ALT Linux 5.0 TP

Platform Five Technology Preview
ALT Linux presents a Technology Preview of Platform Five. Platform Five is a new step in the evolution of Free Software development and business, that allows for creation of integrated solutions and involvement of both free and proprietary software vendors into development, deployment, support and training concerned with these solutions.

The Technology Preview includes the following 3 distributions available for 2 platforms (i586 and x86_64):

ALT Linux 5.0 Server. The functionality of the distribution includes:
 * Enterprise network setting up.
 * Host-based authorization of users and services.
 * Joining of remote office networks (VPN).
 * Server-based and server-governed updates for desktop (client) systems.
 * Network installation of a compatible operating system to desktops.
 * Virtualization infrastructure with ability to run containers with additional software of different types.
 * Backup and restore functions (restoring of specific files from a specific backup copy is also available).
 * A unified file storage with quota support.
 * Automatic creation of RAID1 array out of several identical discs.
 * A convenient and easy to use system management interface that does not require advanced operator skills.

ALT Linux 5.0 Desktop and ALT Linux 5.0 GNOME Desktop. The functionality includes:
 * Choose your GUI - KDE4 or GNOME.
 * Automated setup in the presence of a ALT Linux 5 Server system in a local network.
 * Both distros are ready to work as terminal clients, with a terminal server as a container inside a ALT Linux 5 Server system.
 * All software that is necessary in an office: office suite, internet applications, PIM etc.
 * Host-based authentication, using ALT Linux 5 Server or other compatible authorization services.
 * Automatic shared folders discovery and mounting.
 * Easy, convenient, effective.

Main features of Platform Five
Products that comprise and extend Platform Five are distributed as virtual containers for a basic server distribution, ALT Linux 5 Server. Using virtual containers in server solutions provides increased security, convenient support conditions for software vendors, an opportunity to distribute customized solutions, and ease of use. The virtualization technologies involved are OpenVZ and KVM. Zeroconf technology allows to dramatically reduce time and resources that are needed to unfold an office network using Platform Five products. Most of a usual setup sequence is done automatically. The Platform Five Technology Preview is mostly targeted at solution providers (both with free and proprietary licensing). A release of a product as a container for Platform Five gives ISV an opportunity to deliver modules with various life cycles (and even on varying codebase) and build an IT infrastructure based on the open platform. ALT Linux company provides many services related to Platform Five: compatibility certification program for products made by ISVs, distribution of products made for Platform Five as well as support and training services for those products, publishing products with a common Platform Five design, and products promotion as well. ALT Linux partners and ALT Linux Team members have preferences when cooperating with ALT Linux.
 * Modularity
 * Integration

Download
Platform Five distribution previews are available for download at the following links:

ALT Linux 5.0 Server

 * i586: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090617-office-server-i586-ru-install-cd.iso (543 Mb)

MD5: 9c05a496cf6d9c2935bc33860120af8a


 * x86_64: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090617-office-server-x86_64-ru-install-cd.iso (560 Mb)

MD5: 410dabdf129c334f730bccffd0f95462

ALT Linux 5.0 Desktop

 * i586: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090615-desktop-i586-ru-install-dvd5.iso (2,9 Gb)

MD5: f7cdbe0bfc147a1a6f426d848db74ce1


 * x86_64: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090615-desktop-x86_64-ru-install-dvd5.iso (2,9 Gb)

MD5: 4e00ac5fedab3a39d0f712cf8ba31817

ALT Linux 5.0 Gnome Desktop

 * i586: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090615-gnome-desktop-i586-ru-install-dvd5.iso (1,7 Gb)

MD5: 6870e2d106dabd346c48aa2a5c531f63


 * x86_64: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/altlinux-5.0.0_beta-20090615-gnome-desktop-x86_64-ru-install-dvd5.iso (1,8 Gb)

MD5: 6efc27f90822735aed8e469c172d6cd5

Containers

 * KVM: ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/kvm-desktop-5.0.bun (3,3 Gb) — a desktop container that is available via any NX client. Credentials: username 'user', password '123'

MD5: 1a176294804ae4e17cfb91846227a641


 * OpenVZ (i586): ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/openvz-mailing-list-i586.bun (228 Mb) — mailing list server (i586)

MD5: 5064253b1ac5d8e21091a7cb091e7b09


 * OpenVZ (x86_64): ftp://beta.altlinux.org/ark/TP/openvz-mailing-list-x86_64.bun (232 Mb) — mailing list server (i586)

MD5: b7227c3763363f8df02faebd49ee0c68

Documentation
Instructions on containers development: http://en.altlinux.org/Platform5.0

Known limitations of Technology Preview

 * ALT Linux 5.0 Server (web interface)
 * Only primary domain controller is supported
 * The domain cannot be renamed
 * No mail server setup module
 * Proxy server does not operate properly
 * ALT Linux 5.0 Desktop
 * Possible artifacts with Intel video
 * Multiple invocations of apt-indicator
 * The default Plasma theme is not used
 * It is impossible to setup root filesystem on a RAID
 * ALT Linux 5.0 Gnome Desktop
 * Possible artifacts with Intel video
 * Multiple invocations of apt-indicator
 * It is impossible to setup root filesystem on a RAID

Attention!
Technology Preview is not a final release product and is not intended to be used by inexperienced users. Upgrade to future versions is not guaranteed. Please do not use the Platform Five previews and prototypes in a production environment.