{{short description|Linux distribution}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}{{Infobox operating system | name = Softlanding Linux System | screenshot = Sls-linux 1.05.png | developer = Peter MacDonald | family = Linux (Unix-like) | working state = Discontinued | released = {{Start date and age|1992|05|df=y}} | latest release version = 1.06<ref name="1.06">{{Cite news |last=Epstein |first=Caleb |date=April 1995 |title=A review of InfoMagic's December 1994 Release |url=https://linuxjournal.rubdos.be/ljarchive/LJ/012/0060.html |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=Linux Journal |volume=April 1995 |issue=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://archive.org/details/yggsdrasil-linux-internet-archives-winter-1996 |title=Yggsdrasil Linux Internet Archives WINTER 1996 |date=Winter 1996 |type=CD |publisher=Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporated |isbn=1-883601-15-0 |oclc=78663619 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> | latest release date = {{Start year and age|1994}} | supported platforms = i386<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2023 |title=Softlanding Linux System |url=https://archiveos.org/sls/ |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=archiveos.org}}</ref> | kernel type = Monolithic (Linux) | influenced = Slackware, Debian }} '''Softlanding Linux System''' ('''SLS''') was one of the first Linux distributions. The first release was by Peter MacDonald<ref name="LinuxUser" /> in May 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=25 August 2016 |title=Linux's brilliant 25-year history, in pictures |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/416174/linuxs-brilliant-career-in-pictures.html |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=PC World}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230209040035/http://futurist.se/gldt/wp-content/uploads/11.04/gldt1104.svg GNU/Linux Distribution Timeline, version 11.4] by A. Lundqvist, D. Rodic</ref> Their slogan at the time was "Gentle touchdowns for DOS bailouts."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Jim |date=4 May 2017 |title=How I got started with Linux |url=https://opensource.com/article/17/5/how-i-got-started-linux-jim-hall-freedos |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=opensource.com}}</ref> SLS was the first release to offer a comprehensive Linux distribution containing more than the Linux kernel, GNU, and other basic utilities, including an implementation of the X Window System.<ref name="LinuxUser">{{cite journal |last=Berlich |first=Ruediger |date=April 2001 |title=ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The early history of Linux, Part 2, Re: distribution |url=https://github.com/oldlinux-web/oldlinux-files/blob/9912ec445d0014e3571745223df8c35144468a57/docs/lu9-All_you_need_to_know_about-The_early_history_of_Linux_part_2.pdf |journal=LinuxUser |quote=This was followed shortly after by the Softlanding Linux System (SLS), founded by Peter McDonald, which was the first comprehensive distribution to contain elements such as X and TCP/IP,... |accessdate=12 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Proffitt |first=Brian |date=4 August 2016 |title=25 Years of Linux |url=https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/25-years-linux |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Red Hat}}</ref>

==History== SLS was the most popular Linux distribution at the time, but it was considered to be rather buggy by its users. It was soon superseded by Slackware (which started as a cleanup of SLS by Patrick Volkerding) and Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X, among others. Similarly, Ian Murdock's frustration with SLS led him to create the Debian project.<ref>{{cite web | first=Ian A. | last=Murdock | title=NNTP Subject: New release under development; suggestions requested | url=http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.development/msg/a32d4e2ef3bcdcc6 | date=16 August 1993 | accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref>

==Series== The system consists of the following series which were installed via floppy disk: * a1-a4: The minimal base system * b1-b7: Base system extras (man pages, Emacs, etc.) * c1-c3: The compiler(s), gcc/g++/p2c/f2c * d1-d2: Documentation * s1: Source * t1-t3: TeX document processing * x1-x10: X Window System distribution, documentation and idraw

== Version History == {| class="wikitable" |+Known SLS releases !Version !Release date |- |1.00 |12 August 1992<ref name=":0">{{cite newsgroup |title=SLS: Free Linux Distribution |author=Peter MacDonald |date=1992-08-12 |newsgroup=comp.os.linux |message-id=1992Aug12.232203.20860@athena.mit.edu |url=https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux/c/Q4fxCi2g0kc/m/Z6vfd2aLSQwJ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215084534/https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux/c/Q4fxCi2g0kc/m/Z6vfd2aLSQwJ |archive-date=2021-12-15 |access-date=2021-12-15}}</ref> |- |1.01 |18 April 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS release: 1.01 |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=1993Apr18.153535.29139@klaava.Helsinki.FI |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=18 April 1993}}</ref> |- |1.02 | 28 April 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS release: 1.02 |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=1rlcvcINN640@hydra.Helsinki.FI |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=28 April 1993}}</ref> |- |1.03 |5 August 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=ANNOUNCE: SLS 1.03 is now available |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=23r84f$4h4@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=5 August 1993}}</ref> |- |1.04 |21 October 1993<ref>{{Cite newsgroup |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1993/0418.html |title=SLS 1.04 CDROM Announcement |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=2a67cb$rhj@samba.oit.unc.edu |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |date=21 October 1993}}</ref> |- |1.05 |5 April 1994<ref name="1.05">{{Cite newsgroup |title=SLS 1.05: Softlandings Modular Linux Released |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |date=5 Apr 1994 |newsgroup=comp.os.linux.announce |message-id=1994Apr5.001632.28777@cs.cornell.edu |access-date=25 February 2025 |via=linux.co.cr |author-link=Peter MacDonald (computer programmer) |url=https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1994/0405.html}}</ref> |- |1.06 |Late 1994<ref name="1.06" /> |} ==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://mirror.math.princeton.edu/pub/oldlinux/Linux.old/distributions/SLS/ SLS] at Princeton University *[https://github.com/rdebath/SLS-1.02 SLS version 1.02] at GitHub *[http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/historic-linux/distributions/sls-1.03/ SLS version 1.03] at ibiblio *https://archiveos.org/sls/

{{Linux-distro}}

Category:Discontinued Linux distributions Category:1992 software Category:Linux distributions