Developer SparkyLinux team Working state Current | OS family Unix-like Source model Open source | |
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Initial release 5 May 2012; 4 years ago (2012-05-05) Latest release (Rolling release) / Installation DVD SparkyLinux 4.5.2 "Tyche" | ||
SparkyLinux is a desktop-oriented operating system based on the "testing" branch of Debian. The project offers ready to use operating system with a set of various customized lightweight desktops to choose.
Contents
History
The project was born on October, 2011 as an Ubuntu remix with Enlightenment as the default desktop having the name ue17r (Ubuntu Enlightenment17 Remix). After a few months of testing, the base system has been changed to Debian and it was renamed to SparkyLinux.
Features
SparkyLinux is based on "testing" branch of Debian and uses 'rolling-release-cycle'. It includes a collection of tools and scripts to help users with easy administration of the system.
The default desktop environment is LXDE but users can download and install other Sparky versions with desktops such as Budgie (under development), Enlightenment, JWM, Openbox, KDE, LXQt, MATE or Xfce. There is a CLI (text based) edition for advanced users as well.
SparkyLinux offers a special gaming edition "GameOver" targeted to gamers. It features a large set of free and open source games and some needed tools.
Another special edition of SparkyLinux Rescue provides a live system and a large number of applications for recovering broken operating systems.
Sparky editions of: KDE, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, Xfce and GameOver are offered with a set of applications for daily use, large set of additional Wifi drivers and multimedia codecs and plug-ins.
As of Sparky 4.3 features the "MinimalGUI" and "MinimalCLI" editions (renamed "Base Openbox" and "CLI") which provides the Sparky Advanced Installer which lets the users install one of 20 about different desktops of their choice.
As Sparky iso image features a few proprietary packages, the 'Sparky APTus' provides a small tool called 'Non-Free Remover' which can easy uninstall all 'contrib' and 'non-free' packages from the system.
Releases
SparkyLinux is released 3-4 times per year to provide the latest versions of all applications.