Granular Linux
| Company type | Open source software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Linux distribution |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | India |
| Products | Linux distribution |
Granular, also known as Granular Linux, was a Linux distribution designed specifically for desktop users. It was built upon PCLinuxOS and distributed as an installable live CD that offered two desktop environments: KDE and a developmental version of Enlightenment. While KDE delivered a comprehensive and feature-rich interface, Enlightenment served as a more lightweight and quicker alternative.
History
The Granular Linux Project originated in India and commenced in October 2006, initially presenting a demo version to college audiences. The first official release became available on December 30, 2006.
The initiative focused on tailoring the application selection from PCLinuxOS and incorporating multiple prominent desktop environments on a single LiveCD. This concept of dual environments was introduced with version 0.25, which included KDE—known for its extensive features but higher resource usage—and Xfce, which provided a lighter yet capable experience.
Subsequent releases included versions 0.90 and 1.0. The final installment in the "Esto" series was Granular 1.0, codenamed Esto Vox, following the earlier 0.90 release named Esto Vello.
In October 2007, Granular launched the "FunWorks" DVD edition, which featured the LG3D desktop environment alongside three additional desktops, accompanied by a broad selection of software applications and games.
For package management, Granular utilized both the repositories of PCLinuxOS and its own dedicated repository. The exclusive Granular repository was introduced in March 2008 and contained RPM packages unique to Granular that were not available through PCLinuxOS sources.
Features
Distributed as a LiveCD, Granular allowed users to test the operating system without installation. The standard CD offered two desktop options: KDE and version 17 of Enlightenment. Similar to PCLinuxOS, it employed Synaptic Package Manager—a graphical interface for APT—for handling software packages. Additionally, Granular included a Perl-based utility called mklivecd, which enabled users to remaster their Granular installation or create backup CDs/DVDs from an existing system. The distribution also featured Granular StartPoint, an HTML-formatted guide designed to familiarize users with the key applications included in the system.