OSE Linux

Page under active editing 3/17

What is It?

OSE Linux is a freely downloadable operating system that contains all software that is used regularly at OSE. It is run as a Live USB without the user having to modify or upset their usual operating system in any way whatsoever.

This addresses the tens of hours that it would potentially take to download and configure all the software and libraries in common use by OSE. Instead, a single install, taking under half hour of dedicated user time after download, is sufficient to download the entire operating system.

It is a good practice for OSE Developers to download and use the system to avoid software malfunction, improper settings, and in general the time it takes to download or install various software and its extensions, such as additional workbenches in FreeCAD, browser plugins, etc. OSE uses only open source software to produce all of its work product to facilitate interoperability with a large global team of developers.

OSE Linux can be used by downloading the ISO, and creating a bootable USB stick. Instead of using one's regular operating system, one can choose - upon startup - to run the OSE Linux operating system from a USB stick.

TO USE the OSE LInux ISO yourself, please skip down the page to the TESTING Section, HOWTO Documents:

This How To Create the ISO section is for developers that are working on creating and improving the ISO itself. End users should either follow the Linux Users or Windows Users HOWTO as seen in the Testing section of this page.

LinuxHOWTO

How to Create the ISO (For developers - This is not the end-user HowTo)

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Download the Current ISO Link (For OSE Linux Live End Users)

Current

APR 28 hybrid release
[1]
The iso is named 4-28-17ose0.42.iso

• LINK TO DOWNLOAD ISO - [2]

Old

• 2/17 - [3]
• Version 0.3 - [4]
• Radme by Jai Kumar - [5]

MD5SUM:

Hint: Latest Version is 0.3

And then create a bootable USB drive with that file.

To do that, GoGoDuck - https://duckduckgo.com/?q=iso+to+usb&t=canonical&ia=web

Hint: Instructions for creating a bootable USB are in progress as of 3/14/17 by Jai Log

Download Tracking

Need to track the number of downloads just like Arduino does - see this nice example:

Once created, this data should be posted at the OSE Stats Page.

Testing

We are documenting which systems work successfully for Live boot and/or install of the OSE Linux ISO.

Please document 3 things:

1. Version of the OSE Linux you are trying to boot and/or install - date or link to the download from above. Note that new versions will be published quarterly. It is impotant to keep notes on the specific version that you are using so there is no confusion on which OSE Linux versions are successful
2. Hardware you are using, such as Dell Precision M6500 Laptop
3. Operating system that you are using on your hardware - such as Ubuntu 16.04.

To document this for your system, please go to See ISO to USB Install Notes.

HowTo Document for Linux Users

Objective: A bootable USB stick that provides the OSE Live desktop, and will run all the OSE programs without touching any existing locally installed OS on the computer. It's a way to test, and use, the OSE programs (3D design, 2D design, video capture and edit, resource management) and not disturb the current computer setup.

1. Download the ISO (See above for current ISO URL)
2. Burn ISO to USB
3. Boot your computer with the USB

  a. have you set the BIOS to boot USB ?

  b. do you know the keystroke for Boot Menu on your computer ? (ESC) or (F8) or (F12), etc

http://opensourceecology.org/w/images/2/23/OSE_Live_USB_HowTo.webm

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HowTo Document for Windows Users

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Mac

• How to Create a bootable Open Source Ecology (OSE) Linux USB Stick on Mac OS X - [6]

Software List

This is a partial list of software that OSE uses:

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Other software: LinuxCNC implementation of CNC torch table, GRBL, DXF to GCode, QUCS. KDEnlive, Natron, Audacity, Vokoscreen, Screenshot. VLC Player. Chromium. ParaView, OpenFOAM, Calculix, Code_Aster. Top picks from CAM - http://bit.ly/1NdhZfL.

Partial Package List usable with Synaptic File:OSE Linux package list markings.txt

To use in Synaptic GUI:

Download text file.

If necessary install Synaptic Package Manager via Ubuntu Software Center.

Run Synaptic.

Menu->File->Read Markings...

Select and open text file

Review packages marked and unmark/mark as needed.

Apply Updates.

To modify or submit a new version of the list using Synaptic goto Menu->File->Save Markings As...

Save as txt file and re-upload new version to wiki.

OSE Linux Assists in Providing Technical Support

Technical support is a service of huge importance to the OSE community. As a Distributive Enterprise, OSE is interested in self-maintaining technical support base that can scale to millions of users.

To achieve this, part of our strategy is to utilize OSE Linux as an essential aspect of OSE's technical support. This is a managed distribution that works out all software-related issues for the OSE community - by providing a Linux distribution that just works.

Software-related issues stand in the way of seamless, distributed, open source collaboration. Overall, OSE Linux saves the OSE developer/user community thousands to millions of hours of total time that would otherwise be spent with people downloading software and making it work. To address this issue, OSE is proposing that any OSE user or developer obtains a copy of OSE Linux. This allows for a completely uniform way to eliminate all software related issues: improper installs, drivers, libraries, package conflicts, bad settings, security issues, software crashes, updates, and any other software issues. This is done by installing and using an entire OSE operating system, with all software prepared. The goal is to produce a stable and widely accessible system that can be run from a USB or that can be installed as a Multi-Boot System. The release schedule for updates will be quarterly.

Requirements

• Follows Best Practices for creating a Linux distribution
• Download statistics are tracked - number vs. Time, and are displayed via a wiki script
• Single configuration with all of OSE-critical software
• Contains libraries - such as tractor design in FreeCAD, etc.
• Has a Team Charter for long term support
• Clear hosting strategy and admin
• Donation option with hosting transparency page of cost and uptime, and user statistics
• Download requires an email for future communications
• Clear OSE Social Contract - contract with the OSS/H community to keep this distribution open source for ever
• Clear contributor agreement
• Clear repositories for design - distributed and pulled into the OSE distribution as current working design libraries.

Links

IT Support