Homes on wasta [Linux]

Customizing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Linux: Customizing for your Needs

[Wasta-Linux] (/" >}}) is intended to be used as a base for regionally-localized Linux “customized” distributions specific to locations’ needs (fonts, keyboards, applications, settings, included reference documents, etc.).

Should you be interested in being a “regional customizer” of Wasta-Linux, please use the forums linked at the bottom of this page and someone will contact you.

There are 2 primary Wasta-Linux customizing methods, both of which can be used to create custom Wasta-Linux ISOs to re-distribute to users:

Downloads

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Linux: Downloads

If you are unsure of which download may be best for your hardware, please use the link at the bottom of this page to post to the Wasta-Linux User Forum to ask for clarification.

24.04

Wasta-Linux-24.04.3

updated: 2025-11-10

md5: 85a68199dae07468ad56cf523b9654d5

Notes:

Based on Ubuntu 24.04.3 “Noble Numbat”

Interface: Cinnamon is the default interface, with Gnome (Ubuntu’s default interface) alternately available from the login screen

Long-Term Support: Security updates provided by Ubuntu through April 2029

Linux Kernel: `6.14` - This is the updated kernel for newer hardware compatibility. If you have older hardware requiring the `6.8` Linux kernel that shipped with `24.04.1` please leave a message on the Wasta-Linux User Forum (links below) for access.

SIL Software Availability: Many SIL apps are available as traditional `.deb` packages for use in Wasta-Linux including the App Builders, Adapt It, and others. Due to a security design decision beyond our control, you will need to use Synaptic Package Manager (pre-installed) to find these SIL software applications.

However, traditional `.deb` versions of .NET based SIL software are not available for 24.04. Instead, `Flatpak` is used for distributing Fieldworks and Bloom, and `Snap` is used to distribute Paratext (9.0) and Paratext Lite. The Software application can be used to search for and install these applications.

20.04

Wasta-Linux-20.04.5-64Bit

updated: 2022-03-24

md5: cab1cc4abd64cc872c8927ab166c17dd

Notes:

FAQ

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Linux: Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some of the more common questions you may have about Wasta-Linux. First, a question and response that lays the foundation for Wasta-Linux:

Why Linux?

One colleague answered the question “Why Linux” concisely using 3 main points. In brief, Linux is:

Partner friendly: share with everyone, not only privledged organizations that have corporate license keys
Budget friendly: not only does it not have a cost, it will also save support time
Customizing friendly: adapt Linux to your use case, rather than having to adapt your usage to the limitations of a locked-down operating system that may not have you in mind as their target user base

Basically it is about freedom (not just “free as in no cost”), which means freedom to customize for our situation and for our specific users (see more below on this topic), freedom for all to use it, and “free from viruses.” * For more on these freedoms, please read the “case study” on our organization’s move from Windows to Linux in NE Africa.

GitHub Setup

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Linux: GitHub Setup

This page is part of the Wasta-Linux customizing process.

Follow the below steps in order establish your GitHub ID and register a SSH key with GitHub in order to be ready to contribute to the Wasta-Linux custom packages hosted on GitHub.

Sign up for a GitHub ID

https://github.com/
Create an Open SSH Key
- “Passwords and Keys” app: Select File > New from the menu to create a Secure Shell Key (if you do not already have one: if you already have one you can skip ahead to step 3)

Launchpad Setup

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Launchpad Setup

under construction…

Maintain a Custom Package

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Linux: Maintain a Custom Package

This page is part of the Wasta-Linux customizing process.

Git is used for version control of all the Wasta-Linux custom packages. There is a Wasta-Linux organization on GitHub that contains separate GitHub repositories for each Wasta-Linux custom package. Any changes that are pushed up to these repositories are automatically copied every 6 hours to Launchpad, which is Ubuntu’s site for managing software. Once the code is in Launchpad, there is another automatic process that builds the actual software packages and places them in the Wasta-Linux Testing Launchpad PPA. Once the ‘Regional Customizer’ (you!) confirms that the package from the Wasta-Linux Testing PPA is good, any Wasta-Linux Launchpad member can copy it to the main Wasta-Linux Launchpad PPA. This main PPA is already included in every Wasta-Linux system, so once the packages exist in the PPA, all Wasta-Linux users will be able to install them when they update their system.

Ubuntu Migration

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

How to turn Ubuntu into Wasta-Linux

To take an existing stock Ubuntu 24.04 system and change it into Wasta-Linux 24.04, from a Terminal * perform the following steps:

NOTE: Wasta-Linux only targets Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) releases, such as 24.04, 22.04, etc. Interim short-term Ubuntu releases such as 24.10, 23.04, etc. are not supported.
NOTE: This migration guide assumes you have the stock Ubuntu LTS release installed, not Kubuntu, Xubuntu, or other Ubuntu Flavors, and not Linux Mint, elementaryOS, ZorinOS, or other Ubuntu derivatives.

Wasta-Remastersys

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wasta-Remastersys

This page is part of the Wasta-Linux customizing process.

The Wasta-Linux ISOs are created using Wasta-Remastersys. Wasta-Remastersys is also pre-installed in Wasta-Linux so that anyone can use it to create their own customized Wasta-Linux ISO.

In order to create your own custom ISO, you can follow these steps:

Install Wasta-Linux

It is preferable to do this on a “clean test machine” designated for this process.
Customize Wasta-Linux

Follow either method listed on the Wasta-Linux customizing page.

Why Linux?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Why Linux: a case study from our Organization* in NE Africa

In 2012, our Organization, which supports translation and literacy projects in NE Africa, began migrating our computer operating systems from Windows to Linux. As of March 2014, all machines in this NE Africa location were migrated to Linux. As of 2019, several other of our Organization’s locations in Africa, North America, and Asia, have begun to embrace Linux, accounting for several hundred additional installations worldwide.

Homes on wasta [Linux]

Customizing

Wasta-Linux: Customizing for your Needs

Downloads

Wasta-Linux: Downloads

Wasta-Linux-24.04.3

Wasta-Linux-20.04.5-64Bit

FAQ

Wasta-Linux: Frequently Asked Questions

Why Linux?

GitHub Setup

Wasta-Linux: GitHub Setup

Sign up for a GitHub ID

Create an Open SSH Key

Launchpad Setup

Launchpad Setup

Maintain a Custom Package

Wasta-Linux: Maintain a Custom Package

Ubuntu Migration

How to turn Ubuntu into Wasta-Linux

Wasta-Remastersys

Wasta-Remastersys

Install Wasta-Linux

Customize Wasta-Linux

Why Linux?

Why Linux: a case study from our Organization* in NE Africa