Linux distro Mageia hits version 4 -- download it now
When the discussion of popular Linux distributions comes up, typically, you will hear about Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora. However, there has been a semi-newcomer making waves in the Linux community -- Mageia Linux (started in 2010). Originally a fork of Mandriva, it has grown to be so much more. In fact, it is currently ranked as number four on the Distrowatch page-hit ranking. While that ranking should be taken with a grain of salt, it is typically an accurate portrayal of popularity.
Today, Mageia announces that the fourth version of the operating system is ready for download. While the logic of making such an announcement on Super Bowl weekend is questionable, it is nonetheless exciting.
"Right on time, and just in time for the first day of FOSDEM 2014, we have the great pleasure of announcing Mageia 4. We're still having a grand time doing this together, and we hope you enjoy this release as much as we’ve enjoyed making it. And if you're at FOSDEM, come and help us celebrate", says Mageia.
The company touts the following major new features:
- RPM 4.11.1 and urpmi 7.31
- Kernel 3.12
- systemd 208
- GRUB is the default bootloader; GRUB2 is also available.
- KDE 4.11
- GNOME 3.10
- Xfce 4.10, Mate 1.6 and Cinnamon 2.0
- Libreoffice 4.1.3.2
- Experimental UEFI Support
- FullHD+ resolution support
- Oh, and the neat new Mageia Welcome!
The new Mageia Welcome screen is designed with newcomers in mind. It will be displayed on the first boot, with tips and information. Luckily, it will display regardless of the environment the user selects.
Speaking of environments, there is a smörgåsbord of them available -- KDE, GNOME, Xfce, Mate and Cinnamon. Choice is always great and this ensures that the user can find the absolute best one for their usage. You can make your choice and download the .iso. Personally, I am partial to Gnome, so I will be installing that later today.
So, will you be giving Mageia 4 a try? If you do, which environment will you select? Tell me in the comments.
Image Credit: Jaroslav Machacek / Shutterstock