FAQ Category: CNR
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NOTE: Some of the below information is based on the previous CNR Client; for the most current information, be sure to visit www.cnr.com
How is CNR different from apt-get?
CNR is a technology developed by Linspire which will be open sourced and contributed to the Freespire project. 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.
- Optional access to proprietary codecs, drivers and software.
- Allows you to buy commercial programs, such as StarOffice, Games, Accounting programs, Crossover Office, Cedega, DVD Player, 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, keywords or similar programs.
- Clear, easy to understand Product Pages, including:
- Screenshots of programs
- User reviews of the programs
- Description, versions, specs, file size, etc.
- User support and help by program.
- "Aisles" to group applications together for one-click install of multiple applications.
- Dedicated, high-speed server farms with huge bandwidth pipes for fast downloads.
- Friendly naming shown alongside normal package name.
- Voting booth where you can help prioritize new software to be added or updated.
- 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, advanced security, wallpaper delivery service, 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.
- Future support will be available for dozens of languages via IRMA.
- Tracks problem packages on the server automatically 24/7 and immediately 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 Express") for quick install of same programs on multiple Freespire computers on the same network or from a CD.
Is the CNR Service free?
The CNR Service is available free to anyone. "Gold" service is $50 per year.
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 unrestricted, free access with apt-get also be added to Linspire?
Yes this will happen in the future, probably as part of Linspire 6.0.
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?
The very first beta release of Freespire will use the same repository as Linspire, but that may or may not always be the case. Freespire, by its very nature of being a community distribution will tend to be more fluid than Linspire.
Can Freespire and CNR handle more than one repository?
Yes. As with Linspire, there will be different warehouses, allowing for different levels of stability, ranging from fluid and bleeding edge to more refined, tested and stable.
Where can I see what software is available in the current CNR Warehouse?
Click here to view the current CNR Warehouse. This pool is always being updated, but this is one 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. In the future, that information will be made available at support.
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?
Presently CNR is not open source, but it will be in the near future as part of the Freespire project. (The exact open source license that will be used has not yet been addressed, but will be in the near future.)
When will CNR be moved to an open source license?
Soon after the first beta release of Freespire.
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 is being worked on which is intended to be open sourced, with the necessary changes to solicit 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...
So what CNR client will be shipped in August when the first beta for Freespire is made available?
A slightly modified version of the existing CNR client that is used in Linspire. This version of the client will intentionally remain closed source because we do not want anyone building on this older version. We want to encourage work on CNR to use the new client and new APIs.
When will this new, open sourced CNR client be available?
Even though the first beta versions of Freespire will ship with the current CNR client, the new client will start to be shared soon after Freespire is released. 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 and can be released in August, but we want to share (just not as the default) the new client soon after, so that we can open source it and 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 version of Freespire 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 100% open source version 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.
Does Linspire have plans to offer the CNR Service for other Linux distributions, besides Linspire and Freespire?
Quite possible. This is a key reason Linspire wanted to open source the CNR client software. Currently the CNR Service only works with Linspire and Freespire, but in time, we can envision the communities from other distros working with us to modify CNR software to work with other popular distributions as well. In the meantime, opening up the CNR client with Freespire is a good way to start that process, and involve the help of others in the community to bring this service to a broader audience of Linux users.
Can I modify the CNR client software and use the "CNR" trademark or a derivative thereof for that new application?
In the future, CNR will be moved to an open sourced license, and others will then be allowed to modify and redistribute the CNR client software under the terms of its open source license, which specific licensing terms will be made available at that time. The term "CNR" is a trademark of Linspire, Inc. and permission to use the mark is required in most cases. This is true for any trademark, including those from other open source projects, such as Debian, Firefox, etc. This would also hold true for any similar marks or derivatives of the CNR mark. Please contact trademarks@linspire.com for more information.
