Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released

April 8th, 2007

The Debian Project is pleased to announce the official release of Debian GNU/Linux version 4.0, codenamed etch, after 21 months of constant development. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system which supports a total of eleven processor architectures and includes the KDE, GNOME and Xfce desktop environments. It also features cryptographic software and compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and software developed for version 3.1 of the LSB.

Using a now fully integrated installation process, Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 comes with out-of-the-box support for encrypted partitions. This release introduces a newly developed graphical frontend to the installation system supporting scripts using composed characters and complex languages; the installation system for Debian GNU/Linux has now been translated to 58 languages.

Also beginning with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0, the package management system has been improved regarding security and efficiency. Secure APT allows the verification of the integrity of packages downloaded from a mirror. Updated package indices won’t be downloaded in their entirety, but instead patched with smaller files containing only differences from earlier versions.

Debian GNU/Linux runs on computers ranging from palmtops and handheld systems to supercomputers, and on nearly everything in between. A total of eleven architectures are supported including: Sun SPARC (sparc), HP Alpha (alpha), Motorola/IBM PowerPC (powerpc), Intel IA-32 (i386) and IA-64 (ia64), HP PA-RISC (hppa), MIPS (mips, mipsel), ARM (arm), IBM S/390 (s390) and – newly introduced with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 – AMD64 and Intel EM64T (amd64).

Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from various installation media such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and floppies, or from the network. GNOME is the default desktop environment and is contained on the first CD. The K Desktop Environment (KDE) and the Xfce desktop can be installed through two new alternative CD images. Also newly available with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 are multi-arch CDs and DVDs supporting installation of multiple architectures from a single disc.

Debian GNU/Linux can be downloaded right now via bittorrent (the recommended way), jigdo or HTTP; see Debian GNU/Linux on CDs for further information. It will soon be available on DVD and CD-ROM from numerous vendors, too.

This release includes a number of updated software packages, such as the K Desktop Environment 3.5.5a (KDE), an updated version of the GNOME desktop environment 2.14, the Xfce 4.4 desktop environment, the GNUstep desktop 5.2, X.Org 7.1, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4a, GIMP 2.2.13, Iceweasel (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3), Icedove (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5), Iceape (an unbranded version of Mozilla Seamonkey 1.0.8), PostgreSQL 8.1.8, MySQL 5.0.32, GNU Compiler Collection 4.1.1, Linux kernel version 2.6.18, Apache 2.2.3, Samba 3.0.24, Python 2.4.4 and 2.5, Perl 5.8.8, PHP 4.4.4 and 5.2.0, Asterisk 1.2.13, and more than 18,000 other ready to use software packages.

Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 from the previous release, Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 codenamed sarge, are automatically handled by the aptitude package management tool for most configurations, and to a certain degree also by the apt-get package management tool. As always, Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded quite painlessly, in place, without any forced downtime, but it is strongly recommended to read the release notes for possible issues. For detailed instructions about installing and upgrading Debian GNU/Linux, please see the release notes. Please note that the release notes will be further improved and translated to additional languages in the coming weeks.

About Debian

Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system, developed by more than a thousand volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the Internet. Debian’s dedication to Free Software, its non-profit nature, and its open development model make it unique among GNU/Linux distributions.

The Debian project’s key strengths are its volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social Contract, and its commitment to provide the best operating system possible. Debian 4.0 is another important step in that direction.

Contact Information

For further information, please visit the Debian web pages at http://www.debian.org/ or send mail to <press@debian.org>.

      刚才打开微软TechNet邮件，看到里面赫然写着：

 

    随着新版iPod shuffle和iPod nano的推出，国内iPod一族的数量也在不断增长。但是iPod在漂亮的外表之下，还是隐藏着一些小小的缺点，比如仅支持mp3和aac音频格式；需要使用iTunes传输歌曲等，操作相对较为繁琐。目前从网上下载的歌曲有很多都是flac、ogg等格式，在传输之前必须进行格式转换，因此极为不便。经过一番探索，笔者终于找到了解决这些问题的办法，拿出来与大家分享。

    由于目前苹果尚未开放iPod所使用的操作系统，因此我们必须寻找合适的第三方操作系统来替换iPod系统。说到iPod第三方固件，大家首先想到的肯定是大名鼎鼎的iPod Linux。但是目前iPod Linux问题很多：首先，它仅支持iPod三代之前的产品，对于之后的产品不能很好的支持，且系统本身BUG较多；其次，该系统目前尚不能很好地支持中文显示。
除iPod Linux之外，目前还有一款较为成熟的第三方固件——Rockbox（如图一）。除iPod外，Rockbox还支持爱可视、艾丽和等品牌的mp3产品，具体内容大家可以参考Rockbox官方网站http://www.rockbox.org，在此不再赘述。在安装之前，请妥善备份iPod中的所有文件。

    为了方便起见，我们在电脑上建立一个名为“Rockbox”的文件夹，文中介绍的路径为C:Rockbox，所有操作均在此目录下进行。接下来需要下载以下几个文件：

 iPodpatcher：用来从iPod中读写系统分区；
下载地址：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/ipodpatcher.exe
iPodFW：用来从固件中提取生成启动文件
下载地址:http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/ipod_fw.exe
 Rockbox启动固件：
下载地址：

 iPod 4代：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-4g.bin
   iPod Color/Photo：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-color.bin
   iPod Nano 1代：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-nano.bin
   iPod Video 1代：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-video.bin
   iPod Mini 1代：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-mini1g.bin
   iPod Mini 2代：http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/bootloader-mini2g.bin

    将ipodpatcher.exe、ipodpatcher.exe和相应的原始固件拷贝到c:Rockbox下（如图2），将iPod与电脑连接并进入磁盘模式。以管理员身份运行“命令与提示符”，进入c:Rockbox目录下，输入：

 ipodpatcher n

    其中n是从0到255的整数。如果得到的结果显示：

[INFO] Reading partition table from .PhysicalDrive0
Drive is not an iPod,aborting

    则继续增大n的值，再次输入ipodpatcher n，直到显示结果类似：

[INFO] Reading partition table from.PhysicalDrive1
Part Start Sector End Sector Size(MB) Type
0 63  160649  78.4  Empty (0x00)
1 160650  58605119 28537.3  W95 FAT32 (0X0B)

    记住此时n的值，在这里n的值为1，即为iPod所在的硬盘号。

    将下载得到的rockbox.zip解压缩，得到文件rockbox.ipod和文件夹.rockbox拷贝到iPod根目录下。
接下来我们要把iPod的原始启动扇区保存下来进行修改。在“命令与提示符”下输入：

 ipodpatcher -r n sys_partition.bin

    其中n是刚才记录的磁盘号，如：ipodpatcher -r 1 sys_partition.bin，请大家根据自己的情况进行修改。这样我们就把iPod原始固件保存在文件c:Rockboxsys_partition.bin中。如显示

 [INFO] Writing 80262 sectors to output file
[INFO] Done.

    则表明提取文件成功。请备份这个文件，如果需要删除Rockbox时需要使用此文件恢复原始固件。

    首先我们要使用ipod_fw.exe从备份的固件中提取启动扇区。在“命令与提示符”中输入：

 ipod_fw -o apple_boot.bin -e 1 sys_partition.bin

    将固件中的启动扇区保存在c:Rockboxapple_boot.bin文件中。接下来我们要制作一个包含Rockbox Bootloader的启动扇区。由于不同型号的iPod启动扇区结构不同，因此执行命令时需要加上不同的参数。是在“命令与提示符”窗口中输入：

 iPod 4代：ipod_fw -g 4g -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-4g.bin
iPod Color/Photo：ipod_fw -g color -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-color.bin
iPod Nano：ipod_fw -g nano -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-nano.bin
iPod Video：ipod_fw -g video -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-video.bin
iPod Mini 1代：ipod_fw -g mini -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-mini1g.bin
iPod Mini 2代：ipod_fw -g mini -o rockboot.bin -i apple_boot.bin bootloader-mini2g.bin

    如提示Generating firmware image compatible with iPod mini, 4g and iPod photo/color…，则表明命令执行成功。这样我们就得到了包含原始固件和Rockbox双启动信息的引导扇区文件rockboot.bin。
接下来我们要使用ipodpatcher将生成的rockboot.bin文件写入iPod。在“命令与提示符”窗口中输入：

 ipodpatcher -w n rockboot.bin

    其中参数n为iPod所在磁盘号。当显示

 [INFO] Input file is 1159120 bytes
[INFO] Writing input file to device
[INFO] Wrote 1159120 bytes plus 48 bytes padding.

    表明已经成功地改写了iPod启动扇区。

    Rockbox对utf8字符编码的显示有着良好的支持，但是默认没有安装中文字体。首先到http://hyry.dip.jp/blogt.py?file=0036下载字体文件simsun_ok.zip，然后在X:.rockbox目录下新建一个文件夹fonts（其中X:是iPod所在盘符），将simsun_ok.fnt文件解压缩后拷贝到fonts目录中。

    完成了上面的安装准备工作，现在就可以启动Rockbox了。将iPod从电脑上断开，拔下后即会自动重启运行Rockbox。按下MENU可以在系统菜单和文件管理器之间切换，前进和后退则分别用来打开和退出操作项。先别着急，我们还要进行一些设置工作。从菜单中进入General Settings – Display – Browse Fonts ,选择simusm_ok，确定。进入General Settings – Language，选择chinese-simp，确定。怎么样，界面已经变成熟悉的中文了吧（如图三）？
我们可以在iPod上建立一个music文件夹，将音乐拷贝进去，这样就可以在Rockbox中直接播放了。（如图四）经过测试，Rockbox可以完美支持播放ogg，mpc，flac格式的音乐文件。
Rockbox功能极为强大，它拥有完善的EQ系统，更换界面主题（如图五），保存m3u播放列表，支持图片与文本浏览、视频播放，Gmaeboy模拟器、iDoom……具体内容大家可以到http://www.rockbox.org/manual.shtml取下载Rockbox手册。

    如果你需要卸载Rockbox并恢复iPod原始固件，那么您可以按照以下方法进行卸载：
(1)删除.rockbox目录和rockbox.ipod文件；
(2)在“命令与提示符”窗口中输入
ipodpatcher -w 2 sys_partition.bin
其中参数n是iPod磁盘编号；
(3)重新启动iPod。