Catbird Linux v3.1.0 Released

Hello Linux Users,

Catbird Linux has been upgraded to version 3.1.0 and is available for download.

It is the second release in the 3.x series. Although it retains a similar look and feel to its predecessor, there is more firmament under the hood:

1. A more reliable sequence for starting the window manager, based on systemd.

   • Debian upstream appears to be tweaking the Debian Live package, upon which this live computing environment is based, and they changed something which caused some problems getting the Xserver and DWM started.
   • Using systemd service units to initiate the desktop / window manager works like a charm.

2. Most of the utilities and scripts associated with Catbird Linux, such as the wrappers for SuperSDR and Sshuttle, are based on originals stored in my Github repositories. The binaries or scripts are now cloned from the repos to /usr/local/src and symlinked to /usr/local/bin. Maintenance is easier, as they can now be updated with a simple "git pull."

3. Some tools have been changed for efficiency and to use data files in csv format, instead of odd mixtures of spaces and quotations.

   • Csv data can be more easily edited, parsed, and otherwise managed.
   • The Internet Radio Playlist no longer needs a template, and can handle thousands of stations.
   • SuperSDR-Wrapper now also uses csv files, loading parsed SDR server and station data into Pandas dataframes.

4. Note-taking is better now in Catbird Linux:

   • Obsidian now gets its own keybind: Super + O.
   • I crafted a nifty terminal-based note sorter and editor, available with Super + Shift + O. Hit the "F" key for deep, recursive searching through all subfolders.

5. Python-Tgpt replaces the old terminal GPT.

   • This new AI chatbot can use more than 40 models.
   • Quality and speed are quite good.

6. Wezterm multiplexing is set up and running smoothly. Therefore, pop-up terminals available on keys Super + Enter and Ctrl - Alt - T are now set to open a clean Wezterm, with no Tmux. Split your panes with the same key combos: Ctrl + A, \ or Ctrl + A, - (that's the pipe key or dash key, with no shift needed).

7. Separately from the bootable iso file, I have created a converter script which transforms Debian (or its derivatives) into an equivalent Catbird Linux operating system. It can install the scripts, utilities, fonts, and configuration files. If you want to try it on a minimal Debian, Xebian, Mint LMDE, or MX Linux rig, look for it in the downloads section here on SourceForge.

Over the last month, I have divided my time equally between Python-Tgpt and the Leo chatbot, which runs in the Brave Browser. The quality of responses varies somewhat between the models used, but they are each useful in exploring different topics and working on software programming. Even their mistakes can teach something useful, if you have enough expertise to discern when an AI is just wrong and you give scrutiny to the error.

Catbird Linux is the bootable, self-contained live Linux environment which deshittifies general purpose computing on the desktop and empowers you to get things done. Catbird Linux is free as in "freedom" and free as in "free beer."

Cheers,
Phil Collier / Catbird Linux