Balsa Releases
Balsa Precise 1.7 beta-2
Based on Ubuntu 12.04 (precise)
SIL’s Language Software Development team for Linux (LSDev-Linux) is pleased to announce the 1.7 Beta 2 release of the Balsa system. There’s a Quick Start here.
This replaces the 1.7 Beta 1 release, which was withdrawn.
What’s New in 1.7?
Here are some of the features of the new release:
- The new EasyBackup program automatically backs up the Balsa user’s data when an initialized USB device is plugged in.
- Includes SIL’s graphite font system for enhanced character support.
- Has support for additional SD card readers.
Release Date
07-Sep-2013
Filename(s)
balsa-1.7-precise-beta-2-8gb.img.7z
Notes
- Includes a new version of Adapt It (6.4.2).
- Includes EasyBackup program (1.4) enabled for the Balsa user.
- Includes SIL’s Graphite font system for enhanced character support.
- Includes SIL’s Gentium Plus font.
- Includes a script to install Toolbox.
- Includes Realtek RTS5129 SD card driver (used in the Dell Vostro 3×60 series).
- WeSay for Linux is still not available for this version of Balsa.
- Fixes the following bugs:
- Repairs a permissions bug on /var/tmp in Balsa Precise 1.7 Beta-1.
- Turn on “Always create backup copy” for LibreOffice.
- Enable “Show Keyboard Layout” for “Keyboard Layout Settings” (xkb).
- Modify the procedure for updating the balsa users application menu.
- Check the integrity of user data storage on startup (fsck).
- Make sure the files are properly unmounted on shutdown.
- Disable account switching from the Login/Logout menu.
- Disable the Ubuntu bug reporting program apport.
- Extraneous development files removed from Balsa.
- The following upgrades have been made to user applications:
- adaptit from 6.4.1 to 6.4.2.
- paratext from 7.3~beta60 to 7.3~beta65.
- wine from 1.5 to 1.7.
- The following upgrades have been made to other packages in Balsa:
- gvfs-fuse from 1.12.1-0ubuntu1.1 to 1.12.1-0ubuntu1.2.
- openjdk-6-jre from 6b27-1.12.3 to 6b27-1.12.6.
- xsltproc from 1.1.26-8ubuntu1.1 to 1.1.26-8ubuntu1.2.
The released file is compressed with 7-Zip and is an image file for the Balsa device. Instructions for installing it on a machine are available on the Quick Start page.
Links
For a 8 gigabyte SD card
Balsa Precise 1.7 beta-1
The Balsa 1.7 Beta 1 has been withdrawn and is replaced with Balsa 1.7 Beta 2. Users should update their Balsa images.
If downloading the full image is too difficult, this file contains a small program that will fix the bug that was introduced in Beta 1.
The bug fix is not the only difference between Beta 1 and Beta 2; all the packages in the system were updated at the same time. But, because the releases were so close together, there are not many updated packages.
The bug fix addresses a problem where some applications (e. g., Audacity) could not be run due to incorrect permissions on /var/tmp.
Balsa Precise 1.6 beta-2
Based on Ubuntu 12.04 (precise)
Release Date
16-Mar-2013
Filename(s)
balsa-1.6-precise-beta-2-8gb.img.7z
Notes
- This release addressed a bug where all files created by balsa and advisor have a bad group id.
- The order of the elements of the release name was changed.
- Included Paratext for Linux.
- Bug Fix — Changed default directory browser to nautilus.
- Set up kmfl.
- WeSay for Linux is still not available for this version of Balsa
The released file is compressed with 7-Zip and is an image file for the Balsa device. Instructions for installing it on a machine are available on the Quick Start page.
Links
For a 8 gigabyte SD card
Balsa Precise 1.6 beta-1
This release was not public.
Balsa 1.5 Precise beta-2
Based on Ubuntu 12.04 (precise), this release was formerly named Balsa Precise beta-2. | more info »
Release Date
24-Sep-2012
Filename(s)
balsa-1.5-precise-beta-2-8gb.img.7z
Notes
The released file is compressed with 7-Zip and is an image file for the Balsa device.
Links
NOTE:
Balsa Precise doesn't run on an 4 gigabyte card.
For a 8 gigabyte SD card
Balsa Lucid beta-2
Based on Xubuntu 10.04 (lucid)
Release Date
24-Feb-2012
Filename(s)
balsa-1.0-lucid-beta-2-4gb.img.7zbalsa-1.0-lucid-beta-2-8gb.img.7z
Notes
The released files are compressed with 7-Zip and are image files for the Balsa device. Instructions for installing it on a machine are available on the Quick Start page.
Links
- For a 4 gigabyte SD card
- For a 8 gigabyte SD card
Balsa Lucid beta-1
Based on Xubuntu 10.04 (lucid) | more info »
Release Date
21-Jul-2011
Filename(s)
balsa-1.0-lucid-beta-1-4gb.img.7zbalsa-1.0-lucid-beta-1-8gb.img.7z
Notes
The released files are compressed with 7-Zip and are image files for the Balsa device. Instructions for installing it on a machine are available on the Quick Start page.
Links
- For a 4 gigabyte SD card
- For a 8 gigabyte SD card
Balsa alpha-1
Based on: Xubuntu 9.04 (jaunty)
Release Dates
- compressed img files: 01-Sep-2011
- original tbz2: 10-Aug-2010
Filename(s)
balsa-0.6-jaunty-alpha-1-4gb.img.7zbalsa-0.6-jaunty-alpha-1-8gb.img.7zbalsa-0.6-jaunty.tbz2
Notes
This release works on an OLPC XO-computer. The released .7z files are compressed with 7-Zip and are image files for the Balsa device. Instructions for installing it on a machine are available on the XO release page.
The released .tbz2 is the balsa image as a tarball. The tarball needs an SD card with a partition named BalsaRoot that is formatted with a Linux ext3 file system (Use one of the .7z files; they’re easier).
Links
- For a 4 gigabyte SD card
- For a 4 gigabyte SD card
- For a tarball
Balsa XO pre-alpha
Based on: Xubuntu 8.10 (intrepid)
Release Date
21-Jul-2011
Filename
xo-balsa-0.5.tbz2
The released file is a bzipped tarball for an SD card with an ext3 partition.