Bodhi Linux ARM Alpha Release for RaspBerry Pi

Edit/Update: You can find the latest release here -> http://www.bodhilinux.com/downloads_mobile.php

I've been busy with lots of different Bodhi things of the late. The latest of my many projects has been getting the Bodhi desktop functional on the RaspBerry Pi:

This first release while having some rough edges does give you a fully functional Enlightenment desktop on top of a Debian Wheezy ARMEL base. I am providing two different downloads which you can find on our source forge page here. The first is an easy to use .img file that can be written to 4GB or larger SD card.

If you dislike .img files I've also provided tar files that contain the boot partition (which should be written to a vfat partition at the start of an SD card) and the root file system (which should be written to the second partition on a card that is extX).

The default logins for this image are:

bodhi/bodhi

root/raspberry

The "bodhi" user has sudo rights by default.

If you hit any snags or find bugs with this image please let us know in the RaspBerryPi section of our user forums (not the comment section of this blog!) so we can improve this release.

~Jeff Hoogland

Bodhi Linux ARM Release Candidate for Genesi

Edit/Update: You can find the latest release here -> http://www.bodhilinux.com/downloads_mobile.php

Early this year I posted about our beta release of Bodhi on ARM for the Genesi Smartbook. Today I would like to finally follow up that beta release with something that I consider "release candidate" quality. The hardware is 99% functional with this release including the ability to suspend the system. Other small improvements include functional "plug and play" for flash drives and a mostly functional AppCenter!

There are three different downloads provided that you can find here. It is recommended you use one of the provided .img files (and check the md5sum after such a large download!). For developers interested in seeing the raw file system you can also download it in .tar.xz form.

The default login information for this release image are:

bodhi/bodhi

If you run into any issues please let us know in the Genesi section of our forums.

~Jeff Hoogland

A Bodhi Linux 2.0.0 FAQ

I've been getting a good deal of redundant questions regarding Bodhi's upcoming 2.0.0 release. Today I would like to address a few of the more common questions I've been getting.

When is the release date?

No idea. I live strictly by "its ready when its ready" philosophy for the software I work on. Setting strict release dates causes buggy software to be marked as "stable". Our targeted release month is July - but who knows it could be ready before then.

What is the main difference between 2.0.0 and 1.x.y?

The Ubuntu base is the main difference. Our 1.x.y series is based on Ubuntu 10.04, while 2.0.0 is built on top of 12.04

Can I upgrade my Bodhi Linux 1.x.y install to Bodhi 2.0.0?

No. A full reinstall will be required.

Will there be 64bit support?

Yep.

What are the minimum system requirements?

The minimum system requirements will be about the same as Bodhi 1.x.y. Currently they are looking like:

300mhz processor

128mb RAM

2gig of hard drive space

Will it be faster than Bodhi 1.x.y?

Could be. It will not be slower to say the least.

How big will the disc download be?

Since we do not have a final stable version as of yet I cannot say for sure. Expect it to be under 500mb though.

Can I upgrade from 2.0.0 pre-release to the final 2.0.0 version?

Yep.

I think that about covers all the common questions I have gotten. If you have another question regarding this release feel free to drop a comment below.

~Jeff Hoogland

Filling out my FAFSA on FOSS

I want to remind every out there of something:

Never doubt that your voice matters.

Over a year ago I wrote a post complaining that you where unable to complete the "free application for federal student aide" from an FOSS operating system without first tricking the government's website into thinking you are running Windows.

It was time for me to renew my application (it is something you update every year in the US) and I had my user agent changer all ready to go, but before I simply admitted defeat again I first tried with my normal browser settings. Lo and behold was I surprised! While I was still warned that I was using an "unsupported" browser - the FAFSA website no longer prevented me from filling out the application from said browser.

This is fantastic to say the least - it is a step in the right direction: towards a open internet where the platform you are accessing it from doesn't matter. I would like to say thanks to everyone out there who read my post last year and took the time to contact the FAFSA folks to let them know how stupid their policy was - because apparently they listened!

~Jeff Hoogland