Hanthana Linux (operating system)
| Company type | Open source software project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Linux distribution |
| Predecessor | Fedora remix |
| Founded | September 19, 2009 |
| Founder | Hanthana Community |
| Headquarters | Sri Lanka , Sri Lanka |
Area served | Sri Lanka |
| Products | Linux distribution |
| Owner | Hanthana Community |
| Website | hanthana |
Hanthana Linux is a Linux distribution derived from Fedora and offered as free and open source software.
Tailored specifically for users in Sri Lanka with restricted Internet connectivity, it comes equipped with numerous essential applications pre-installed.
Created by the Sri Lanka–based Hanthana Community, this distribution strives to deliver an intuitive Linux desktop experience alongside a full suite of offline-ready software.
History and development process
Hanthana originated as a Fedora remix, aimed at providing a user-friendly desktop environment packed with pre-installed applications for regions in Sri Lanka where Internet access is limited.
The inaugural version was launched on 19 September 2009. Since its debut, the Hanthana community has consistently released updates every six months, maintaining support for each version over an eighteen-month period through security patches, critical bug fixes, and minor software updates. Each new Hanthana edition aligns with Fedora’s release cycle and incorporates all software enhancements up to its launch date.
The distribution’s packages utilize Fedora’s RPM format and rely on RedHat’s package management utilities such as Yum and PackageKit.
Features
Hanthana comprises a wide array of software packages, predominantly licensed under free software agreements, with the exception of some proprietary drivers necessary for hardware compatibility. The main licenses governing the included software are the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) and the GNU Lesser General Public License (GNU LGPL), which grant users the rights to execute, duplicate, distribute, examine, and enhance the programs. Additionally, proprietary applications compatible with Hanthana are available. The distribution emphasizes ease of use, security, and reliability, while also focusing heavily on accessibility and support for multiple languages. UTF-8 serves as the default character encoding to accommodate diverse non-Roman scripts.
Pre-installed applications include LibreOffice, Firefox, Pidgin, Transmission, GIMP, along with lightweight games such as Sudoku and chess.
Installation
Typically installed via a Live DVD, Hanthana allows users to evaluate hardware compatibility before committing to installation. The ISO disk image can be downloaded for burning onto DVD media or executed directly from a hard drive using utilities like UNetbootin or GRUB.
The recommended minimum hardware requirements for satisfactory performance are:
- Text mode: Processor equivalent to or faster than 200 MHz Pentium Pro; 256 MB RAM
- Graphical mode: Processor equivalent to or faster than 400 MHz Pentium Pro; at least 640 MB RAM (1152 MB advised)
- Minimum 15 GB of available hard disk space
- DVD ROM drive
Latest Version
The Hanthana development team unveiled Hanthana Linux 30 (Vishwa), a Fedora-based distribution distributed on a 1.9 GB live DVD that includes an extensive selection of applications, multimedia codecs, and bespoke artwork. Before this release, Hanthana Linux 28 (Kandula – Security Edition) brought improved security functionalities and incorporated the official LibreOffice manual from The Document Foundation.
Various desktop environments are supported across different editions, including GNOME 3, GNOME Sugar, KDE, LXDE, and XFCE.
See also
- Linux User Group
- List of Linux distributions
- List of Fedora-based operating systems
- Computer technology for developing areas
External links
- Hanthana 19.0 Review: A Sri Lankan Flavored Fedora with Minor Issues but Generally Reliable – User evaluation reflecting on Hanthana Linux version 19.
- Weekend Project: Lesser-Known Linux Distributions – Analysis featured on Linux.com.
- Top Fedora-Based Linux Distributions – Assessment presented on the itsfoss blog.
- Hanthana Linux Featured on Channel Eye RiseNShine – Television segment covering Hanthana Linux broadcast on ChannelEye.
- Open Source Enables IT Advancements – Danishka Navin explores IT progress in remote areas facilitated by open source solutions.
- Hanthana Community Forum – Support group dedicated to Hanthana Linux users.