Diamond Linux

by ComputerBob

January 8, 2008

Last Updated February 2, 2009

Call it a brilliant idea. Call it a crazy whim. Call it a stupid waste of time and money. I guess time will tell which one it is: After thinking about it for several weeks, this morning, I registered the domain names DiamondLinux.com and DiamondLinux.org. I think Diamond Linux is a great name — a prestigious name, packed full of all kinds of positive connotations.

On the other hand, I'm not a programmer or a developer, so I have absolutely no hope of ever creating my own Linux distro to use my new domain names. And I'm certainly not a billionaire financier, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But even if I were a programmer, developer or billionaire, I would have no interest in creating my own Linux distro, because I'm already very, very happy to be a full-time Debian Linux user. In fact, I can't think of any Linux distro that deserves the prestigious name Diamond Linux more than Debian Linux (Stable).

So why did I register the DebianLinux.com and DiamondLinux.org domain names?

Here's why: I've always appreciated my Mepis Linux Live/Installation CDs. In the Fall of 2006, I used one to try out and instantly fall in love with Mepis. Then I used that same CD to install Mepis to my hard drive. And during the ~15 months that I was a full-time Mepis user, I continued to use my Mepis Live/Installation CD as a troubleshooting, partitioning and backup tool. In fact, I'm still using it to make backups of my fully installed, fully configured Debian root partition. But because I'm so happy with the absolutely rock-solid dependability of my KDE-only, "pure" Debian Stable PC that I'm hoping that some day soon, someone will create a Live/Installation CD of that same "pure" Debian Stable branch (hopefully using KDE), similar to what the Sidux people have done for Debian Unstable. In fact, it appears that the Debian Live project has already created the "Live" half of Diamond Linux with the user's choice of three different desktop environments (KDE, GNOME and Xfce) — and of course, the existing Debian Etch Install CDs already contain the "Install" half of Diamond Linux.

So, if someone ever combines those two existing halves to create one or more free and open source Live/Installation CDs of "pure" Debian Stable, I probably won't be able to help them with its nuts and bolts. And I probably won't even be able to help them financially. But if they want it to have a prestigious name that people will remember and respect, then my small contribution will be to donate my Diamond Linux domain names to it.

After all, what Linux user would turn down the offer of a free diamond?

Update, December 14, 2008: I've received notification that my DiamondLinux.com and DiamondLinux.org domain names are set to expire in less than one month. I've been using Debian Lenny (the Debian Testing branch) instead of Debian Stable since this past May and Lenny is due to take Etch's place as the next Debian Stable in the near future. I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to stay with Lenny after that, or whether I'll start using Debian Squeeze, which will take Lenny's place as the new Debian Testing branch.

With all of that said, I don't feel the need for my original DiamondLinux idea any more, so 'm not going to renew my DiamondLinux domain names -- if you want them, they'll be available after January 8, 2009.

Update, February 2, 2008: It has been reported that Debian Lenny (the new Debian "Stable" branch) will be released this coming Valentine's Day weekend -- as a LiveCD.

Diamond Linux lives!