SolusOS is a desktop distribution based on Debian. It is co-founded by a couple of guys who were involved with Linux Mint Debian Edition.
The sixth alpha of SolusOS 2 was released yesterday, with the final stable edition scheduled for release at an unspecified date. This is my first look at this distribution, and if you this article is your own introduction to it, here are the main features it brings to the table:
1. SolusOS Desktop Environment, a desktop environment based on GNOME 3.4 – minus the GNOME Shell – and customized to give the look and feel of a GNOME 2 desktop environment
2. Bleeding-edge software installed and in the repository
3. Athena, a file manager forked from Nautilus, the GNOME desktop file manager.
It will likely appeal to those looking for a simple, desktop distribution built on modern technologies, but without the annoyances of a GNOME Shell and the heavy feel of a KDE desktop.
What follows are a few screen shots from a test installation of this pre-stable version in a virtual environment.
The Athena file manager. Just like Linux Mint’s Nemo, it is supposed to have fixed the usability issues of Nautilus.
The default desktop.
The menu looks like the pre-Cinnamon Linux Mint menu and the panel has all the features of the GNOME 2 panel.
The desktop with the menu showing installed multimedia applications.
The desktop with the menu showing installed system management applications.
The desktop with the menu showing installed Office applications.
The desktop with the menu showing installed Internet applications.
The graphical software manager is the gpk package manager
Only a 32-bit installation image of SolusOS 2 alpha 6 has been released. You may download it form here.
