How to install GRUB & set repositories for ALT Linux 4.1.1 Desktop

ALT Linux is a Russian Desktop Linux and Alexey "Ktirf" Rusakov is the Head of Systems development dept. ALT Linux Technology. He announced the availability of an updated release of ALT Linux "Desktop" edition, version 4.1.1 today on 15/01/2009.

This updated release of ALT Linux "Desktop" edition 4.1.1 also offers an English only install DVD with English as the default language so that those who want to install ALT Linux in English will not be choosing English from the cryptic Russian letters on boot menu by pressing F2.

The English only DVD of ALT Linux can be downloaded from the main ALT Linux Server.

There are two small issues I want to mention here regards ALT Linux Desktop which might be of interest to many.

1: How to install GRUB on ALT Linux

LILO is the default boot loader for ALT Linux and somehow ALT Linux team loves to stick with LILO despite the fact that most of the latest desktop distributions are switching over to GRUB than LILO e.g Vector Linux due to many reasons which is a separate topic. I personally like GRUB , thanks to "silicium" one of the development team member of ALT Linux Desktop who sent me this ALT Linux Wiki page for how to install GRUB on ALT Linux.

2: How to choose ALT Linux Repositories for Desktop Version.

ALT Linux Desktop should be set on Desktop/current repositories rather than on branch or Sisyphus which are equivalent to Debian "testing" & "sid" accordingly. I thanks "thresh" for clarifying this ALT Linux repositories setting to me. So you can enable these repositories on your ALT Linux Desktop 4.1.1 to if you want all the security updates/updated packages and stable softwares packages.


rpm [updates] ftp://updates.altlinux.org/4.1 i586 updates
rpm [updates] ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.1/branch i586 classic
rpm [updates] ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.1/branch noarch classic

I will add the recommendations of Alexey Rusakov the Head of Systems development dept. ALT Linux Technology regarding the repositories for ALT Linux Desktop 4.1.1 in his own words here which he sent me in an email regards the settings for repositories.

"Concerning repositories - try our new 'Update sources' module in ALT Linux SystemManagement Center, it is much more obvious than the list in Synaptic :)And yes, you'll be able to run Synaptic from it afterwards.Under the hood, it is rather simple anyway: we have branch/4.1 repo,that is a branch new distributions are built on; we have 4.1.1/Desktop,which is the repo of the vanilla Desktop distro, and 4.1/updates, thatis updates to Desktop. thresh was right, using 4.1/branch is not reallyrecommended, they may be some occasional instabilities there. Use4.1/updates instead, it is as stable as we can make it. "

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I wish everybody happy home computing with the latest ALT Linux Desktop 4.1.1 !