Topic: Updated Statler Images - 10-20120207
As previously discussed, I have updated the Statler images. The new images are available from the download page. Any help with seeding the torrents would be greatly appreciated!
The new images do not constitute a new release, at least not for anyone who is content with using the previous 20111125 images. However, due to some concerns which were expressed over the default use of backport packages, there are now 2 sets of images, "stable" and "backported".
The stable images ship with Debian's stable kernel (2.6.32) and stable X.org (7.5), while the "backported" images ship with Linux 3.2 and X.org (7.6) and automatically track any packages that enter the Debian backport repository. Both sets of images use backported versions of Iceweasel (10) and Geany (0.20).
Also addressing concerns over the previous 20111125 images, GDM has been restored as the default display manager, replacing SLiM. The reasons for this have been widely discussed on forums and back-pedalling to GDM really was the sensible option for Squeeze/Statler images. The SLiM packages remain in the repositories and anyone wishing to swap to it can do so by entering the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install slim statler-slim-themeLikewise, for anyone who has performed an install using the previous images, if you would like to swap to GDM, you can do so by entering the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gdm statler-gdm-themeAnother notable change has occurred with the default 32-bit kernel flavour. The previous images shipped with 486 kernels, whereas the new images ship with 686 kernels. The 486 flavour was originally chosen to offer the widest range of compatibility, but in reality, any system that cannot run the 686 flavour kernel is going to struggle to run #! at all, so it is now dropped. For anyone who has performed an install using the previous images, and was not aware of this, you can install the 686 kernel by issuing the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install linux-image-686Also to address concerns raised about the previous default use of packages from the Debian Multimedia repository, namely issues with VLC and DVD playback, I disabled the repository for these builds. Anyone wishing to use it should uncomment its reference from within their '/etc/apt/sources.list' file.
Other changes have been kept to a minimum, although I did manage to slip in some handy window tiling-esque shortcut keys for Openbox (courtesy of DarthWound). They can be applied to existing installs by editing your Openbox rc.xml file and adding the following within the <keyboard> section:
<keybind key="W-Right">
<action name="GrowToEdgeEast"/>
</keybind>
<keybind key="W-Left">
<action name="GrowToEdgeWest"/>
</keybind>
<keybind key="W-Down">
<action name="GrowToEdgeSouth"/>
</keybind>
<keybind key="W-Up">
<action name="GrowToEdgeNorth"/>
</keybind>As always, if you have any feedback or encounter any issues with the new images, please do not hesitate to post on the forums.
On a personal note, I would just like to say a huge THANK YOU to everybody who provided feedback, suggestions and fixes to the previous images. I hope the compromise of producing stable and backported images, along with the changes made, will go some way to satisfying both camps. 
P.S. Waldorf 'ere we come! 
