CNR Warehouse

   

CNR was introduced into the Linspire operating system in 2002, and Linspire has spent the last several years refining, enhancing and perfecting the CNR technology. CNR's technology allows easy installation, updating and management of all software on your Linux computer.
NOTE: Most of the below information applies to the legacy CNR Client used on Freespire 1.0 and Linspire Five-0; for the most current information, be sure to visit cnr.com.

What is CNR?

CNR is a technology available at no charge to Linspire and Freespire users which allows them to install, uninstall, manage, and keep updated, thousands of software programs on their Linux computer, all with just one click. CNR is so easy to use, literally anyone can use it, of any age or computer skill level. If you can click a mouse, you can use CNR.

What is apt-get?

Apt-get is a command-line, Debian-based technology, also used to install and uninstall software on your Linux PC.

How is CNR different from apt-get?

CNR is different from Debian's normal "apt-get" software management system in many ways:

• One-click graphical install and uninstall of thousands of programs.
• Automatic update notification and one-click updating of OS components and software applications.
• Program and services management (such as IMAP, MailMinder, Data Backup, etc.).
• One-click access to proprietary codecs, drivers and software.
• Allows you to buy dozens of different commercial programs, such as DVD Player, StarOffice, games, accounting programs, Win4Lin, Crossover Office, Cedega, etc.
• Menu entries and desktop icons (optionally) are automatically added when installing and removed when uninstalling.
• "Charts" to easily find the most popular software programs by category.
• Search feature to easily find software programs by name, category, keywords, similar programs, etc.
• Clear, easy-to-understand, community-editable product pages, including:
  • Screenshots of programs
  • User reviews of the programs
  • Description, versions, specs, file size, etc.
  • Individual forum and wiki for each product
  • User support and help by program
• "Aisles" to group applications together for one-click install of multiple applications ("build your own distro").
• Dedicated, high-speed server farms with huge bandwidth pipes for fast downloads.
• Friendly naming shown alongside normal package name.
• "Voting Booth" where users help prioritize new software to be added or updated.
• Automated, on-line Publisher Program where anyone can submit software to be QA-ed and tested for inclusion in the CNR Warehouse.
• Built-in service manager for things like web filtering for children, "MailMinder," advanced security," wallpaper delivery service, Lassist, etc.
• Automatically retries and fixes any misconfigured or problem downloads.
• CNR has a better than 98% success rate. (The < 2% failures are usually a result of modem dropoffs, in which case CNR will can automatically resume when connected, providing the user with a successful install.)
• Many of the most popular applications are enhanced and improved before adding them to the CNR Warehouse.
• Products and services which are found exclusively in the CNR Warehouse.
• Tracks problem packages on the server automatically, 24/7, and immediately hides the product from CNR users and instantly notifies the maintainer.
• Easy, one-click access to a program's source code as well as any necessary build dependencies for developers.
• User profiles based upon machine for managing multiple machines per user.
• Local or networked software repository ("CNR Extras") for quick install of same programs on multiple Freespire computers on the same network or from a CD.
• Support for dozens of languages via IRMA (coming soon).

Is there a fee to use CNR?

No. The CNR Service is available free to all Freespire users. Optionally, there is also a premium, "Gold" CNR service available.

Can I still use apt-get?

Absolutely. For those who prefer the apt-get command line method of installing programs, the Freespire Warehouse of software may be freely accessed using apt-get to install free, open source software. (apt-get can not install 3rd-party, commercial applications which are sold, such as StarOffice, Win4Lin, etc., but these may be purchased and installed via CNR.)

Will I break anything if I sometimes use CNR and at other times use apt-get?

You shouldn't, provided you only pull from the same CNR Warehouse repository when using either CNR or apt-get. CNR does have several additional safeguards that the apt-get technology does not have to automatically correct dependency problems, but as long as you are using the same repository, you should be able to install using both apt-get or CNR. However, if you mix repositories (pulling directly from Debian SID, from different Linspire/Freespire pools, from other distro repositories, etc.), then you do run the risk of creating dependency problems within your system. Rather than having to pull from multiple warehouse pools, it is our hope to get as much current software in the Freespire pools as possible, so the need to go outside these pools is minimized, thereby reducing the risk of breaking your system. (This is the #1 item in the Freespire Vision.)

Do Linspire and Freespire use the same repository?

Yes.

Can Freespire and CNR handle more than one repository?

Yes. There are several different CNR warehouses, allowing for different levels of stability, ranging from fluid and bleeding edge to more refined, tested and stable. CNR defaults to using the main, stable warehouse, but inside the CNR client you can change the default warehouse. For example, the "Thrillseeker Warehouse" contains all the newest, not fully tested software, for those who like to live on the edge.

Where can I see what software is available in the current CNR Warehouse?

Click here to view the current, main CNR Warehouse. This pool is always being updated, but this is done in a way to insure we don't break existing systems. Again, our hope with Freespire is to be able to be even more aggressive in keeping the most current repository of all Linux software, both open sourced and proprietary.

I already have a CNR Service subscription for Linspire. Will this work with Freespire?

Yes. Linspire and Freespire both use the same CNR Service from Linspire. However, the support options may vary between the two projects. Visit support for details.

I purchased a Lifetime Membership for the CNR Service. Is this still valid?

Yes. CNR is a subscription service. Your Lifetime access provides you access to the CNR service for the rest of your life. (These Lifetime Memberships were a one-time special offer and are no longer available.)

Does the CNR client software use an open source license?

Starting with the next release of Freespire, 1.1, due later this year, the CNR client will be open sourced.

Why won't CNR be moved to an open source license sooner?

Because the original CNR client software was written as a closed source application, so it had different requirements to work properly. A new CNR client will be introduced with Freespire 1.1 which was designed with the intention of being open sourced and having the necessary changes to solicit more community involvement.

What will be different with the new, open source CNR client?

Some of the enhanced features planned for the new CNR client are:

• Licensed as open source and the source code made available.
• Extensive reworking of the software design, including exposing as much of the functionality of CNR as programmable, scriptable APIs as possible.
• Redesign of the default UI to make using CNR even easier.
• Moving UI implementation into an easier-to-modify language, like Python, which will allow for far more rapid prototyping and make it easier for the community to get involved and make UI adjustments.
• Dramatic simplification of the processes CNR uses, which will in turn help to make the client easier to develop with, while simultaneously reducing its resource usage.
• Improvements to developer support, including:
  • Source package and build dependency downloads.
  • Better management of apt repositories, including local repositories.
  • Developer documentation
• Improvements to Aisle management, sharing, and use.
• Improvements for greater scalability and growth, as well as future expansion to other distributions.
• and much more...

Will I need to wait for Freespire 1.1 before this new, open sourced CNR client be available to just look at and test?

No, the new client will be shared in the near future. It will not be the default CNR client at that time, as it will still need some work, but we do want to get it out there for others to start playing around with, helping us with development and testing, trying out the APIs, and so on. The bottom line is that we want to use the existing CNR client initially so that Freespire has solid functionality, but we want to share (just not as the default) the new client as soon as possible, so that we can get input and help from the Freespire community. For example, you will see UI prototypes made available so the community can get involved in design decisions and provide information about how the community uses the client, what they want to do with it, and so on. We want to do this to get others involved not just in the design, but also the development of the client. We want to encourage the community to tinker with the CNR client and share their work back for possible inclusion in CNR for Freespire/Linspire.

Will the Freespire OSS Edition which is 100% open source include CNR?

Not until the new CNR client is ready. Because the old client will remain closed sourced (as explained above), we can't add it into the OSS Edition of Freespire. As soon as the new, open-sourced CNR client is far enough along to replace the old one as the default in Freespire, it will then start to be included in all versions, including the 100% open sourced version.

What language will the new, open source CNR client be written in?

Mostly C++ for the back end, with the UI written in Python.

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