Our customer base,
always curious about what PC / OS is up to next, have asked us to layout
the roadmap for Black Lab Linux 8, 9 and our Enterprise products.
This writeup is in reply, so that our customers can understand what
we're doing and why exactly it's being done.
Black Lab Linux 8
“Onyx”
Onyx will include
new features to make the experience lovely, for even novice Linux
users. Here's the list, be warned : it's gonna get a little geeky.
1. Linux kernel
4.2.
2. New X11 stack
3. Dtrace for Linux
will make its debut in Onyx final
4. XFCE 4.12 with
some unique mods
5. Aptik for
migrating old data and settings to a brand new Black Lab system
6. New Device
Driver manager
7. OpenJDK 8
There are more plans
but some depend on licensing agreements – these will be introduced
when viable.
Black Lab
Enterprise Linux 8.0 “Kildall”
Kildall will
introduce features that make sense for the enterprise and Long Term
Support (until 2021). The coming list of changes includes :
1. Linux kernel 4.2
2. New X11 stack
3. Dtrace
4. XFCE 4.12 with
some of our own modifications
5. Aptik for
migrating your old settings to your new systems
6. New Device
Driver manager
7. Oracle JDK 8
8. XFS as the
default filesystem
Black Lab Server
7 Service Pack 1 “Murdock”
Murdock is a bugfix
and ISO refresh for Black Lab Server, with Long Term Support until
2025; it will contain 2 important new features
Dtrace
ZFS support
Black Lab Linux 9
“Diesel”
Still on the drawing
board. This will, however, be PC / OS' LAST Ubuntu-based release.
Rumor Cleanup
Now to clear up some
rumors : are we changing because Remastersys (aka Black Lab Image
Creator) doesn't build Systemd images? NO. Black Lab Image Creator
has in fact been modified to build them quite effectively and the new
build for BLIC will be released to the public in June So why are we
changing? To align future products with the Open Source community,
not against it. BLIC however will be continued to be developed for Ubuntu users and our customers who have mixed shops
So there has been a rumor circulating over the last couple of days I
need to address. We are not doing an Apple move where you have to buy
hardware to acquire Black Lab Linux. Its not happening. Yes, Black Lab
Server you have to buy the hardware but that makes sense. Critical
mission backend stuff needs to work flawlessly and it was a conscious
decision that was made with customers that with Black Lab Server that
was the way to go. Now, why do we offer the donate button on the
desktop? So you guys can donate IF YOU CHOOSE to do so. A donation is
not required but we do appreciate it when they come in. It makes things
easier.
