Slint64-14.2.1.2 is released! Foreword: this version, and its package repository, are tentatively named slint-testing. After a transition period this repository will become the "new" 14.2.1, then upgrading or installing anew will become mandatory. This will be announced in the Slint mailing list: https://www.freelists.org/list/slint and on our forum: https://forum.salixos.org/viewforum.php?f=44 Until then please read first README.testing in the same directory. Current Slint users will be able to upgrade without re-installing, cf.: http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-testing/doc/README.UPGRADE INSTALL SLINT THEN KEEP IT UPDATED You can get the testing ISO image and its sha256 checksum typing: wget http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-testing/iso/slint64-14.2.1.2t2.iso wget http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-testing/iso/slint64-14.2.1.2t2.iso.256 To check the integrity of the downloaded files typing this command: sha256sum -c slint64-14.2.1.2t2.iso.256 the result should be: OK To know how to use this ISO image, read first: http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-testing/README.testing More generic information here (to be updated for 14.2.1.2): http://slint.fr/wiki/en/installation To update your system after installation, run as as root these commands: slapt-get --add-keys slapt-get --update slapt-get --upgrade -s # to check for available updates. slapt-get --upgrade # to actually apply the updates. If you use the console or text mode, periodically run the latter commands to be informed of available updates and apply them. In graphical environments an icon that correspond to the packages update notification applet (salix-notification-applet) will be displayed as soon as updated packages are available. A left click on the icon brings up a small window where you will type the root's password, then a window for gslapt (graphical front-end of slapt-get) will be displayed, that will let you manage the updates. You will be notified of changes of all packages shipped in the Slint distribution, those that are stored from this repository: http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-14-testing/ as those that come from Slackware, stored for instance in: http://slackware.uk/salix/x86_64/slackware-14.2/ IMPORTANT: if kernel upgrades are needed to bring security fixes the kernel packages will be listed as blacklisted in the output of slapt-get --upgrade and of gslapt. Actually upgrading needs specific actions, listed in KernelUpgrade All changes of Slint packages after the testing phase will be listed in this file: http://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-14.2.1/ChangeLog.txt All changes od Slackware packages are listed in this file: http://slackware.uk/salix/x86_64/slackware-14.2/ChangeLog.txt CHANGES SINCE 14.2.1.1 They are listed in NEW CHANGES SINCE 14.2.1 The most notable changes are: * Addition of vlc, the ubiquitous audio and video player and recorder, thanks to Eric Hameleers. * Addition of mate-tweak, Compiz, Emerald and associated themes. This brings new features, some of them benefit to partially sighted users. * All speech-related applications now rely on alsa or portaudio only and audio settings have been enhanced. Benefits: a better sound quality when using speech in console mode, speech applications now start instantly in all contexts without needing to start pulseaudio system wide, audio outputs coming from speech application versus audio players are fully independent of each others and do not interfere. CHANGES SINCE 14.2 The most notables changes are: * the addition of two desktops: LXDE current and MATE 1.18 * an increased accessibility to visually impaired users: now Slint can be installed and used with speech and/or Braille both in text mode and in several graphical environments including MATE. The installation of KDE is now optional. If KDE is installed, to avoid cluttering the application menus of other graphical environments the admin can just type hide-kde-apps: the menu entry of KDE apps will then appear only in the menu entry of KDE. This can be reverted typing show-kde-apps. The lightdm and gdm2 graphical login managers have been added, both can speak. To cope with the many graphical environments and login managers and alleviate the need of manually editing configuration files, several new utilities are provided: * orca-on ad orca-off allow each user to enable or disable speech and/or braille in graphical environments for oneself. * session-chooser allows a user to set the default graphical session for oneself, among those available. This can be done by root for a regular user with setsession. * login-chooser allows the admin to set the login manager, either text (the users can then after login start a graphical session typing startx) or graphical (among lightdm, lxdm, gdm and kdm) and decide to have speech or not for login, in text mode as using lightdm or gdm2. Most graphical environments get a similar layout of the panels and their menus. In addition 60 wallpapers have been added, that you can easily set in LXDE, MATE and XFCE: just make a right click on the desktop, find the menu entry to set the background and pick an image. The specific appearance of the MATE desktop can be restored typing mate-slint-theme. ACCESSIBILITY Read the documents in Accessibility More generally, all the documents in the directory doc are worth, especially for blind users. GENERAL INFORMATION Slint website: http://slint.fr Forum: https://forum.salixos.org/viewforum.php?f=44 Mailing list: https://www.freelists.org/list/slint Didier: didier~at~slint~dot~fr Last updated on 14 February 2019