚本、配制工具、硬件检测、桌面管理、用户 界面、加速及一般化的易用性管理等，对所有用Woof创建的发行而言都是共同的，但是，一次专门的创建将会拥有一套不同的软件包选取及进一步的定制（甚至 是完全不同的二进制软件包）。Quirky由Puppy Linux和Woof的创始人开发，以挑战极限，在下层基础构造上尝试一些新颖的想法——而它们当中有些可能是激进的或奇异的，正如Quirky这个名字 所意味。

Quirky Unicorn 6.2

Quirky 6.0 was released in December 2013, followed by many improvements. The latest release of Quirky is 6.1.4. Read all about Quirky here:
Quirky 6.x

Quirky Tahr builds on the same ideas, except is constructed with binary DEB packages from the Ubuntu Trusty Tahr repository. Quirk Tahr debuted at 6.0, though chronologically later than the above Quirky series. The latest Quirky Tahr is 6.0.5, released February 16, 2014, read about it here:
Quirky Tahr 6.0.5</b>  </big>

After a hiatus of several months, I have created Quirky Unicorn, which is built from Ubuntu Utopic Unicorn (version 14.10) DEB packages. The "Unicorn series" is debuting at version 6.2, released October 25, 2014.

There have been some bug fixes and improvements since Quirky Tahr 6.0.5, but most especially a heap of application, utility (and kernel) upgrades. Summarising:

• Bug fixes, upgrades and improvements 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  
• Childproofing mechanism 1
  
• New popup utility "popup" 1
  
• FreeOffice (free version of SoftMaker Office) 1
  
• Linux kernel 3.16.6 (user: p#up#py password: l#in#ux) 1  
  

Quirky Unicorn (QU) is distributed as this file (193.2MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/unicorn-6.2/unicorn-6.2.usfs.xz
which may be installed to a hard drive partition or to a Flash drive, by these scripts:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/unicorn-6.2/install-quirky-to-drive.sh
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/unicorn-6.2/install-quirky-to-partition.sh

Note, for those unable to run those scripts, due to not having Linux running or an inadequate Linux, there is a image file for a 8GB Flash drive (202.1MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/unicorn-6.2/unicorn-6.2-8gb.img.xz

...please read the original Quirky6 release notes for full installation instructions:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/unicorn-6.2/1release-Quirky-6.x.htm

Yes, despite being only 193.2MB, this release includes the full FreeOffice suite. However, some components are split out to separate PETs. For local documentation, please install this PET (12.6MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/packages/pet_packages-common/freeoffice_DOC-2012-rev690-x86.pet
For non-English users, install this (29MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/packages/pet_packages-common/freeoffice_NLS-2012-rev690-x86.pet

FreeOffice is free, but does require registration before it can be used. A popup will take you to the website, when you try to run FreeOffice, however, you can go there now to obtain the license key (click the Download button, which will send the key to your email address):
http://www.freeoffice.com/

The new childproofing feature may interest some people, see above link. It is a simple mechanism to hide certain partitions on your internal hard drive.

Of course, the other main feature of Quirky is that it is built from Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn DEB packages, except for many of our own PETs. And of course, I have to make the usual statement that apart from using the Ubuntu DEBs, Quirky is in no way like Ubuntu. From the ground up, every aspect of the infrastructure, the UI, everything, is different and unique.

Quirky is a fork of my previous baby, Puppy Linux. Just as an example of how different Quirky is from Ubuntu, you won't find a whiff of Systemd anywhere -- Quirky (Puppy also) uses Busybox init, and Quirky uses eudev, a fork of the udev part of systemd.
Then there's the UI, Quirky (and Puppy) uses JWM window manager (and panel) and ROX-Filer for the desktop.

Theme
I have gone for a green theme this time:
GTK: Eucalypt
JWM: GreenWhiteX
Desktop icons: green-glow
Wallpaper: green-vapors.jpg
ROX-Filer desktop text: white, no shadow, DejaVu Sans 11

Developers
To turn your Quirky installation into a complete compiling environment, grab just this one PET (121.3MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/x86/packages/pet_packages-unicorn/devx-6.2-unicorn.pet
If you also need the kernel source (121.8MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/quirky6/noarch/packages/pet_packages-noarch/kernel_src-3.16.6-patched.pet

Please read the Quirky thread of my blog for news about all of these changes.

As with all my Quirkies, I don't go through a long bug-fix cycle with users/testers. Instead, I just release a Quirky when it seems OK to me, and maybe release updates (Service Packs) later.