Linux Distro Build Experiment, open ideas

[salbahis]

---

After my long hiatus in opensource world... contributing in some big projects... i have now reach the point where im not contented with the current distro available... so i decided to experiment and create one instead...


My plan specification is aim towards simplicity, lightweight and stability.


Contending based distro -
- Debian Wheezy (stable)
- Debian Jessie (testing)
- Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin)


Debian wheezy would be my choice of were to choose stability, but i dont really like gnome3 for me it is still bloated, i know that there is gnome-classic session which all the specification i need, only problem it is on-top of gnome3, i have attempted to create bare-minimum installation and building it from ground up... nag nosebleed kog ug grabe sa pag setup lang daan sa xorg sakit na ang akong ulo... then again the UI for its login manager, is too generic, i kinda fall in love on the unity-greeter (login ui for ubuntu unity)


Samething with wheezy it still fall short, the only difference is that i can use updated packages on this one... except for some minor bugs here there and everywhere...


now at this moment it seems like ubuntu 12.04 would be my choice, well to be honest... its bloated... i still have to expirement how to strip it down to its bare system...


all this three system are stable with some really itsy bitsy hiccups here there and everywhere...


I wanted it to build over gnome so any non gnome-based DE is out of the question... why? gnome shell is coded in JS and Python


Plan build
- Developer Build, basicly a pre-packaged sets of tools that are commonly used by web developer, it will aimed towards PHP,C++,Python, Ruby and most open source language (only native open source any .NET or any commercial with Opensource implementation will not be pre packaged since it is not an open sourced based from their licensed)


- Educational Build, i already decided on this to use cloud application instead of installed application, it will be designed to run on lower system both PC and ARM, planned distro to use either DSL, Puppy or ChromiumOS


- DA system, ive toyed on this idea since college after watching the movie hackers... i have jokingly talked about this on some of my blackhat friends... and they say its a good idea.. i envisioned this system to be both defensive and aggressive form of security, that i can do counter-attack upon detecting an intrussion.... sounds like from science fiction... but its possible...




Current expirement is Developer Build - So i any ideas that you think might be essential for it to be included, is appreciated...


NOTE: Im not coding all, i basicly pre-pack the distro with pre-installed packages... ok ok ok im might do some coding... but ill try not to do to avoid dependency issues...


currently idea that im adding on the experiment
- Lightweight Web Server (nginx)
- Lightweight FTP, im still not good in setting sftp... if anyone can help me i can drop ftp over sftp (openssh)
- Database (postgreSQL,MySQL,sqlLite)
- Framework Installer (django,phpframework)
- IDE, Komodo Edit (eclipse is tooooooo bloated shit)
- preinstalled Browser (Firefox, Google Chrome Opera) (-moz, -webkit, -o)
- Logs tool (multitail,curl)




i still dont have a name in this one... i wanted it to be funny but related... what do you think of BayabasOS heheheheheh


Links:

Developers group -> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/bayanihanos-dev
Git -> https://github.com/BayanihanOS
Developers Blog -> BayanihanOS | The Juan Who Code

incase naay interested mo contribute or suggest.....

[salbahis]

Update:



Couple years ago a ASTI/DOST released bayanihan linux then it was based from RHEL, the last release dated 2011 and currently its already an inactive project after noy2 remove the project, now im i contact with ASTI R&D head about forking it Bayanihan...

if he agrees, this will be a huge community project that will require a volunter, contributor...

the current expirement i did was very successfull.. its based in Debian Testing (currently Jessie), the same branch used by Linux Mint Debian, ill be using gnome 3.4 (currently until ill found a way to get 3., currently using modified gnome-shell but im planning to fork it so i can really customize it...

it uses lightdm as login UI similar to ubuntu, i was happy nga nakuha nako last night unsaon pag customize nga mura siya windows 8 o pantheon-greeter... they say that lisud i implement ang mga eye candy sa ubuntus a debian... well i just did... booyah!!



just incase interested mo once ma hatag na ang go signal sa DOST-ASTI to fork the project... ill be needing volunter nga kabalo ug C++,Python,pyGTK and vala (no mono please, its not a pure opensource implementation), and also for UI to make skin for the window manager and icons..

Final specs

System: Debian Testing (Jessie)
Desktop Environment: Gnome 3.4
Session Manager: LightDM (im droping gdm3)
Window Manager: Mutter (i would love to get compiz but its only available in sid and squeezy)

and it will not be a rolling release, except for security updates... however you can still upgrade/update specific package...


ill see if i can make some screenshots and some mockups kaso not really good in photoshop... so good luck to me...

[salbahis]

Im looking for following volunteers:

- Python/PyGTK/GTK/C++,C,Objective-C/Vala/Ruby Developer
- UI Designers

This is not a paid job, this purely voluntary... if naay interested drop me a PM para maka set kog meetup to talk about it. i already got the go signal from DOST to continue Bayanihan Linux

[salbahis]

mock up design for Bayanihan Linux

Boot animation


Login UI


Locked Screen


Desktop


Note: The mockup are based from my expirementation and will be implemented on the beta release... date still have to be determined, still looking for some volunteers... just drop me PM

Updates:
- Debian testing/sid based (Jessie)
- Gnome 3.8
- RAM: Minimum (512mb)
- Mutter window compositor selected instead of compiz since it is native and light
- Beta release will be released with X server, however once wayland will become stable it will in conunction of X server

Planned Features:
- Applications are bundled into suites for better deployment and dependencies, and also to keep the system very-light and un-bloated.
- Porting jquery to gnome/gtk/webkit.
- Cloud application

Future plans:
- Commercial software (yes the OS is free however some software solution will be paid-service since it will be used commercial, so beside the project i will also start a software company)

[salbahis]

updated see first page...

[burikoy12]

Good luck and godspeed, Bro. Unta'g daghang ma-engganyo pag apil ani imong undertaking.

Your UI looks great. Beta tester lang unya ko.

[salbahis]

Update while gatay-og: 10/17/2013 - 2:15PM

- Experiment on possible shift to ArchLinux, since Debian testing is quite slow in releasing gnome 3.8 while in Arch its already gnome 3.10

[salbahis]

10/21/2013 8:30PM
- Successfull setup on ArchLinux with Gnome 3.10
- Platform experiment, ArchLinux with Gnome 3.10, if this will be successful, ill ditch debian and move to Arch as based distro, a little bleeding edge though but im not releasing this as a rolling release...
- Wayland/Weston (xorg successor) currently being tested, incase you wanna know Ubuntu's mir is based from Wayland

See first post for update...

[vernie]

The sample screenshots you posted is similar to elementary. Pear OS 8 is also using a similar approach internally and the default theme is similar to that from Mac OS. With arch, you have access to latest updates and fixes and also with the latest surprises. Working knowledge on scripting is necessary and a strong foundation on how the system works is a must when maintaining a distro. Since it's the open source world, life will be easier and always filled with exciting challenges along the way.

Since the configuration requirement on a desktop environment is different to that of the server environment, I suggest you have to separate a server edition and a desktop edition for easier maintenance. Another edition can be for development purpose but not that necessary. The configuration requirement here is more on performance tuning for the kind of use to get an optimal performace. Though either edition can share and use similar packages, it is still necessary to separate the two for easier deployment and maintenance. In the early days, a single cd for any setup is enough where you can choose to run a server, a desktop, a development platform, an educational setup or a combination during the installation or setup process. In the end, people still ended up with separate editions for the same reason I stated above.

[salbahis]

The sample screenshots you posted is similar to elementary. Pear OS 8 is also using a similar approach internally and the default theme is similar to that from Mac OS. With arch, you have access to latest updates and fixes and also with the latest surprises. Working knowledge on scripting is necessary and a strong foundation on how the system works is a must when maintaining a distro. Since it's the open source world, life will be easier and always filled with exciting challenges along the way.

Since the configuration requirement on a desktop environment is different to that of the server environment, I suggest you have to separate a server edition and a desktop edition for easier maintenance. Another edition can be for development purpose but not that necessary. The configuration requirement here is more on performance tuning for the kind of use to get an optimal performace. Though either edition can share and use similar packages, it is still necessary to separate the two for easier deployment and maintenance. In the early days, a single cd for any setup is enough where you can choose to run a server, a desktop, a development platform, an educational setup or a combination during the installation or setup process. In the end, people still ended up with separate editions for the same reason I stated above.

more likely elementary OS, i use dan rabbit's elementary OS icons since i dont have any volunteers to help me on the icons... i like elementary OS, except that it runs on ubuntu... so i choose a mixed of jessie and sid... i know it sounds like ubuntu but its debian pureblend more like linux mint debian edition + aptosid

as to arch... well i like arch... the problem is, its not really user friendly... i know a lot of people like rolling release... but its not really recommended if you wish to achieve stability... ive been distro hopping for quite some time and i found that debian is more suitable...

performance wise... debian will be my option since it has well supported contributors.... ive seen arch succeed but ive seen and experienced it failed misserably... i was able to fix some quirks in debian and optimize it.. i dont like rolling release, it tend to break and limits the user who can really use it...

as a maintainer is quite challenging... its not easy but its possible..

well debian is enough for canonical and some other community... and also the bayanihan linux project that ive forked is based in debian...

as for the server version... i have to worry it later..

my next challenge is forking gnome-shell which ive already started... dont like cinamon but im taking a crack on the latest gnome 3.10 if it succeed it will be the default de...

hopefully some of the fixes that ive submitted sa debian would be approve and added...

"Nothing is impossible for a determined person"