Revision 219199064 of "Familiar Linux" on enwiki

{{Infobox_OS
| name = Familiar Linux
| logo = 
| website = http://familiar.handhelds.org/
| family = [[Linux]]
| source_model = [[Open source]], [[Free Software]]
| latest_release_version = v0.8.4
| latest_release_date = August, 2006 <!--http://handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/FamiliarDistribution#install-->
| kernel_type = [[Monolithic kernel]], [[Linux kernel|Linux]]
| ui = [[OPIE user interface|OPIE]], [[GPE Palmtop Environment|GPE]]
| license = 
| supported_platforms = 
| package_manager = 
}}

'''Familiar Linux''' is a [[Linux distribution]] for [[iPAQ]] machines and other [[personal digital
assistant]]s (PDAs), intended as a replacement for [[Windows CE]] on these machines. It can use
[[OPIE user interface|OPIE]] or [[GPE Palmtop Environment]] as [[graphical user
interface]]. Familiar Linux is a complete [[operating system]] with many applications.

== Origin ==
In May of 2000, Alexander Guy took a kernel that had been worked on by Compaq programmers, built a
complete Linux distribution around it, and released the first version of Familiar (v0.1).  The
distribution was a lightweight package with Python and XFree86 with anti-aliased fonts, used the
Blackbox window manager, and included a new packaging system invented by Carl Worth called
"[[ipkg]]", similar to [[Debian]]'s [[dpkg]], allowing user applications
to be installed and removed.

This next release was so far beyond what the Compaq team had built, that they decided to drop their
own distribution and adopt Familiar as the new reference.

== Recent releases ==

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align: left; "
|-
! abbr="date"    | Date
! abbr="release" | Release<ref>http://familiar.handhelds.org/#news</ref>
|-
! {{rh}} | August 2006
| v0.8.4
|-
! {{rh}} | Spring-Summer 2006
| Various pre-v0.8.4 [[Software release life cycle#Release candidate|release candidate]]s
|-
! {{rh}} | April 2005
| v0.8.2
|-
! {{rh}} | February 2005
| v0.8.1
|-
! {{rh}} | December 2004
| v0.8.0
|-
! {{rh}} | November 2003
| v0.7.2
|-
|}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

{{portal|Free software|Free Software Portal Logo.svg}}
*[http://familiar.handhelds.org/ Familiar homepage at handhelds.org website]
*[http://handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/FamiliarDistribution Familiar wiki page at handhelds.org wiki]
*[http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/SupportedHandheldSummary Supported device table]: note that only devices marked "Ready for users" are usable.
*[http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/HandheldsDistros Handhelds.org's list of PDA Linux distributions] - lists Familiar and other distributions

{{linux-distro}}

<!-- Interlang -->

<!-- Categories -->
[[Category:Platform-specific Linux distributions]]
[[Category:Aftermarket firmware]]
[[Category:Pocket PC software]]
[[Category:Embedded Linux distributions]]

{{linux-stub}}

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