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Sorcerer is a Linux distribution, that is, an operating system based on the Linux kernel plus a set of applications. It is source-based, that is, it downloads and compiles source code to install a program. It uses terminology based on magic, e.g., a package (program or library) is termed a "spell", to install a package you "cast" that spell, and to remove a package you "dispel" that spell. Originally Sorcerer was named Sorcerer GNU/Linux, with key components licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). However, current versions of Sorcerer release some key components under the Sorcerer Public License and not the GPL, and the distribution has dropped the term GNU/Linux. Sorcerer has two forks: Lunar Linux and Source Mage.
Technical distinctives
A somewhat distinctive feature of Sorcerer is the fact that it's based exclusively on source code packages. While many other operating systems generally make use of a package that contains pre-compiled (executable) programs, Sorcerer Linux packages compile the source code on the machine at install time.
Other well known source based Linux distributions include Gentoo Linux, Lunar Linux, Source Mage GNU/Linux, CRUX, and ROCK Linux.
This method of package installation has many advantages, including increased speed due to compilation optimization for the host's architecture, and easier security scanning of the installed software. The package management system keeps track of updates to packages at the home page of each package, so that new versions can be downloaded and installed as they become available. It also tracks library dependencies, so if a library file is updated, all binaries that depend on that library can be recompiled.
One disadvantage is the high minimum system requirements, since a significant amount of compilation is required to install a system with extensive functionality. As of January 2002, these included 256MB RAM and 1GB of swap space. This is suggested because compiling the entire system from scratch consumes large amounts of system resources.
Users can add new packages to the packaging system on their local box by creating a "spell" or configuration file for it, and can submit the new spell for inclusion in the general distribution.
Sorcerer's packaging system is written in the bash language.
History
In 2000, Kyle Sallee created a source-based Linux distribution called Sorcerer GNU/Linux and released it under the GNU GPL. During this time Sorcerer was a technology demonstration rather than a stable distribution. Eventually the distribution tools, called sorcery, and the software catalog, called grimoire, were redesigned and rewritten in order to become stable and useable on production machines. A month or two before the rewrite happened, in early 2002, Chuck S. Mead, who had previously created a fork of RedHat, created a fork of Sorcerer GNU/Linux. The first fork of Sorcerer GNU/Linux was called by the same name as Mr. Mead's fork of RedHat. It was called either "Lunar Penguin" or "Lunar Linux." This fork's timing was fortunate for system administrators, because it granted them an opportunity to continue deployment of the distribution that Mr. Sallee was about to discontinue.
Due to the immense effort involved in single handedly creating and maintaining a distribution Mr. Sallee ceased "Sorcerer GNU/Linux" during the redesign and rewrite of sorcery and grimoire. System administrators with deployed boxes were encouraged to painlessly transition to the nearly identical fork.
During the rewrite the "Sorcerer GNU/Linux" project page hosted at Savannah was annexed by a new group of forkers. This group of forkers led by Ryan Abrams and Eric Schabell removed Mr. Sallee from the project page. For months the new fork continued to masqurade as "Sorcerer GNU Linux," using the distribution name, logo, and documentation without permission. To avoid confusion Mr. Sallee created a new distribution called "Sorcerer" that used the new sorcery beta tools. To avoid future dismantling of the distribution by forkers the new license for "Sorcerer" was modeled after Troll Tech's Q Public license to permit free use while discouraging hostile forking.
Eventually the forkers pretending to be "Sorcerer GNU/Linux" ceased using "Sorcerer GNU/Linux's" logo and changed their fork's name to Source Mage. Rather than migrate to Lunar Penguin during the rewrite the second group of forkers claim that Mr. Sallee abandoned them and the distribution. It is true that Mr. Sallee quit making and distributing "Sorcerer GNU/Linux." However the rewrite Mr. Sallee created and released as "Sorcerer" about a month after he discontinued "Sorcerer GNU/Linux" became a stable distribution and contines to exists in 2006 without any interruptions in distribution.
In 2006 the website for Sorcerer is http://sorcerer.silverice.org/
In addition to the controversy caused by the two groups of forkers
Sorcerer is best known for having an extremely current selection of software, many innovative features and functionality, and an update system that requires far less bandwidth than other distributions.
The Sorcerer method of updating by using compressed binary patches to translate previously downloaded source tarballs into new source tarballs became its own subproject in 2005 called the Public Patch Repository. In 2006 the PPR is hosted at http://ppr.silverice.org/ All POSIX and Unix boxes are welcome to request and download patches. The client for the PPR is known to work on distributions of glibc with linux kernel, FreeBSD, and Solaris.
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