Hi all,

I had a few quick questions regarding the software/system update and package installation that I couldn't find from the blog posts:

1. Are software updates offered for 4MLinux the way they are for most other distros?

2. If so, is there any command to list all available updates?

3. Can I search and install additional software through 4MLinux repositories or do I have to download source tarballs and manually compile all additional software?

4. Can 4MLinux resolve dependencies during software installation, if there's an alternate to installation from source?

5. I didn't see a release cycle mentioned on the website but I understand 4MLinux 21 is supported until November. Does 4M have a two releases a year policy?

6. Can I update from my existing 21 release to 22 when it ships by running the zk update command or will I have to do a fresh install?

Finally, a big thank you to Zbigniew Konojacki for a wonderful distro. I've used The SSS and the forks in the past as and when needed and loved all the effort put into 4MLinux, so thanks!

Hi,

1) No, they are not. However, the 4MLinux stable channel gets its point releases very often (at the beginning of each month).

2) The "zk update" command will update your 4MLinux to its latest stable version (see: point 1).

3) 4MLinux uses so called downloadable extensions ("snap packages" introduced in 4MLinux much much earlier than in Ubuntu). You can install them in one click (Menu-> Extensions). You can also find some additional software on the 4MLinux installation CD (mainly drivers and development packages).

4) No.

5) The 4MLinux stable channel gets 3 major and 9 minor releases a year (see: point 1).

6) The "zk update" command works for the stable channel only. However, due to my laziness, there is undocumented method, which makes it possible for me to update from the latest stable version to the latest beta one (*).

Thanks for your nice words about 4MLinux :-)

(*) To avoid a mess in this thread, start a new one if you want more details about this "secret method" .

.