UserLinux Beta 1: The Precursor to the Next Enterprise Linux Distro?

By: Sean Michael Kerner
Thursday, October 14, 2004 11:16:22 AM EST
URL: http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/5609/1/

Setting The Enterprise Stage

UserLinux is a Linux distribution with very high aspirations. Founded and backed by Linux luminary Bruce Perens, part of the UserLinux mission is to repair the economic paradigm of enterprise Linux. The recently released UserLinux Beta 1 is perhaps a tangible small step on the path toward achieving its lofty ambitions.

It wasn't that long ago when Linux was just Linux and not broken down into the hobbyist, desktop, and enterprise classifications. That was when Linux was only considered worthy by many enterprises for edge-of-network and non-mission critical applications like file and Web servers.

Linux has since evolved and so have its users; enterprise users want enterprise distributions with all the support, features and security that define the modern IT infrastructures. Yet somehow along the way, the current enterprise distributions, while delivering Linux to enterprise users have also, in the view of some, broken faith with some of the altruistic ideals of free software

"We, the Free Software developers, created this software to empower everyone, and for everyone to share," Perens wrote in his UserLinux manifesto. "But today's Enterprise Linux is a lock-in play, designed to draw the customer into expensive subscriptions and single-vendor service. Customers are made to agree not to pass service bulletins on to others. While this is within the letter of the licenses that we crafted for our software, it's outside of their spirit."

With UserLinux, the general idea is that support and service will be provided to end users via a network of for profit individual service vendors. On top of those individual vendors will be the 'large entity' overarching UserLinux organization that will tie it all together, certify and authorize the individual service vendors and of course put out the distribution itself.

The actual UserLinux distribution itself is based upon Debian--more specifically the currently unstable (though soon to be stabilized and released) next version codenamed 'Sarge'. This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that is familiar with Bruce Perens' resume; he is, after all, a former Debian Project leader.

Getting UserLinux

As of the writing of this review, there are only two principal ways to obtain UserLinux. Either download a Net install ISO version that's only 4.5 MB or get the LiveCD version that's a 'few' mb more (456 MB, actually).

Unfortunately there isn't a full ISO (or ISOs) or even a Torrent download for a full install (only for the installer); the Net-based installer is the only way for now. Which, depending on how you look at it, may or may not be a bad thing. From my point of view as a person that downloads, installs, and then re-installs multiple distributions at different points in time, it's a bit of pain in comparison to just having a few burned CDs ready to go (and then of course pulling the updates that are needed, which is a bit different than pulling a full distribution every time).

As far as I can tell, the reason for a Net-based installer for UserLinux at this point in time is likely because on the simple fact that UserLinux has no package repositories of its own. Essentially it relies on Debian mirrors to provide the necessary packages to put together the UserLinux distribution.

This is a great strength in that UserLinux can leverage the tremendous breadth of Debian packages and rely on the existing community of mirrors for updates. The drawback, though, is that those mirrors are all using FTP (or HTTP) file transfers, not some form of distributed P2P like BitTorrent (which for multi-GB download is almost always faster) and in my opinion leaves you at the mercy of the mirror(s) you choose for speedy downloads (or not).

Installer Chaos

Since UserLinux Beta 1, is also by definition a 'Beta,' it's not exactly production ready. Nowhere is this more evident than in the current state of its Net ISO installer, which in its current form is a far cry from where it should be. The installer lacks some of the basic description and options that a user should have to make the proper decisions about installation.

For example, the installer gives the user the choice of installing for a Small/Home Office or for a larger enterprise, though no description of the difference(s) in packages or even total download size is given. I downloaded both versions (at different points) and--short of doing a package-by-package comparison--had a hard time finding a difference between the two.

In fact, the installer (unless I missed something) doesn't allow for the granular level of control or even a moderate level of control in terms of installed packages. On my first installation of UserLinux Beta 1, I really didn't know what services and applications I had installed until the system was up and running. Doing a simple netstat vat showed literally dozens of services and open ports, some of which I would want and others I would never have selected had I been given the choice.

I also encountered a significant amount of trouble getting the X-server to work after going through the initial installation. At first I thought it was perhaps a hardware problem, but when I got the LiveCD to work without issue (which autodiscovers most settings), I couldn't blame faulty hardware. Also, for some reason, UserLinux uses XFree86 version 4.3.0.1 and not the new X.org release--which I found a bit odd.

The Net install process was neither painless nor fun. For the timid there is a LiveCD though. Although the LiveCD lacks the myriad features the Net install provided, it does still give the 'basic' UserLinux desktop experience.

UserLinux is Debian

Once you actually get into the UserLinux Beta 1, what you'll see beyond the initial X splash screen that gives a little UserLinux logo, is essentially all Debian. The default X environment is GNOME 2.6 and the desktop version is loaded with all the apps you'd expect.

The LiveCD includes Mozilla (rather than Mozilla FireFox), OpenOffice.org, and productivity apps like Imendia Planner, which is a project management tool. The full Net installer version also had the Asterisk PBX, as well as a Jabber server among its long list of packages.

Debian 'Sarge' is still undergoing some changes, especially lately with its installer. No doubt that UserLinux's installation process will improve as its underlying foundation evolves toward a final stable release.

Sometimes betas are really good; sometimes they're not and really are betas. UserLinux Beta 1 is really a beta. I've always found that the real strength of a beta lies in its user feedback and in the community that stands behind it and is pushing it forward. UserLinux sports a reasonable developer list (464 messages in September), discussion board, and an IRC channel.

Howver, the #UserLinux channel on FreeNode was a veritable ghost town during my evaluation period (Sept. 17--Oct. 11) with few users present. The discussion forum was similarly under populated, though I did get a reasonably prompt response from a community member about my X server issue.

In the final analysis, UserLinux will be as good as Debian 'Sarge.' What will make it better will be living up to its promise and establishing a new paradigm for enterprise Linux support.