| OpenLab Linux ships v4.1 live CD, solicits testers |
Jun. 20, 2006
Developer A.J. Venter has announced the first development release of OpenLab GNU/Linux 4.1 ("Conina"), a Slackware-based desktop distribution developed in South Africa. It features a 2.6.16.18 kernel and the KDE desktop.
OpenLab, which debuted in 2004, is supplied as an installable live CD, making use of its abilities as a clean environment to simplify and automate hardware setup, "which, through our once-permanent technology, is then automatically passed on to the installer -- thus greatly reducing user strain on set-ups," Venter wrote in the release announcement. OpenLab tries wherever possible to make use of automated pre-install configuration rather than manual post-install configurations, he added.
Conina builds on the strengths of version 4.0, although it focuses on addressing the weaknesses, Venter said. Conina includes significant enhancements for mobile computing, including improved wireless and WPA support, and integration of Kdebluetooth, he said.
Key features, as listed by the project team, include:- kernel 2.6.16.18, with additional support for vesafb-tng, and post-install support for fbsplash
- X.Org 6.9.0
- KDE 3.5.2 with HAL and DBUS
- OpenOffice.org 2.0.2
- an overhauled video setup process
OpenLab GNU/Linux also includes OLAD (OpenLab ADministration tool) and many other innovations ranging from backend systems, such as the hyperdrive suite which simplifies the handling of removable media, to user-level enhancements, such as the highly integrated desktop theme complemented by the award-winning Nuvola icon set, Venter added.
"Perhaps the most exciting new feature is the inclusion of Wole (Wole's the OpenLab Essistant), our innovative digital 'essistant' whose primary function is to make all the above easily accessible to users," Venter said.
Venter said that "at this stage, what we need more than anything else is for as many people as possible to run it on as many machines as possible and report bugs as they are encountered. Of course, if you also know the solution -- we would be particularly happy to include it!"
You can download the free 699 MB iso image here; it also is available via BitTorrent.
Those who download and test the distribution are asked to report bugs here.
OSDir.com has some screenshots available here.
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