Softlanding Linux System: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Linux distribution}}

'''Softlanding Linux System''' ('''SLS''') was an early [[Linux distribution]], founded by [[Peter MacDonald]] in mid-[[1992]]. It was the first to offer a comprehensive [[Linux]] distribution containing more than the [[Linux Kernel]] and basic utilities, plus early [[GNU]]/Linux features such as the [[X Window System]] and [[TCP/IP]].

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}{{Infobox operating system

| name = Softlanding Linux System

| screenshot = Sls-linux 1.05.png

| developer = [[Peter MacDonald (computer programmer)|Peter MacDonald]]

| family = [[Linux]] ([[Unix-like]])

| working state = Discontinued

| released = {{Start date and age|1992|05|df=y}}

| latest release version = 1.06<ref name="1.06">{{Cite news |last=Epstein |first=Caleb |date=April 1995 |title=A review of InfoMagic's December 1994 Release |url=https://linuxjournal.rubdos.be/ljarchive/LJ/012/0060.html |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=[[Linux Journal]] |volume=April 1995 |issue=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://archive.org/details/yggsdrasil-linux-internet-archives-winter-1996 |title=Yggsdrasil Linux Internet Archives WINTER 1996 |date=Winter 1996 |type=CD |publisher=[[Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X#Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporated|Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporated]] |isbn=1-883601-15-0 |oclc=78663619 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

| latest release date = {{Start year and age|1994}}

| supported platforms = [[x86|i386]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2023 |title=Softlanding Linux System |url=https://archiveos.org/sls/ |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=archiveos.org}}</ref>

| kernel type = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]] ([[Linux kernel|Linux]])

| influenced = [[Slackware]], [[Debian]]

}}

'''Softlanding Linux System''' ('''SLS''') was one of the first [[Linux distribution]]s. The first release was by [[Peter MacDonald (computer programmer)|Peter MacDonald]]<ref name="LinuxUser" /> in May 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=25 August 2016 |title=Linux's brilliant 25-year history, in pictures |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/416174/linuxs-brilliant-career-in-pictures.html |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=[[PC World]]}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230209040035/http://futurist.se/gldt/wp-content/uploads/11.04/gldt1104.svg GNU/Linux Distribution Timeline, version 11.4] by A. Lundqvist, D. Rodic</ref> Their slogan at the time was "Gentle touchdowns for [[DOS]] bailouts."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Jim |date=4 May 2017 |title=How I got started with Linux |url=https://opensource.com/article/17/5/how-i-got-started-linux-jim-hall-freedos |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=opensource.com}}</ref> SLS was the first release to offer a comprehensive [[Linux]] distribution containing more than the [[Linux kernel]], [[GNU]], and other basic utilities, including an implementation of the [[X Window System]].<ref name="LinuxUser">{{cite journal |last=Berlich |first=Ruediger |date=April 2001 |title=ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The early history of Linux, Part 2, Re: distribution |url=https://github.com/oldlinux-web/oldlinux-files/blob/9912ec445d0014e3571745223df8c35144468a57/docs/lu9-All_you_need_to_know_about-The_early_history_of_Linux_part_2.pdf |journal=LinuxUser |quote=This was followed shortly after by the Softlanding Linux System (SLS), founded by Peter McDonald, which was the first comprehensive distribution to contain elements such as X and TCP/IP,... |accessdate=12 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Proffitt |first=Brian |date=4 August 2016 |title=25 Years of Linux |url=https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/25-years-linux |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=[[Red Hat]]}}</ref>

==History==

SLS was probably the most popular Linux distribution at the time, and dominated the market until the developers made a decision to change the executable format which was not well received by the user base (a.out to ELF). During this time, [[Patrick Volkerding]] decided to modify SLS by tweaking and cleaned it up. He called his finished work [[Slackware]]. With the unpopular direction SLS had taken, Slackware quickly replaced it and became the dominant distribution used by nearly everyone.

SLS was the most popular Linux distribution at the time, but it was considered to be rather buggy by its users. It was soon superseded by [[Slackware]] (which started as a cleanup of SLS by [[Patrick Volkerding]]) and [[Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X]], among others.

Similarly, [[Ian Murdock]]'s frustration with SLS led him to create the [[Debian]] project.<ref>{{cite web | first=Ian A. | last=Murdock | title=NNTP Subject: New release under development; suggestions requested | url=http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.development/msg/a32d4e2ef3bcdcc6 | date=16 August 1993 | accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref>

==Series==

The system consists of the following series which were installed via floppy disk:

* a1-a4: The minimal base system

* b1-b7: Base system extras ([[man page]]s, [[Emacs]], etc.)

* c1-c3: The compiler(s), [[GNU Compiler Collection|gcc]]/[[g++]]/p2c/[[f2c]]

* d1-d2: Documentation

* s1: Source

* t1-t3: [[TeX]] document processing

* x1-x10: [[X Window System]] distribution, documentation and idraw

== Version History ==

{| class="wikitable"

|+Known SLS releases

!Version

!Release date

|-

|1.00

|12 August 1992<ref name=":0">{{cite newsgroup |title=SLS: Free Linux Distribution |author=Peter MacDonald |date=1992-08-12 |newsgroup=comp.os.linux |message-id=[e-mail] |url=https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux/c/Q4fxCi2g0kc/m/Z6vfd2aLSQwJ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215084534/https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux/c/Q4fxCi2g0kc/m/Z6vfd2aLSQwJ |archive-date=2021-12-15 |access-date=2021-12-15}}</ref>

|-

|1.01

|18 April 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS release: 1.01 |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=[e-mail] |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=18 April 1993}}</ref>

|-

|1.02

| 28 April 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS release: 1.02 |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=[e-mail] |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=28 April 1993}}</ref>

|-

|1.03

|5 August 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=ANNOUNCE: SLS 1.03 is now available |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=23r84f$[e-mail] |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=5 August 1993}}</ref>

|-

|1.04

|21 October 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS 1.04 CDROM Announcement |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=2a67cb$[e-mail] |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=21 October 1993}}</ref>

|-

|1.05

|5 April 1994<ref name="1.05">{{Cite newsgroup |title=SLS 1.05: Softlandings Modular Linux Released |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |date=5 Apr 1994 |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=[e-mail] |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1994/0405.html}}</ref>

|-

|1.06

|Late 1994<ref name="1.06" />

|}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://mirror.math.princeton.edu/pub/oldlinux/Linux.old/distributions/SLS/ SLS] at [[Princeton University]]

*[https://github.com/rdebath/SLS-1.02 SLS version 1.02] at [[GitHub]]

*[http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/historic-linux/distributions/sls-1.03/ SLS version 1.03] at [[ibiblio]]

*https://archiveos.org/sls/

{{Linux-distro}}

[[Category:Discontinued Linux distributions]]

[[Category:1992 software]]

[[Category:Linux distributions]]