PCLinuxOS

PCLinuxOS, often shortened to PCLOS, is an x86-64 Linux distribution, with KDE Plasma Desktop, MATE and XFCE as its default user interfaces. It is a primarily free software operating system for personal computers aimed at ease of use. It is considered a rolling release.

PCLinuxOS
Screenshot of the PCLinuxOS KDE edition
DeveloperBill Reynolds aka "Texstar"
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseOctober 2003 (2003-10)
Latest release2020.01[1] / 14 January 2020 (2020-01-14)
Update methodRolling release
Package managerapt-get (RPM)
Platformsamd64
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandGNU
Default user interface
LicenseVarious
Official websitewww.pclinuxos.com

History

The precursor to PCLinuxOS was a set of RPM packages created to improve successive versions of Mandrake Linux (later Mandriva Linux). These packages were created by Bill Reynolds, a packager better known as Texstar.[2] From 2000 to 2003, Texstar maintained his repository of RPM packages in parallel with the PCLinuxOnline site. In an interview, Reynolds said he started PCLinuxOS "to provide an outlet for [his] crazy desire to package source code without having to deal with egos, arrogance and politics."[3]

In October 2003, Texstar created a fork of Mandrake Linux 9.2. Working closely with The Live CD Project, Texstar has since developed that fork independently into a full-fledged distribution. The initial releases were successively numbered as "previews": p5, p7, p8 up to p81a, then p9, p91, p92, and p93.

Although it retains a similar "look and feel" to Mandriva Linux, PCLinuxOS has diverged significantly. The code was officially forked from Mandrake 9.2 into an independent project in 2003. After three years of continuous development, the developers took advantage of further development in (the renamed) Mandriva late in 2006 for PCLinuxOS 2007. In the releases before 2007, it was normally necessary to perform a re-installation.

PCLinuxOS 2007

For 2007, PCLinuxOS used a one-time source code snapshot from Mandriva to produce a new independent code base (no longer a fork of Mandriva). This implied a shift to a more modern code, which required a complete reinstallation to this version. The new version featured a new look and built-in 3D effects. A new logo was also designed for the new version, and was incorporated into the boot screen. A new login screen was designed, entitled "Dark". The final/official PCLinuxOS 2007 version was released on May 21, 2007.

PCLinuxOS 2009

The last version of the 2009 Live CD, PCLinuxOS 2009.2, was released on June 30, 2009.[4] Improvements included bug fixes, new backgrounds, sounds, and start-up screen, as well as quicker start-up times. It was the last PCLinuxOS live CD to ship with K Desktop Environment 3, and the last of the PCLinuxOS 2007 backward compatible series.[5][6]

Remasters of PCLinuxOS, featuring the Xfce (Phoenix), LXDE (PCLinuxOS-LXDE), and Gnome (PCLinuxOS-Gnome) desktops were also made available.

PCLinuxOS 2010

The 2010 version of the Live CD was released on April 19, 2010.[7] It includes the new KDE SC 4.4.2, a new graphical theme and a new version of the Linux Kernel (Kernel 2.6.32.11). It is also the first PCLinuxOS Live CD to include the ext4 file system support. This version required a complete reinstall of the operating system.[8][9][10][11]

While a version of PCLinuxOS that features the GNOME desktop environment was introduced in 2008, the 2010 version is the first one to not only offer the KDE Plasma and GNOME versions, but also versions with Xfce, LXDE, Enlightenment, and Openbox.

PCLinuxOS 2010.1

Version 2010.1 was released on May 5, 2010. Changes made since last version:

  • [The] Kernel has been updated to version 2.6.32.12-bfs.
  • KDE Plasma Desktop has been upgraded to version 4.4.3.
  • Support has been added for Realtek RTL8191SE/RTL8192SE WiFi cards and Microdia webcams.
  • Vim console text editor and udftools has been added.
  • Fixed CD-ROM ejection when using the Copy to RAM feature.
  • Fixed KDE new widget download. Updated nVIDIA (195.36.24) and ATi fglrx (8.723) drivers.
  • Updated all supporting applications and libraries from the software repository which include security updates and bug fixes.[12]

PCLinuxOS 2011.6

PCLinuxOS 2011.6 version was released on June 27, 2011.

PCLinuxOS 2012

PCLinuxOS 2012.02 version was released on February 22, 2012.[13][14][15] Later another maintenance release was made on August 22, 2012. Major changes compared to 2011 release are:

  • Kernel has been updated to version 3.2
  • KDE version 4.8.2
  • nVIDIA and ATi fglrx driver support.

PCLinuxOS 2013 64-bit

PCLinuxOS 2013 64-bit first version was released on April 10, 2013.[16][17][18]

It featured:

  • Kernel 3.2.18-pclos2.bfs for maximum desktop performance.
  • Full KDE 4.10.1 Desktop.
  • nVIDIA and ATi fglrx driver support.
  • Multimedia playback support for many popular formats.
  • Wireless support for many network devices.
  • Printer support for many local and networked printer devices.
  • Addlocale: allows you to translate PCLinuxOS into over 60 languages.
  • LibreOffice preinstalled.
  • LibreOffice Manager can install LibreOffice supporting over 100 languages.
  • MyLiveCD allows you to take a snapshot of your installation and burn it to a LiveCD/DVD.
  • PCLinuxOS-liveusb – allows you to install PCLinuxOS on a USB key disk.

PCLinuxOS 2014.7

The new version was released on July 7, 2014.[19]

Features:

  • kernel 3.15.4 for maximum desktop performance.
  • Full KDE 4.12.3 Desktop.
  • Nvidia and ATI fglrx driver support.
  • Multimedia playback support for many popular formats.
  • Wireless support for many network devices.
  • Printer support for many local and networked printer devices.
  • Addlocale allows you to convert PCLinuxOS into over 60 languages.
  • LibreOffice Manager can install LibreOffice supporting over 100 languages.
  • MyLiveCD allows you to take a snapshot of your installation and burn it to a LiveCD/DVD.
  • PCLinuxOS-liveusb – allows you to install PCLinuxOS on a USB key disk

Features

PCLinuxOS places specific emphasis on desktop computing, concentrating its efforts for home or small business environments, hence paying less attention to other more "traditional" uses, like servers, although packages for most server tasks are available.

PCLinuxOS is distributed as a Live CD, which can also be installed to a local hard disk drive or USB flash drive. Since version 2009.1, provides a USB installer to create a Live USB, where the user's configuration and personal data can be saved if desired. A live USB of older versions of PCLinuxOS can be created manually or with UNetbootin.[20] The entire CD can be run from memory, assuming the system has sufficient RAM. PCLinuxOS uses APT-RPM, based on APT (Debian), a package management system (originally from the Debian distribution), together with Synaptic Package Manager, a GUI to APT, in order to add, remove or update packages. If there is enough memory on the machine, and an active network connection, the Live CD can update packages. PCLinuxOS is also designed to be easy to remaster after installation, creating one's own personalized Live CD, using the mylivecd tool.

PCLinuxOS maintains its own software repository, available via the Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) and its Synaptic front-end, completely replacing Mandriva's urpmi. This means that an installation could be continuously updated to the latest versions of packages, hence sometimes forgoing the need to re-install the entire distribution upon each successive release. Other differences include its own menu arrangement, custom graphics, and icon sets.

End of official support for 32bit version

On May 10, 2016 main developer Texstar announced[21] the end of support for 32bit versions of PCLinuxOS.[22][23] As a result, 32bit ISOs of the distribution, official 32bit package updates and forum support ceased availability. While this doesn't prevent unofficial support, following the announcement only 64bit ISO images and package updates are available through the official webpage and channels.

Other versions

There are several community projects associated with PCLinuxOS.

KDE Fullmonty (FM) edition (Discontinued)

KDE FullMonty (Live & Install DVD) is a regular PCLinuxOS KDE installation, but is modified to include a special desktop layout and many additional applications and drives preinstalled. It is available as either a 32- or 64-bit edition.

FM applies a new concept: activity-focused virtual desktop layout, which is designed to address typical user-needs/tasks, make their life easy, and working on the computer straightforward and fun. It has 6 virtual desktops:

  • Internet
  • Office
  • Games
  • Multimedia
  • Graphics
  • System

The idea of the FM concept is to provide the best out-of-the-box experience in an intuitive, thematically organized desktop setup. FM is designed for Linux beginners and newcomers from other operating systems. The typical user is provided with a cream of the crop selection of activity-related applications available in PCLinuxOS. The most popular ones are easily accessible from the respective virtual desktop and many more applications can be accessed from the PCmenu. The variety of applications in FM serves several purposes: advertising those applications to users; stimulating the comparative usage of these applications in the forum, learning about and discussing specific application features, and finally helping deciding on and providing constructive feedback on finding the most popular application for a given task. FM should facilitate the entry into the Linux desktop experience and provide an intuitive and easy to use working environment.

Trinity edition

The Trinity edition of PCLinuxOS comes in 2 flavours, a mini-me that is a minimalist iso for those that want to customize their desktop with only the programs they want.

The Other is Big Daddy, which includes all the codecs for multimedia, office tools and more out of the box programs. [24]

LXQt edition

Xfce edition

PCLOS community edition featuring XFCE desktop in a rolling release offers easy installation and setup, easy to update and works out of the box without systemd..a lot like MX-17 but non expiring. Bluetooth easiest working distro.

MATE edition

The newest edition of PCLinuxOS incorporates the MATE desktop environment, announced on the 3rd July 2013. PCLinuxOS Mate ISO is available in 64bit flavor only. These ISO is small enough to fit on a standard 700 mb CD or a small USB key. Features: Mate Desktop 1.6.x, Kernel 3.4.52, Pulse Audio enabled by default, Udisks2, Hal daemon turn off but still available as a service if needed. All of the Mate desktop applications plus Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin and Skype. Clementine and VLC multimedia players. PysolFC for recreation.

Third-party distributions

Because PCLinuxOS includes the mklivecd script, there have been several third-party distributions over the years based on PCLinuxOS, though they may only mention that connection if they follow strict guidelines. Currently PCLinuxOS Gnome Edition is the premier example.

Release history

Almost all major releases have been accompanied by new boot-up and login screens, along with some changes in icon sets, and login sounds.

Version Date
2020.01 KDE[25]January 14, 2020
2019.06 KDE[26]June 16, 2019
2018.06 MATE[27][28]June 1, 2018
2018.06 KDE[29][28]June 1, 2018
2017.07 KDE[30]July 2017
2017.03 MATE 64 Bit[31]March 17, 2017
2017.03 KDE Plasma 5 64 BitMarch 2, 2017
2017.02 KDE Plasma 5, MATE 64 BitFebruary 10, 2017
2016.07 MATE 64 BitJuly 6, 2016
2016.03 KDE, FullMonty 64 Bit[32][33]March 8, 2016
2014.12 KDE, FullMonty, KDE, LXDE and MATE 32 & 64 bitDecember 18, 2014
2013.12 KDE, FullMonty, MiniMe, LXDE and MATE 32 & 64 bitDecember 3, 2013
2013.7 KDE 32 & 64 bitJuly 17, 2013
2013.7 LXDE 32 & 64 bitJuly 7, 2013
2013.7 Mate 32 & 64 bitJuly 15, 2013
2013.7 KDE-MiniME 32 & 64 bitJuly 7, 2013
2013.7 Mate 32 & 64 bitJuly 3, 2013
2013.6 Full Monty 64 bitJune 17, 2013
2013.6 LXDE 64 bitJune 17, 2013
2013.4 64 bitApril 10, 2013
2013.4April 4, 2013
2013.2February 1, 2013
2012.8August 22, 2012
2012.2February 2, 2012
2011.9September 23, 2011
2011.6June 27, 2011
2010.12December 15, 2010
2010.10October 28, 2010
2010.7July 5, 2010
2010.1May 5, 2010
2010April 19, 2010
2009.2June 30, 2009
2009.1March 11, 2009
2008 "MiniMe"January 7, 2008
P.94 "2007"May 21, 2007
P.93a "Big Daddy"August 21, 2006
P.93a "Junior"August 9, 2006
P.93a "MiniMe"August 4, 2006
P.93 "MiniMe"April 21, 2006
P.92November 21, 2005
P.91July 7, 2005
P.81a2005
P.82005
P.72004
P.52004
Original ReleaseOctober 2003
gollark: I really should have had my submission secretly open a reverse shell thing over SPUDNET (and alert me when doing so) so that I could try and exploit the sandbox system in the few minutes before ubq gets bored and kills it.
gollark: Well, we didn't have computers until 1950ish, and we didn't have portable computers good enough to run reasonable note things until 1990ish.
gollark: However, this is !!PHYSICAL!! and !!EXISTS!! thus bad.
gollark: I was investigating the possible possibility of a "web clipper" thing.
gollark: Fascinating.

See also

References
  1. "PCLinuxOS 2020.01 updated installation media release". 14 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. "DistroWatch.com: Top Ten Distributions - An overview of today's top distributions". Retrieved 2007-07-03.
  3. "Experiment: Interview with Texstar of PCLinuxOS - Yet Another Linux Blog". linux-blog.org. 8 June 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
  4. "Distribution Release: PCLinuxOS 2009.2". 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  5. PCLinuxOS 2009.1 Review | LinuxBSDos.com
  6. PCLinuxOS 2009.1 - A lovely distro, Dedoimedo
  7. "Distribution Review: PCLinuxOS 2010".
  8. PCLinuxOS 2010.12 Gnome - Rushed out too early, Dedoimedo
  9. Spotlight on Linux: PCLinuxOS 2010 | LinuxJournal
  10. PCLinuxOS 2010 - Familiar taste of radical simplicity, Dedoimedo
  11. Introducing PCLinuxOS 2010, OSNews
  12. "PCLinuxOS 2010.1 KDE 4 Edition".
  13. PCLinuxOS 2012.08 review - A thing of the past, Dedoimedo
  14. PCLinuxOS 2012.02 review - Hope?, Dedoimedo
  15. Linuxed - Exploring Linux distros: PCLinuxOS KDE 2012.08 Review: Better than ever!
  16. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 505, 29 April 2013
  17. PCLinuxOS "So Cool Ice Cub are Jealous" | Linux.com | The source of Linux information
  18. Linuxed - Exploring Linux distros: PCLinuxOS 2013.06 LXDE Review: Fast, attractive and easy to use Lightweight rolling release distro
  19. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 576, 15 September 2014
  20. UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads Retrieved on 2009-5-1
  21. pclinuxos [@iluvpclinuxos] (10 May 2016). "Official announcement since some don't seem to want to accept what I've been saying for the past 6 mos. PCLOS 32bit is dead dead dead!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,137448.msg1173232.html#msg1173232
  23. PCLinuxOS dropped 32-bit support, DistroWatch
  24. "Trinity Desktop Environment on PCLinuxOS". trinity.mypclinuxos.com. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  25. [https://www.pclinuxos.com/?p=4005 />
  26. [https://www.linuxtechnews.com/pclinuxos-2019-06-latest-stable-release-is-ready-for-download />
  27. "Mate Desktop » PCLinuxOS". Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  28. Download PCLinuxOS 2018.06, Softpedia Linux. Archived 7 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  29. "KDE Desktop » PCLinuxOS". Archived from the original on 2018-08-19. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  30. PCLinuxOS 2017.07 KDE - Majestic and horrible, Dedoimedo
  31. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 707, 10 April 2017
  32. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 654, 28 March 2016
  33. "An Everyday Linux User Review Of PCLinuxOS 2016 MATE". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-08.

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