14 DAY TRIAL // Openwall GNU/*/Linux 3.0 is out, the latest update to the long-running security focused Linux distro. The latest release comes with quite a few updates from Openwall 2.0, including support for 64-bit systems, Ext4 as the default filesystem and a move to "RHEL 5.5-like" packaged kernels.
"I am pleased to announce that we have made a new major release of Openwall GNU/*/Linux, version 3.0. ISO images of the CDs for i686 and x86-64 are available for download," the official announcement read.
"With the 3.0 release, the Owl 2.0-stable branch is formally discontinued. We intend to proceed with further development under Owl-current and to maintain the newly-created Owl 3.0-stable branch until the next release, as usual," it continued.
Openwall 3.0 comes with quite a lot of changes. The x86-64 architecture is now supported as well and is offered for download along the 32-bit versions.
The latest release supports Linux 2.6 kernels in RPM packages similar to how Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 does it. It also makes it easier to deploy kernels not packaged as RMPs.
There is now built-in support for OpenVZ virtualization though the components are still optional at this point. Openwall 3.0 also makes the switch to the Ext4 filesystem, now used by default, which was previously unsupported. Ext3 and Ext2 are supported as well.
The new version comes with support for xz compression, specifically LZMA and LZMA2, in all system components.
New packages have been introduced as well, specifically smartmontools, mdadm, cdrkit, pciutils, dmidecode, vzctl, vzquota and xz, and most existing packages have been updated.
About Openwall GNU/*/Linux
Openwall has been in development for more than ten years now. It's a small Linux distro with a special emphasis on security aimed at servers and devices. It comes with a full build environment making it a good choice for operating systems and/or computer security courses.
Openwall GNU/*/Linux 3.0 is available for download here on Softpedia.