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ClearOS (also known as the ClearOS System, formerly ClarkConnect) was a Linux distribution by ClearFoundation, with network gateway, file, print, mail, and messaging services.

History

ClearOS is based on CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, designed for use in small and medium enterprises as a network gateway and network server with a web-based administration interface. It is positioned as an alternative to Windows Small Business Server. ClearOS is the successor to ClarkConnect. The software is built by ClearFoundation, and support services can be purchased from ClearCenter. ClearOS 5.1 removes previous limitations to mail, DMZ, and MultiWAN functions.

As of the ClearOS 6.1 release, the distribution is a full-featured operating system for gateway, network and servers built from source packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

The last release of ClearOS was in 2020, and with no updates since then, the project appears to be discontinued.

ClearOS aims to replace, as a small business server, Windows SBS.

Features

Features include:

• Stateful firewall (iptables), networking and security
• Intrusion detection and prevention system (SNORT)
• Virtual private networking (IPsec, PPTP, OpenVPN)
• Web proxy, with content filtering and antivirus (Squid, DansGuardian)
• E-mail services (Webmail, Postfix, SMTP, POP3/s, IMAP/s)
• Groupware (Kolab)
• Database and web server (easy to deploy LAMP stack)
• File and print services (Samba and CUPS)
• Flexshares (unified multi-protocol storage which currently employs SMB, HTTP/S, FTP/S, and SMTP)
• MultiWAN (Internet fault tolerant design)
• Built-in reports for system statistics and services (MRTG and others)

Awards and recognition

• August 2009: CompTIA Breakaway — ClearCenter's ClearOS wins 'Best New Product' at CompTIA Breakaway.
• August 2010: CompTIA Breakaway — ClearCenter's ClearOS repeats win for 'Best New Product' at CompTIA Breakaway.
• July 2012: Softpedia — An Open Source, free and powerful network and gateway Linux server operating system
• February 2014: IDG Security Firewall Distributions Review
• June 2015: Small Business Computing — The 5 Best Linux Servers for Small Business
• September 2015: LinuxVoice Service Distro — Group Test (see pages 58-63)

See also

• Windows SBS
• ClarkConnect
• SmoothWall
• m0n0wall
• SME Server
• Zentyal
• ClearFoundation

References

1. "ClearFoundation SVN". Archived from the original on 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
2. clarkconnect.org recycle a tired old computer into an Internet gateway
3. Tyler Randolph. "ClearOS Server 7.8 Community Edition Released".
4. A Linux server OS that's fiddly but tweakable • The Register
5. "DistroWatch: ClearOS".
6. "ClarkConnect Is Now ClearOS".
7. "Linux answer to Windows SBS: ClearOS". Archived from the original on 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
8. "Overview". ClearCenter. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
9. "Dual WAN Clarkconnect Community". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
10. "DistroWatch: Development Release - ClearOS 6.1 Alpha 1".
11. "ClearFoundation: ClearOS Core 6.1 Alpha1". 6 June 2011.
12. Linux Small Business Server Distros » Linux Magazine
13. "Zentyal - DistroWiz". Retrieved 20 November 2024.
14. ^ The Small Business Server Replacement is Clear(OS) | Linux Magazine
15. "Breakaway 2009 Best New Product Winner - ClearCenter".
16. "Best of Breakaway 2010 Awards".
17. "An Open Source, free and powerful network and gateway Linux server operating system". 5 May 2019.
18. Mills, Ashton. "Security firewall distributions". IDG (CSO Online). Archived from the original on 2014-08-03. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
19. Schroder, Carla (June 22, 2015). "The 5 Best Linux Servers for Small Business".
20. "Server Distros Group Test" (PDF). LinuxVoice Magazine. LinuxVoice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22.

External links

• Official website
• ClearOS at DistroWatch
• Clark Connect at DistroWatch
• clarkconnect.com
• clarkconnect.org recycle a tired old computer into an Internet gateway
• PointClark Networks
• ClarkConnect becomes ClearOS
• ClearFoundation
• ClearCenter

• Enterprise Linux distributions
• Firewall software
• Free routing software
• Gateway/routing/firewall distribution
• Linux distributions