Revision 394956973 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 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 (programming language)|Python]] and [[XFree86]] with anti-aliased fonts, used the [[Blackbox]] window manager, and included a new packaging system created 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
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free software}}

* [[OPIE user interface]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[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}}
{{Table mobile operating systems}}

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


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