Elive is a non-commercial
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one ...
based on
Debian
Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of D ...
. It uses the
Enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
desktop environment, offering a
live DVD
A live CD (also live DVD, live disc, or live operating system) is a complete bootable computer installation including operating system which runs directly from a CD-ROM or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than loading fro ...
and a persistent USB image for 32- and 64-bit computers with Intel or AMD x86 processors.
History
Elive was established in early 2005 as a customized
Knoppix
KNOPPIX ( ) is an operating system based on Debian designed to be run directly from a CD / DVD (Live CD) or a USB flash drive (Live USB), one of the first live operating system distributions (just after Yggdrasil Linux). Knoppix was developed b ...
Live DVD
A live CD (also live DVD, live disc, or live operating system) is a complete bootable computer installation including operating system which runs directly from a CD-ROM or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than loading fro ...
running the
Enlightenment desktop. The first version to appear publicly was called Elive and referenced multiple times by
DistroWatch's Ladislav Bodnar and Susan Linton. It was also distributed by UK-based
LinuxFormat magazine in 2007, as well as being offered on their cover-disc.
In July 2007, Susan Linton wrote for
Distrowatch
DistroWatch is a website which provides news, distribution pages hit rankings, and other general information about various Linux distributions as well as other free software/open source Unix-like operating systems. It now contains information on ...
, "I love Elive and version 1.0 is a wonderful first full release. Just about everything works and works well." At the time, the review was somewhat mixed, with certain criticisms pertaining to laptop usage, such as (at that time) lack of
CPU throttling
A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, a ...
, or
WEP when connecting to WiFi.
Controversy regarding payment model
In 2010, version 2.0 was released with improvements like upgrade mode, the "nurse" and more.
Linux Magazine
''Linux Magazine'' is an international magazine for Linux software enthusiasts and professionals. It is published by the former Linux New Media division of the German media company Medialinx AG.
The magazine was first published in German in 199 ...
and
Linux Journal
''Linux Journal'' (''LJ'') is an American monthly technology magazine originally published by Specialized System Consultants, Inc. (SSC) in Seattle, Washington since 1994. In December 2006 the publisher changed to Belltown Media, Inc. in Houston ...
especially touted the tight integration of the
E17 window manager in their reviews.
However, this version required a payment for installation to hard disk which seriously impacted the initial popularity and was subsequently changed to a voluntary donation. A March 2010 article by Koen Vervloesem of LWN.net criticized Elive 2.0 for requiring payment partway through installation to a hard drive.
Eight years after 2.0, version 3.0 was released. Elive was no longer pay-to-install, but its prolonged development cycle and certain other factors lead to mixed reviews of the project.
Releases
Three separate versions are currently available, as of 1 July 2023:
* Stable (version 3.0.6), based on Debian Wheezy and E17. It has a 32-bit release only.
* Beta (now at version 3.8.30), which offers a 32- and 64-bit release. It is based on
Debian Bullseye
Debian releases do not follow a fixed schedule. Recent releases have been made roughly biennially by the Debian Project. The most recent version of Debian is Debian version 11, codename "Bullseye". The next up and coming release of Debian is De ...
and uses the E16 desktop environment.
* Retrowave Stable based on 3.8.32 Beta
Related pages
*
List of Linux distributions
This page provides general information about notable Linux distributions in the form of a categorized list. Distributions are organized into sections by the major distribution or package management system they are based on.
RPM-based
Red Hat ...
*
Enlightenment (window manager)
Enlightenment, also known simply as E, is a compositing window manager for the X Window System. Since version 20, Enlightenment is also a Wayland compositor. Enlightenment developers have referred to it as "the original eye-candy window manage ...
See also
*
Comparison of Linux distributions
References
External links
Official Website*
{{Authority control
Free software culture and documents
IA-32 Linux distributions
Operating system distributions bootable from read-only media
X86-64 Linux distributions
Linux distributions
Independent Linux distributions