Supported packages

One of the most important things for AbTLinux is to have a set of tools available that will make AbTLinux usable immediately after install. That means we'll have to have such things as a browser, mail tool and possibly even spreadsheets, word processors and so on. To bootstrap AbTLinux we should probably stick to a minimal set of tools and let things grow from there. Here's a list of ideas (note: boldface lines have been completed and exist in the package repo)

Packages

basesystem

• bash (use [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-3.2.tar.gz|3.2] version + [ patches]). Also don't forget associated [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-doc-3.1.tar.gz|documentation].
• binutils: latest version is [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/binutils/binutils-2.17.tar.bz2|2.17] for now.
• bzip2: latest version is [ http://www.bzip.org/1.0.5/bzip2-1.0.5.tar.gz|1.0.5].
• coreutils: latest is [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/coreutils/coreutils-6.7.tar.gz|6.7].
• cpio: latest is [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/cpio/cpio-2.9.tar.bz2|2.9].
• dialog: latest is [ ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/d/dialog/dialog_1.0-20060221.orig.tar.gz|20060221].
• diffutils: latest is [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/diffutils/diffutils-2.8.1.tar.gz|2.8.1].
• e2fsprogs: latest is [ http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/e2fsprogs/e2fsprogs-1.39.tar.gz|1.39].
• fcron: [ http://fcron.free.fr/archives/fcron-3.0.2.src.tar.gz|3.0.2]. Don't forget to add a symbolic link crontab to fcrontab, so users don't get lost.
• file: [ ftp://ftp.astron.com/pub/file/file-4.19.tar.gz|4.19].
• findutils: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/findutils/findutils-4.2.29.tar.gz|4.2.29]
• gawk: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gawk/gawk-3.1.6.tar.bz2|3.1.6]
• gcc: proposition: use 4.1.x (x>=1) sweet features: -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 and -fstack-protector. (should increase basic security about buffer overflows and such), -fpie ? Apply [ patch] to 4.1.1.
• glibc: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/glibc/glibc-2.7.tar.gz|2.7]
• gnupg: [ ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-1.4.6.tar.bz2|1.4.6] and [ ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.0.1.tar.bz2|2.0.1]
• grep.
• gzip: [ ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/mirrors/gnu/gzip/gzip-1.2.4a.tar.gz|1.2.4a] + [ http://www.gzip.org/gzip-1.2.4b.patch|patch] (security fix). or use a [ (1.3.3)] version which allows >2GB files and corrects the problem.
• init.d: we still have to choose one.
• DONE: installwatch: it's part of checkinstall.
• less: latest is [ http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/less-394.tar.gz|394].
• linux: Proposed patches: [ - a lighter, easier to use SELinux like program (GPL)], [ so philips and other webcams work out of the box (GPL)] , [ of tree driver supporting 200+ webcams], [ ? (GPL)], [ http://www.suspend2.net/|suspend2] ? others ? latest stable version is [ http://kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.22.tar.bz2|2.6.22]. Support [ http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/|UML] out of the box (with [ http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/skas.html|skas]). Support [ http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/SRG/netos/xen/|Xen], [ http://openvz.org/|OpenVZ], [ (now in official tree) ] ?
• (GNU) make: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/make-3.81.tar.bz2|3.81] is the actual stable version.
• module-init-tools: [ http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/rusty/modules/module-init-tools-3.2.2.tar.bz2|3.2.2] is the stable version. 3.3-pre1 is available for testers.
• net-tools
• ncurses: latest version is [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/ncurses-5.6.tar.gz|5.6].
• patch: [ ftp://ftp.cs.univ-paris8.fr/mirrors/ftp.gnu.org/gnu/patch/patch-2.5.4.tar.gz|2.5.4].
• procps: [ http://procps.sourceforge.net/procps-3.2.7.tar.gz|3.2.7].
• readline: [ ftp://ftp.cwru.edu/pub/bash/readline-5.2.tar.gz|5.2] + [ ftp://ftp.cwru.edu/pub/bash/readline-5.2-patches/|patches] ==
• sed: [ ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/sed/sed-4.1.5.tar.gz|4.1.5]
• shadow
• tar: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/tar/tar-1.16.1.tar.bz2|1.16.1]
• texinfo: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/texinfo/texinfo-4.8a.tar.bz2|4.8a]
• unzip: [ http://ftp.info-zip.org/pub/infozip/src/unzip552.tar.gz|5.52]
• util-linux: [ http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/util-linux-2.12r.tar.bz2|2.12r].
• wget: [ http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/wget/wget-1.10.2.tar.gz|1.10.2].
• zlib: [ http://www.gzip.org/zlib/zlib-1.2.3.tar.gz|1.2.3].
• rpm for lsb compliance ?

desktop manager

• [ 4]

office

• latex
• dia
• xfig
• xpdf
• evince
• xv

browser

• Firefox
• links
• lynx
• w3m

mailer

• mutt
• pine

chat

• xchat
• irssi
• gaim
• psi

editor

• vim
• nano
• mc

multimedia

• beep media player
• mplayer
• xine
• videolan

misc

• screen
• urxvt-unicode
• fetchmail
• maildrop / procmail
• bogofilter
• spamassassin
• shorewall
• x3270
• DONE: ipc
• DONE: fortune

security

• gnupg
• gnupg-exp
• [ http://muse.linuxmafia.org/gshield/|gShield]

notes about filesystems

• ALWAYS use directory indexing for ext3. Performances are horrible with heavily loaded FS (many files per directory) without it. tune2fs -O dir_index /dev/hdXY and e2fsck -D -f /dev/hdXY
• Use hdparm to enable DMA, unmask IRQ, and use 32 bits synced mode (-c3 -d1 -u1). It helps quite a bit to improve system responsiveness during high I/O loads, and improve FS throughputs. See [ page] for more information.

notes about I/O schedulers

• Use CFQ by default. Very efficient for DBMS. Adjust the nr_requests parameter in /proc/sys/scsi subsystem to match the capabilities of any given I/O subsystem. Note: CFQ is now default in 2.6.18.
• DEADLINE seems to be a good choice for people wanting low latencies.
• NOOP seems perfect for non hard drives storage (USB keys...).
• AS seems to be the one for "small" boxes, with few disks and limited I/O. By design, the AS scheduler is a nice choice for client and workstation machines where interactive response time is a higher priority than I/O latency. see [ page] for more details.