What is CNR?

CNR is a one-click digital software delivery service for desktop Linux software programs, packages and libraries developed by Linspire, Inc. CNR allows desktop Linux users to install, uninstall, manage, and keep updated, thousands of software programs on their Linux computer. 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 CNR.com?

CNR.com is a free one-click software delivery service designed to standardize the process and eliminate the complexity of finding, installing and managing Linux Software for the most popular desktop Linux distributions,both Debian and RPM based. The goal of CNR.com is to normalize the process of finding and installing software for desktop Linux users, regardless of which distribution they are using. CNR.com is the most extensive resource available anywhere for desktop Linux software.

The CNR.com site provides names, descriptions, screenshots, user reviews, specifications, source code, developer information, and so on, for tens of thousands of Linux software programs, packages and libraries. Anyone can freely browse CNR.com to research and find desktop Linux software. CNR.com also allows you to install any of the software programs to any of the supported distributions, all with just one click.

Which distributions will be supported?

Both Debian and RPM distributions will be supported. CNR.com will be rolling out support for current versions of the following distributions (listed alphabetically):

• Debian
• Fedora
• Freespire 1.0, 2.0*
• Linspire 5.0, 5.1, 6.0*
• OpenSUSE
• Ubuntu 7.04*

Yes. User reviews, charts, screenshots, support pages, etc. make CNR.com an ideal place to research and find Linux software. You won't be able to install the software with one click from CNR.com, but you'll find the information there invaluable as you look for new software.

How is CNR different from other installation systems, such as apt-get, YAST, etc.?

CNR is different from most other 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 programs.
• Program and services management.
• One-click access to proprietary codecs, drivers and software.
• Dozens of commercial programs available for purchase, such as DVD Player, StarOffice, games, accounting programs, Win4Lin, Crossover Office, Cedega and more
• Menu entries and desktop icons (optional) 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 product pages, including:
  • Screenshots of programs
  • User reviews of the programs
  • User ratings of the programs
  • Specifications
  • Support
  • Forum discussions
  • Release Notes
• "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 users help prioritize new software to be added or updated.
• Automated, online Publisher Program where anyone can submit software to be QA-ed and tested for inclusion in CNR.com.
• Automatically retries and fixes any 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 automatically resume when connected, providing the user with a successful install.)
• Many of the most popular programs are enhanced and improved before adding them to CNR.com
• Programs and services which are found exclusively in CNR.com.
• Tracks problem packages on the server automatically, 24/7, and immediately hides the product from CNR users and instantly notifies the maintainer when a problem occurs.
• Easy, one-click access to a program's source code.
• User profiles based upon machine for managing multiple machines per user.
• Local or networked software repository for quick install of same programs on multiple computers on the same network or from a CD.
• Other distributions will be added as demand warrants and resources are available.

Will proprietary codecs and drivers be available at CNR.com?

Yes. Using CNR.com, you will now be able to safely and legally add support to your Linux desktop for things such as mp3, Windows Media, Quick Time, Java, Flash, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, and so on.

Is the CNR service free?

Yes. There is no charge to use the basic CNR service to find and install free open source software.

Do I need to create an account to use CNR?

No, you don't have to create an account to be able to use CNR. However, if you create an account (Free) you will receive more benefits

How does CNR.com stay in business if the service is free?

As mentioned, optional commercial software programs and services are also available at CNR.com and the site shares in the revenue when selling these items.

Do I need to install any software on my computer to use CNR?

Anyone can browse the CNR.com site and its programs, but to use the one-click installation feature, you must have installed the appropriate CNR Client for your particular Linux distribution. This is a small program that can be easily installed to your desktop computer. Once installed, you can install tens of thousands of software programs from CNR.com with just one click.

What is the CNR Client?

To use the one-click installation feature of CNR, you must install the appropriate CNR Client for your particular Linux distribution. This is a small program that can be easily installed to your desktop computer. Once installed, you can then install tens of thousands of applications from CNR with just one click.

Technically, the CNR Client is not a browser Client, but meets the traditional qualities of a browser Client, in that it is a light weight software application that extends the functionality of the CNR.com web site, so we chose to use the term "Client" as it tends to best describe the role of this software.

Is the code for the CNR Client open source?

Yes. We encourage you to use this code, and the published CNR web services, to enhance the application, or even write your own from the ground up. We hope to see dozens of variations on the CNR Client as users get creative with the CNR Service.

Will all software programs listed at CNR.com be available for all the supported distributions?Not necessarily. There will be some programs that are only available to install on some of the distributions. The product pages in CNR will list which distributions are supported for any particular software. However, over 95% of the titles will be available for all supported distributions.

Does CNR use new packages rather than the traditional .deb and .rpm systems?

No! The great thing about CNR is that it normalizes the installation process for the user WITHOUT requiring a new or altered packaging system. CNR uses standard .deb and .rpm files, but hides the complexity of this from the user. This allows developers to continue using their same methods and the different distributions to continue with their normal release management practices, yet provide their users with a much easier software management system.

Can I still use other installation methods, such as apt-get or YAST, along with CNR?

Absolutely.

Will I break anything if I sometimes use CNR and at other times use other install systems such as apt-get or YAST?

You shouldn't, provided you only install from the same version repository when using either CNR or the other method. CNR does have several additional safeguards that other install technologies do not have to automatically correct dependency problems, but as long as you are using the same version repository, you should be able to install using both CNR and other install systems. However, if you mix repositories (pulling from other versions of your distributions), 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 desire to have as much current software in CNR pools as possible, so the need to go outside these pools is minimized, thereby reducing the risk of breaking your system.

How does software get added to CNR?

CNR starts by syncing with the software repositories of the different distributions, and then supplements with hundreds of additional software, both free open source software and commercial software. The CNR program allows anyone to make their software available to all these different distributions.

Does CNR support different versions for the different distributions?

Yes. Not only does CNR support multiple distributions, but it even handles different versions within each distro. This insures your system doesn't break or become unstable when installing software from CNR.

Who is behind CNR.com and what is its history?

Linspire, Inc. developed the CNR technology starting in 2002 for their Linspire and Freespire distributions. With CNR.com, they are making the CNR service available to other popular desktop Linux distributions.

Why is Linspire doing this? Isn't CNR a big competitive advantage for promoting their Linspire and Freespire distributions?

Linspire will only be successful if desktop Linux continues to gain traction in the mainstream marketplace. The varied installation systems for the different Linux distributions has been a deterrent to Linux adoption on the desktop. It is our hope that CNR.com will help to significantly overcome this hurdle and help desktop Linux reach a new level of adoption.

What are the different levels of the CNR Service?