Zeppe-Lin v1.0: Release Notes

Released Jan 18, 2025. 3rd Zeppe-Lin Release.

Introduction

The arrival of Zeppe-Lin v1.0 -- The Maiden Voyage -- marks a major milestone as our first stable major release. This version embodies the resilience and hard work invested in developing essential system tools, marking the start of a promising future for Zeppe-Lin. Through research and refinement, we've emerged stronger, and our cover art visually encapsulates this spirit of enduring flight.

If you're upgrading from an earlier release (for example, v0.99), please review the transitional notes in v0.99.1.

Incompatible Changes

Kernel Ring Buffer Logging: The /etc/rc script now saves the kernel ring buffer to /var/log/dmesg (instead of /var/log/boot) for the new bootlogd(8) functionality. Update scripts using the old path (if any).
Glibc's libcrypt replaced by libxcrypt: Update glibc before installing libxcrypt to avoid file conflicts.
c99 Now Separate Package: Install After gcc: Update gcc first, then install c99 to avoid file conflicts.

New Features

Binary Package Support: Zeppe-Lin v1.0 now offers pre-built binary packages for pkgsrc-core. This significantly simplifies the upgrade process and reduces the risk of issues associated with building from source. Install them using pkgadd(1). See the Download section for the archive.
PAX & CAPS in pkgutils: pkgutils and pkgmk have been updated to optionally handle ACLs (acl(5)) and extended attributes (xattr(7)). This enhancement allows for more fine-grained control over file permissions.

Zeppe-Lin enables only xattr(7) in pkgutils' Pkgfile, with pkgmk using pax as the default archive format. This allows setting specific permissions (Linux capabilities) for programs like ping(8) without needing full root privileges or extra installation steps (like post-install scripts with setcap). See pkgmk(8) and pkgadd(8) for details.
Standard C Compilers as Separate Packages: New shell wrappers like c89, c99, and c17 are now separate packages for standard C compilers. Previously, c99 was part of gcc. This improves system development standards. Check their man pages for details (thanks to NetBSD for them).
dumbruntimedir PAM Module: Zeppe-Lin v1.0 now uses the dumb-runtime-dir PAM module by default to manage XDG_RUNTIME_DIR, improving how user-specific runtime directories are handled for desktop applications. See pam_dumb_runtime_dir(8) for details.
Additional Package Sources Collections: New unofficial collections: pkgsrc-games and pkgsrc-wmaker.
Markdown Package READMEs: pkgman now supports Markdown (.md) for package READMEs, in addition to plain text. All READMEs have been converted to Markdown for improved formatting and readability. Try:
```
PAGER=markdown_viewer pkgman readme dhcpcd
```
Flexible Init with Device Manager Choice: The DEVMGR variable in /etc/rc.conf now allows you to select your preferred device manager. udevd remains the default if no choice is made. See rc.conf(5) for details.
Boot Logging with bootlogd: Zeppe-Lin v1.0 now includes /etc/rc.d/bootlogd for boot logging (provided by sysvinit). To enable it, set BOOTLOGD=yes in /etc/rc.conf. Boot messages will be saved to /var/log/boot. See rc.conf(5) and bootlogd(8) for details.
Vim Syntax Files and Bash Completion: Vim now highlights syntax in /etc/pkgadd.conf and /etc/pkgman.conf. Bash completion has also been added for Zeppe-Lin command-line tools, enhancing terminal usability.

Package Changes

pkgsrc-core

New Packages:
```
c17
c89
c99
dumb-runtime-dir
```
Removed Packages:

None in this release for pkgsrc-core.
Key Changes:
- filesystem now provides pkgmk's directories (/var/cache/pkgmk/*) and adds /etc/os-release.
- libidn2 imported from pkgsrc-system (needed by cmake).
- eudev now ships /etc/rc.d/rc.udevd.
- rejmerge now ships gnufind.patch, see why.
- sysvinit now ships /etc/rc.d/rc.bootlogd.

pkgsrc-system

New Packages:
```
liburcu
py3-packaging
```
Removed Packages:
```
scons
```
Key Changes:

None in this release for pkgsrc-system beyond new and removed packages.

pkgsrc-xorg

New Packages:

gxmessage3
ninja
py3-yaml
xdialog
xorg-font-misc-misc
xorg-xcalc
xorg-xcursorgen
xorg-xdpyinfo
xorg-xmag
xorg-xmessage
xorg-xmodmap
xorg-xterm

Removed Packages:

xorg-libdmx
vulkan-tools
xorg-libxxf86misc

Related issues: 1 and 2.

Key Changes:

None in this release for pkgsrc-xorg beyond new and removed packages.

pkgsrc-desktop

New Packages:

adwaita-gtk-theme
alsa-oss
android-file-transfer
bluecurve-gtk-theme
bluecurve-icon-theme
btop
buuf-icon-theme
buuf-nestort-icon-theme
crengine-ng
crqt-ng
dapper
desktop-file-utils
dragon-drop
ffmpegthumbnailer
gnome-icon-theme
gpicview
greymond-gtk-theme
gtk-engine-bluecurve
gtk-engine-clearlooks
gtk-engine-crux
gtk-engine-hc
gtk-engine-murrine
gtk-engine-redmond95
icon-naming-utils
krb5
leafpad
libplacebo
libptytty
libreoffice-bin
libwebp
libwnck
lxinput
lxtask
mac
mint-gtk-theme
moc-eqsets
notification-daemon
nsxiv
oath-toolkit
p5-gnome2-wnck
p5-gtk2-notify
p5-xml-namespacesupport
p5-xml-sax
p5-xml-sax-base
p5-xml-sax-expat
p5-xml-simple
parcellite
password-store-otp
py3-glad
py3-jinja2
recordmydesktop
retrosmart-cursor-theme
scrot
shntool
snownews
ssr
tango-icon-theme
tango-icon-theme-extras
udevil
utf8cpp
vifm-colors
wavpack
when
win3x-gtk-theme
xbindkeys
xdg-utils
xmlsec
xpdf
yt-dlp
zbar
zzzfm

Removed Packages:

broodwar-cursor-theme
dunst
gmtp
jdk11-bin
newsboat213
stfl
sxiv (*renamed to nsxiv basically*)
youtube-dl

Key Changes:

Desktop-related packages have significantly expanded, introducing new themes and utility programs.

Cover Artwork

Our release cover is an artful expression of Zeppe-Lin's spirit:

Cover Image: Direct Link
Artwork Concept: A weathered zeppelin, a symbol of enduring flight through changing times, is held within the precise embrace of a gear -- representing the robust and carefully engineered core of Zeppe-Lin. This emblem signifies the start of a reliable and enduring journey.

The cover artwork is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA 3.0).

Kernel

linux 5.4.263 (LTS until Dec 2025)

Includes Wi-Fi pentest patches.

Toolchain

glibc 2.40
gcc 14.2.0
binutils 2.43.1

X11

Xorg 7.7
xorg-server 21.1.15
mesa 24.3.3
amdgpu 23.0.0
ati 22.0.0
intel 2.99.917-923

Changelogs

For a comprehensive list of changes in this release, please refer to the detailed changelogs available for each component:

Download

Before downloading, please review handbook for installation tips and hardware compatibility.

The release files are available at:

You might also want to check out:

mkrootfs Tool to build custom rootfs image. It can be installed on Zeppe-Lin using the command:
```
pkgman install --deps --group mkrootfs
```
dockerfile Instructions to build docker image.

sighook // Until the next entry... Zeppe-Lin awaits.