There exist numerous Linux-driven operating systems, each tailored for specific purposes. For instance, for beginners, options like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop!_OS are available. For advanced users seeking complete control over their OS, choices like Arch Linux and Gentoo are suitable. And for ethical hackers and penetration testers, selections like Kali Linux, Parrot OS, or Tusurugi Linux are prevalent.
Despite their diversity, all of these operating systems share one common step that users must go through initially – the installation process. While some have a straightforward installation process like Ubuntu, others like Arch present a more challenging setup. If you’ve ever wanted a Linux distro that automates the installation and configuration processes, AutoTux is the ideal choice for you.
AutoTux Linux Assessment: An Entirely Automated Installable Linux Solution
AutoTux is a Linux operating system based on Debian, featuring a lightweight Xfce desktop environment and bundled software packages. The core principle behind AutoTux is to deliver a ready-to-use operating system without the need for users to spend time installing and configuring settings initially.
The initial official release of AutoTux debuted in August 2019. The current version 2.0, based on the stable GNU/Linux Debian 10 “buster” platform, incorporates the longstanding Linux Kernel 4.19.
AutoTux Installation Journey
As mentioned earlier, this step is bypassed entirely. Essentially, you simply need to download the ISO image, create a bootable drive by burning it onto a USB or DVD via Linux or Windows, and then initiate the system boot.
In under 20 minutes, you will have a fully operational OS with all necessary applications installed. The intriguing part is that no manual input is required to set up your username, disk partitions, or any other configurations.
[button color=”” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank” link=”https://autotuxlinux.com/downloads/autotux_2.0-190903_amd64.iso”]Get AutoTux 2.0[/button]
Personally, AutoTux 2.0 took approximately ten minutes to install in my VirtualBox using the recommended system parameters. If you’re considering trying it out, it’s essential to note that dual-booting it with your primary system is not recommended.
This caution stems from the fact that the system is installed on the first accessible disk by erasing the entire hard disk and overwriting the existing partition table. Therefore, ensure that if you download AutoTux, installation is performed on an empty computer or virtual machine.
Fully Automated Installation (FAI) Tool
Distinct from other Linux distributions, AutoTux’s installation commences with a window for Fully Automated Installation. If you’re unfamiliar with FAI, it is a project initiated almost two decades ago by Thomas Lange aimed at automating the installation process for Linux clusters and diverse environments setup.
For AutoTux, the installation process involves automatic unpacking, installation, and configuration of all applications and settings without any user interaction. This includes disk partitioning, network setup, user management, application installations, time settings, and location configurations.
On my VirtualBox setup, I configured it with the recommended system specs of 3GB RAM, 128MB Video memory, and more than 20GB free disk space. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that despite the official guidance suggesting the boot order of Optical and then Hard Disk, my recommendation is the exact opposite.
This choice ensures that after FAI completes the installation, the system prompts you to reboot by hitting ENTER without removing the media. To avoid unintended reinstallation post-reboot, setting the Hard Disk as the primary boot device is crucial unless you want to restart the installation process.
If the installation is on a physical machine, remember to remove the media to prevent reinstallation.
Initial Steps with AutoTux
Following the system restart, I accessed the boot menu where I selected ‘Debian GNU/Linux’ to initiate booting into AutoTux.
To log in, AutoTux provides the default login credentials ‘tux’ for both username and password.
Upon reaching the desktop, a striking resemblance to macOS can be observed due to the default usage of an icon theme reminiscent of macOS Mojave.
TheThe computer screen seems minimalistic with only a few applications present on the dock including a terminal, file manager, Google Chrome, and application finder. Additionally, the panel provides limited event options such as applications, workspaces, time & calendar, and the Tux user for logging out or restarting.
System Theming And Personalization
Let’s proceed with exploring the AutoTux system to discover what other features it provides. We can start by customizing its appearance.
AutoTux comes with five preinstalled icon themes. However, I observed an issue with the High contrast and Adwaita theme. While using these themes, I noticed that the application finder icon was missing from the dock.
Therefore, if none of the available themes suit your preferences, you have the option to install a different and enhanced theme. In Xfce, you can either install software or themes using the command line or the GUI app, Synaptic Package Manager.
Unexpectedly, I encountered an issue when trying to open Synaptic from the application menu as it requested the root password. However, did we establish a root password? No, AutoTux has generated root and tux users along with their respective passwords.
Despite AutoTux unveiling the password of the Tux user, it did not provide a root password, thus hindering our progress.
To address this issue and proceed with installing applications, AutoTux recommends switching to the root user and changing its password.
sudo su passwd
After updating the password, I was able to access Synaptic and proceed with installing new applications or themes. In this instance, I installed the Numix GTK and icon theme.
Moreover, if you are not satisfied with the automatically assigned hostname, you can modify it by editing the /etc/hostname and /etc/hosts files.
Edit both files and substitute the ip-10-2-15 with the new name fossbytes.
sudo vim /etc/hostname sudo vim /etc/hosts
Once the modification is complete, restart the system to view the updated hostname.
Similarly, you can change the username or generate a new user. To create a new user with a home directory, execute the following command:
sudo useradd -m sarvottam sudo passwd sarvottam
Again, I encountered an issue with AutoTux. Despite providing an option to switch to another user, the feature was non-functional.for myself.
Apps
Shifting to another crucial element, AutoTux also includes several preloaded apps that might catch your interest significantly.
Below is the compilation of primary apps for each section:
- Accessories — Task manager, Vim, Xarchiver, BlueWho
- Development — Arduino IDE, BlueJ, Brackets, Fritzing
- Education — LibreOffice Math, Scratch Desktop
- Games — DOSBox Emulator
- Design — Blender, Inkscape, Peek, GIMP, ImageMagick
- Web — Google Chrome, Firefox ESR, PuTTY SSH Client, qBittorent
- Media — VLC, Audacity
- Office — LibreOffice Suite, PDF Studio Viewer, Dictionary
- System — Htop, Xfce terminal, Sensor viewer, Synaptic
Have you observed DOSBox Emulator? Indeed, AutoTox also provides x86 emulator with DOS to enjoy vintage DOS games.
System Performance and Velocity
If you desire to experiment with AutoTux on a system with limited resources, you might be curious about its efficiency and swiftness.
Primarily, looking at AutoTux’s partitioning scheme generated automatically, it forms three primary partitions on the disk: root, swap, and W95 Extended (LBA).
With Xfce, it is lightweight and functions very smoothly on my VirtualBox where I encountered Ubuntu 20.04 slowing down after some time. Naturally, AutoTux has fewer software and a smaller number of apps running in the background as well.
I’ve assigned 3GB of RAM to AutoTux. Interestingly, it utilizes less than 400MB of memory even when no app is running, leaving substantial space for running other apps swiftly.
The boot time also appears commendable, taking approximately 8.8 seconds to reach the graphical userspace.
Main Concerns Regarding AutoTux
Before drawing a conclusion, I’d like to highlight the issue I came across with AutoTux. The primary concern is the potential of overriding the entire disk space. Individuals who overlook the warning about the automatic deletion of all hard disks could lose all their data and pre-installed OS.
Therefore, this section warrants careful attention for new users to avoid any major mishap. The second concern is Synaptic, which demands root permission. Among other minor issues, AutoTux also needs to address the missing icons on select themes and enhance the user-switching options for better functionality.
Verdict: Is AutoTux Worth Trying?
Summing up my overall experience from the AutoTux Review, I’m genuinely impressed with it and might be worth a try. Its philosophy of automated installation delivers on its intended purpose.
AutoTux might also serve as one of the beginner-friendly Linux distributions that simplifies the partitioning and space allocation decisions for newcomers. Nevertheless, the Xfce desktop, along with certain software, might not appeal to everyone as much as GNOME or KDE. But if AutoTux were to replace Xfce with other visually appealing desktops, it would certainly be a significant enhancement.
What are your thoughts on these automated Linux distributions? Could it be a viable option to replace your current system? Feel free to share your perspectives in the comments section below.
