French Linux distributor Mandriva releases new downloadable Mandriva 2008 version.
The distribution includes the KDE 3.5.7, Gnome 2.20 and XFCE 4.4.1 desktops, kernel version 2.6.22.9 with the fair scheduler integrated. Mandriva includes a preview version of KDE4, following the course taken by OpenSuse 10.3 and Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon.
All told, Mandriva keeps to the cross-desktop menu and user standards introduced to facilitate software development for Linux. Besides Open Office 2.2.1 Mandriva adds Compiz version 0.5.2 for 3D effects on the desktop. The release notes no longer mention Metisse, Mandriva's own desktop effects. The Draknetcenter tool manages network connections ousting the previous menus.
The developers have also reworked hardware detection and Mandriva now identifies sound and graphics cards more reliably. A new ALSA driver integrates the latest sound hardware. The distribution relies on X.org 7.2 with the XrandR 1.2 framework for graphics. Windows converts will appreciate the Transfugdrake wizard, which helps users import documents. Finally, the Krandr KDE tool gives users the ability to setup various displays in a GUI front-end.
Mandriva Linux 2008 is available for downloading by Bittorrent.
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