Softlanding Linux System: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Linux distribution}}

[[File:Sls-linux 1.05.png|thumbnail|right|Softlanding Linux System]]

{{Use dmy dates|date=MayJuly 20112023}}{{Infobox operating system

| name = Softlanding Linux System

'''Softlanding Linux System''' ('''SLS''') was one of the first, if not the first, [[Linux distribution|Linux distributions]]. It was founded by [[Peter MacDonald (computer programmer)|Peter MacDonald]]<ref name="LinuxUser" /> in May 1992.<ref>[http://futurist.se/gldt/wp-content/uploads/11.04/gldt1104.svg GNU/Linux Distribution Timeline, version 11.4] by A. Lundqvist, D. Rodic</ref>{{Better source|reason=The graph doesn't actually show a date. The changelog suggest a different date|date=July 2014}}

| screenshot = Sls-linux 1.05.png

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

SLS was the first release to offer a comprehensive [[Linux]] distribution containing more than the [[Linux (kernel)|Linux kernel]], [[GNU]], and other basic utilities, including an implementation of the [[X Window System]].<ref name="LinuxUser">{{cite journal |last=Berlich |first=Ruediger |title=ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The early history of Linux, Part 2, Re: distribution |journal=LinuxUser |date=April 2001 |url=http://oldlinux.org/Linux.old/docs/lu9-All_you_need_to_know_about-The_early_history_of_Linux_part_2.pdf |accessdate=16 April 2013 |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,...}}</ref>

| 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 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/

*[http://www.digiampietro.com/content/i_and_linux/my_first_linux_cd_rom.html SLS 1.02 CD-ROM picture]

{{Linux-distro}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}}

[[Category:Discontinued Linux distributions]]

[[Category:1992 software]]

[[Category:Linux distributions]]

{{linux-distro-stub}}