IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN! Kiara 1.16 "Giant"

With the latest release, there are three changes.

1. There's a new stable version of Firefox, version 3.6.9. Kiara tries to always be current with the latest stable firefox release.

2. There's a new system of numbering Kiara releases. What would have been Kiara 16 is now 1.16. this is in anticipation of a possible change. Future versions of Kiara may be based on something other than Slax 6.1.2.

3. Instead of hosting the latest Kiara download from mediafire, I'm going to try using the public folder in my dropbox folder. This would solve a lot of problems for me, so I'm going to be looking to make this switch permanent. If the download experience is bad for you PLEASE let me know.

What? Already? Yep, it's Kiara 15!

Nickname: "Margaret"
Now available for download!
Apparently, two days after 3.6.7, Firefox released version 3.6.8, and so, in keeping with my "follow Firefox" policy, two days after releasing Kiara 14, I am releasing releasing Kiara 15.
The only changes are the new browser, and, hopefully, less ugly splash screens.

I've been waiting for someone to guess how the releases are named, but it's pretty clear I'd be waiting forever, so now I shall reveal it. Kiara releases are named after characters from the best TV show iof all time, "Twin Peaks". Margaret was the name of the character most commonly referred to as "The Log Lady".



Neatly underplayed by stage actress and David Lynch associate Catherine E. Coulson, the Log Lady was everybody's favorite. She was occasionally injected into the plot as a kind of crackbrained soothsayer. (For the uninitiated, the log she carried everywhere "contained many spirits" and often spoke to her.) Mostly, she was written into a scene whenever a bit of weird-ass local color was called for.

Revised version of Kiara 14

As an afterthought, I reorganized the setup tools for Kiara, so that I could finally write some documentation. It's been incredibly hard getting started, but organizing the tools should help a lot. All I did was number them, to get a handle on the order in which they might be used to set up Kiara with a normal user. It's going to make all the difference... I hope.

Kiara 14 "Big Ed" released

Kiara uses a legacy desktop environment (KDE 3.5.10) and a contemporary Operating System platform (Slax 3.1.2, with additional packages taken from Slackware 12.2.) It's my belief that one important thing that I can do to keep all this old software fresh for the user is to keep up with the very latest web browser software, and the most important web browser in the Linux world is still Mozilla Firefox. For that reason, it's my policy to release a new version of Kiara immediately when I become aware of a new Firefox release.

And I mean immediately. This time, I became aware of the release of Firefox 3.6.7 at around midnight Wendesday morning, and I was uploading Kiara 14 before 3 AM. It's almost 6 AM, and I'm doing the first test download now. The new web browser, some new (crude but amusing) splash screens, and a new default backfron from Vladstudio are the only changes.

NOTE: I've decided to make a few added revisions for this release. I've reorganized the Kiara Setup Tools. Actually, all I did was number them, but I think that's going to make it a lot easier for me to FINALLY write the documentation for the setup tools. So the REVISED version of Kiara 14 is uploading now. (Wed Jul 21 20:58:33 UTC 2010)
When the upload is successfully completed, I'll post an announcement.

Kiara 13 codenamed "Lucy"

To me, this release lopoks and feels a lot more polished than last week's hastily put-out "Leo". The artwork seems better coordinated. Other changes include: upgrading the Opera Browser from 10.10 to 10.60, Adding the Google Chrome browser for 5.0, cleaning out the Setup tools, and adding a "Back to menu" button for improved navigation. To make room, ZSH and Gimp-help have been removed.

BACK IN SLACK: Kiara 12! Nickname: Leo

Leo finally gets a new pair of shoes!

Blackbelt_jones (THAT'S ME!) is reasonably proud (but mostly relieved) to announce the long-overdo uploading of Version 12 of Kiara GNU Linux, a live CD based on Slax, lovingly handmade using software packages ported from Slackware 12.2, and featuring the classic KDE3.5 Desktop environment.

Although it is my policy to release a new Kiara CD immediately after each new release of the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, a problem with my long-hated ISP, who shall remain anonymous (let's just call them "Shmerizon",) had taken me out of commission for a few months. It's good to be back.

As always, this release features fresh Desktop art from VLADSTUDIOS, the latest version of the Firefox (3.6.6) and Thunderbird (3.1), plus the one and only KIARA SETUP TOOLS, which use Konqueror's "Link to Application" feature to create a simple GUI to help everyday users approach some essential command-line administration tools.

Of course, the real Star of any Kiara release is Slax 12.2, the most fun and flexible live CD I know of, and also the most Slackware like.

The following packages have been added to Kiara as Slax (*.tlz) modules, and (to the best of my recollection) were ported from Slackware 12.2:

amarok-1.4.10-i486-3.lzm
kdeadmin-3.5.10-i486-4.lzm
at-3.1.10-i486-1.lzm
kdeartwork-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
links-2.2-i486-1.lzm
vim-7.2.018-i486-1.lzm
attr-2.4.41_1-i486-1.lzm
kdebindings-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
lynx-2.8.6rel.5-i486-1.lzm
w3m-0.5.2.lzm
bsd-games-2.13-i486-8.lzm
kdeedu-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
man-pages-3.15-noarch-1.lzm
wicd-1.6.2.2-i686-3cca.lzm
kdegames-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
mc-4.6.1_20070623p14-i486-2.lzm
dbus-python-0.83.0-i486-1.lzm
kdegraphics-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
mplayer-1.0.lzm
wireless-tools-29-i486-4.lzm
elinks-0.11.lzm
kdemultimedia-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
nano-2.0.9-i486-1.lzm
emacs-cvs-23.lzm
kdenetwork-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
epic4-2.8-i486-1.lzm
kdepim-3.5.10-i486-4.lzm
perl-5.10.0-i486-1.lzm
xchat-2.8.6-i486-2.lzm
gimp-2.4.7-i486-1.lzm
kdesdk-3.5.10-i486-3.lzm
pygobject-2.15.4-i486-1.lzm
xclock-1.0.3-i486-1.lzm
gimp-help-2-0.8-noarch-1.lzm
kdetoys-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
pygtk-2.12.1-i486-2.lzm
xfce-4.4.3-i486-1.lzm
gnuplot-4.2.3-i486-1.lzm
kdeutils-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
python-2.5.2-i486-4.lzm
xgames-0.3-i486-1.lzm
gtk+-1.2.10-i486-4.lzm
kdevelop-3.5.3-i486-3.lzm
ruby-1.8.7_p72-i486-2.lzm
xine-lib-1.1.15-i686-1.lzm
gtk+2-2.12.12-i486-1.lzm
kdewebdev-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
sane-1.0.19-i486-3.lzm
xine-ui-0.99.5-i686-1.lzm
gxine-0.5.903-i486-1.lzm
screen-4.0.3-i486-1.lzm
xli-1.17.0p21-i486-1McD.lzm
icewm-1-2-35.lzm
knemo-0.4.8-i486-2.lzm
sqlite-3.6.6.2-i486-1.lzm
xmms-1.2.11-i486-2.lzm
irssi-0.8.14-i486-1.lzm
krusader-1.90.0.lzm
sudo-1.6.8p12-i486-1.lzm
xscreensaver-5.07-i486-2.lzm
kdeaccessibility-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
ktorrent-2.2.8-i486-1.lzm
tcl-8.5.5-i486-1.lzm
xv-3.10a-i486-5.lzm
kdeaddons-3.5.10-i486-2.lzm
tk-8.5.5-i486-1.lzm
twm-1.0.4-i486-1.lzm
yakuake.lzm


To the best of my recollection, these moodules were downloaded from Slax.org

codecs-essential-20071007.lzm
libdvdcss-1.2.10-i486-1mfb.lzm
libdvdread-4.1.3-i486-1pst.lzm
wpa_supplicant-0.5.10-i486-1.lzm
opera10.10.4609.flash.10.lzm
wlassistant-0-5-7.lzm
wine-1.1.22-i486-mt.lzm
kdm-fix-s6.lzm

If anyone cares: NEW RELEASE COMING SOON!

For the past few months, I've been unable to use Kiara with my internet connection, because my ISP treats Linux users like Crap, and I haven't had a windows system to set up my router. So that's fixed, and right now I'm helping my friend get her home ready for her brother to come home from the nursing home where he's live for the past few months. As soon as I get a chance, I'll upload a new Kiara, which will probably just be the same Kiara with the latest version of Firefox and Thunderbird, some new art... you know the drill!

Kiara