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Arne Exton’s exGENT GNU/Linux distribution aims to continue the tradition of Gentoo-based live distros with a new release that puts the latest LXQt 0.14.1 desktop environment in the spotlight.
We all know by now that Gentoo is one of the hardest Linux-based operating systems to install due to packages needing to be compiled from sources locally. But the good thing about Gentoo is that it doesn’t uses a one-size fits all approach, which mens that it can be fully optimized for specific hardware.
Newcomers who want to try Gentoo Linux on their personal computer have a hard time due to the lack of Gentoo-based live distributions. Here’s where exGENT Linux comes into play, promising to offer users an up-to-date Gentoo-based live system that can be installed in a few minutes.
The latest release, entitled exGENT 2020 LXQt Live DVD/USB, features the lightweight LXQt 0.14.1 as default desktop environment, Calamares as default graphical installer, OpenRC as default init system, and Linux kernel 5.3.7 with AUFS patches. It even runs well in virtual machines like VirtualBox or VMware.
exGENT Linux can be installed in up to 20 minutes
Highlights of the exGENT 2020 release include GRUB2 as default boot loader instead of GRUB Legacy, the ability to install new packages while running the live system, the ability to install/transfer exGENT to a USB flash drive, and two new installation methods, using the install scrips in /root/install or the Calamares installer.
“exGENT Linux can be installed to hard drive in 2 – 20 min. (Depending on computer type). This means that all of you who might hesitate to perform a normal Gentoo installation – which can take up to a couple of days – now have the chance to get this great Linux system (Gentoo) installed on your computers very easy,” said Arne Exton.
There are only a few applications pre-installed in the exGENT 2020 live ISO, including the Mozilla Firefox web browser, GParted partition editor, Spotify client, Leafpad text editor, and a few LXQt utilities. However, all the system packages are up-to-date as of January 19th, 2020.
If you ever wanted to run Gentoo on your personal computer, I recommend you give exGENT 2020 a try. You can download the latest release from developer’s website, where you’ll also find installation instructions and other useful details to get started with exGENT/Gentoo.
Last updated 4 years ago
