Clear Linux Working On A New Software Store, User Bundles Arriving Before End Of Year
For those users of this Intel-optimized rolling-release Linux distribution, Q4'2019 is set to bring more improvements to its installer, Python 2 should finally be cleared out, the user bundles / third-party support looks like it will be ready, and they are even working on a new alternative to GNOME Software that will be focused on their bundles packaging architecture.
Clear Linux community manager Beatriz Palmeiro shared on their blog some of the improvements we have to look forward to this quarter:
- Switching over to Linux 5.4 following its release, which for now is looking like should be around the middle of November. Linux 5.4 is bringing many new/improved features from Microsoft exFAT support to Intel items like initial Tigerlake graphics, mainline support for Thunderbolt on Icelake, and more.
- Dropping of Python 2 ahead of the EOY deadline when Python 2 will be officially no longer supported upstream. Python 3.8 should also be coming down the pipe on Clear as the next of Py3.
- Merging the LLVM Clang 9 compiler and its fun features that include the ability to build the mainline Linux kernel.
- Clr-user-bundles support, which appears to be their long-awaited implementation for more easily supporting third-party packaging on Clear Linux. For months we've been looking forward to their third-party packaging capabilities and it looks like it will arrive this quarter. Besides hopefully seeing the likes of Chrome/Chromium and multimedia packages not permitted in Clear Linux itself, it will be interesting to see if these clr-user-bundles bring any of Intel's proprietary software packages for easy and optional deployment on Clear Linux systems. Clear Linux itself continues to be built purely out of open-source software, but this user bundles approach could make it easier for those wanting to deploy Intel's binary software solutions. Clr-user-bundles still comply with Clear Linux's stateless design and the default prefix appears to go under /opt/3rd-party.
- Support for the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) and as part of that Linux Software RAID in the Clear Linux installer. The Clear Linux installer is set to gain PXE support.
- Better support for non-EFI systems.
- A new software store application, which Beatriz describes as: "New software store application will provide OS-native application version of the online software catalog. An alternative to GNOME Software Center, it will have the same look and feel as website but will include the ability to install bundles."
It's sure to be an interesting quarter on top of their continued performance optimizations.
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